Double Dragon (arcade game)

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Double Dragon
Japanese promotional flyer for the arcade release.
Developer(s)	Technos Japan Corporation
Publisher(s)	Taito Corporation
Designer(s)	Yoshihisa Kishimoto
Release date(s)	1987
Genre(s)	Scrolling fighter
Mode(s)	Up to 2 players, simultaneous
Platform(s)	Arcade, Amiga, Amstrad CPC, Atari 2600, Atari 7800, Atari Lynx, Commodore 64, Game Boy, Game Boy Advance, Game Gear, NES, PC, Sega Mega Drive, Sega Master System, ZX Spectrum
Input	8-way Joystick; 3 buttons
Arcade cabinet	Upright
Arcade display	Raster, standard resolution (Horizontal)

Double Dragon (双截龍, Double Dragon^?) is a 1987 side-scrolling beat-em-up developed by Technos Japan Corporation and distributed in North America and Europe by Taito. The game considered a spiritual successor to Technos' earlier beat-em-up, Renegade, but introduced several additions such as two-player cooperative gameplay (hence the title) and the ability arm oneself with an enemy's weapon after disarming them. Double Dragon is considered to be one of the first successful examples of the genre, resulting in the creation of two arcade sequels and several spinoffs.

Home versions of the game were released for the Nintendo Entertainment System, Sega Master System and Game Boy among other platforms during the series' height of popularity. An enhanced remake titled Double Dragon Advance was released for the Game Boy Advance in 2004.

Contents 1 Storyline 2 Gameplay 2.1 Enemies 2.2 Weapons 2.3 Stages 3 Ports 3.1 Nintendo Entertainment System 3.2 Sega Master System 3.3 Other versions 4 See also 5 External links

[edit] Storyline

The story of Double Dragon is set in a post-apocalyptic version of New York City, five years after a Nuclear War, where gangs and criminal organizations take control of the city. The protagonists are Billy and Jimmy Lee, the titular duo and the successors of a fictional martial arts style known as Sou-Setsu-Ken. One day, Billy's girlfriend, a former student named Marian, is kidnapped off the street and the Lee brothers receive a letter from her captors, the Black Warriors, demanding to known the secrets of the Double Dragons in exchange for her release. The Black Warriors are the largest criminal organization in the city, led by the machine gun-toting Willy Mackey.

This is the basic premise of the first game as originally established by Technos Japan, although certain details of the plot changes between versions of the game and publishers. The actual game has no in-game plot and the opening merely depicts Marian being knocked out unconscious and carried off by the Black Warriors, with Billy and Jimmy emerging from the garage in the background shortly afterwards.

[edit] Gameplay

The player is equipped with two attack buttons (punch and kick) and a jump button to fight against enemies or overcome obstacles. The player has access to a repertoire of technique by pushing these buttons individually or in combination. The most notable of these techniques is the Elbow Punch, which the player can use to knock down enemies coming from behind. Because of its effectiveness, the Elbow Punch was easily abused by players to complete the game and its effectiveness was reduced in later games in the series. Pressing jump and kick would make the player perform a jumping backward kick, which wasn't as effective as the elbow punch. After the player has punched or kicked an enemy repeatedly, the enemy is left in a stunned position, allowing him vulnerable for either, an uppercut, roundhouse kick or a hair grab. While in a hair grab, the player knee kick the enemy until they're knocked down or perform an over-shoulder throw. The only enemies that cannot be grabbed by the head are Linda, Abobo and Bolo.

Certain enemies can be seen carrying melee weapons such as knives, baseball bats and whips. They can be disarmed and the player can then pick up the weapon and use it against them. Large objects such as drumcans could also be throw against enemies.

There are a total of four stages or "missions" as they were called in the game. The first three stages were actually set in one large area. When a mission is clear, the player's character would walk right next to the following stage. The third stage ends with the player entering the hideout of the boss. The final battle features the player confronting various clones of the game's bosses before confronting Willy himself. Another notable aspect of the game was its ending. If two players defeat Willy together, then both characters would be forced to fight each other until one remains. The remaining player will win the girl and get a kiss from the rescued Marian.

[edit] Enemies

• Williams - The first common thug in the game who wears a tank top. He is sometimes armed with a baseball bat, a knife or a stick of dynamite.

• Roper - Another common thug, who wears a vest with shoulder spikes. In addition to using the same weapons Williams does, he can also throw large objects.

• Linda - A female thug with a dominatrix outfit, who is ocassionally armed with a whip.

• Bolo - A giant bald-headed thug who first appears coming out of a building by breaking apart its wall. Has the ability to toss around the player and can also lift heavy objects. A recurring sub-boss thorought the game.

• Abobo - A head-swapped version of Bolo, who has the same techniques and abilities, but presumably stronger. He resembles Mr. T due to his mohawk and beard. He is first fought as the first stage boss.

• Jeff - A head-swapped version of the Lee brothers (the player's characters). He can perform most of the same techniques as the player and is one of the few enemies able to escape from a hair grab.

• Willy - The final boss in the game. He is armed with a machine gun, which can depletes the player's life bar in a matter of seconds.

[edit] Weapons

• Baseball Bat - Can be swing at close range at the enemy.

• Whip - Can be lash at close range at the enemy.

• Knife - Can be thrown like a projectile towards the enemy. If it's thrown to the player, it can be intercepted with a kick.

• Dynamite - Can be thrown to the ground. If it's left on the ground picking it up, it will detonate in seconds.

• Oildrum, Box and Stone - Large objects that can be pick up and thrown at the enemy with the punch button or push towards the ground with the kick button.

[edit] Stages

• Mission 1: City Slums - The game starts with Marian being carried off the enemy and the player emerging out of the garage. The stage itself is a typical urban setting with nothing spectacular, save for a hidden billboard advertising Nekketsu Koha Kunio-kun (the Japanese version of Renegade). The boss of this stage is Abobo.

• Mission 2: Industrial Area - Taking place in an abandonded factory with various construction materials. The end of the stage features converyor belt, which serves as a death trap for both, the player and the enemy, as well as an elevator where various enemies emerge. The boss Jeff enters into battle through a lifting platform.

• Mission 3: Woods - The longest of all four stages. There are various pitfalls (including a broken bridge), as well as enemies lurking behind tress. When leaving Forest, the player will enter a mountain area, where the entrance of the hideout is located. The boss is a green-skinned Abobo.

• Mission 4: Hideout of the Boss - The final stage. The beginning of the stage features pushing walls that attack the player and then statues of minotaurs that attack with spears. Many of the enemies from previous stages, including multiple clones of Abobo and Jeff are fought the battle with Willy.

[edit] Ports

[edit] Nintendo Entertainment System

Double Dragon was ported to the Famicom/NES by Technos Japan in 1988. The game was published in North America by Tradewest (who were given the license to produce other home versions of the game as well) and by Nintendo in Europe.

The port took many liberties from the original Arcade game. The most notable was the omission of 2-Player simultaneous gameplay, presumably due to Technos Japan's inexperience with the hardware (the two NES sequels both included co-op gameplay). Instead, the 2-Player Mode in the main game is done by alternating similar to Super Mario Bros.. However, both players take control of Billy Lee. The plot was changed slightly, so that Jimmy is revealed to be the true mastermind behind the Black Warriors (he is seen in the opening intro kidnapping Marian instead of Willy). After the player defeats Willy, Jimmy will appear as the final opponent in the game.

Due to the technical limitations of the NES, the game could generate two enemies on-screen to confront the player and both enemies were the same character. Also, weapons could not be carried to another fight if the original owner was killed. In addition, a learning system was implemented so that players could only perform the most basic techniques at the beginning of the game. All of the more powerful techniques (including jump kicks) could only be earned by gaining experience points (or heart points, as they were called in the game) and increasing in level. The highest level is seven. A Renegade-style sit-on punch was added to the player's techniques.

The stages were arranged differently, with some stages featuring new areas (most notably the cavern section in Mission 3), most which focused more on platform jumping than actual fighting. All of the enemies from the arcade game also appear, with the exception of Bolo and Jeff, presumably due to the fact that Bolo is too similar to Abobo and Jimmy was made into the final boss, making Jeff's presence in the game unnecessary. Bolo's bald looks is given to Abobo, while a Chinese martial artist named Chin Taimei serves as Jeff's replacement as the second stage boss.

In order to compesate for the lack of a proper 2-Player Mode, a Versus Mode was added in which player could select between the Lee Bros. or five of the game's enemies. The Versus Mode has larger sprites for all characters than in the main game (except Abobo, who is drawn the same size), but only allows for mirror matches. In single player versus matches, the matches are handicapped in favor of the CPU, while two player versus matches features weapons thrown in in the middle of the field for certain characters.

[edit] Sega Master System

Shortly after the released of the NES version, Sega acquired the rights to develop their own port of the game for the SG-1000 Mark III in Japan and the Master System in North America and Europe.

This version featured graphics similar to the NES version, but with brighter colors and the fact that the game could display up to three different enemies on-screen. However, the graphics are not as sharp as the NES game and weapons still disappeared when their owners are killed off. The game also retained the two-player co-op gameplay and had level designs that were closer to the arcade game than the NES version's were. The second stage boss is Jeff, just like in the arcade version, although in this version, he is depicted as a complete pallete swap of the Lee brothers. Because of this, the Master System has been compared favorably over the NES version by arcade purists.

Like many early Sega games, the SMS version allows for unlimited continues until the final stage, in which the player would be forced to restart the game if they lost all their lives. However, there was a cheat in the game that allowed player to bypass this and enable unlimited continues in the final stage.

[edit] Other versions

In 1989, Activision released versions of Double Dragon for the Atari 2600 and Atari 7800 during Atari's brief comeback to the video game console market. During that same year, the arcade version of Double Dragon was also ported by Binary Design and published by Virgin Games/Mastertronic for the following computer platforms: Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, Tandy 1000, ZX Sinclair, Amstrad CPC and IBM PC. Two different Amstrad CPC versions were produced: one released in Europe (and based on the Amiga version), while the other was released in North America and was ported from the Sinclair version.

In 1990, Technos Japan produced a Game Boy version of Double Dragon as their game for the platform. This version features similar gameplay to the NES version, but with completely different level designs and learning system removed. The enemies are the same as the NES version, with some of the characters such as Abobo and Chin are given new techniques. The main game is still single player, although the player does not fight Jimmy after defeating Willy like they do in the NES version. Also, a 2-Player only Versus Mode is included like in the NES version, but the only characters available to play as are the Lee brothers.

In 1992, Accolade (video game publisher) released a Sega Mega Drive version of the game in North America and Europe under the Ballistic Software label. Up until recently, this version had graphics that were close to the arcade version, but not perfect (some of the game's graphics were redesigned and were of considerably worse quality than the arcade game's). This version was ported to the Atari Lynx in 1993 by Telegames. A Game Gear version of Double Dragon was also released by Virgin Games, however it was an original game unrelated to the arcade version.

In 2004, an enhanced remake of the original arcade game titled Double Dragon Advance was released for the Game Boy Advance. The game features all of the stages and almost all of the characters, but with new stages, techniques and cut-scenes added to mix (most of them based on the later installments). It was developed by Million Corp, the company which currently owns Technos Japan's former intellectual properties and was published by Atlus.

[edit] See also

• Double Dragon series

[edit] External links

• Double Dragon at the KLOV