When I saw this game on the Xbox Game Pass, I was skeptical. My favorite arcade machine, when I was around 10 or so, was Double Dragon. It was all types of fun! Fast forward 20-some odd years later, games in general have gotten a lot better with graphics. I thought for sure that the graphics wouldn’t be able to live up to the hype of the Double Dragon story. I am so glad that I was wrong.
The graphics are amazing. The side-scrolling aspect, having remained the same, has really helped with keeping the old-school feel, while the updated graphics has made it more pleasing to the eyes. I can’t express how much the color scheme of this whole game screams the eighties. It really helps to set the mood with the rest of the game. Speaking of setting the mood, the music in this game is SPECTACULAR. The tracks are satirical to lots of 80’s hits and you can’t help but have a good time while kicking thugs around and drinking soda. It’s just that fun.
From the title screen, this game feels like it has grown with its audience. It has a great story line that follows Jimmy and Billy Lee out to find Marian and her captors. Because, just like every other Double Dragon game, Marian is (yet again) kidnapped. As a fan of the series, I really don’t mind that it starts off the same way with pretty much every incarnation of the game. As a matter of fact, I was more hyped once the storyline took a crazy turn to have the Lee’s follow Marian’s captors into SPACE! It seemed like the story was going to pretty much be the same until you get to the “lair” that turns out to be a space ship! I did NOT see that coming!
Keeping that in mind, we have a great many a new spins on villains. From Evil Marian and Skullmageddon, to Bammy ‘n’ Jammy. These bosses were so much fun and really helped to put a fun spin on the game
With the game having come out in 2012, I really don’t understand why it wasn’t a bigger hit. As a self-proclaimed Dragonatic, I can see myself playing this game for years to come. It is definitely my favorite out of the entire series to date.
