Double Dragon is the arcade beat ’em up that made it all popular. While other series have taken the formula and offered a better product, Double Dragon was one of the first successful ventures into cooperative gameplay and using the enemies’ own weapons to bash their heads in.
There were three arcade games released between 1987 and 1990. All three games have been repackaged into one with an updated optional soundtrack. While it may bring some nostalgia back to many older players that remembered hitting the arcades and playing these games, DotEmu may have missed the boat in re-releasing the arcade ports in Double Dragon Trilogy.
Not a perfect arcade emulation
Contrary to the naked eye, these are not emulation-perfect ports. Yes, the backgrounds, sprites, and many other things are the same from the arcade classics, but they’ve been ripped from the original and recreated with an ugly HUD and bland text display. The button layout that changed from Double Dragon to Double Dragon II also wasn’t emulated; it’s the same for both games in the trilogy release. Dialogue and story has also been completely removed.
Image credit: GOG
Another problem is the lack of real coin support in Double Dragon III. There’s only one coin that players can use to buy extra content. Yes, along with setting the trends for future beat ’em up brawlers, a Double Dragon game was also responsible for introducing the very first “in-app purchasing” to the dismay of arcade players. Just being able to use one coin also means that not all the extra characters are unlockable.
The number of continues are also not listed on the screen, and they vary on the difficulty selected between easy, medium, and hard. There doesn’t seem to be a great balance in these settings, either. In easy mode on Double Dragon II, a number of stronger enemies can be trashed in a single hit while the final boss is incredibly unfair. It will take up the majority of remaining lives to defeat him.
NES ports are the memorable experiences
If DotEmu wanted to treat Double Dragon Trilogy properly, they would have at least offered the NES ports as a bonus feature. Million, comprised of former workers of the now defunct Technos Japan developer, has no problem with licensing the Double Dragon franchise out and likely would have given this developer a green light to use the NES games.
The NES version of Double Dragon II, released a year after the arcade version, is the definitive edition of the game without question. It’s a longer, more polished experience. This game alone would be worth the asking price of $5.99 if they upgraded the graphics and used the very catchy remixed tunes in Double Dragon Trilogy. It would have also been an overall better experience and we’d avoid both agregious arcade and console versions of the rushed Double Dragon III.
Image credit: G2Play
Lack of extras
Among the problems with Double Dragon Trilogy are the lack of extras. The remastered soundtrack is a wonderful addition, and the option to switch to the retro 8-bit sounds are great for those that aren’t into the remixes. Being able to play online worked without a hitch on the Steam version in multiple play tests. A video filter that adds scanlines is there for those that want to feel the nostalgia on a next level, but the blur is so annoying that it’d be hard to play a full game with the option on.
Other than that, this is a real bare-bones trilogy release. As previously mentioned, the original ending and credits have been completely scrapped. The only difference in playing the Story or Arcade verison of the games is one features a level select. There is no story because no overview or dialogue is taking place.
Final thoughts
Double Dragon Trilogy is great for those that would love the nostalgia from playing these games in the arcades, but that’s where the fun ends. DotEmu thrives in rereleasing retro games, and they left a lot on the table in an uninspired collection that’s nowhere near the value of $6. That’s a 100 percent increase on the mobile version released over a year ago as well, and that doesn’t justify simply having easier controller support.
A better time can be had by either finding the old Double Dragon games for the NES or setting things up on MAME. For those that need their fix on Steam, WayForward’s Double Dragon: Neon is a far better investment for just $4 more.
Published: Jan 27, 2015 01:14 pm