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Double Dragon (video game)

From Alfawiki
Technōs Japan
Company typePrivate
IndustryVideo games
FounderYoshihisa Kishimoto
Headquarters
Japan
Key people
Yoshihisa Kishimoto (director)
ProductsDouble Dragon series

Double Dragon is a 1987 beat 'em up arcade game developed by Technōs Japan and published by Taito, marking the inception of the Double Dragon series under the guidance of director Yoshihisa Kishimoto. Initially planned as a follow-up to Technos' earlier title Renegade, it transformed into an original project featuring unique characters and a fresh setting.

This title brought several innovations to the beat 'em up genre, including a seamless side-scrolling environment, cooperative gameplay for two players, the ability to pick up weapons from defeated foes, and cinematic storytelling sequences. Its name alludes both to its two-player gameplay and the influence of Bruce Lee’s film Enter the Dragon, which helped shape its martial arts theme. Visually, the game drew creative inspiration from the Mad Max film series and the manga Fist of the North Star.

From a commercial standpoint, Double Dragon achieved significant success, ranking as the third highest-grossing arcade table game in Japan in 1987 and leading dedicated arcade revenue charts in the United States throughout 1988 and 1989. It received critical acclaim, securing the 1988 Game of the Year award from Electronic Gaming Monthly. The game's popularity led to numerous sequels and spin-offs, contributing to what is often called the "Golden Age" of beat 'em ups during the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Following its arcade release, Double Dragon was adapted for a wide array of home systems such as NES, Master System, various Atari platforms, Amiga, Commodore 64, Game Boy, Genesis/Mega Drive, and Atari Lynx. A remake titled Double Dragon Advance was later launched for the Game Boy Advance in 2003.

Gameplay

Utilizing a belt scroll design reminiscent of Kunio-kun, Double Dragon distinguishes itself by featuring continuous side-scrolling stages instead of segmented arena-like levels.[1]

Players assume control of martial artist Billy Lee or his twin brother Jimmy (known as Hammer and Spike in the American arcade version) as they confront the Black Warriors gang to rescue Billy’s girlfriend Marian. Gameplay employs a joystick alongside three buttons (kick, jump, punch) enabling a range of martial arts techniques from simple strikes to throws and elbow attacks. In cooperative mode, players can grab enemies from behind to execute attacks; some adversaries use this maneuver against players as well. Characters begin with multiple lives and a health bar that diminishes upon taking damage; losing all health or running out of time results in losing a life. Falling off-screen or into environmental hazards also causes life loss.

Certain foes carry melee weapons such as baseball bats, whips, throwing knives, or dynamite sticks, which players can seize and wield. Additionally, environmental items like rocks and oil drums serve as usable weapons.

The Black Warriors gang consists of six recurring members plus their leader. Williams and Rowper frequently appear—Williams sports a tank top while Rowper is shirtless with matching pants and can lift heavy objects. Linda is the gang’s sole female member; she wears a purple leotard and occasionally uses a whip. Two strongmen act as sub-bosses: Zack, a bald fighter appearing in the arcade version, and a mohawked strongman who serves as end-bosses for Missions 1 and 3 (named Jack and Abobo respectively). Later console editions removed these names but retained only the bald strongman renamed Abobo. Jeff resembles the Lee brothers and functions as boss of stage two before becoming an underling. Willy leads the gang as final boss wielding a powerful machine gun.

The game features four distinct stages ("missions"): an urban slum, an industrial factory, a forest area, and finally the gang’s hideout. The first three stages are continuous maps with musical cues signaling boss encounters; defeating each boss causes enemies to retreat and automatically advances players to subsequent stages. Approaching the end of stage three triggers another transition into the hideout level. The final mission includes traps leading to Willy’s lair accompanied by the iconic Double Dragon theme music. Completing this stage ends single-player mode; if both Lee brothers finish simultaneously, they engage in combat against each other for Marian's affection with restored health bars, no extra lives, and a reset timer.

Development

The project was overseen by Yoshihisa Kishimoto, the original creator of the 1986 arcade beat 'em up Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun (known as Renegade outside Japan). Following that title's success, Technōs Japan commissioned him to develop a two-player sequel aimed at boosting arcade earnings. Although initially planned as a direct continuation of Kunio-kun, Kishimoto revamped the concept with fresh characters and a new setting to better capture global audiences, ultimately naming it Double Dragon. The term "Double" alluded to its cooperative two-player mode, while "Dragon" was a tribute to Bruce Lee’s influential film Enter the Dragon (1973), which served as a major source of inspiration.

Departing from the high school backdrop of Kunio-kun, Kishimoto placed the game in a dystopian cityscape influenced by Mad Max and Fist of the North Star. He transformed the gameplay into a seamless side-scrolling format, incorporating narrative progression and cinematic storytelling through interspersed cut scenes.

The arcade hardware showcased 384 colors selected from a 4096-color palette, powered by multiple 8-bit processors operating concurrently, including Hitachi HD6309 CPUs and dedicated sound chips such as the Yamaha YM2151 FM synthesizer.

Famicom/NES

In 1988, Technōs Japan adapted Double Dragon for the Family Computer. The NES edition was published in North America by Tradewest, which also managed licenses for other home versions; in Europe, Nintendo handled distribution. The title was later re-released on the Wii's Virtual Console in 2008 and subsequently made available on Nintendo 3DS and Wii U platforms between 2013 and 2014.

This NES adaptation notably eliminated the arcade’s cooperative two-player mode, substituting it with alternating turns. Consequently, the storyline was altered: players control Billy Lee exclusively, while Jimmy Lee assumes the role of antagonist and leader of the Black Warriors gang.

Due to hardware constraints, only two pairs of identical enemies appear simultaneously on screen. Weapons vanish after each wave of foes is defeated. A novel leveling system was introduced, enabling players to unlock more advanced moves by accumulating experience points, with progression capped at seven levels.

Stage layouts differ considerably from the arcade version, incorporating new segments such as a cave area in Mission 3 that emphasizes platforming challenges and trap avoidance. Most original enemies return except for Jeff and the mohawked variant of Abobo. Additionally, a new boss character—Chinese martial arts expert Chin Taimei (renamed Chintai in localization)—is introduced in stage two and reappears as a minor adversary later on.

Mode B

The NES release features an extra "Mode B," where players can choose Billy or one of five enemy characters (Will, Rowper, Linda, Chin, Abobo) to engage in one-on-one battles against either AI opponents or another player. AI-controlled matches tend to favor computer opponents, whereas some characters can wield weapons during multiplayer fights. This mode uses larger character sprites that differ visually from those in the main game.

As Technōs’ second NES project, this version lacked full co-op functionality due to limited familiarity with the hardware among developers, resulting in numerous bugs and glitches.

Master System

Shortly after the NES launch, Sega acquired rights to create a port for the Sega Mark III and Master System systems. This version was co-developed with Arc System Works—current holders of the franchise rights—and supports the optional FM Sound Unit integrated into Japanese Master System models. It features brighter color schemes and allows up to three enemies on screen simultaneously, although only one weapon appears at any given time. The two-player cooperative mode is preserved here, including the final player-versus-player showdown. Level designs remain closer to the original arcade experience despite some missing ladders.

This iteration retains Mission 2’s boss—a swapped-head version of the Lee brothers named Jeff—and omits the mohawked Abobo variant. Bosses from Missions 1 and 3 are palette variations of a bald Abobo character. Players have unlimited continues until reaching the final stage; executing ten backward jump kicks during that stage grants infinite retries thereafter.

Game Boy

In 1990, Technōs Japan launched a Game Boy adaptation, distributed in North America and Europe by Tradewest. This version maintains gameplay akin to the NES edition but introduces redesigned levels and grants access to all primary moves from the outset. While enemy types resemble those found in the NES game, certain characters such as Abobo and Chin exhibit new attack patterns. The primary mode is single-player, concluding after the defeat of Willy, with Jimmy absent from the storyline. Additionally, a two-player Versus Mode is available, featuring only the Lee brothers. This edition was later reissued on the Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console in 2011.

Home computers

Double Dragon was adapted for multiple home computer systems including the Amiga, Atari ST, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Amstrad CPC, and PC compatible machines. The majority of these ports were developed by UK-based Binary Designs, with the exception of the PC version handled by Arcadia Software. Notably, there were two distinct versions for the Amstrad CPC: one tailored for the CPC 6128 derived from the Amiga port, and another for the CPC 464 adapted from the Sinclair version. In 1991, Ocean Software released a second Commodore 64 iteration on a 32k bank-switched cartridge, which omitted the two-player mode.

The initial Commodore 64 port by Binary Designs was widely panned for its poor execution and is often cited among the least successful arcade conversions. Virgin Mastertronic, who owned rights to this version, commissioned programmers Ash and Dave to improve it within a six-week timeframe. The resulting rushed release lacked crucial gameplay features and multiplayer functionality. It included restricted weapon options, static backgrounds, no final boss fight, and displayed sprite glitches acknowledged in the game's manual.

Other platforms

In 1992, Accolade issued an unauthorized Double Dragon port for the Sega Genesis, marketed under their "Ballistic" brand. Although limited by a reduced color palette, the 16-bit hardware eliminated arcade slowdown issues but suffered from inferior sound quality due to a cost-constrained 512 KB cartridge. This rendition closely followed the arcade original's design.

The 1993 Atari Lynx adaptation was produced by Knight Technologies and published by Telegames. Later, in 2003, Double Dragon Advance debuted on the Game Boy Advance. Developed under license from Million Corporation—the IP holder at that time—by Atlus, this remake featured extra stages and new moves. A mobile phone title named Double Dragon EX, inspired by this remake, was created by Korean developer Eolith in 2006.

Empire Interactive and Razorworks re-released the arcade game on Xbox Live Arcade for the Xbox 360 in May 2007. This edition offered both original emulation and a high-definition mode with remixed music as well as online multiplayer capabilities. It quickly ascended to number one on Xbox Live Arcade charts but was removed in July 2009 following Empire Interactive's shutdown.

In 2011, Brizo Interactive collaborated with Aksys Games to develop new Double Dragon versions for iOS and Android, published by Bow Mobile Corp. These releases introduced updated artwork, Bluetooth multiplayer functionality, online leaderboards, and pioneering features within the franchise.

The original arcade title was included in Dotemu's 2013 Double Dragon Trilogy collection, which became available across iOS, Android, Ouya, and Steam platforms.

Reception

Double Dragon was met with broadly favorable critiques across various platforms, cementing its influence within the beat 'em up category. Both arcade and console editions were lauded for their captivating gameplay and cooperative features, which significantly contributed to robust commercial success.

Prominent review ratings include an 85% score from Computer and Video Games for the SMS version, 83% for the NES variant, and an impressive 91% from Joystick for the Game Boy edition, demonstrating steady praise in major markets. The arcade release received a 9/10 from Commodore User alongside commendations from Cash Box, highlighting its strong market appeal.

Certain home computer adaptations, such as those for the Commodore 64 and Amiga, experienced mixed critical reception with ratings near 54%, reflecting inconsistent port quality. Reviews for the Sega Mega Drive version varied widely, ranging from 13% to 82%, indicating difficulties in preserving uniform quality across different systems.

Double Dragon earned multiple industry honors, notably securing Electronic Gaming Monthly's Game of the Year in 1989. It has been acknowledged by outlets including Empire, Game Informer, and GameSpot as a seminal title and one of the greatest games ever produced. This acclaim solidified its role as a cornerstone that shaped future beat 'em up releases.

Commercial performance

The arcade iteration achieved blockbuster status. In Japan, Game Machine ranked it as the top table arcade cabinet in July 1987, and it finished as the third highest-grossing table arcade game nationwide that year. Across Europe, it dominated the UK's Deith Leisure arcade charts for two consecutive months in 1987. In the United States, it led as the highest-earning arcade video game in both 1988 and 1989 among dedicated cabinets. By 1988, Taito America had sold upwards of 10,000 dedicated arcade units domestically, purchased by more than 80% of arcade venues. Nonetheless, unauthorized sales of Double Dragon circuit boards adversely affected Taito America's revenue, resulting in a successful legal action in 1989.

In the U.S., Toys "R" Us reported that the NES edition sold out within just two weeks, becoming the best-selling title by July 1988. It moved 100,000 copies within its first month and sparked controversy over video game violence. With demand reaching one million cartridges, it ranked among the most sought-after games during Christmas 1988 alongside Nintendo's Super Mario Bros. 2 and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. The home console success extended with Activision's Atari 2600 version selling nearly half a million units, ranking it among the platform’s top titles despite being released late in its lifespan.

In the United Kingdom, Melbourne House’s ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 ports led software sales in late 1988; Mastertronic’s Amiga adaptation topped charts in early 1990; and their budget C64 edition became the third best-selling Commodore game by mid-1991. Collectively, Mastertronic’s home computer versions sold approximately 289,510 copies in the UK.

Critical response

The original arcade release received strong critical acclaim. Ferdy Hamilton of Commodore User awarded it an overall score of 9 out of 10 in August 1987—giving graphics a 9, sound a 7, difficulty a 9, longevity a perfect 10, and value a 9. He emphasized its widespread popularity and challenging gameplay demanding "both brain and brawn," praising its exceptional graphics, responsive controls, and diverse enemies and moves as making it "a leading contender for best beat 'em up yet." Similarly, Clare Edgeley from Computer and Video Games (July 1987) described its gritty street fights as addictive once players mastered the controls.

Tony of Crash (October 1987) labeled it "the finest game of its genre" and "completely addictive." Peter Shaw from Your Sinclair (November 1987) compared it favorably to Taito’s Renegade, noting larger character sprites and "gruesome sound effects," calling it "excellent" and good value even at a cost of 30p per play.

Reception for home versions fluctuated depending on port quality. The Master System edition received positive evaluations from Computer and Video Games, The Games Machine, and Mean Machines Sega. Likewise, the NES port was well-reviewed by Computer and Video Games.

Conversely, home computer versions attracted mixed opinions. Computer Gaming World pointed out joystick constraints limited move sets on IBM PC and C64 ports; they described the C64 version as "a pale imitation of the original." Meanwhile, Compute! acknowledged that while the Commodore 64 version included two-player mode, it lacked key arcade features such as moving objects and detailed animations. The Mega Drive adaptation was poorly regarded; Mega ranked it tenth among the worst Mega Drive titles.

Accolades

Electronic Gaming Monthly honored Double Dragon with their Game of the Year award for 1988.

It consistently appears on lists naming it one of the greatest video games ever, recognized by major publications including Electronic Gaming Monthly, Empire, and Game Informer. Additional rankings come from media outlets such as G4, GameSpot, GamingBolt, Killer List of Videogames, NowGamer, and Yahoo!. Spanner of Retro Gamer magazine cited it as his all-time favorite game.

Legacy

With its intricate martial arts moveset and cooperative two-player mode, Double Dragon ignited a "Golden Age" for beat 'em ups. Its triumph spurred a wave of similar titles during the late '80s that established gameplay standards followed throughout subsequent decades.

Sequels

Following its success came two arcade sequels: Double Dragon II: The Revenge (1988) and Double Dragon 3: The Rosetta Stone (1990), both also released on home systems. In 1992 Technōs launched Super Double Dragon for Super Nintendo. The crossover title Battletoads & Double Dragon debuted across platforms in 1993 alongside Virgin Games’ Game Gear release Double Dragon: The Revenge of Billy Lee. Additionally, Billy and Jimmy appeared in the NES game Super Spike V'Ball (1990). Characters inspired by them featured in titles like River City Ransom (1989) and later entries in the Kunio-kun series.

WayForward Technologies released a reboot titled Double Dragon Neon in 2012 on Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network.

Related media

In America, the franchise expanded into various media including a six-issue Marvel comic series (1991), an animated television show running from 1993 to 1995, and a live-action film released in 1994. These adaptations prompted spin-off games such as Tradewest’s fighting game Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls for SNES, Genesis, and Atari Jaguar; plus Technōs’ Neo-Geo version of Double Dragon (1995).

The series also appeared within manga like Rock'n Game Boy (1989–1991) and was referenced during a 2015 episode of Jeopardy!.

Spin-offs

The character Abobo stars prominently in an unauthorized parody titled Abobo's Big Adventure, serving as an affectionate tribute to the franchise.

Soundtrack

The album Original Sound of Double Dragon (オリジナル・サウンド・オブ・ダブルドラゴン), composed by Kazunaka Yamane and issued by Apollon in Japan on February 21, 1988 (catalog number BY12-5028), contains arranged versions of music from the arcade game.

  1. Opening Theme (Double Dragon)
  2. The City Slums (Arrival of The Black Warriors)
  3. Industrial Zone (The Great Fray)
  4. Aftermath
  5. Departure (A New Battle)
  6. Forest
  7. Giant Abobo's Appearance
  8. Hideout (Willy the Nemesis)
  9. Ending Theme (Reunion with Marian)

See also

External links

  1. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Polygon
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