Double Dragon

• Release Date: 1990 08
• Genre: Action
• Style: Side-Scrolling Combat
• Similar Games: Battletoads (Nintendo Entertainment System), Battletoads (Sega Genesis), Battletoads (Arcade), Battletoads (Game Boy), Battletoads (Sega Game Gear)

Game Description

Based on the 1987 arcade game, Double Dragon on Game Boy is a beat-'em-up starring twin brothers and martial arts experts, Billy and Jimmy Lee. A street gang known as the Black Warriors has kidnapped Billy's girlfriend, Marian, and you must help save her. Punch and kick your way through four levels of play: city slum, forest, industrial area, and hideout. Along the way pick up boxes, rocks, oil drums, knives, dynamite, whips, and baseball bats to use as weapons. In a one-player game you play as Billy. Link up with a friend to help battle the bad guys as Jimmy.

Review: Overall

Double Dragon has made appearances on many different systems. The Game Boy version is actually one of the better efforts. It gets as much out of the Game Boy as it can and the result is an action game with good control and graphics.

Using the 2 buttons and D-Pad to perform 9 different moves is not too difficult. Your basic moves are punch, kick, and jump kick using only the buttons. With the D-Pad you can add elbow punches and spin kicks. Depending on how you approach your enemy you can also perform hair pull kicks, uppercuts, and over your shoulder throws.

There are only 4 levels but they provide enough action. Most of the enemies you fight continuously repeat themselves. Only 6 different bad guys exist throughout the whole game. Fighting is fairly easy but making jumps in the industrial area level will make or break your game. Some of the jumps are quite difficult.

Graphics are very good. Backgrounds contain a lot of detail. After playing so many other games released in 1989 and 1990 I didn't realize the Game Boy was capable of having this much detail. The characters are also drawn well. Sounds are not as good but they are above average.

If you haven't played too much Double Dragon on other systems you may want to try this one. It is the same as most of the other versions so if you have played a lot of this game on other systems then you might get tired of the game quickly. There is a 2 player link mode if you want to play with a friend.

Review: Enjoyment

Two-player action works well.

Review: Graphics

Characters and backgrounds look great.

Review: Sound

Effects are okay but music is not up to par with the graphics.

Review: Replay Value

Typical punch and kick action.

Review: Documentation

Does not mention anything about your life meter or number of lives you get.

Production Credits

double dragon	super double dragon