Double Dragon

There are games that you go into just knowing you are going to hate it. But every so often you are pleasantly surprised to actually enjoy the game. Double Dragon for the Neo Geo isn't just impressive, it's highly recommended over many of the "bigger name" Neo Geo fighters. I wasn't just impressed, I was blown away.

The backgrounds are pretty generic and poorly animated, although there are a few novel locations, like fighting on the wings of a flying plane! Some stages have interesting intros and ending sequences as well. In terms of gameplay, Double Dragon is basically just a second rate Street Fighter 2 (SF2). Its one original feature is the "double jump", which has questionable value in a game like this. Many of the special moves have been shamelessly lifted from SF2 (notably Ryu's Hurricane Kick). Still, the controls are responsive enough and the load times are short, so if you're into these kind of games, Double Dragon should keep you occupied for a while.

Normally, Double Dragon would just be average, but the silly aspects (the announcer) and goofy fighters (with some very standard moves) get in the way. Despite it's commendable controls, it's still not a very good game.

There's nothing here that's revolutionary though. It's a basic fighter that seems stuck in a rut. A few years before its release, it might have made some noise. Everything about it screams quality, yet it's hard to ignore how generic it is. There's enough here for a brief, light fighting game session, but nothing to become excited over. It's also not for fans of the series, and that's where the biggest shock will come from. After the previous years Double Dragon V, it's understandable that fans would be apprehensive. That leaves this Neo Geo exclusive easy to miss, and while it's not something necessary to track down, there is a mildly fun game here, despite its generic qualities.