|
Double Dragon II: The Revenge is the sequel to Double Dragon. This sidescrolling beat 'em up drastically differs in the console release from the arcade game. This game was also released on the Sega Genesis and the PC Engine.
Plot[]
The story takes place in the year 19XX, where the nuclear war had long since ended and gangs rule the streets of New York City through violence. Billy and Jimmy Lee, twin martial artists, were named the Double Dragons by the people after challenging the crime syndicates.
After their former defeat at the hands of the Lee brothers, the Shadow Warriors kill Billy's girlfriend Marian during an attack in the city. Swearing to avenge her death, the Double Dragons have to endure nine challenging missions and square off against various street punks, ninjas, and muscle men. Only by fighting with the will of a supreme master may they be destined to face off against the mysterious warrior behind it all.
Gameplay[]
Double Dragon II can be played by up to two players simultaneously. The game offers two modes of play, which differ only in whether or not the two players can hurt each other with their attacks.
The structure of the game is completely different. While the first stage resembles the one from the arcade version, the level designs deviates completely from Mission 2 and onward, with scenes set in a variety of new locations such as the interior of a moving helicopter, an undersea base, and a series of trap rooms. There are a total of nine stages in the NES version. Before each stage, a cutscene is shown consisting of still imagery and text which provides the setting of the stage.
The game retains the directional-based combat system from the arcade version. Unlike the first NES game, the player has full access to Billy or Jimmy's entire repertoire of moves from the beginning. In addition to the "Spinning Cyclone" introduced in the arcade version, two additional special moves were added to the player's set of techniques, the "Hyper Uppercut" and the "Flying Knee Kick". These two moves are performed while the player's character is crouching, which is only possible after landing from a jump or recovering from a fall.
At the easiest difficulty level, the game ends after the third stage. The intermediate level allows players to complete all but the ninth and final stage. The hardest level, "Supreme Master", grants access to all stages and the confrontation with the final boss.
Characters[]
- Billy Lee
- Jimmy Lee
- Marian
- Williams
- Linda
- Roper
- Right Arm
- Ninja
- Chin Taimei
- Burnov
- Bolo
- Abore
- Double Illusion
- Mysterious Warrior
Development[]
The NES version of this game was produced by Technos and released in December 1989 and was localized by Acclaim Entertainment in January 1990. This is the version re-released on the Virtual Console. Unlike the arcade game, this game has a co-op mode. The Co-op mode had two different modes; Mode A where the player's attack didn't hurt his partner and Mode B, where the player's attack will. The English version also had difficulty settings which determined the length of the game, with the hardest difficulty hiding the final mission.
The game's story was slightly altered in the console. First, there are story sequences in-between stages to advance the plot. Next, the game is now divided into 9 stages instead of the Arcade's original 4, all redesigned. While most of the enemies return from the Arcade version, there are a few of them replaced like the Mysterious Warrior who serves as the game's final boss. The true ending of this game now has Marian brought back from death after the final boss is defeated.
Credits[]
- Programmers: Genei Fukuhara, Shintaro Kumagai, T. Obinata, and K. Sonoda
- Character Designer: Koji Ogata and Nobuyuki Sawada
- Background Designer: Koji Kai and M. Watanabe
- Graphic Designer: Kumiko Mukai
- Sound Composer: Kazunaka Yamane
- Sound Programmer: Michiya Hirasawa
- Director: Hiroyuki Sekimoto
- Cover Artwork: Kazumi Kakizaki
- Special Thanks: Tsutomu Andō, N. Fujita, Mariko Kido, K. Kishimoto, W. S. Little, Masao Shiroto, S. Tamai, and Mitsuhiro Yoshida (M. Yoshida)
Reception[]
Double Dragon II: The Revenge on the NES was highly well received by a number of publications. Electronic Gaming Monthly reviewed the game with 32 points out of 40, calling it a worthy sequel while praising its graphics, new moves, and two-player cooperative function.[1] U.K. magazine Mean Machines scored with an 80%, criticizing its sprite flickering and screen scrolling, while also praising the animations, fast action, and good fun. The review concludes with, "There's no doubt that this game will sell by the lorryload, and why not - its a great game that deserves to do well, and will keep you coming back even when you've finished it. Well worth a look at least." [2]
VideoGame, a publication from Portugal, presented Double Dragon II with an overall 4 out of 5 star rating. They scored the game's difficulty with four stars, the music and sound with three, and graphics with five.[3] Power Play magazine from France gave Double Dragon II 74%, commending the game's atmosphere, the characters' facial expressions, and the animated movements.[4]
IGN ranked the game at 83rd in their "Top 100 NES Games of All Time".[5]
See also[]
References[]
- ↑ "Double Dragon 2", Electronic Gaming Monthly, Issue #8, pp. 10 (March 1990)
- ↑ "Double Dragon II", Mean Machines, Issue #1, pp. 78-80 (October 1990)
- ↑ VideoGame No. 01 p. 17 (Video News - Number 102A - Special Edition) (March 1991) (Portuguese)
- ↑ "DOPPELT HÄLT BESSER: Double Dragon II", Power Play, Issue #31, pp. 142 (October 1990)
- ↑ "Double Dragon II: The Revenge #83 - Top 100 NES Games of All Time" at IGN (January 30, 2017)
External links[]
- Double Dragon II: The Revenge at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- Double Dragon II: The Revenge (NES) at the Double Dragon Wiki
- Double Dragon II: The Revenge (NES) at Double Dragon Dojo
- Double Dragon II Shrine at Double Dragon Dojo
- Double Dragon II: The Revenge (FC) at Game Kommander (Japanese)
- Double Dragon II: The Revenge at MobyGames
- Double Dragon II: The Revenge at GameFAQs
- Double Dragon II (NES/PCE) at Hardcore Gaming 101
- Double Dragon II: The Revenge at The Cutting Room Floor
- Double Dragon II: The Revenge (NES Prototype) at The Cutting Room Floor
| Double Dragon series | |
|---|---|
| Main series | Double Dragon • II: The Revenge • II (Game Boy) • III: The Sacred Stones • 3: The Arcade Game • Super • The Shadow Falls • Advance • IV • Neon • Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons Retro Brawler Bundle • Collection |
| Cross-overs | Super Spike V'Ball • Battletoads & Double Dragon |
| Related | Technos Japan • Arc System Works • Kunio-kun |