The scene is set: grimy, littered streets patrolled by ruthless gangs, whose sole intent is to cause mayhem in the neighbourhood. This urban jungle setting for Return of Double Dragon (Super Double Dragon in the West) is as synonymous with 2D side scrolling beat-em-ups as it was with movies like The Warriors, a film which provided inspiration for the granddaddy of the genre, Renegade (Technos's 1986 brawler). Technos evolved Renegade into the Double Dragon series, and introduced co-op play into 1987 arcades in the form of the tough-as-old-boots brothers Billy and Jimmy Lee. To many retro gamers Double Dragon represents the epitome of the genre.
Despite the popularity inherent with the title, when Return of Double Dragon was unleashed onto the SNES market in 1992 both the gaming press, and consequently the majority of gamers, did not welcome it with open arms. This was another addition in a saturated market and one which was deemed as too similar and lacking in the necessary rejuvenations, or innovation, to warrant another cleansing of the streets.
Return of Double Dragon was released relatively early into the SNES's life, and whilst one-on-one beat-em-ups were well represented by Street Fighter II, side scrollers were still finding their fists and feet. The one-year old SNES already had Rushing Beat/Rival Turf (Jaleco) and Sonic Blast Man (Taito), yet there were two other main contenders, both eager to snatch Double Dragon’s title belt. These were the arcade conversions of Capcom's Final Fight and Konami's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time. The former dwarfed Return of Double Dragon's sprites with colossal characters like Haggar and Andore, whilst the latter infused much needed variety into a repetitive genre with intermissions of 'Sewer Surfing' and Mode 7 'Neon Night-Riders' special effects.
However, fans of the street-based genre did not need convincing to re-enter the world of the Lee brothers and face off against Duke and his dastardly gang of Shadow Warriors. Particularly as, unlike SNES Final Fight, Return of Double Dragon enables two players to team up in their mission. The game also has a 'mode B' option to allow for the onscreen brothers to turn the fight on each other, right in the middle of the battle. It incorporates a share credits facility, where second player Jimmy has a drop in/drop out option to join in the skirmish with Billy. The Japanese version has three difficulty options and a choice of 5 to 9 credits, allowing the player to set up their game to be as challenging, or as easy as they desire.
Despite the fact that even its largest characters looked decidedly weedy, it is possible to appreciate that the developers chose to concentrate upon expressive character animations. Swinging a Bo staff sees Billy’s hair swish with the momentum, both brothers pull a distinct open mouthed 'fight face' (which Bruce Lee would be proud of) and enemy sprites are so agitated after being on the end of a kicking, that they punch the floor in a hoodlum hissy fit. Like other 16-bit beat-em-ups, this cartoon violence puts it more in line with Itchy & Scratchy than Manhunt 2, and these details work hand-in-hand with a medley of control commands and combine as a fun highlight of the game.
Even though it is confined to the dilapidated street premise, the backgrounds do strive to add visual variety. The player traverses Las Vegas, an airport, Chinatown, a Golden Gate Bridge truck ride and even rumbles through a forest to the obligatory big boss’s hideout, and the overall design is a pleasing mixture of bright colours and gritty details. Mission five’s slums consist of cracked paving stones, bronzed brick stair platforms, rusty oil drums and wanted posters. These may not be original, but it is notable that they have been carefully drawn and shaded.
However, during a time when arcade developers were embedding variety into their brawlers, Return of Double Dragon seemed old school, even in 1992. Arcade designers recognised a need resulting from the genre's grass-roots repetitive nature, something Technos did not account for. The overall play time averages one hour and for button bashing players, slugging through to completion alone, its gameplay drags. Whilst it is understandable for a boss tyrant like Duke to deck their humongous lair in lavish intricately patterned rugs and luxury red velvet carpets, the final level in the Japanese version outstays its 23 minute long welcome. It is noticeable that for the Western release of Super Double Dragon any lingering around Duke's hideout, even with its extravagant green warrior statue decorations, has been cut short.
More damaging to the gameplay than the game's length is the general pace of the action. The actual playtime would be much more accessible if the Lee brothers did not shamble through the levels. For a game which displays a clear effort to implement a versatile move list it is incomprehensible as to why Technos did not include a double tap run manoeuvre. Even more than the lack of variety, the pace damages the gameplay, to the point that players may question the motivations of the Lee brothers. With no mention of Marian, the lack of a female rescuing incentive seems to have slowed the once-virile vigilantes down to a crawl. Return of Double Dragon's director Minuke Ebinuma has explained that there was pressure for the game to be rushed for release, so this may partially illustrate the reasons behind the lack of pace. The game itself runs smoothly without a hint of slowdown; the problem is it simply plays far too slowly.
This is especially disappointing considering the effort that has gone into the game's move list and weaponry set. The most enjoyment to be extracted from Return of Double Dragon is through mastery of the controls. Two expert players can work their way through by mixing up dive bomb flying kicks, blocks, hair drags and repeated face slaps. Even when enemy attack patterns are as unoriginal as a pair of goons constantly hovering on both sides of the player, the impetus is with you to dispose of them imaginatively. The developers clearly took inspiration from Street Fighter II: both brothers can execute a Chun Li-style wall jump, off the side of a glass elevator and holding down the shoulder buttons charges a red fury meter, which when filled transforms the brothers into a bulked up, angrier version of themselves with more powerful punches and kicks. Releasing this meter at a partially filled level unleashes a spinning hurricane kick, faster than Ryu can exclaim "Tatsumaki Senpuu Kyaku".
Combat manoeuvres are supported further by a large variety of weapons, which add to the tactical element of play. Knives and bombs inflict huge damage, yet an expert player can time knife dodges to the detriment of the thugs, or direct enemies into bomb explosions. The Chinatown dojo's punch bags and training balls are heaps of fun, as is the boomerang, but best of all is the range and power of the nunchakus. Enemies also bear weapons, with Baker's dual sword attacks requiring carefully planned confrontations.
Technos's combination of weapons with skull-cracking nunchakus and bone-cutting sword swipe sound effects are brutal. Return of Double Dragon performs adequately in the sound department, with thick, funky slap bass lines harking back to the forest tune in the original game. It has its own line in catchy arcade tracks, but special mention must go to the recreation of the original Double Dragon theme for mission 5's Slums (mission 3's Chinatown music for Western versions). Battling away to the classic tune is certain to put a smile on the face of retro brawling fans.
Conclusion
The fun to be found playing Return of Double Dragon is largely in the hands of the player. Those who are put off by weedy sprites, a complete disregard of SNES custom effects, a button-mashing approach to controls and a single player game that drags are best advised to avoid this. It does not have the variety, innovation or set pieces displayed by arcade games of the time, like Captain Commando's mecha transport. Side-scrolling brawler and Double Dragon fans will appreciate the way in which it draws upon its heritage and expands upon the classic locations, background details and genuinely expressive sprite animations. This is due to a consistent development team throughout the series, including the direct advisor, Yoshihisa Kishimoto.
Core fans will no doubt enjoy taking full advantage of the diverse controls, battling through to completion with a buddy, as the classic theme tune orchestrates the carnage. This is one series in which gamers will appreciate the developer's dragging up their past. The Sleeping Dragon rose cautiously for the 16-bit era and would not fully awaken again until Atlus would take charge of its reigns, for Double Dragon Advance, in 2004.
Comments 36
Friday came early this week I used to love playing this game with friends back in the day.
Below is a list of Return of Double Dragon details, which supplement the information in the review:
Josh - this is a bonus SNES review...I think Corbie still has his SNES review lined up for tomorrow.
@Damo: Groovy, you all seem to be stepping your game up around here
@JamieO: Would this be your first review here at this site? If so, welcome. I don't remember seeing one from you before. And great review. I would'ave given it an 8, but that's why I'm not reviewing games lol. My love for certain ones get in the way.
Actually, it's Jamie's second review - he also covered Star Fox for us!
Great work though - I've never been a fan of Double Dragon but maybe I'll give this one a look if I ever see it cheap at a car boot sale!
@y2josh and @Damo , this is just a litle extra review, I've said it before, Corbie's 'Super Nintendo Review Fridays' is my favourite day of the week.
I can't wait to read what Corbie is putting together for this Friday (i.e. will it be a SNES puzzler, RPG, shooter, beat-em-up, racer etc ?).
Not long left to wait now, though.
This is a game I begging to come to the Virtual Console because I have never played it.
Below are details of Technos/Atlus games relating to Return of Double Dragon, which add to the information in the review:
P.S. @y2josh (comment 4) I am a big fan of everything to do with Double Dragon, but I could not look past the repetition and lack of innovation, especially as a 16-bit sequel. Fans of the series and its genre (like us!) will get the most out of it.
I love the series, and would personally rate this one a bit higher, but I don't know how much general appeal it has. I'm still waiting for DD2 to hit the VC as well, as that was my favorite co-op beat 'em up.
Double Dragon 2 for the NES is still to this day one of my favorite brawlers and has stood the test of time. It should also be noted it was one fo the best games under the Acclaim label. As for Double Dragon GBA I have searched for a while now and it is hard to find. I would imagine Super DD has a good shot of being released on the VC since Aksys games is putting out many of the Technos titles.
this was the best double dragon game so many hours i put into it
now if they can get it on the vc
I love the game. Personally I don't think it deserves a 6. Its at least a 7 just for the sheer fun factor of beating up those sprites. There are so many moves and it actually takes some thought and planning to progress through the game. The thing that stood out to me most (the first time I played it) was how it is NOT a simple button masher. You need to keep enemies in front of you at all times, block when appropriate, learn how to chain your combos together, or stun an enemy so you can get in close for a grapple.
Yes, there is repetition but that's part of the genre. Even the best beat-em-ups suffer from that criticism. Turtles in Time may be the best one ever (arguably) but even it falls into that trap. Thing is, if you like beat-em-ups, then you take that in stride. Why not review a shooter and complain that its just button mashing and killing spaceships for half an hour? Why not review a platformer and complain that "there's too much jumping in this game"?
It's not perfect, but the variety of moves alone helps to keep this game exciting and the music really should have been emphasized more on the positive side. This game has some great tunes. Oh, and the run feature? Really? Never would need it. Everything is very close quarters in this game and you honestly do more fighting than walking.
For beat-em-up fans, I hope this review doesn't dissuade you from picking this title up, if you can find it.
Here are some final little side notes (this comments board is already overflowing with pics of my sorry looking mug), below are other company's brawler games relating to Return of Double Dragon:
@Maniac I remember you mentioned that you are a beat-em-up and Super Double Dragon fan on another comments section, I am a big fan of them too. I wanted it to be clear from my review that this is a game for fans of the genre and they should get it, it is the button mashing players that will miss out. We agree on the excellent array of moves and weapons, as well as catchy arcade tunes, but for me its pace is too slow.
The 6/10 is not a bad score, it sits above Riot Zone (TG-16), next to Alien Storm (MD) and just below Golden Axe (MD), Streets of Rage (MD)and Final Fight (SNES).
I played this game so much, I really miss this franchise, I would love a Wiiware remake like Contra got.
This game and III were so much weaker than the first 2 entries in the series....still own/love 1 and 2, and I've never quite beaten the first (that last room on level 4 is DISGUUUUSTING). 3 departed from the series formula a bit too much...I dunno, the detection became worse and none of the systems were even remotely explained. 4 just didn't feel right....that charge-up move seemed like a weird addition, weapons felt sluggish...I dunno, as this review pointed out, it didn't age as well in regards to beat-em-up evolution as the competition. DD2 is still my jumping-off point for the beat-em-up genre though....love that game so much even with the absurdly implemented jump physics (and the platforming required)
@JamieO
Thanks for the reply to my comments. I want to make it clear that I am extremely happy that you even took the time to do a review on this game in the first place, so any disagreements we may have over score are secondary to that.
As far as pace is concerned, I actually feel that Streets of Rage is too slow. It just doesn't do it for me. However something like King of Dragons, which also has slow moving characters feels wonderfully paced (though I admit a run would have been nice, though it doesn't break the game). Then you have Spider-Man & Venom: Separation Anxiety which has the run feature and that game feels too bogged down in itself, which = slow.
I'm sure there's someone out there who would say I'm crazy in my feeling toward Streets of Rage but I guess its really just a personal taste sort of thing. Heck, up until recently I didn't even like Final Fight. So my personal taste regarding Super Double Dragon is that it is super awesome and I love every minute of it (playing co-op is so much better though its not even funny).
I think we all can agree that DD II is an industry standard for awesomeness.
Oh and for anyone who is a fan of beat-em-ups and shoot-em-ups, may I recommend The Red Star, for PS2? This is a great unspoken gem that combines the two genres elegantly and I would strongly suggest you research and then go out and buy it!
Wasn't this game released in America incomplete? I recall reading somewhere that the Japanese version, which came later, implemented a few more features and also some more levels.
@Swerd_Murd I have been playing so many Double Dragon games over the last week and a half, the only ones I have not booted up have been NES, SMS and original GameBoy versions. It is great to hear from people who have followed the series.
@Maniac Cheers mate, you talk a lot of sense. I think it is really good to be able to debate things through with other fans of the genre, side scrolling beat-em-ups had their heyday in the '90s, but they have been left a bit on the sidelines since.
You are dead right, 'Streets of Rage' is slow as well and I've had 'The Red Star' on PS2 for a while and it is a hidden gem (I got it for £10!). That game is not short on action or variety. SNES King of Dragons received a bit of a backlash from some of the UK mags back in the day, but I have lots of fun booting the arcade version on PS2 'Capcom Classics Collection: Volume 2'.
It is brilliant to hear from gamers with a passion for brawlers, if you love 'Super Double Dragon' then you should shout out about it.
We're both obviously fans of the genre and I have lots of other SNES beat-em-ups, a few of which I hold as being better examples of this game type than 'Return of Double Dragon'. Who knows further down the line I might write a SNES brawler review and we will be sharing loads of positives about it.
Thanks for reading my review and for sharing your thoughts. Nice one.
That was a surprise review, and a good one at that. Kudos, JamieO.
@JamieO
I didn't realize that the PS2 Capcom collection had the arcade version of KoD rather than the SNES one. That's great! The visuals look fairly close but what about the game itself? Are there more levels in it or something?
Actually that review idea sounds brilliant. I would love to see a SNES look at the genre, but even more I would definitely be interested in seeing you personal Top 5 or Top 10 of the genre, cross-platform. Either way would be great (since IMO the SNES is the system with the best beat-em-ups ever) since the only thing that stands out for me on the NES is Double Dragon 1 & 2 and River City Ransom and the Genesis with Streets of Rage and Golden Axe. I'd love to hear more (especially those hidden gems out there I haven't played yet)!
Thanks @Maniac , cheers for your interest.
First off, I have noticed a bit of an anomaly between myself and the US/Canadian gamers here. This may be a bit of a shocker, but I have never owned an NES! During the 8 bit days home computer games were also massively popular in the UK (ie Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum), as well as the consoles. Therefore my gaming platform of choice back then was a C64 and later its smart younger brother, the Commodore Amiga (which had its own versions of Double Dragon I, II and Rosetta Stone (arcade versions). One of my fondest gaming memories is playing the Amstrad CPC version of Renegade on my mates Amstrad (over 20 years ago).
For this review I played my mates XBLA Double Dragon I (I do not believe that game got removed from their shop), Pal and Japanese SNES Super Double Dragon, a Japanese copy of GBA Double Dragon Advance and I've been playing Virtual Console NES Double Dragon I. However, I hold my hands up, I have never had a NES to play what this board considers to be the best in the series (ie NES Double Dragon II). Doh! I'm bowing my head in shame right now. lol
As for your top 10 list, its a great idea, but really difficult to choose. Capcom arcade games were prolific in this genre, so they would be first consideration (including the likes of Final Fight, Captain Commando, Aliens Vs Predator, The Punisher, Cadillacs and Dinosaurs etc). Then you have the bright, cartoon Konami arcade games (you mentioned Turtles in Time and there is the first arcade game and The Simpsons Arcade game to consider, too). I wish I had more chance to play Sega's Golden Axe: The Revenge of Death Adder more in its original arcade form. The Saturn had some great brawlers (Capcom's Dungeons and Dragons: Shadows Over Mystara and Treasure's Guardian Heroes). That is before taking into account the consoles and newer titles like XBLA Castle Crashers and PSN Turtles in Time Re-Shelled.
If it it is cool I will sit and ponder away on this one. It would be best to stick to 'into the screen' side scrollers, including 'flat viewed' 2D scrollers like Ninja Warriors, Vigilante and Dragon Ninja would complicate it further.
This weekend is my girlfriend's birthday and the celebrations start tonight (that is why I'm writing this at 7.45am, before I start work), so I will get back to you. Have a think about your top 10, too.
It is a bit like choosing you favourite child, that is if I had 100s of angry, always getting into fights kids to pick from. lol
Double Dragon II, feh, The Sacred Stones for NES, now thats a treasure XD
Pretty good review, although in the conclusion you refer to the controls as button-mashy and then diverse. It's a bit confusing. Also, you called Street Fighter 2 a beat-em-up. Maybe I'm being a purist here, but as I understand the fighting game genre, SF2 is not a beat-em-up. That label kind of degrades the game into something its not.
@Ski_Deuce There is nothing wrong with being a purist, mate. I think that I read so many retro magazines that I sometimes fall back into a 1992 mind set. Below are a couple of examples:
I do acknowledge that this genre has evolved into its own entity and my "one-on-one beat-em-ups" would be worded more accurately as "one-on-one fighting games". I definitely would not intentionally degrade Street Fighter II, that would be blasphemy in my house, lots of iterations of Capcom's classic have given me untold hours of gaming fun.
I did not mean for my controls discussion to lead to confusion, I will elaborate. A player could approach 'Return of Double Dragon' and just mash buttons, but they would be missing the point. The variety of controls is so diverse for a side scrolling beat-em-up that the majority of the fun is found by mixing up commands and attacks and fully learning the full move set. If you are a gamer who will relish taking time to learn its moves and do not mind a slower pace, then you will find lots of good gaming in 'Return of Double Dragon'. Cheers.
@JamieO
Thanks for your responses. From what you quoted, I can see SF2 being called a beat-em-up at the time since it didn't have as much to be compared to.
@JamieO - comment 21
I was actually going to ask you what you consider the "flat side-scrolling" beat-em-ups to be covered under. Those games without "depth", or the ability to move up and down from the foreground to the background. A good example I just came across was X-Men: Mutant Apocalypse for the SNES, which all things considered is only mediocre (despite my die-hard adoration of all things X-Men). My favourite game of this style has to be Strider 2 for the PSX which is, in my opinion a super under appreciated "depthless" beat-em-up. Hagane and Shatterhand are other favourites in this sub-genre.
And yes, I think the Top 10 for a site like this might need to be narrowed down to only console games in the genre. It could all get out of hand pretty fast once you realize that the Turtles Arcade, Simpsons Arcade and X-Men Arcade (6 player version, 'natch) would take up most of the list. That's not necessarily a bad thing, except for the fact that this is a console-centric site
Some of my favourites are: Maximum Carnage, Double Dragon II and IV, King of Dragons, Final Fight, Knights of the Round, Turtles in Time, TMNT II: The Arcade Game, Battletoads & Double Dragon (despite how frickin' hard it is), Batman Returns, Captain American & the Avengers (I know its bad, but I love Iron Man), and River City Ransom. Captain Commando is pretty good too but I put it in the same category as Golden Axe and Streets of Rage, which is the "okay, but not great" category.
@Maniac We have such similar taste in our beat-em-ups and retro games. As you mentioned my (admittedly weak) description of 'flat viewed' 2D scrollers refers to thoses beat-em-up in which you can not walk up and down (in and out) of the background/foreground of the screen. The most classic example would be 'Kung-Fu Master', but a title like 'Two Crude Dudes' would be another game which represents this fixed 2D viewpoint.
You should not mention 'Strider' or 'Strider 2' to me, for fear of being kept up all night with me ranting on about the magnificence held in those two games, particularly the phenomenal original. Just the mention of 'Hagane' demonstrates to me that you are blatantly clued up with the bigger picture in these retro treats (I hope that does not sound patronising, I meant it as a compliment). I would not necessarily rank them in my brawler list though, they are almost like a hybrid between platformers and run and gun games. Although, to be fair the sword slicing could be described as hack and slash (maybe!).
It is obvious that I could easily get carried away with the multitude of arcade choices for classic 4 player (or more) brawlers. You were right to rein me back into a console focus. Ta, mate.
P.S. Konami's 'Batman Returns' is like a magical, almost cozy, winter game to me.
Think I played this a few times on other peoples' snes consoles. I was crap.
@Maniac I've opened a 'Your Top 10 side scrolling (console) beat-em-ups?' topic on the retro forum.
https://www.nintendolife.com/forums/retro/your_top_10_side_scrolling_console_beat_em_ups
Here is my list, mate:
Cheers.
Double Dragon 2 for the Nes, as a few mentioned, really was simple, addicting, and fun. It was really fun with a friend. It wasn't too easy or super hard. It was just right.
No, this game is better than a 6. I'd say an 8, maybe even a 9. It had some neat game play quirks.
This game is easily an 8/10 game imo. I enjoy it back then and still enjoy it today. Also I ain't from Japan so I don't care if lacks something from Return of Double Dragon or not just like how I don't care that Ultros and Chupon's real Japanese names from Final Fantasy VI are originally Orthros and Typhon or that Rolento never appeared in the SNES version of Final Fight. The game is still a blast to play and many of the missing stuff I don't really care about.
Such a great game! I wish this game wasn't rushed and they were able to add everything they planned.
"The developers clearly took inspiration from Street Fighter II: both brothers can execute a Chun Li-style wall jump..." Clearly!? Could have been inspired from the Double Dragon 3 wall jump, right!? Released on Nes, the same year (and month) SF2 hit the arcades.
Great review!
For those who bought Super Double Dragon on Switch, the game includes both the western version of Super Double Dragon and the Japanese version of Return of Double Dragon so now you got the best of both worlds with that game.
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