Retrospective: A Look back At Double Dragon

It Runs In The Family

Distributed by TAITO both in European and American markets back in 1986, “Renegade” was a single-player game which featured a character fighting his way through a huge cornucopia of street thugs. Originally created by Yoshihisa Kishimoto for Techno Japan, it was a ground breaking game in its kind, making history by opening the way for what gamers all over the world now know as “beat-em-up” games.

But probably, it is better known nowadays for paving the way to one of the more beloved and remembered arcade games in arcade history: Double Dragon, released by the same company / distributor exactly one year later. And while “Renegade” was a predecessor for beat-em-ups, “Double Dragon” was the first two-player co-operative skirmishing game.

Unfriendly Neighbourhoods

It all began with big bad supersized-headed “Black Warriors gang” leader Willy, discharging all his spoiled-childhood-driven hatred upon saucy girl-next-door Marian’s knees, prior to kidnapping her. Not like a guy like him would have it otherwise.

Thing is, sweet little pale-colored-underwear-fetishist Marian just happened to have a martial-arts expert boyfriend who just happened to have a martial-arts’ maestro twin brother. 

And they both just happened to have an attitude. A mean attitude, that is, so much meaner than Willy’s and his gang of losers.

Yeah, big bad Willy had a big bad idea, and so 1987 was going to be a mean season for the whole bunch, having to face the karate-jumping, behind-kicking, chain-grabbing-and-punishing-you-with rage deployed by martial artist twin brothers Billy and Jimmy Lee (Hammer and Spike for the U.S. version), the first one being Marion’s “prince charming”. 

Judging by the oh-so-many movies, TV series and comic books (and, how not, videogames) dealing with the “kidnapped girlfriend” subject, one could be left thinking how common a happening that must have been back in the day.
But even though Double Dragon could look pretty much like yet another “beat every living soul around you” sort of game at first sight, it was exactly that, with a little extra je ne sais quoi, which made it one of the most unforgettable, remarkably successful arcade games ever.

Walk On The Wild Side

The game got so much into public notice, there’s even been talk about a degree of actual social criticism allegedly implied in the Double Dragon arcade feature, as it showed how this “family” (the twin brothers) fought its way into the forbidden gang-dominated territories of the city, which included shopping streets and public parks, while taking good care of the urban scum that’s bugging it.

Storyline goes like this: 1 Marian gets kidnapped. 2 Enter Billy and Jimmy “Hey, Marion got kidnapped”. 3 Billy and Jimmy single-mindedly walk the city streets beating the shame out of a disgraceful collection of recurring baseball-bat-swinging thugs, knife-dropping drug addicts and chain-whipping hoes. And that’s how it goes all along four action-stacked screens.

One of the mark features of the game was the possibility of grabbing up your enemies’ weapons –everytime they ever fell from their dirty hands, which you could then use to inflict them some pain back giving them a taste of their own medicine.

Meet The Gang

Even thought the brothers never truly manage to make their enemies persist from keeping coming back for more, each one of the six criminal prototypes in the game has a certainly distinctive look and fighting style, which makes for a very enjoyable play-fighting all along the way.
You have “Williams”, for example; your average “punkster” with a thing for daggers and baseball bats. Sometimes he might also try dynamite on you for a gig.

Or you have “Linda”; a counterpart to girl-next-door Marian, she’s as bitchy as it gets, and wouldn’t hesitate whipping your head with a chain whip, should you look at her the wrong way (or not, either way, she’ll whip your head anyways).

There’s also golem-like “Bolo”, who’s name pretty much says it all; he loves to show the characters a panoramic view of the neighborhood whenever they get close enough to him.

And let’s not forget “Roper”, yet another punk-like felon whose taste for a healthy life and push-ups allow him to pick up large heavy objects such as oil barrels and big rocks.

Then there are the two pre-Willy bosses “Abobo” and “Jeff”.
The first, you could give Mr. T credit for, anytime. Curiously enough, somewhere in between his first appearances and the end of mission three he must’ve eaten something that was rotten, for the last time he comes into sight, he’s turned green. Bleah.

“Jeff” on the other hand, is as handsome as a character can be, at least a DD character, since he’s quite a doppelganger of the player’s character, and even has similar fighting skills.

Finally, there’s the big bad man himself, Willy. Of course, this is the definitive Boss of the game, and the guy who’s kidnapped (and who knows what else) Billy’s “little bunny”, Marian.
What’s somewhat unsportsmanlike about him is that he’s ready to “defend” Marian’s life with a machine gun, which he will use firing it to the brothers silly.

All For Love

As anyone can guess, the objective of the game is to defeat every single Black Warriors member, plus its big headed boss, and after all is said and done, there’s either ONE -or- BOTH of the twin brothers left.

Now, the real groundbreaking point about Double Dragon comes right here at the game’s conclusion, and right after the big bad Boss Willy’s been defeated and all done with; for here’s when we realize what an “easy going” girl this Marian gal must be.

IF there’s only One of the brothers alive by the end of the game, you’d probably blame Marian’s attitude towards life and love to the harsh times she’s recently endured.

Now, should Both brothers reach Marian, things get complicated, as they will have to fight each other for her love just the same as they fought against the barbarian urban hordes of Willy. And the lady Marian herself? Well, she’ll just settle for the love of the one who wins, mind you.

Was It Worth It

Maybe you’ve played the arcade version of Double Dragon. Maybe you have not.
If the first is true, then you must probably have at least a couple of anecdotes about going to the Arcades with your friends and spending a while cleaning up the neighborhood and fighting to get Marian’s love.

If not, chances are there’s still some lost Arcade facility somewhere with a functional Double Dragon in it. If so, get a few coins out of your pocket, play it. 

Finally, if you’re and emulator enthusiast, look out on the Internet for the MAME arcade emulation system or one of the kind, download the Double Dragon ROM.

Then you play it. It’s worth your while.

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