homis.org

09 May 2006

I’ll just come out and say it: Double Dragon II for the NES is the best brawler of the 8-bit generation, and it is the standard to which all console brawlers should be judged upon. Streets of Rage, Final Fight, Goldenaxe, Bad Dudes whatever: No release for the arcade or home console during the age of side-scrolling brawlers has even come close to comparing to Double Dragon II (with the possible exception of River City Ransom, but that’s another time and another review).

Back in the day, 2D Beat ‘em Ups were in like wrist-slicing slap bracelets, Marvel Masterpieces and neon pink & green everything. Boys and girls (well, actually, mostly boys)of all ages wanted to run through worlds where all problems could be solved by beating strangers to death/unsconsciousness. But teary-eyed nostalgia aside, 2D beat ‘em ups have had their time, and their age has pretty much ended.

The reason why I feel the need to extol the greatness of Double Dragon II, is because it still holds its own as much, if not more, today as it did in 1989. Here’s why:

The Good:

Double Dragon II and its predecessor enjoyed considerable success in the arcades. Taking into account how much competition existed in the arcades at the time of its release and the fact that the original Double Dragon was developed in a single-room, apartment, Double Dragon and its masterful sequel Double Dragon II were gaming phenomenons of the time.

With that in mind, it’s a little difficult to comment on Double Dragon II as an arcade port since the game’s layout was redone and optimized for the NES: new levels, new enemies, new moves, new bosses. But instead of being cheap ways to economize data and processing power, these alterations to the arcade original would be elements that elevated the home version into a unique, extensive and deeply executed experience for gamers.

To the uninitiated, the premise is simple: Billy and/or Jimmy must avenge the death of Billy’s girlfriend who has been murdered. By who? Who cares? All anyone has to know is that Billy’s rage and Jimmy’s vicarious rage are insatiable, and they must be fed warm bodies to pummel into oblivion lest they both remember Jimmy’s betrayal from the previous game and start pummeling each other. Conveniently enough, an enormous gang of thugs and strongmen are set before Billy and Jimmy to satiate their knuckle-lust, and they are willing to traverse perilous locales and hazardous obstacles to get to the main man behind what’s her name’s murder.

What this all boils down to is pretty simple: anything that moves wants a piece of you. This include dynamite-tossing Ropers, mace-swinging Lindas, purple cosplay-looking Ninjas, helicopters armed with machine guns, erratic conveyer belts over spike pits and Arnold Schwarzenegger: it’s your job as Billy and Jimmy to beat the piss out of all them.

Luckily enough, players have a buffet of moves; Technos managed to milk a hefty array of punches, kicks, throws and flying kicks from just the A and B buttons. Depending on whether you are jumping, running, walking, rising from your knee, Billy/Jimmy will let loose with different kicks/punches/throws. At first, most players will be slogging with simple jabs, back kicks and jump kicks, but once one masters the different A and B combinations, prepare to unleash chin-shattering uppercuts, temple-smashing helicopter kicks and crippling super-knees to make quick work of whoever gets in the way.

In addition to the basic and advanced striking moves, Billy and Jimmy can put enemies in a world of headlock where they can be thrown, kneed in the face or simply booted into the air with a field-goal kick. And if you’re really out for blood, feel free to utilize any of the complimentary knives, pipes, maces, grenades and short sticks of dynamite from your shattered foes: always free of charge.

For anyone out to play this game for the first time, kidnap a friend and play 2-player mode. Playing solo is still fun and challenging, but one would be missing the game’s full potential. Technos has graciously gone through the effort of including two 2-player modes: one where the players are impervious to each other’s blows and one where the players can intentionally/unintentionally beat the crap out of each other.

The Bad:

Double Dragon II isn’t without it’s annoying sequences. The most tiresome segment of the game involve platform jumping: evil, evil platform jumping. The jumping is reliant on performing jump-kick moves (A+B simulataneously) and it isn’t particularly precise or responsive in terms of platforming. In combat, this aspect does not affect the game, but a distinct problem manifests itself when having to jump from one conveyer belt (directed towards throwing you off into the bottomless pit behind you) across a bottomless pit onto another conveyer belt (directed to throw you back into the pit you just jumped across).

If the player isn’t prepared & practiced for these platform jumping segments, Billy & Jimmy’s adventures of fighting around Nintendo-land tend to come to an abrupt halt, or at the very least, precious lives are wasted on the least fun part of the game. Bottomless pits are a bitch; imagine being in freefall until you starve to death.

Double Dragon II for the NES is also a tad difficult; there are no continues and the game can only be beaten on Supreme Master difficulty. I mention this not really as a complaint, but purely as a warning to anyone who might get frustrated with literally having to be a Supreme Master at the game to beat it.

Bottom Line:

If you have a pair of testicles or an extremely aggressive set of ovaries, you must play this game before you die. The same way Super Mario Brothers for the NES made jumping on turtles and eating crazy mushrooms fun and engaging, Double Dragon II makes touring a city while beating the shit out of folks into a total blast. Double Dragon II is the best way to forget abysmal turkeys such as Fighting Force, Nina: Death by Degrees and Final Fight: Streetwise while reclaiming a glimpse of your youth.