When arcades dominated the world.
In the Nineties, expeditions to bars and arcades by hordes of kids were an everyday occurrence: wallets full of plenty of jingling coins for venue owners, who did everything they could to satisfy the tastes of their little but loyal customers.
Tra loro there was of course also me, and if there was a game that was stormed by everyone and for which you had to line up before you could play it, it was definitely that one, Double Dragon, the side-scrolling fighting video game perhaps the most famous of its generation.
Playing Double Dragon in an arcade cabinet was a special experience and obviously differed greatly from its home counterpart, the console conversion that inevitably lost something in terms of charm and involvement: fighting against the notorious Black Warriors side by side with a friend, standing shoulder to shoulder, is still something I believe is priceless today.
The title came to us thanks to the ever-present Taito, the arcade production house that had already given us timeless classics like Bubble Bobble: the year was 1987, and that period for the spread of arcade cabinets was nothing short of golden, with bar owners literally competing to get their hands on the best games for as long as possible. Let us not forget, in fact, that the “circuit” of arcade cabinets, especially in Italy, was governed by the rental of the machines, which were evidently too expensive to purchase outright on a permanent basis.
The plot of Double Dragon is, like all self-respecting arcade games, immediate and simple, ready to throw players into the fray without too many frills: on one side are the Black Warriors who kidnap the friend of Billy and Jimmy Lee, fighting brothers who obviously won’t stand for it and decide to once and for all clean up the streets of a post-apocalyptic New York that has now fallen into disarray.
La substantial difference between this title and many of its contemporaries of the time lies in the management of a 2D that is not really such, since one can move throughout the play area in all directions of an imaginary directional cross, exactly.
Questo elemento del gameplay è fundamental, because it grants the player a wide freedom of movement and the possibility of implementing various enemy approach and engagement strategies, acting in sync with the possible "second player" in the match.
How many times have we accidentally taken our partner from behind, leaving them at the mercy of enemy punches and kicks? Some say “many,” and others are lying. But this too is part of the timeless fun of Double Dragon, a masterpiece that spawned two sequels, a fighting game, and even a film adaptation that, unfortunately, alas, certainly did not do justice to the video game.
The variety of available moves is not that broad, yet it is well integrated into the combat economy and includes punches and kicks as well as a couple of grabs, of course in a street fighter style where elegance gives way to effectiveness.
The sound effects are fantastic and perfectly convey the devastating sensation of impact between knuckles and the enemies’ noses; however, a special mention must go to the game’s music: the soundtrack of Double Dragon, in fact, is about as exhilarating and epic as you can hear during a match and energizes players, making them feel like the true protagonists of the story.
Double Dragon stands out from the crowd especially for a plot twist at the end that, at the time, left people literally stunned: for those who have not yet played it, I will not spoil the surprise; however, I can say that the developers were consistent with the game's setting: Double Dragon begins with fists and, in one way or another, it must end with fists.
The arcade cabinet to recover costs quite a lot and I’d say it’s not really practical for home use, so I’d recommend the NES version if you want to get it...
Immediate, fun, and perfectly balanced co-op! Playing as two is fantastic
Innovative gameplay at the time and still current today: the exhilaration in a fighting game
Exceptional and immersive soundtrack
By itself, the game is rather short
Too many enemies on the screen create a bit of chaos in some stages of the game, especially in co-op
The broken bridge: impossible not to hate it
