Publisher - Majesco Entertainment
Developer - WayForward Technologies
Platform - PC (also available on PSN & XBLA)
Genre - Beat 'em Up
As a matter of fact I was looking forward to this game since it came out on other platforms and was hoping for a PC release soon. I had heard many good things about it, the fact that it has a difficulty level comparable to the old classic beat 'em ups and also has a nice design and overall enjoyable combat system. Well I had to wait more than a year for it to be released on PC. But fortunately it did turn out to be a fun game which kept me occupied for more than a week just to finish in normal mode due to uncompromising difficulty level which was really welcome compared to most other beat 'em ups these days. The combat system while a bit awkward to learn at first was actually innovative and fun. It was a like walk through memory in the end, as I remembered those days when I used to go to arcades to play games like "Cadillacs and Dinosaurs", "Final Fight", "Captain Commando" etc with friends.
Story
This gets 7.5 out of 10.
Gameplay
This is where the game really shines with a high learning curve to defeat the stages as you get only 3 life-bars to do so (except power ups and extra lifes obviously) which is really a reminder of the early days of Beat 'em Ups. There are various special moves and some passive power ups which also has an interesting twist as you only get to keep 2 of these (one active and one passive) and you have to earn loots get these power ups and to make the power ups more powerful. There are also some more stylish moves as well and the various enemies also have some moves which you need to avoid and read to defeat them. Dodging is the key to winning and pulling off nice combos at the right times to kick some ass is really fun in this game. Overall the game-play is really addictive due to its difficulty and if you are Beat 'em Up fan I can assure you that you won't be satisfied until you Beat 'em all in this loving tribute to old school arcade days.
It is really addictive and gets 9 out of 10.
Graphics
The overall graphics is smooth and artistic with once again keeping true to its retro roots with the character and stage designs. The special moves have nice effects and the bosses are also given nicely designed special moves which really gets your blood boiling to pound on 'em as it is supposed to do. i Graphically it has that nice modernistic vibe with keeping true to its classic roots.
This gets 8 out of 10.
Sound
This is another ground where this game really shines with use of nice dialogue from the brothers and the enemies and specially awesome voice acting for the main villain Skullmageddon. His cackling is extremely nostalgic to the ears of players who used to play video games on 1980's and also his overall design is tribute to a villain of a classic cartoon of '80s for those who remember. The background music is also a tribute to the golden days and extremely enjoyable. Special mention should be given to that ending song, it is really rewarding to hear it and laugh your ass of after beating the game using all your skills and strategy. Overall the songs used in the background of stages and the various spoken dialogues by the players and villains are nice addition to the overall experience and gives the game that humor and wacky edge that makes it special among its kind.
It gets 9 out of 10.
Controls
The controls are a bit difficult to master early on but once you you the hang of it is really fun to pull of insane combos and stuff as you can even cancel normal punches into running and jumping to pull off some excellent reset combos and punish the enemies to their doom.The buttons are programmable to you own choice so after a bit of practice the controls are fun to use and should be no problem to handle.
Gets 8 out of 10.
Replayabilty - Yes
Like any good good Beat 'em Ups this game has high replay value, as there are two more difficulty levels to unlock which gives harder enemies and more loots. And if you play co-op with your friends this replay value even reaches higher ground as that is the most fun to be had in these types of games and this mode also has some new game-play mechanics to have fun with. I myself have not played online multi-player for the game but heard it has some lag which should be problematic for a game having this low a margin for errors naturally. But if you have friends who enjoy these kinds of games just invite them over and start, it will be a blast to be sure.
In the end this feels like a loving remake from people who really love the game which are they making a tribute to. It has addictive game-play, almost endless replay value and enjoyable soundtrack to keep you occupied, so honestly what more can you ask for? I myself had a really fun time while playing and it was a very nostalgic experience for me as it reminded me of my school years when I used to go to arcades with my buddies to waste money on really difficult Beat 'em Ups and in the end loved the whole experience.
Overall Score - 9 out of 10.
Learn more about the game from the official site -
http://www.doubledragonneon.com/
If you love combos enjoy this awesome video by "biffotasty" -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFmjVnxjOac
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