Double Dragon Neon

Last updated

Double Dragon: Neon
Double Dragon Neon promotional poster.jpg
Promotional artwork featuring logo and characters.
Developer(s) WayForward Technologies
(PS3, X360, Switch)
Abstraction Games (PC)
Publisher(s) Majesco Entertainment
Midnight City (PC)
Director(s) Sean Velasco
Producer(s) Jeff Pomegranate [1]
Designer(s) Michael Herbster
Aaron Davis
Barrett Velia
Programmer(s) Shane Calimlim
Ian Flood
Artist(s) Matt Bozon
Paul Castillo
Gonzalo Ordóñez
Composer(s) Jake Kaufman
Series Double Dragon
Platform(s) PlayStation 3 (PlayStation Network)
Xbox 360 (Xbox Live Arcade)
Microsoft Windows
Nintendo Switch
ReleasePlayStation 3 (PSN)
  • NA: September 11, 2012
  • EU: September 20, 2012
  • JP: December 12, 2013
Xbox 360 (XBLA)
  • WW: September 12, 2012
Microsoft Windows
  • WW: February 6, 2014
Nintendo Switch
  • WW: December 21, 2020
Genre(s) Beat 'em up
Mode(s) Single-player, co-op

Double Dragon Neon is a 2012 beat 'em up video game in the Double Dragon series. It was developed by WayForward Technologies and published by Majesco Entertainment, and is a reboot of the Double Dragon series. It was the first game in the series where Million, the previous owner of the Double Dragon series after Technōs Japan became defunct, had no involvement in its development. Arc System Works bought the series rights in 2015 along with all intellectual properties of Technōs Japan.

Contents

Series creator Yoshihisa Kishimoto was consulted during the game's development, and described Neon as "a very western adaptation of Double Dragon" with certain mechanics taken from the previous games, and a "mood and feel" that reminded him of the original arcade game. [2]

Gameplay

As with previous installments of the series, the player takes control of martial artists Billy Lee (Player 1) and Jimmy Lee (Player 2) in their fight to rescue Marian from the Shadow Warriors gang, this time led by the super-lich Skullmageddon. The journey starts on the city streets and progresses through an outer-space dojo, Asian countryside, a genetics lab, and a graveyard before concluding at Skullmageddon's palace.

In addition to the standard punch, kick, and jump buttons and a designated run button, the player now has an evade button for dodging attacks. If the player times their evasion right so as to perfectly dodge an enemy attack, they will "Gleam" by briefly glowing red, during which time their attacks will be more powerful. The player can collect life-replenishing sodas, money to buy items from shops, and special mixtapes that can be equipped from a pause menu. Two different tapes can be equipped at once: one to grant the brothers a powerful attack that consumes a separate energy meter, and one to alter their statistics and grant special effects (such as making it easier to stun enemies or healing HP with every connecting blow). By collecting multiple copies of a tape, its effect gradually increases until it reaches a maximum capacity. Each tape's maximum capacity can be increased further by visiting a "Tapesmith" and paying him Mythril, which is obtained from defeated bosses.

In a two-player game, both Billy and Jimmy can utilize a special "high-five" technique to split and share their life meters to an equal amount, "psych" the other one out to harm them or make them fall over, or to instantly trigger a Gleam effect. If one player is defeated in battle, the other player has a limited time to revive him before a life is deducted (unless both players are defeated together). When one player is completely out of lives, he can steal one from the other player if he has at least two left.

Development

Yoshihisa Kishimoto, designer of the original two Double Dragon arcade games, served as a consultant during the development of Neon, offering feedback on character designs and gameplay elements. [2]

Double Dragon Neon was released in North America on September 11, 2012, [3] in Europe on September 20, and in Japan on December 12, 2013 on PlayStation 3 via the PlayStation Network, and worldwide on September 12 on Xbox 360 via Xbox Live Arcade, [4] to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the series. The game's dialogue and graphical style is heavily 80s-inspired, and features a soundtrack composed by Jake Kaufman, inspired by the original Double Dragon as well as 80's pop music and arcade game soundtracks.

This is also the first commercially released Double Dragon game to use 3D graphics rendered with polygon-based models. [5] [6] The game has been released for Microsoft Windows on February 6, 2014. Ported by Abstraction Games, the port features online multiplayer. [7] Skullmaggedon along with the Double Dragon Neon incarnations of Billy, Jimmy and Marion would later cameo as shopkeepers for WayForward's River City Girls (a spin-off game based on the Kunio-kun property by Technos Japan).

A port for Nintendo Switch was released on December 21, 2020. [8]

Reception

Double Dragon Neon received mixed reviews. Electronic Gaming Monthly rated the game a 90/100, praising the '80s feel, humor and the gameplay. [13]

GameSpot rated it a 7/10 and praised the game for its humor and rewarding combat system. [17]

Related Research Articles

<i>Double Dragon</i> Video game series

Double Dragon is a beat 'em up video game series originally developed and published by Technōs Japan. It began with the release of the arcade game Double Dragon in 1987. The series features twin martial artists, Billy and Jimmy Lee, as they fight against various adversaries and rivals.

<i>Double Dragon II: The Revenge</i> 1988 video game

Double Dragon II: The Revenge is a side-scrolling beat 'em up produced by Technōs Japan originally released as a coin-operated arcade game in 1988. It is the first sequel to Double Dragon, released during the previous year. The sequel involves Billy and Jimmy Lee in a mission to avenge Billy's girlfriend Marian after she is shot to death by the Black Warriors leader Willy, who is retaliating against the Lee brothers after his defeat at the end of the previous game. Double Dragon II was initially developed as an upgrade kit for the original Double Dragon, but evolved into a stand-alone game due to an increase in memory size, resulting in the developers reusing assets for both games.

<i>Double Dragon Advance</i> 2003 video game

Double Dragon Advance is a 2003 side-scrolling beat-em-up released for the Game Boy Advance. It was published by Atlus and developed by Japanese studio Million. It is a remake of the 1987 arcade game Double Dragon and incorporates elements from its sequels and home versions.

<i>Double Dragon 3: The Rosetta Stone</i> 1990 video game

Double Dragon 3: The Rosetta Stone is a side-scrolling beat 'em up arcade game produced by Technōs Japan in 1990. It is the third arcade game in the Double Dragon series. Unlike the previous two games in the series Double Dragon 3 was not developed internally at Technōs, but development was instead contracted to the company East Technology, resulting in a game that looks and plays differently from its predecessors.

<i>Renegade</i> (video game) 1986 video game

Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun, released as Renegade in the West, is a beat 'em up video game developed by Technōs Japan and distributed by Taito for the arcades in 1986. In the original Japanese version Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun, the game revolves around a high-school delinquent named Kunio-kun who must stand up against a series of rival gangs frequently targeting his classmate Hiroshi. In the Western version Renegade, the player controls a street brawler who must face four different gangs in order to rescue his girlfriend being held captive by a mob boss.

<i>Golden Axe</i> (video game) 1989 arcade game

Golden Axe is a side-scrolling hack-and-slash video game released by Sega for arcades in 1989, running on the Sega System 16B arcade hardware. Makoto Uchida was the lead designer of the game, and was also responsible for the creation of the previous year's Altered Beast. The game casts players as one of three warriors who must free the fantastical land of Yuria from the tyrannical rule of Death Adder, who wields the titular Golden Axe.

<i>R.B.I. Baseball</i> Baseball video game series

R.B.I. Baseball is a baseball sports video game series. R.B.I. stands for "run batted in". Launched in 1987 as a localized version of Namco's Family Stadium series, the R.B.I. Baseball series initially ran through 1995. In 2014, the series was rebooted as a competitor to MLB: The Show, with releases each year until its cancellation. The series ended in 2022 with the release of MLB The Show 22 on the Nintendo Switch.

<i>Double Dragon</i> (video game) 1987 arcade game

Double Dragon is a 1987 beat 'em up video game developed by Technōs Japan and distributed by Taito for arcades across Asia, North America and Europe. It is the first title in the Double Dragon franchise. The game's development was led by Yoshihisa Kishimoto, and it is a spiritual and technological successor to Technos' earlier beat 'em up, Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun (1986), released outside of Japan by Taito as Renegade; Kishimoto originally envisioned it as a direct sequel and part of the Kunio-kun series, before making it a new game with a different cast and setting.

A beat 'em up is a video game genre featuring hand-to-hand combat against a large number of opponents. Traditional beat 'em ups take place in scrolling, two-dimensional (2D) levels, while a number of modern games feature more open three-dimensional (3D) environments with yet larger numbers of enemies. The gameplay tends to follow arcade genre conventions, such as being simple to learn but difficult to master, and the combat system tends to be more highly developed than other side-scrolling action games. Two-player cooperative gameplay and multiple player characters are also hallmarks of the genre. Most of these games take place in urban settings and feature crime-fighting and revenge-based plots, though some games may employ historical, science fiction or fantasy themes.

<i>Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike</i> 1999 video game

Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike - Fight for the Future is a 2D fighting game developed and published by Capcom, originally released in 1999 for the arcades and in 2000 for the Dreamcast. In 2004 it was released on the PlayStation 2 and Xbox. A downloadable online version titled Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike Online Edition was released on PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade in 2011.

<i>Sega Bass Fishing</i> 1997 video game

Sega Bass Fishing, also known as Get Bass, is an arcade fishing video game developed in 1997 by Sega for the Sega Model 3 hardware. The game has since been ported to the Dreamcast, Microsoft Windows, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and Wii.

<i>Road Blaster</i> 1985 video game

Road Blaster (ロードブラスター) is an interactive movie video game developed by Data East featuring animation by Toei Animation, originally released exclusively in Japan as a laserdisc-based arcade game in 1985. The player assumes the role of a vigilante who must avenge the death of his wife by pursuing the biker gang responsible for her death in a modified sports car. The game would later be ported to a variety of home formats such as the MSX and Sharp X1, Sega CD, LaserActive, PlayStation and Sega Saturn. The Sega CD and Mega-LD versions were released outside of Japan under titles of Road Avenger and Road Prosecutor respectively.

<i>Cobra Command</i> (1984 video game) 1984 video game

Cobra Command, known as Thunder Storm (サンダーストーム) in Japan, is an interactive movie shooter game originally released by Data East in 1984 as a LaserDisc-based arcade game. Released as an arcade conversion kit for Bega's Battle (1983), Cobra Command became one of the more successful laserdisc games in 1984. A Mega-CD port of Cobra Command developed by Wolf Team was released in 1992.

<i>Naruto: Ultimate Ninja</i> Video game franchise

Naruto: Ultimate Ninja, known in Japan as the Naruto: Narutimate Series, is a series of fighting video games, based on the popular manga and anime series Naruto by Masashi Kishimoto. It was developed by CyberConnect2, and published by Bandai and later Bandai Namco Games. The first game was released in 2003 for the PlayStation 2, and was followed by four more titles for the system, as well as five spinoffs for the PlayStation Portable. A follow-up for the PlayStation 3, titled Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm, was the first to feature three-dimensional battles, and began the long-running Storm sub-series. While starting out as a series exclusive to the PlayStation family of systems, the series has also been present on Xbox and PC platforms since the release of Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 2 for the Xbox 360 and Naruto Shippuden: Ultimate Ninja Storm 3 Full Burst for Windows, respectively. Latest releases were also ported to the Nintendo Switch. The Naruto: Ultimate Ninja series sold over 20 million copies worldwide as of December 2019.

<i>River City Girls Zero</i> 1994 video game

Shin Nekketsu Kōha: Kunio-tachi no Banka is a beat 'em up video game developed by Almanic Corporation and published by Technos Japan for the Super Famicom in 1994 exclusively in Japan. It was the fourth game in the Kunio-kun series released for the Super Famicom.

<i>Pro Evolution Soccer 2010</i> 2009 video game

Pro Evolution Soccer 2010 is the ninth football video game in the Pro Evolution Soccer series. The game was developed and published by Konami for release on Sony's PlayStation 2, PlayStation 3, and PlayStation Portable; Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Windows; Nintendo's Wii; and mobile phones.

Yoshihisa Kishimoto is a Japanese video game developer known primarily for his involvement with Technos Japan Corp. He is best known for his work on beat 'em up games, as the original creator of the Kunio-kun and Double Dragon game franchises, having worked on the original arcade and NES installments in both series. While not the first side-scrolling martial arts action games, they established the general template and conventions used by the beat 'em up genre since the late 1980s. He has thus sometimes been referred to as the grandfather of the beat 'em up genre. He is currently the President and Representative Director of a game company called Plophet.

<i>Marvel vs. Capcom Origins</i> 2012 video game

Marvel vs. Capcom Origins is a crossover fighting video game developed by Iron Galaxy Studios and published by Capcom. It is a compilation of Marvel Super Heroes (1995) and Marvel vs. Capcom: Clash of Super Heroes (1998). The dual pack was released through the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live Arcade in September and October 2012, respectively.

<i>Double Dragon IV</i> 2017 video game

Double Dragon IV is a beat 'em up video game developed and published by Arc System Works for PlayStation 4, Windows, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One. It is part of the Double Dragon series.

References

  1. "Double Dragon Neon (2014) Windows credits". MobyGames . Blue Flame Labs. Retrieved January 21, 2018.
  2. 1 2 Leone, Matt (October 12, 2012). "The man who created Double Dragon". Polygon. Vox Media. Retrieved October 7, 2020.
  3. Haro, Morgan (September 10, 2012). "PlayStation Plus Update: Free Double Dragon Neon and Scott Pilgrim, Early Jet Set Radio Access". PlayStation Blog . Retrieved September 12, 2012.
  4. Nichols, Scott (September 12, 2012). "Xbox Live update: 'Double Dragon Neon'". Digital Spy . Retrieved September 12, 2012.
  5. 1 2 Vore, Bryan (September 11, 2012). "The Lee Brothers rescue Marian and their Dusty Franchise – Double Dragon Neon – PlayStation 3". Game Informer. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
  6. 1 2 Hinkle, David (September 10, 2012). "Double Dragon Neon Review: Rock me, Amadeus". Joystiq. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
  7. "Slender coming to consoles, Krautscape and Double Dragon: Neon hitting Steam". Polygon. January 8, 2014. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
  8. "Double Dragon Neon coming to Switch on December 21". Gematsu. December 10, 2020.
  9. "Double Dragon: Neon for PlayStation 3 Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved October 27, 2012.
  10. "Double Dragon: Neon for Xbox 360 Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved October 27, 2012.
  11. "Double Dragon: Neon for Switch Reviews". Metacritic . Retrieved August 7, 2021.
  12. "Double Dragon Neon review". Edge. September 24, 2012. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
  13. 1 2 Carsillo, Ray (September 11, 2012). "EGM Review: Double Dragon: Neon". Electronic Gaming Monthly. Archived from the original on October 17, 2012. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
  14. Stanislao, Manuel (October 24, 2012). "Double Dragon Neon - review". Eurogamer.it.
  15. Deesing, Jonathan (September 19, 2012). "Double Dragon Neon Review for Xbox 360". G4tv. Archived from the original on November 20, 2014. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
  16. "Double Dragon: Neon Review". Gamerevolution.com. Retrieved December 31, 2012.
  17. 1 2 Mc Shea, Tom (September 12, 2012). "Double Dragon: Neon Review - GameSpot.com". Gamespot. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
  18. Dyer, Mitch (September 11, 2012). "Double Dragon: Neon Review – IGN". IGN. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
  19. Double Dragon Neon review, Official Aus PlayStation magazine
  20. Double Dragon Neon review, Official US PlayStation magazine
  21. Rudden, Dave (September 17, 2012). "Official XBOX Magazine – Double Dragon: Neon review". Official Xbox Magazine. Retrieved October 3, 2012.
  22. Double Dragon Neon review, Play magazine