Retro Let's Play: Double Dragon (Taito 1987)

Retro Let's Play: Double Dragon (Taito 1987)

Welcome to the OCAU retro game of the month, Double Dragon!



Why?

One of the best arcade games ever. I spent much time and money playing this... if an arcade didn't have DD, it wasn't an arcade. The NES version was also great and addictive.

About & History;



A good vid here which covers most releases;



Double Dragon is a classic beat 'em up arcade game first released in 1987. Developed by Technōs Japan, it features two brothers, Billy and Jimmy Lee, who fight their way through various levels to rescue Billy's girlfriend, Marian, who has been kidnapped by a gang. The game is known for its cooperative gameplay, where two players can team up to defeat enemies. It introduced several elements that became staples in beat 'em up games, such as weapon pickups and combo attacks. Double Dragon was well-received for its engaging multiplayer experience and influence on the genre. It has since been ported to various platforms and spawned numerous sequels and spin-offs.

The game is designed for single-player or cooperative two-player mode. Players use a combination of punches, kicks, and various weapons, such as bats and knives. There is a variety of moves, including throws and combos.

Double Dragon was developed in Japan in 1986, led by Yoshihisa Kishimoto. The development team focused on creating engaging, fluid gameplay and used Technōs Japan's hardware to enable dynamic screen scrolling. Its success and unique features had a significant impact on the genre, leading to multiple sequels and adaptations.

Ports;

Double Dragon © 1987 Taito Corp.

Consoles
[EU] Nintendo NES (1990) "Double Dragon [Model NES-WD]"
[EU] Sega Master System (1988) "Double Dragon [Model 7012]"
[BR] Sega Master System (1988): by Tec Toy
[EU] Sega Mega Drive (1993)
[EU] Microsoft XBOX 360 [XBLA] (may.9, 2007)
[BR] Zeebo (may.29, 2009): Remake with remade graphics.
[MX] Zeebo (nov.4, 2009): Remake with remade graphics.
[EU] [AU] Sony PlayStation 4 [PSN] (jul.14, 2015) "Arcade Archives - Double Dragon [Model CUSA-02667]"
[AS] Sony PlayStation 4 [PSN] (may.21, 2015) "Arcade Archives - Double Dragon"

Handhelds
[EU] Nintendo Game Boy (1990) "Double Dragon [Model DMG-DD-NOE]"
[EU] Sega Game Gear (1993) "Double Dragon - The Revenge of Billy Lee [Model T-70038-50]"

PC's
[EU] Amstrad CPC (1988)
[EU] Commodore Amiga (1988)
[EU] Commodore C64 (1988)
[EU] Sinclair ZX Spectrum (1989)
[EU] Amstrad CPC (1989): by Virgin Mastertronic, 128 KB Disk version.
[EU] Amstrad CPC (1989): by Animagic, Spanish version.
[EU] Atari ST (1988)
[EU] MSX (1989)
[AU] Commodore Amiga (1989) "Amiga Champions"
[EU] Commodore C64 (1990) "100% Dynamite"
[KO] MSX (1990)
[EU] Sinclair ZX Spectrum (1990) "100% Dynamite"

Other
[UK] LCD handheld game (1988): by Grandstand.
[US] LCD handheld game (1989): by Tiger Electronics

Hardware Info etc.;

Game ID : TA-0021

Main CPU : HD6309, Hitachi HD63701
Sound CPU : HD6309
Sound Chips : Yamaha YM2151, (2x) MSM5205

Players : 2
Control : 8-way joystick
Buttons : 3

Romset
Double Dragon (World set 1)
Current - DDRAGON
Previous - DDRAGONW

Dip Switches

Coin 1: 1 Coin for 1 Credit, 2 Coins for 1 Credit, 3 Coins for 1 Credit, 4 Coins for 1 Credit
Coin 2: 1 Coin for 2 Credits, 1 Coin for 3 Credits, 1 Coin for 4 Credits, 2 Coins for 1 Credit
Difficulty Level: Easy, Normal, Hard
Number of Lives: 2, 3, 4
Bonus Life: 20,000 Points, 30,000 Points, 40,000 Points
Starting Stage: Stage 1, Stage 2, Stage 3
Cabinet Type: Upright, Cocktail
Flip Screen: On, Off
Allow Continue: Yes, No
Free Play: On, Off
Language: English, Japanese

Although the FPS counter shows 100% speed for these games, they might still appear choppy. This choppiness is accurate to the original arcade, as even the original hardware struggled with performance.

PCB;




Cabinet and artwork;













Covers;









Heaps more here;

Double Dragon box covers - MobyGames

Double Dragon screenshots - MobyGames

Tips & Tricks;

Infinite Points
In Level One, one player grabs the whip while the other takes a bat from an enemy but doesn’t kill him. Progress to the end of the stage, then the player without the whip grabs the bat-less enemy, and the other finishes the stage. After the boss is defeated, torture the bat-less enemy with the whip for 200 points per hit. Switch to a non-whip attack to kill him and continue playing.
Easy Game Strategy
Face away from an approaching enemy and perform an elbow smash when they’re close. The enemy will be knocked down, and while they’re on the ground, repeat the process. This method also works on bosses.
Ghost Player
Player one earns points for weapons like the reusable barrel. If player one dies while player two is still alive, player one continues to accumulate points for the barrel. Reaching the extra-man mark grants player one a ghost player with limited abilities.
Infinite Knives
When an enemy carrying a knife appears, hit the weapon to make the enemy drop it. You can then use the dropped knife against other enemies. This trick also works with dynamite.
Throw Weapons to Next Stage
At the end of some levels, like Level 1, move to the far right and jump just as the stage ends. This can cause your weapon to fall into the next stage where you can retrieve it.
Throw Objects Through Levels
In Stage 2, at the elevator, drop weapons or hit enemies near the platform. These objects will fall off-screen but can be found in Mission 3.
Throw Enemies into the Void
At the beginning of Mission 3, throw the two initial enemies off-screen to kill them instantly.
Handling the Last Level
In the final level, after dealing with the first enemy, wait for the second one to approach the door, then punch him in the head. To return to normal, have a second player assist.
Defeating the Machine-Gun Man
At the end of the last stage, lure the big guy who throws you against the wall near the machine-gun man. Elbow him, and while he’s down, stand by his feet to be thrown next to the machine gun man, allowing you to defeat him.
Abobo Exploit
In the final stage gauntlet, use Abobo to throw you onto the top-right balcony where Willy is. You can damage Willy from there without taking damage yourself.
One-Hit Kill for Final Boss (Willy)
In the last level, after defeating the mohawked giants, use the edge near the left wall to lean out and stay on this edge. When Willy appears and leans down, hit him to make him fall onto the spikes, killing him instantly. Be cautious with flying kicks to avoid falling on the spikes yourself.

How to;

The PC DD trilogy is on sale at GOG for $1.79.

An online web version so anyone can play this anytime and MAME files here.

Pics of any original hardware playing DD are welcome and any ports/version screenshots.

Enjoy Double Dragon!



JSmith

 

Cool choice. Honorable mention to the Master System version. I spent more time on that version than anything else. Its main limitation was 2 buttons, meaning that - like some other SMS games - one of the main moves (flying kicks) is assigned to both-buttons-at-once. Which is not the most ergonomic manner of playing, but we happily made do back then. Even over 30 years later I still remember the feeling of a slightly raw thumb!

Even on the SMS version, the range of moves is impressive.

Code:

 SMS version controls -

Kick:
Press Button 1 to kick your opponent.
 Range: Short
 Power: Low

 Punch:
Press Button 2 to punch.
 Range: Short
 Power: Low

 Leaping Reverse Kick:
Press Buttons 1 and 2 simultaneously, and you will leap up and execute a
powerful kick in the opposite direction you are facing.
 Range: Short
 Power: Medium

 Jump Kick:
Push Buttons 1 and 2 simultaneously while pushing the D-Pad either right or
left, and you will execute a jump kick in that direction.
 Range: Medium
 Power: Medium

 Elbow Smash:
Push the D-Pad to the opposite direction you are facing and simultaneously push
Button 2. Your elbow becomes a deadly weapon.
 Range: Short
 Power: Medium

 Head Butt:
Push the D-Pad left twice or right twice to give you enemies a real headache.
 Range: Short
 Power: Low

 Roundhouse Kick:
As you press Button 1 to kick your opponent, your front snap kick will become a
more powerful roundhouse kick.
 Range: Short
 Power: Low

 Uppercut Punch:
As you press Button 2 to punch your opponent, your punches repeat and become
powerful uppercuts.
 Range: Short
 Power: Low

 Head Knee Smash:
When you stand on top of a downed enemy, you automatically place him in a
headlock. Press Button 1 to jab him with your knee. Brutal but effective.
 Range: Very Short
 Power: Medium

 Shoulder Throw:
When you've placed your opponent in a headlock, press Button 2 to fling him
over your shoulder and slam him to the ground.
 Range: Very Short
 Power: Medium

 

I'm in, but will play it on MAME MiSTer anyway

 

The recollection of my first ever arcade game was Double Dragon. When I saw the advertisements on TV, I pleaded with my family to get me this for Christmas.

Well.....



I did eventually finish the game, but MY GOD was it hard on Atari. The music drove my mum insane but I got it done!

 

I loved Double Dragon as a kid. I used to bike all over the place looking for machines to play it on.

I own it on several different platforms now, and play it occasionally. Kinda thinking about how I can shoe-horn a double dragon arcade machine into my study.

I remember when it came out for personal computers; I had a commodore64 and saved up all my money and bought it. What a fucking disappointment that was. The developers tried to build a game that was waaaay out of spec for the system. They did some good things with getting detailed enough sprites via stacking. The game was no good though; nothing like the arcade. Weapons sucked, the elbow wasn't a trump card and it was just bad. Play it if you want a great example of a port which shouldn't have been made, but the devs did their best. It's a crappy beat em up skinned to look like double dragon.

Edit - Here's a long play of the C64 version.

 

Awesome that you still have the cart

 

What a classic. Our local milk bar had a machine but 20c pieces were hard to come by so I probably did more watching than playing. We got it years later on SMS and it was hilarious and fantastic.

 

For sure, me too... I regularly had "Nintendo thumb";

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_thumb

Absolutely, Sat afternoons I used to ride to the local AMF and play this.

Yeah that C64 version was horrible... I'd say the best port was NES.



JSmith

 

Beaut game, absolutely loved it in the arcades.. not so much so at home (c64/Amiga). This made going to the milk bar/wog shop/local bbq chicken shop a must with a good buddy..

One thing has always puzzled me. Wtf is that cat in the alleyway? I'd love to know the story behind that, I always thought it hid like a secret weapon or passageway..

 

I love that cat, but it does seem out of place. It's so large compared to the other figures. but I guess that's what they had to do in order for it to not look too dodgy.

 

The only ref I've ever been able to find is that Marian loves cats..

 

I still have the master system version I bought from Kmart for $59.95 over 30 years ago.

Also used to play at friends houses on PC. One mate’s computer could only run it in CGA lol. The game used to freeze the PC right as you approached the last boss in DOS. Seems a fixed version came out eventually as I found and finished a non-crashing version.

The PC version was a recipe for RSI, if you only had a keyboard to play it on.

 

Good ol' Bimmy and Jimmy. As a kid, I had heaps of fun on the Master System version, renting it from the local video store. I didn't know it then, but it's got schwoit FM sound too if your SMS is so equipped.

 

I had this in the early 90s on Atari ST, it came with the "power pack " which was a collection of games you got with the ST. My ST was a birthday present my parents gave me that they got cheap from cash converters, to add some extra nostalgia for those who used to go there. The framerate on the ST was terrible, but back then we didn't care

I played through this multiple times with my friends, that ending where you have to fight each other was always the most stressful part

 

I had it on the Famicom when I was a pretty young. Loved it but never could get too far into the game.

It must have been 30+ years since I last played it and I still remember kneeing these guys in the face

 

There's also a port for Atari Lynx - here's some shots of OEM vs BennVenn screen.

There's a "Double Dragon" game for Neo Geo as well, but to be fair that's a one-on-one fighting game, not a side scroller. Rage of Dragons continues that series, though not officially licensed as part of the DD series.

 

There was also the cinematic masterpiece featuring a young Alyissa Milano. Mark Dacascos, Scott Wolf & Robert Pattison when he wasn't T-1000ing:



Local arcade or milk bar jaunts would get a pretty penny from prebuscent me and my ilk

Also can concur the ROTD spiritual successor on neo-geo is a GREAT time!

 

Love this game, can still smell the pizza at the then local pizza shop.

 

Their weakness on the SMS was punches in a certain pattern - 123 123 1.

 

Man I played the absolute crap out of this on arcade. Got to the point where I could finish it without dying (elbows ahoy!).

It was trash on the C64 but I played it there anyway coz I could have it at home lol