Double Dragon II (Game Boy)

Double Dragon II is a beat 'em up video game developed by Technos and published by Acclaim Entertainment in December 1991 for the Game Boy. Although the title suggests it is a port of Double Dragon II: The Revenge, it is actually the game Nekketsu Koha Kunio-kun: Bangai Rantohen with Double Dragon style graphics and music. In the game, Billy and Jimmy are being framed for murder, and the Scorpion gang is after you looking for retaliation. You have to defeat the Scorpion gang and find a way to clear your name. Two players can play simultaneously by using a Game Boy Link cable.

Not owning a Game Boy, I never played this game or even saw it when it came out. I played it in order to better acquaint myself to the Technos catalog of games and ended up beating it on my first attempt.

Status

I don't own this game, but I beat it on normal difficulty on 2019-08-30.

Review

4	4	5	5	3

Best Version: 42%

— This section contains spoilers! —

Good

• For a Game Boy title, the graphics and sound are above average.
• The boss rush in the last stage is a bit refreshing after fighting so many of the same enemies over and over again.

Bad

• The AI is pretty easy to game. By getting an opponent near the edge of the screen, you can uppercut them, move up or down a little bit, wait from them to move to your level, and uppercut them again. This tactic works on all enemies and bosses.
• Beat 'em ups are supposed to have a lot of great close-quarters combat, but the controls are really watered down. Unlike previous Double Dragon titles, even the first Game Boy game, you can't steal your opponents or jump to do jump-kicks. Your moves are limited to kick, punch, high kick, upper cut, grab, and knee drop.
• The story from the manual is a bit out there. In this game, Billy and Jimmy are living in a post apocalyptic world where a nuclear blast has destroyed much of the city (although it looks fine). And Billy's girlfriend was murdered before his very eyes! No saving the princess trope this time!
• The manual claims the game takes place over 10 stages, but it's really just 3 stages that are broken up into multiple rooms.
• Hackers have shown that the developers at least attempted to make a better game with an introduction and grapple move, but they were cut from the final game.

Ugly

• The game is far too short and there is very little variety.
• The game isn't just shamelessly stealing the thunder of the real Double Dragon II, but it also is a reskin of an totally unrelated game. This is pathetic.

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