DOUBLE DRAGON ダブルドラゴン (1995)

DOUBLE DRAGON

9

12+

Fantasy

9.1

1996-04-26

2018-07-03 12:14:34

Double Dragon ダブルドラゴン is a 1995 fighting video game spin-off of the Double Dragon series developed and published by Technōs Japan. It is based on the 1994 film, which in turn was based on the original arcade game. It was originally released for the Neo Geo (in AES and MVS formats) and later released for the Neo Geo CD and PlayStation (the latter ported by Urban Plant). The game was also made available for PlayStation Network in Japan in 2011 and in North America in 2014 . It was Technōs Japan’s last Double Dragon game before the company went out of business, and the fourth and final Double Dragon game released in arcades.

Overview:

The game plays like a conventional one-on-one fighting game. One of the unique aspects of Double Dragon is the lack of specific punch and kick buttons like other fighting games. Instead, there are four attack buttons of varying strength and speed, which can perform punches or kicks depending on the character’s position. The player’s character and his or her opponent have a super move meter called the ”charge meter”, overlaid over the character’s health gauge. The less health the character has, the quicker it will fill up. ”Charge moves” are usually performed by executing the command of a regular special move and pressing two attack buttons simultaneously at the end instead of just one. Other techniques available in the game include dashes, air guards, air throws, and down attacks (which allows characters to jump over and attack their opponent while they are momentarily unconscious on the ground).

The characters and settings are inspired by the Double Dragon movie, which featured prominently in the game’s intro. This includes the appearances of a submerged Hollywood Sign, the appearance of the Dragon Wagon in Billy’s stage, the Lee brothers’ transformation technique, Marian’s depiction as a gang leader, and the inclusion of Koga Shuko as the game’s final opponent. However, the characters are depicted in a more anime-like style and only five of the game’s twelve fighters are actually featured in the movie; Burnov and Duke are from previous Double Dragon games and the rest are new characters created specifically for this game.

Plot and Characters:

Billy and Jimmy Lee (voiced by Hikaru Midorikawa and Kaneto Shiozawa respectively), return to their childhood city, after receiving a letter from their master. The city has changed drastically in the ten years since the Lee brothers left, becoming a haven for street gangs known as Bloody Town after it has fallen under the control of the crime boss Koga Shuko (v.b. Osamu Saka). Shuko is hosting a martial arts tournament in order to recruit new members into his organization, but also to lure the Lee brothers in bringing him one half of the titular Double Dragon medallion, which Shuko is in possession of the other half. Whoever is in possession of both halves of the Double Dragon medallion will acquire unlimited powers.

The character roster includes 10 immediately playable fighters and 2 boss characters. Billy and Jimmy Lee both fight using the fictional Sou-Setsu-Ken martial arts style, with Billy having the faster techniques, while Jimmy is stronger. The twin brothers also have the ability to transform into an alternate form as a super move, altering their move lists. The eight other characters in addition to the Lee brothers include Marian (v.b. Yuka Koyama), a female gang leader and childhood friend of the Lee brothers, Abobo (v.b. Daisuke Gouri), a strongman employed by Shuko, Burnov (v.b. Daisuke Gouri), a former wrestler also employed by Shuko, Eddie (v.b. Yukimasa Kishino, a kickboxer, Amon (v.b. Kaneto Shiozawa), a ninja, Cheng-Fu (v.b. Hisao Egawa), a master of the drunken fist, Dulton (v.b. Yusaku Yara), a street fighter, and Rebecca (v.b. Keiko Han), a master of the dual tonfa.

When fighting against the CPU, the player will compete against all 10 of the playable fighters, including a clone of their own character. The first opponent can be freely selected by the player. After all 10 of the default fighters are defeated, the player will face Shuko’s bodyguard Duke (v.b. Hisao Egawa), followed by Shuko himself. In the console versions of the game, Duke and Shuko are both playable via a cheat code.

Characters:

There are ten regularly selectable characters in the game and two boss characters, for a total of twelve characters. In the single-player mode, the player competes against all ten of the regular characters (including a clone of their own) before facing against Duke and Shuko in the game’s last two matches. The first opponent can be chosen by the player.

In the home versions, both Duke and Shuko are playable by entering a secret code.

• Billy Lee (voiced by Hikaru Midorikawa)

The younger Lee brother, Billy is a master of the Sousetsuken martial arts style, a combination of numerous martial arts learned by Billy and his brother, Jimmy. Billy has blond hair and wears a blue and red casual outfit in his default form, with his alternate color palette being navy and orange. In his transformed form, he wears a blue martial arts gi, with his alternate color palette being teal. Billy has faster attacks than his brother, Jimmy. He was the first player’s character in the original Double Dragon, although his character design and ability to transform is taken from the film.

• Jimmy Lee (voiced by Kaneto Shiozawa)

The elder Lee brother. Jimmy has brown hair and wears an orange and black outfit in his default form, with his alternate color palette being gold and dark blue. He wears a red martial arts gi in his transformed form, with his alternate color palette being orange. Jimmy has stronger attacks than his brother, Billy. He was the second player’s character in the original Double Dragon. Like Billy, his design and transformation ability is based on his film counterpart.

• Marian Delario (voiced by Yuka Koyama)

A childhood friend of the Lee brothers and female gang leader at Bloody Town. Fights using a street fighting style with techniques based on figure skating. Marian was the damsel in distress of the earlier Double Dragon games, although her depiction as a gang leader was based on the film as well.

• Bo Abobo (voiced by Daisuke Gōri)

A former pro-wrestler from New York who works for Shuko. Abobo was the first stage boss in the original Double Dragon. In one of his super moves, he briefly turns into a bloated freak similar to the mutation he undergoes in the Double Dragon film.

• Burnov (voiced by Daisuke Gōri)

An obese pro-wrestler from Detroit feared as the ”human bomb”. He has a rivalry with Abobo. Burnov was the first stage boss in Double Dragon II: The Revenge.

• Amon (voiced by Kaneto Shiozawa)

A master of the fictional ninjutsu form of ”Ryuganinpoh”. He looks for the whereabouts of his missing family and believes Shuko might know something. His design is based on the Yagyu Ranzou character from Double Dragon 3: The Rosetta Stone.

• Patrick Dulton (voiced by Yusaku Yara)

A street brawler from Italy who is looking to take down Shuko.

• Rebecca Brielle (voiced by Keiko Han)

A tonfa-wielding female martial artist from Holland. She was once romantically involved with a man named Eric, who turned out to be a spy for Shuko, and now seeks to get revenge.

• Eddie Jenkins (voiced by Yukimasa Kishino)

A kickboxer from Venezuela who trains Shuko’s henchmen.

• Cheng-Fu (voiced by Hisao Egawa)

A master of the ”Drunken Fist” from Hong Kong.

• Duke (voiced by Hisao Egawa)

Shuko’s bodyguard and the last opponent before fighting Shuko himself. A master of the assassination style ”Moukohisouken” from San Francisco. Duke was the final boss in the Super NES game Super Double Dragon.

• Koga Shuko (voiced by Osamu Saka)

The final boss, Shuko is the evil dictator of Bloody Town. A powerful master of kobujutsu and ninpō. Shuko was the main antagonist in the Double Dragon film.

Sony PlayStation

SNK / Technōs Japan / Urban Plant

4513438230018

1-2

Japan

32-bit

CD ROM

1

Jewel Case

2018-07-03 12:14:34