Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons Offers a Competent Arcade Experience
In the competitive world of beat-’em-up games, Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons may not initially catch your attention. With the recent releases of visually stunning games like Streets of Rage 4 and TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge, DDG’s visuals may not be as arresting. Additionally, it may not be as clever in merging genres together like River City Girls 2. However, after spending some time with the game, it becomes evident that DDG is a jack-of-all-trades arcade experience, with interesting mechanics and strong replay potential.
Although DDG’s visuals may not stand out, it does offer a fun trip down memory lane with its throwback pixel art style. The game features cool locations like the Junk Pyramids of the Anubis Gang, but it may not compete with the rich hues and wider color palettes of other top games in the genre. Nevertheless, the animations of the characters and enemies are beautiful and elevate the adventures of Jimmy, Billy, Marian, and Matin. The standout aspect of the game is its sound effects, particularly the deep booms of punching and kicking.
The game revolves around the new mayor of post-apocalyptic New York, who needs the help of the crew to take back the city from four major gangs. As expected from a side-scrolling beat-’em-up, players engage in missions where they fight groups of enemies using fists, random weapons, or the environment. Exciting special moves can be seamlessly integrated into combos, and using them strategically leads to bonus health pickups. DDG also introduces a tag partner system, allowing players to switch between characters and strategize based on their unique abilities. With up to 14 playable fighters promised, there’s ample variety to experiment with.
Similar to Mega Man, players can tackle the four different gangs in any order. As stages are cleared, the remaining ones become more challenging, with tougher enemies and longer stages punctuated by battles with mini-bosses. Each mission also includes sub goals that earn players additional cash, which can be spent on buffs that enhance health or strengthen specific special moves. These buffs provide advantages but their significance in progressing through levels remains to be fully seen.
At the end of each run, any remaining money is converted into tokens, which can be used at the token shop to unlock new characters and artwork. The conversion rate depends on the difficulty settings, adding a balancing act to the game. This feature, along with the promise of various things to spend tokens on, adds an extra layer of excitement and exploration.
While it may be too early to determine where Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons stands among other beat-’em-up games, its simple yet strong tag team combat and replayability functions make it an enticing choice. Fans of the genre will surely be drawn to its competent gameplay and potential for endless fun. Look out for its launch later this month.