Double Dragon Advance

This is not the Double Dragon you remember, but it's a Double Dragon you'll never forget!

Since we're discussing classic games & nostalgia, a bit of a history lesson is in order, from my own (admittedly biased) perspective:

I had little interest in the GameBoyAdvance until I got a chance 2 play this title. It was released "way back" in late 2003, apparently only 4 a limited time, making it somewhat rare these days.

"Double Dragon Advance" is based directly on the 1987 arcade game, Double Dragon, a classic three button, two player brawler, produced by Taito (liscensed from Technos), that launched the fighting genre as even its predecessor "Renegade" never could. In the days before the one on one "Vs." fighters, this coin-op title was king, & was quickly ported 2 every platform under the sun, inspiring several mostly lackluster sequels, spinoffs & countless imitations (some of which were quite good, like Final Fight, Vendetta, the Streets of Rage series, Alien Vs. Predator, Cadillacs & Dinosaurs, or the arcade TMNT games).

Featuring great graphics & sound 4 the time, it had colorful cartoony animation, memorable music, & bone crushing sound effects. The theme was a gritty, fairly realistic (for the time) street fight, with lots of moves 2 choose from, a variety of weapons, & two player cooperative action. At the close of the game, the two players (if they were both still standing) would face off in a grudge match 2 the death. While the whole concept made little sense in the real world, it was an extremely fun video game experience. During the game too, players could harm each other, so this presented the potential 4 competition or cooperating depending on the mood of the players.

A sequel was rushed out the following year in arcades "Double Dragon II: The Revenge" which was mostly a retread/enhanced remake of the first game, with "left & right attack" style controls (like Renegade). The hardware was tweaked 4 less slowdown & the difficulty was greatly increased. The game was still good, but less well recieved than the original. After this the series took a nosedive in quality. Double Dragon III: the Rosetta Stone featured completely redrawn artwork that was much more generic than the original, the moves repetoire was stripped down & modified, & a lame "shop" feature was introduced where players had 2 insert more real coins 2 obtain virtual money 2 buy extra lives, new moves & lame "backup" characters. The weapons were reduced 2 two, fairly weak ones, a sword & a pair of nunchucks. The NES version of DD3 was totally different, & became something of a hit with fans, even though it still wasn't a great game. The home console ports of the series had varying quality over the years, with the NES versions being the most popular, but featuring scaled down graphics with small cartoony characters, fewer moves, weapons, & lots of puzzle & platform elements 2 increase the difficulty & distract from the fighting theme (Battletoads would handle this type of gameplay in a much better fashion some years down the road).

Eventually, a goofy cartoon & comic series were created inspiring an awful one on one fighting game called "Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls" & a fairly decent Neo Geo one on one fighter would be created based on the awful movie inspired by the game. The Super Famicom/SNES would feature Return of Double Dragon/Super Double Dragon which tried 2 give a fresh adventure in the spirit of the first two games, but due 2 strict deadlines, much of the game was cut & it ended up feeling very generic compared 2 the original game, with small, redrawn characters, generic enemies, & a much smaller repetoire of moves (favoring instead the ability 2 "charge up" power 2 increase the strength of your punches & kicks, or block attacks 2 allow cheap "grapple" counter moves). The weapons in this game were made incredibly rare but incredibly cheap.

The original arcade game simply remained the best of the lot, in terms of graphics & gameplay.

There were some flaws of course. Players discovered that the elbow punch move was actually so powerful that you could win the game using it exclusively & never be hit by an enemy. Veterans learned 2 play the game 4 fun & limiting their use of this move. The game was also short, taking about 15 minutes 2 complete in one sitting (however the replay value was such that one could play it over & over). Finally, due 2 hardware limitations, there was some slowdown when a lot of characters appeared on the screen. Many of the characters in the game were just the same sprite with a different haircut or different colored clothing/skintone, but it was so short that this didn't become too repetitious.

Fast forward 2 the modern era. Double Dragon the series has seen numerous sequels & spinoffs, going from bad 2 worse. Most people remember the original arcade game & probably the popular NES takes on the series (with their inferior graphics, platforming elements, & high level of difficulty).

DDA goes back 2 the roots, recreating the entire arcade game, but with redrawn graphics (closer 2 the style of "Return of Double Dragon" on the SNES), that maintain a faithful, gritty look 2 them, with "updated" hairstyles that still have a retro look 2 them (such as the Abobos with the "Afro" hairstyle). So some things are the same as the arcade game, some things different.

So what can DD fans expect?

Many new moves have been added. The elbow punch has been toned down so it's not so powerful as it was before, & the slowdown has been removed. Some things from the arcade are missing, such as Jeff (the character who could do all the player's moves & was a boss in stage 2) & the throwable box/crate.

Many features from the various DD games over the years have been incorporated into this title, forming a rather solid fighting game experience:

Players can now crouch (a move that the enemies in the series could always do but never the player), & do an uppercut or a flying knee (similar 2 moves from the NES versions of Double Dragon 2 & 3) from the crouch position. The headbit is still there, but a running move (and dash attacks) have been added, as from Double Dragon III: The Rosetta Stone "Vs. Mode" of the NES version.

There is a "block" feature, like Super Double Dragon/Return of Double Dragon. This move is hard 2 implement properly, but if done right, an incoming attack is intercepted & the enemy tossed over the player's shoulder. Not as spectacular as the grab/beat downs of SDD/RODD but a welcome addition 4 advanced players.

A downed opponent can be "stomped on" much like Double Dragon III 4 extra damage. The players can also "crouch over" a fallen body & repeatedly punch it in the face (much like a similar move in the NES version of DD).

Players can still kick a large throwable object (oil drum, rock) with their foot, though it's a bit harder 2 pull off than the arcade version & so less useful.

While all the moves from the first two arcade games appear & then some (though the method 2 execute some of their moves & their relative strengths have changed), the weapons from these two games are also intact, with the exception of the throwable box/crate, grenade, iron ball, shovel (replaced by the double bladed battle axe), & log. New 2 the weapons set are the nunchuku (from DD3, the VS. mode of NES DD1, & SDD/RODD), & kali sticks. The sticks are the same type of weapon used by Chin Semei from DD2, but were never available 2 the player until now. These two new weapons are rather cheap, being able 2 hit so fast as 2 trap an enemy in a combo before they can ever react. These two weapons are never used by enemies, but conveniently "fall out of the pocket" of a downed enemy now & then.

Thankfully, an annoying feature of the NES DD games, where weapons were taken away after a very short time when defeating a wave of enemies (rather than at the end of a mission as in the arcade), does not show up here. Weapons can be used over & over again, until the end of a mission or if they are dropped into a bottomless pit (that kills you instantly).

Unlike the rare Sega Genesis port of the first Double Dragon, where large throwable objects (Rock, Oil drum, etc) vanished after a certain number of throws, all the thrown weapons can be used over & over (except the knife, which vanishes, as it always did, after downing one target, & the "firecracker" dynamite stick which obviously is unusable after it explodes).

In DDA, if a player dies holding a weapon, that weapon vanishes with him, so strategically you should drop a weapon when you're about 2 die, so that you can have something 2 pick up again when you come back on your next life.

Players no longer fall flat on their faces if they walk off a ledge without first jumping, but weapons can be dropped at any time by pressing the "block" button. This is a first 4 the series & very useful (previously you had 2 be hit or fall in order 2 change weapons).

Another difference from the arcade games is that the chain link fence at the start of Mission 2 cannot be climbed on as it was in the arcade game, & a ladder is missing, removing the ability 2 fight on a higher level at the start of this area. Also the ability 2 climb rocks, while still present in Mission 3 is diminished, since you can only climb part way up the cliff until the enemies are defeated, & then the player automatically climbs 2 the top (and can't climb down again) 4 the upcoming boss fight.

Baseball bats & axes can be thrown (something only enemies in the series could do before, starting with DD II: The Revenge) as well as swung.

The large masked boss "Burnov" who first appeared in Double Dragon II: The Revenge appears here, & is as cheap as ever. The shovel weapon is converted into a battle axe (it was mislabelled an "axe" in some versions of the DD2, & with the poor graphics of some of these ports, it might well be mistaken 4 one). Chin Semei, the stick wielding foe from DD2 also makes frequent appearances.

This version of DD features many more enemies on screen at a time than any previous version of the game, & without slowdown. Less of the background is visible on screen at a time, due 2 the smaller screen area. But the characters are still large & colorful.

In the original arcade game, Billy "Hammer" Lee wore blue & had blonde hair. His twin brother Jimmy "Spike" Lee wore red & had yellow hair & an identical haircut. In this update, following the tradition begun with the NES DD1, Billy has brown hair, & following Return of/Super DD, Jimmy has a spiked blonde haircut. Both the brothers perform their moves identically & have the same sounds.

As far as modes go, the game has a single player mode where one takes control of Billy 2 go on his classic quest 2 save Marion from the Black Warriors (aka the "Shadow Warriors"). In the Japanese version, the storyline was that New York had been ravaged by a Nuclear War & gangs ruled the city. Billy & his brother had started a martial arts Dojo 2 teach ordinary people 2 protect themselves from the evil street gangs. This lead Wily, the leader of the Warriors 2 have Billy's girlfriend kidnapped 2 intimidate the brothers & lure them out in the open 2 be attacked by the gang members. The US version didn't allude 2 the nuclear war or their role as community activists, but now we see the plot dictated 2 us via anime style cutscenes, with artwork reminiscent of "Fist of the North Star" an ultra violent Japanese cartoon that inspired a few games of its own. Some things are changed in the story 2 imply that the boss characters are not killed, but only beaten up until they surrender, but these scenes can be skipped with a few quick button presses.

There is a two character single player mode, in which you can control BOTH Lee brothers, but one at a time (you switch between them by pressing the select button). This is a challenging way 2 play since the brother you don't select is completely defenseless. It's too bad there wasn't an option 2 let the computer AI control the other brother. I use this mode when playing solo 2 play as Jimmy, letting Billy get killed (or beating him up myself 4 extra points) & playing through as the red clad character. If you complete the game solo, there are a few less lines of dialouge at the end, & no "brother vs. brother" mode (which has been now explained as a friendly martial arts match rather than some kind of death fight... which was explained in the NES version by making Jimmy the secret leader of the Shadow Warriors gang, rather than Wily, who was secretly in love with Marion & wanted 2 steal her from his brother!).

The third mode will only work 4 certain players, the 2 player mode. In this mode you either need two GBA's (or Nintendo DS's since the DS can play GBA games) & two copies of the game, plus a link cable. Or you can substitute a GBA 4 a "Gameboy Player" addon & play the game with two players on your TV screen, using a GameCube console.

I prefer 2 play the game on the big screen myself, & the graphics look AS GOOD (I wouldn't say better, just different, though perhaps you could argue there's more detail in places) as the 20 year old arcade version.

Finally, there is a one or two player mode that has never appeared in the series before, a "survival" mode, similar 2 the one featured in Final Fight on the Sega CD. You appear in a dojo-like room (similar 2 the one you start off in in the NES version of DD3) & endless waves of enemies attack you, in increasingly difficult attacks. There is no way 2 "win" this mode, as the enemies will keep appearing forever, & your health & the timer prevent you from staying alive forever. This is just meant 2 test your ability 2 kill as many enemies as possible before the timer runs out.

Despite the advertisment, there is no "Vs. Mode" like the one featured in the NES DD1 (which let you pick any from several characters & fight one on one in a special arena). The only Vs. battle is just like the arcade game, & only present if you beat the game with two players. If you play the 2 character single player, you can take control of one brother 2 beat the other one up with no resistance.

The controls in DDA are tight & responsive, & thankfully it uses four buttons (punch, kick, jump, & the new 'block/drop weapon' button), making combinations 4 different moves easier 2 pull off intentionally.

All in all, this is a solid beat-'em-up with great appeal 4 retro fans. It isn't exactly like Double Dragon from 1987, but it takes the best elements of the DD series over the years & revamps & remixes the old 2 create a new, & rather fun game.

Overall the length of the game is somewhat longer than the original arcade, but the game takes only about 20 minutes 2 beat, another 5 onto the original run through time of DD on average difficulty. The unlockables include a cheat 4 10 credits instead of 5 (shared by both players), a sound test, & an expert difficulty option. A few of the levels are new, a truck top fight taken from SDD/RODD, a watery cavern level borrowed from DD2 4 the NES (iirc), a "china town" area reminiscent of those seen in DD3, & an extension of the "trap room."

Some new enemies have been added 2 the usual gang members seen in the first two games (note: only two of the bosses from DD2 are here, the rest are all straight from the first arcade game). The new characters include Burnov & Chin Semie (sp?) from DD2, plus there's a samurai character with a sword (that you sadly can't use), a cartwheel kicking martial artist reminiscent of the final boss from DD2 NES (and the TurboGrafx CD version of DD2), & a variant that uses a "shadow trick" reminiscent of the incredibly cheap "doppelganger" enemies from the end of DD2. The most annoying addition 2 the gang are the "Steve" enemies that wear dark sunglasses & business suits like Matrix Agents. These men are predictably cheap, with hyperfast combos. Once they hit you, you're toast. Thankfully ever a flurry of attacks, these guys adjust their ties, allow you a chance 2 hit them finally. While amusing, these gents look rather out of place in a gang of otherwise colorfully dressed punks, buff bruisers & martial arts scrappers. It's as if somebody's limo was late & they decided 2 join in on the action (in a post apocalyptic world?). When the thugs are better dressed than the final boss, something is wrong!

This is very much a game in the style of classic arcade brawlers, so you won't find spectacular endings, thousand hit combos or fireballs here. All attempts have been made 2 foster a certain level of realism in the moves (even the famous Hurricane Kick from DD2 here doesn't have the "floating effect" it did in the 1988 arcade sequel where it first appeared). The game is short, & somewhat more repetative than the arcade game since it's longer & has more enemies (with more varied color palletes 4 their alternate clothing, skin tones). Some might be annoyed that they'll face waves of green, gold, & silver skinned Abobos (the arcade game featured ONE green skinned boss, & DD2 in the arcade featured two gray skinned Burnovs).

I've rambled enough, but hopefully this information will prove useful 4 old school fans, fans of arcade brawlers & die hard double dragon fans who might be a bit skeptical about this release. It's very much "retro" in a good way, & probably the best "2-D" scrolling fighter game 2 come out in the 21st century. It won't replace the original arcade game in this DD fan's heart, but it is regarded as a great game & worthy addition 2 the series in its own right.

A worthwhile cart 2 own even if you're not a fan of the GBA (there's always the Gameboy player on the GC)!

Double Dragon's simple interface & graphics are perfect 4 the advance; a game system that is very limited in it's complexity.
This game is a great diversion 4 about an hour or so & is easy 2 play but offers a great deal of diverse game play.

DDA is absolutely one of the funnest games available on GBA.It mixes all the old school arcade levels in with some new ones,and with that being said,you can't go wrong if your a DD fan.With classic,and new moves/combos,this is easily better than the old arcade version,and probably my favorite game on GBA.

Remember the time when walking into the arcades in the mid-late 80's were a blast? First 2 witness a strange side scrolling game called Double Dragon? This was the very first side scroller in the arcades that called out 2 me. It was an awesome game.

This game needs no flashy intro or any special moves involving some ancient skill that poofs onto the screen. People think that difficult games are bad, but they aren't. People that complain about these things just wuss over the fact that this game is difficult. This is why people think people in the US cannot handle difficult games. This game is insanely hard, but only on hard mode. I think that's great 4 replay value!

This version on the GBA doesn't play like the arcade, but it brings the feel of nostalgia 2 the older gamers of today. This is a great game 2 play. It has extra levels & has expanded game play. This version is much easier 2 control & you're able 2 do the special skills that the character's have easily.

The hurricane kick is in this game (which never belonged 2 the 1st game), Dashing is something new as well. The elbow move, kicks, grabbing the enemies & kneeing them in the head is back. All the moves we can associate with has come back.

I think this game is awesome, it has it's drawbacks graphically. The character sprites are a bit pixellated as well as detail 2 the stages. Minor details. Weapons are vast but cheap, once you get the bo sticks you can pretty much kill anything in your path.

I laugh at the fact that people say this is hard, it has a linkable co-op mode & you can definitely finish this game in under 40 mins. Great game -- good buy!

I was quite unnerved by the negative reviews on this game. Nonetheless, my love 4 Double Dragon prevailed & I acquired it. I found all the negative reviews 2 be criminally false.

There are some similarities 2 the old arcade game as well as the first & second NES releases. Anyone looking 4 a direct copy will be disappointed. I thought that would be a deterrent, but it is not so. The attack scheme has been expanded & improved upon. There are more ways than ever 2 deliver pain in this Double Dragon.

The game sprawls 8 missions of increasing difficulty. The play control is not as impossible as I read before. Its not impossibly hard 2 win the game either. I didn't beat it on the first try, but why would I want to?

After winning the game on hard, it offers an expert level. After beating that it offers codes 4 extra credits. Cool eh?

Overall, I would recommend this game 2 anyone. Its great, engaging, & worth repeated plays.