GRAPHICS SOUND CONTROL FRUSTRATION FUN FACTOR OVERALL

NES Action/Platformer 1-2 Players No save feature Fans of the original Double Dragon seem to have gripes with this game, though I don't really know why. It could be because of the new and unique controls, but I can hardly see why that would deter from the overall enjoyment of the game. The graphics are top-notch, and the game flows well at all times. There are 3 modes of play: One Player, Two Player A, and Two Player B. The only difference between the two tag-team modes is in Mode B you can harm your opponent, thus making the game much harder to complete. There are also three difficulty levels: Practice, Warrior, and Supreme Master. What makes this unique (albeit a bit odd) is you can't complete the game unless you're on the Supreme Master level. Practice will take you through the first 4 missions, while Warrior will let you play all but the last mission. The difficulty levels don't seem to vary much other than in that respect. Upon playing the game for the first time, one will notice that the controls are very unique, as I said above. Pressing A always attacks to the right, and pressing B always attacks to the left. It takes awhile to get used to, but soon you'll wish every beat-em-up was the same way. Pressing both buttons together allows you to jump, and pressing another button while in midair will lead to a jumpkick. Other moves inclue a spin-kick, uppercut, and rising knee, which all require timing and experimentation to master. After a few plays through the game you'll be pulling off spin-kicks at will and demolishing your opponents. Double Dragon II offers enough variety and challenge to give even a Nintendo veteran a run for their money. I finally beat the game this very night, after attempting it for literally years. Incredibly, the ending left me with a definite sense of satisfaction, and I can't wait to play through again. Now for the scores. Graphics: The characters are neither too big nor too small, animations are fairly crisp, and the colors blend well. The bad points? On occassion the bottom of the screen (below your life bars) can fill up with annoying colors and 'garbage' that looks like computer code and what-not. It can be a tad annoying at times. Other than that, everything's A-OK. Sound & Music: None of the traditional Double Dragon themes are in place, which is a tad disappointing to long-time fans of the series like myself. The music that is there gets the job done, but isn't too memorable. In fact, the only music I really recall is that in level 6, the Mansion of Terror. The sound effects are sort of satisfying, but many moves make the same noises as others do. Weapons and explosioins sound nice, though. Gameplay: There are a variety of levels in the game, ranging from free-roaming side-scrollers, 2-D side-scrollers, and single rooms, to pure platform levels with virtually no enemies. If you follow the storyline in between levels, it makes the order in which they appear logical. Enemies gradually get harder as the game goes, but never too hard. The game flows extremely well and keeps you interested until the very end, be it death or the end of the game itself. Replay Value: With one or two players, the game is a blast. I could literally play this game for days and not get bored with it, that's how much fun it is. There's actually quite a bit of strategy involved once you play the game for so long, and honing those strategies keep the game fresh for a very long time. Nostalgia Value: Growing up I loved this game, and I love it even more now at the age of 17. I can always remember making it up to level 7, the Trap Room, as a child and never being able to get past the first room. I finally did and I was ecstatic, only to lose on the next level (sigh). Still, the game brings back many-a-memory of playing until the break of dawn just trying to get past that one room. If that's not nostalgia, I don't know what is. Learning Curve: I'm afraid this is where the game's biggest fault lies, surprisingly. It isn't the control system I have gripes with, it's the difficulty level settings. I can understand that they would only allow you to complete half the game on the Practice level, but why would they let you beat every level except the last one on the Warrior level? That's more frustrating than anything, as it happened to me before I realized that you couldn't beat the game without setting the level to Supreme Master. This frustration (which is high, I might add) detracts from the score greatly, as I'm sure I'm not the only gamer without a manual that this has happened to. ......BOTTOM LINE: By far the best Double Dragon game on the NES, the slick controls and great moves and combos will satisfy the martial artist in all of us. Play it. Now. -FlowingMindspin