Double Dragon Neon Review

 

Streets of Rage 2 is the greatest side scrolling beat-em-up of all time, but hey Double Dragon right guys? Hell yes Double Dragon! 

The original Double Dragon was arguably the great grand pappy of all modern 2d beat-em-ups. Just kidding that genre is dead. Just kidding about kidding guys!Please don't murder me, that was simply a joke. There have been some great modern beat-em-ups like Scott Pilgrim and Castle Crashers, but there hasn't really been a good revival of an old franchise. Sure there was that Turtles in Time remake, but that game was horrible.

 So here comes Double Dragon Neon, a re-imagining of the classic franchise developed by the popular studio WayForward. Although you may initially be skeptical at first, the love and dedication to the property becomes apparent from the first look at the amazing title screen. The game bleeds personality and feels like a mash up of all of the 80's and early 90's tropes that used to dominate the series. It's a tribute to our memories of those time periods, and will tickle your nostalgia button despite being a completely new experience. 

The story is just as ridiculous as the previous games in the series. It starts off with a familiar premise, your girlfriend gets punched in the gut and is kidnapped by brutes. How do you deal with this? Obviously by punching, kicking, and slamming through hordes of bullies. The game is very self aware and even makes reference to the fact that this has indeed happened before. However the game doesn't simply settle to emulate the experience from the older games, but instead chooses to evolve both the gameplay mechanics and story through unique and unexpected twists. 

This new entry also introduces a new antagonist, a wise cracking skull monster aptly named “Skullmageddon.” He's a great addition to the series, and really compliments the game's balls-to-the-wall approach. The character design is fantastic, re-imagining some old classic favorites like Abobo and Linda Lash. While the character models aren't 2d sprites, the detail and animation skill that WayForward is known for is still prevalent in this game. Everything pops with emotion and color. Everything is justifiably neon.

Admittedly anything is better than this. 

I could also write an entire paper talking about the brilliance that is the Double Dragon Neon soundtrack. Seriously, kudos to whoever arranged and collected these tracks. The songs range from old school throwbacks, to new classics that perfectly encapsulate the feeling of the series. The tunes are poppy and bright. You may find yourself searching down the specific tracks on youtube and listening to them when you need motivation. Best soundtrack for ass kicking. 

The gameplay is also really great and actually takes strides to fix the problem of formulaic combat that is normally found in these sorts of games. It's still a brawler. You'll find yourself beating down the same sets of enemies over and over again, and it does get a little monotonous by the end, but the system is more dynamic and keeps you on your toes. While you can kick, punch, jump, and throw, you can now duck and roll. If you manage to dodge your opponents attacks at just the right time your character will light up in a blaze of fury which makes your slugs hit a little bit harder. This small addition really changes things up, and adds a bit of strategy to the otherwise mindless button mashing. It seems like a small change, but I really need to emphasize the impact it has on the entirety of the gameplay.

There are also a slew of upgrades and special moves that can be purchased at specific stores strewn throughout the story. These special moves range from anything from a spinning kick, to summoning a screen clearing dragon. While it may not be enough to entice players to go for a second play-through, it helps change up the action and offers a bit of extra strategy for those who are interested. 

  The variation in the level design is pretty astounding. The developers recognize and embrace the silliness that is inherent within the Double Dragon series. (I mean c'mon these guys fought alongside giant toads at one point.) You won't simply be brawling in generic alleys in Double Dragon Neon. Instead you will find yourself in a multitude of different locations that each feel unique to one another. I know that phrasing is a bit cliché, but I just don't want to spoil any of the surprising moments, and believe me there are surprising moments.

The map screen is also really cool to look at. I can't really say enough about how good the art style of this game is. Wayforward has a way with visuals, and that really shines through during the entirety of the experience.

Of course the game has co-op, which is being referred to as Bro-op in keeping with the classy nature of the rest of the game. Things get decidedly more fun when playing with someone else, but at the time of review, the co-op was limited to offline only. Offline co-op is great, but not always ideal. Though the game is short enough that you and a buddy could sit down and blast through it in a few hours, and that's just great.

Great Stuff

Double Dragon Neon isn't a perfect game. Occasionally the game will introduce light platforming sections, but the controls simply can't handle the precision that is necessary to make certain jumps. As a result of the somewhat finicky controls you'll find yourself falling to your death multiple times before finally getting lucky. Another problem inherent to this type of game is the misperception of depth. It's a bit hard to tell if you are lined up with someone correctly, and so you may throw a few haymakers at absolutely nothing. The game also has a few moments in which the lighting changes for artistic effect, and while these moments do look visually appealing they obscure a lot of the action and really aren't that fun.

Double Dragon Neon isn't the greatest 2-D beat-em-up of all time, I still believe that distinction belongs to Streets of Rage 2, however Neon takes important strides towards making this genre relevant again. Not only is the combat interesting and more diverse than other beat-em-ups, but the style and polish make up for the occasional hiccups in gameplay. Oh and did I mention the game is fun? If you are a fan of the series, or just beat-em-ups in general then you owe it yourself to pick up Double Dragon Neon. 

Well that's all folks. Sorry I haven't been updating lately, things have been quite hectic. Don't worry though, there is about to be a landslide of content once school is finally out for the semester. If you enjoyed the review, why not share it with a friend? I appreciate any and all views, and feedback is always welcome. Stay safe out there guys!