‘Double Dragon Gaiden’: Beloved Beat-‘Em-Up Game Gets Reboot
The Lee Brothers are back in a brand new Double Dragon title.
Double Dragon was one of the first famous beat-’em-up games to hit arcades in 1987. It helped start the trend of beat ’em up games like Final Fight and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles dominating arcades to eat quarters by the dozens. The series eventually got sequels, spin-offs, weird ports, a comic, a cartoon series, and a really bad movie before almost fading into obscurity due to being inconsistent.
Double Dragon has attempted comebacks multiple times with a bad Double Dragon 2 remake, a soft reboot sequel in Double Dragon IV, and my personal favorite, Double Dragon Neon. The main thing to know is that the Lee Brothers are too good to stay down for long in gaming and it looks like they are coming back once more.
via Majesco Entertainment
Double Dragon Gaiden
Developed by Secret Base and being published by Modus Games, Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons is the latest in the Double Dragon series. There is not an exact release date so far but they are eyeing a Summer 2023 release. The game intends to be another reboot of the franchise and lean more into surviving the post-apocalypse plot instead of saving Marian plot.
“Prepare to throw down the Double Dragon way in this fresh addition to the iconic beat ‘em up franchise. It’s the year 199X, and nuclear war has devastated New York City leaving its citizens to fight for survival as riots and crime engulf the streets. The city has been overtaken by criminal gangs who terrorize its ruins as they fight for total dominance. Unwilling to endure these conditions any longer, young Billy and Jimmy Lee take it upon themselves to drive the gangs out of their city.”
Not Your Average Double Dragon
The biggest difference between this and past titles is that it will be a “rogue-lite” game. Players will have missions they pick from and depending on what order they are done in, it changes the mission length, number of bad guys, rewards, and difficulty. The game will have tons to unlock as well, so choosing what gets the most rewards will help greatly. This is great since it will make the game last a lot longer than recent beat ’em ups like TMNT Shredder’s Revenge.
The game will let players team up with other players both online and local couch co-op. When playing single-player, they can also swap between 2 different characters like a Marvel vs Capcom character switch. The game will start with Billy, Jimmy, Marian, and newcomer Uncle Matin as playable characters with nine unannounced characters to be unlocked in-game.
via Secret Base
The game looks like a fun time for this longtime beat-’em-up fan. Double Dragon holds a special place in my heart because the Lee Brothers have been a big part of my gaming upbringing with Double Dragon, Battletoads/Double Dragon, and Double Dragon Neon. Its legacy cannot be understated with so many games being inspired by it with games full of brothers fighting evil together. If any series deserves a comeback to stick, it is Double Dragon.
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons is set to release on PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch, and PC in Summer 2023
“My whole life just flashed before my eyes. Dude, I sleep a lot.” – Billy Lee, Double Dragon the movie
