Double Dragon
Encyclopedia
is a classic beat 'em up
video game series initially developed by Technos Japan Corporation
, who also developed the Kunio-kun series (Renegade
, Super Dodge Ball
and River City Ransom
).
The series stars twin brothers, Billy and Jimmy Lee, who are followers of a fictional martial art
called Sōsetsuken (双截拳), as they fight against various adversaries and rivals. Double Dragon has had several sequels and has been ported to several different platforms. Due to the popularity of the game series, an animated series
and live-action film adaptation
have also been produced.
by Technos was first released as a coin-operated arcade game in . A Nintendo Entertainment System
version also produced by Technos was released the following year, followed by a Game Boy
version in . Various licensed versions of the games were also produced by other developers for various gaming platforms such as the Master System, Atari 2600
, Atari 7800
, Genesis, and the Lynx. Versions of Double Dragon for home computers were also released as well.
A Game Gear game titled Double Dragon also exists, but it is not an another port of the original game. It is based on Streets of Rage instead, especially the main character, Billy Lee, who strongly resembles Axel Stone, the protagonist of Streets of Rage series.
Two Double Dragon sequels were released for the arcade: Double Dragon II: The Revenge
in and Double Dragon 3: The Rosetta Stone
in . Like the original, Technos also produced versions of both for the NES in and respectively. A fourth game was released exclusively for the Super NES
titled Super Double Dragon
, which was the last game produced by the original team at Technos which retained the beat-'em-up gameplay of the original.
In , Tradewest
released Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls
for the Super NES and Genesis in North America and Europe, a competitive fighting game
developed by Leland Interactive based on the Double Dragon animated TV series by Bohbot Entertainment. A Jaguar
version was released by Telegames as well.
Another fighting game was produced by Technos, simply titled Double Dragon, was released for the Neo-Geo
arcade and home console in . A Neo-Geo CD version was also released, as well as a PlayStation
version by Urban Plant. It was the last Double Dragon game produced by Technos before the company went out of business.
In , a remake of the original Double Dragon, titled Double Dragon Advance
, was produced by Atlus
and Million (the current copyrights holder of the Double Dragon series) for the Game Boy Advance
.
In , another remake was released for the iPhone, developed by Brizo Interactive and published by Aksys Games
.
in , which lasted six issues from July to December. The comic book was written by Dwayne McDuffie
for the first four issues and by Tom Brevoort
and Mike Kanterovich for the final two.
A Double Dragon
animated series was produced by DiC Entertainment
and Bohbot Productions
, which originally aired in syndication for two seasons from 1993 to 1995, lasting 26 episodes.
A film version of Double Dragon
was released in theaters in 1994 directed by James Yukich and starring Scott Wolf
and Mark Dacascos
as the Lee brothers.
In most of the Double Dragon games, the player takes control of a martial artist named Billy Lee (who usually wears blue), or his older twin brother Jimmy Lee (who usually wears red), as they fight off against various gang members thorough the streets of a city and various other locations. The gameplay in most of the games takes place in a pseudo 3D perspective like in Renegade
and later beat-'em-ups, in which the player character can move in four directions but are always facing left or right. There are various techniques. The player can perform a variety of martial art techniques against their enemies, as well use melee weapons such as baseball bats and throwing knives normally obtained from enemies. In some installments, there are techniques that can be done in combination with another player.
According to the supplementary materials for some of the games, the fictional martial art style of Billy and Jimmy is named , a nod to Bruce Lee's fighting method of Jeet Kune Do
, also known as the "Way of the Intercepting Fist". Additionally, some of the enemy characters take their names from Enter the Dragon
such as Williams and Rowper from the first game, as well as Bolo and Ohara in certain versions of Double Dragon II: The Revenge
.
Beat 'em up
Beat 'em up is a video game genre featuring melee combat between the protagonist and a large number of underpowered antagonists. These games typically take place in urban settings and feature crime-fighting and revenge-based plots, though some games may employ historical or fantasy themes...
video game series initially developed by Technos Japan Corporation
Technos Japan Corporation
is a defunct Japanese video game developer, best known for the Kunio-kun and Double Dragon franchises...
, who also developed the Kunio-kun series (Renegade
Renegade (video game)
Renegade is a video game released in American and European arcades in 1986 by Taito. It is a westernized conversion of the Japanese arcade game , released earlier the same year by Technos...
, Super Dodge Ball
Super Dodge Ball
Super Dodge Ball, released in Japan as is a dodgeball-based sports game produced by Technos Japan Corp. originally released as an arcade game in...
and River City Ransom
River City Ransom
River City Ransom, released as in Japan and as Street Gangs in PAL regions, is a video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System . It was developed by Technōs Japan and originally released in Japan on April 25, 1989. It is the third game in Technos' Kunio-kun series released for the console,...
).
The series stars twin brothers, Billy and Jimmy Lee, who are followers of a fictional martial art
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
called Sōsetsuken (双截拳), as they fight against various adversaries and rivals. Double Dragon has had several sequels and has been ported to several different platforms. Due to the popularity of the game series, an animated series
Double Dragon (TV series)
Double Dragon is an animated series based on the video game franchise of the same name. The television series was produced by DiC Entertainment and ran for 26 half-hour episodes in 1993 and 1994.-Overview:...
and live-action film adaptation
Double Dragon (film)
Double Dragon is a 1994 live-action film loosely based on the Double Dragon video game series. This film was directed by James Yukich and stars Mark Dacascos and Scott Wolf as brothers Jimmy and Billy Lee, along with Alyssa Milano as Marian Delario and Robert Patrick as antagonist Koga Shuko...
have also been produced.
Titles
The original Double DragonDouble Dragon
is a classic beat 'em up video game series initially developed by Technos Japan Corporation, who also developed the Kunio-kun series ....
by Technos was first released as a coin-operated arcade game in . A Nintendo Entertainment System
Nintendo Entertainment System
The Nintendo Entertainment System is an 8-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America during 1985, in Europe during 1986 and Australia in 1987...
version also produced by Technos was released the following year, followed by a Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
version in . Various licensed versions of the games were also produced by other developers for various gaming platforms such as the Master System, Atari 2600
Atari 2600
The Atari 2600 is a video game console released in October 1977 by Atari, Inc. It is credited with popularizing the use of microprocessor-based hardware and cartridges containing game code, instead of having non-microprocessor dedicated hardware with all games built in...
, Atari 7800
Atari 7800
The Atari 7800 ProSystem, or simply the Atari 7800, is a video game console re-released by Atari Corporation in January 1986. The original release had occurred two years earlier under Atari Inc. The 7800 had originally been designed to replace Atari Inc.'s Atari 5200 in 1984, but was temporarily...
, Genesis, and the Lynx. Versions of Double Dragon for home computers were also released as well.
A Game Gear game titled Double Dragon also exists, but it is not an another port of the original game. It is based on Streets of Rage instead, especially the main character, Billy Lee, who strongly resembles Axel Stone, the protagonist of Streets of Rage series.
Two Double Dragon sequels were released for the arcade: Double Dragon II: The Revenge
Double Dragon II: The Revenge
is a side-scrolling beat 'em up produced by Technos originally released as a coin-operated arcade game in . It is the sequel to Double Dragon, released during the previous year. A home version for the Nintendo Entertainment System was released in which differs drastically from the original arcade...
in and Double Dragon 3: The Rosetta Stone
Double Dragon 3: The Rosetta Stone
is a side-scrolling beat 'em up produced by Technos Japan Corp. that was originally released as a coin-operated arcade game in . It is the second sequel to Double Dragon for the arcades, following Double Dragon II: The Revenge...
in . Like the original, Technos also produced versions of both for the NES in and respectively. A fourth game was released exclusively for the Super NES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
titled Super Double Dragon
Super Double Dragon
Super Double Dragon, known in Japan as , is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in . It was published by Technos Japan Corp. in Japan and by Tradewest in North America and the PAL region...
, which was the last game produced by the original team at Technos which retained the beat-'em-up gameplay of the original.
In , Tradewest
Tradewest
Tradewest is a now-defunct American video game company based in Corsicana, Texas that produced numerous games in the 1980s and early 1990s. The company is best known as the publisher of the Battletoads and Double Dragon series in North America and the PAL region.The Tradewest name was revived in...
released Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls
Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls
Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls is a 1994 American-produced sequel to Technos Japan's Double Dragon series. Unlike the previously produced Double Dragon games, Technos had little or no credited involvement in the development of the game outside of licensing the series' name to publisher Tradewest...
for the Super NES and Genesis in North America and Europe, a competitive fighting game
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
developed by Leland Interactive based on the Double Dragon animated TV series by Bohbot Entertainment. A Jaguar
Atari Jaguar
The Atari Jaguar is a video game console that was released by Atari Corporation in 1993. It was the last to be marketed under the Atari brand until the release of the Atari Flashback in 2004. It was designed to surpass the Mega Drive/Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and the Panasonic...
version was released by Telegames as well.
Another fighting game was produced by Technos, simply titled Double Dragon, was released for the Neo-Geo
Neo Geo (console)
The is a cartridge-based arcade and home video game system released on July 1, 1991 by Japanese game company SNK. Being in the Fourth generation of Gaming, it was the first console in the former Neo Geo family, which only lived through the 1990s...
arcade and home console in . A Neo-Geo CD version was also released, as well as a PlayStation
PlayStation
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console first released by Sony Computer Entertainment in Japan on December 3, .The PlayStation was the first of the PlayStation series of consoles and handheld game devices. The PlayStation 2 was the console's successor in 2000...
version by Urban Plant. It was the last Double Dragon game produced by Technos before the company went out of business.
In , a remake of the original Double Dragon, titled Double Dragon Advance
Double Dragon Advance
is a 2003 side-scrolling beat-em-up released for the Game Boy Advance. It was published by Atlus and developed by Million Inc. It is a remake of the 1987 arcade game Double Dragon and incorporates elements from its sequels and home versions.-Gameplay:...
, was produced by Atlus
Atlus
is a Japanese computer and video game developer, publisher, and distributor based in Tokyo, Japan, best known for developing the console role-playing game franchise Megami Tensei. The first Megami Tensei was a Nintendo Entertainment System video game published by Namco based on a trilogy of...
and Million (the current copyrights holder of the Double Dragon series) for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
.
In , another remake was released for the iPhone, developed by Brizo Interactive and published by Aksys Games
Aksys Games
Aksys Games Localization, Inc. is a video game publisher that specializes in translating and localizing Japanese video games for English-speaking markets. It was founded by Akibo Shieh in 2006. Some of its clients include Namco Bandai Games, Xseed Games, and Atlus USA. Aksys Games is best known for...
.
Other appearances and related games
- Super Spike V'BallU.S. Championship V'BallU.S. Championship V'Ball, also known simply as V'Ball, is a 1988 beach volleyball sports game released for the arcades by Technōs Japan Corporation. The arcade version was distributed in North America by Taito...
(NES) - The NES version which features Billy and Jimmy as playable characters. - WWF SuperstarsWWF SuperstarsWWF Superstars is an arcade game manufactured by Technos and released in 1989. It is the first WWF arcade game to be released. A series of unrelated games with the same title were released by LJN for the original Game Boy...
(arcade) - Features a cameo by Billy as one of the game's spectators. - River City RansomRiver City RansomRiver City Ransom, released as in Japan and as Street Gangs in PAL regions, is a video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System . It was developed by Technōs Japan and originally released in Japan on April 25, 1989. It is the third game in Technos' Kunio-kun series released for the console,...
(NES) - The Double Dragon theme music plays during the battle against Randy and Andy, two characters based on Billy and Jimmy. The Japanese counterparts of Randy and Andy, Ryūichi and Ryūji, are recurring characters in the later Kunio-kun games. - Battletoads & Double DragonBattletoads & Double DragonBattletoads & Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team is a 1993 beat 'em up developed by Rare and published by Tradewest. It was originally released for the NES and later ported to the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Super NES, and Game Boy....
(NES, GB, Genesis, SNES) - A crossover game between Double Dragon and the BattletoadsBattletoadsBattletoads is a platformer video game created by Tim and Chris Stamper and developed by Rare. Starring three anthropomorphic toads named after skin conditions , the game was created to rival the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games....
. - Voltage Fighter GowcaizerVoltage Fighter Gowcaizeris a superhero-themed head-to-head fighting game produced by Technos Japan Corp. for the Neo Geo arcade and home console. It was the companys second attempt at a fighting game, following the Neo Geo fighting game version of Double Dragon. It features character designs by artist Masami Ōbari, who...
(Neo-Geo) - Burnov from the Neo-Geo Double Dragon game makes a cameo as Captain Atlantis' opponent in his ending. - Rage of the DragonsRage of the Dragonsis a 2002 tag team head-to-head fighting game released for the Neo Geo hardware by Playmore . The game was co-developed by the Mexican team Evoga and the Japanese company Noise Factory...
(Neo-Geo) - An unofficial homage to the Double Dragon produced by Evoga and Noise Factory. The main characters are named Billy and Jimmy Lewis.
Related media
A Double Dragon comic book limited series loosely based on the games was published by Marvel ComicsMarvel Comics
Marvel Worldwide, Inc., commonly referred to as Marvel Comics and formerly Marvel Publishing, Inc. and Marvel Comics Group, is an American company that publishes comic books and related media...
in , which lasted six issues from July to December. The comic book was written by Dwayne McDuffie
Dwayne McDuffie
Dwayne Glenn McDuffie was an American writer of comic books and television, known for creating the animated television series Static Shock, writing and producing the animated series Justice League Unlimited, and co-founding the pioneering minority-owned-and-operated comic-book company Milestone...
for the first four issues and by Tom Brevoort
Tom Brevoort
Tom Brevoort is an American comic book editor, known for his work for Marvel Comics, where he has overseen titles such as New Avengers, Civil War, and Fantastic Four. He became Executive Editor in 2007, and in January 2011 was promoted to Senior Vice President of Publishing...
and Mike Kanterovich for the final two.
A Double Dragon
Double Dragon (TV series)
Double Dragon is an animated series based on the video game franchise of the same name. The television series was produced by DiC Entertainment and ran for 26 half-hour episodes in 1993 and 1994.-Overview:...
animated series was produced by DiC Entertainment
DiC Entertainment
DIC Entertainment was an international film and television production company. In addition to animated television shows such as Ulysses 31 , Inspector Gadget , The Littles , The Real Ghostbusters , Captain Planet and the Planeteers , and the first two seasons of the English adaptation of...
and Bohbot Productions
BKN
Bohbot Kids Network was a syndicated animation block created and distributed by Bohbot Entertainment, an animation production company founded by Allen J...
, which originally aired in syndication for two seasons from 1993 to 1995, lasting 26 episodes.
A film version of Double Dragon
Double Dragon (film)
Double Dragon is a 1994 live-action film loosely based on the Double Dragon video game series. This film was directed by James Yukich and stars Mark Dacascos and Scott Wolf as brothers Jimmy and Billy Lee, along with Alyssa Milano as Marian Delario and Robert Patrick as antagonist Koga Shuko...
was released in theaters in 1994 directed by James Yukich and starring Scott Wolf
Scott Wolf
Scott Richard Wolf is an American actor, known for his roles on the television series Party of Five as Bailey Salinger and on Everwood as Dr. Jake Hartman. Since 2009, he has appeared in the Sci-Fi series V as the morally ambiguous journalist, Chad Decker.-Early life:Wolf was born in Boston,...
and Mark Dacascos
Mark Dacascos
Mark Alan Dacascos is an American actor and martial artist. He won numerous karate and various styles of kung fu championships between the ages of 7 and 18....
as the Lee brothers.
Recurring elements
Renegade (video game)
Renegade is a video game released in American and European arcades in 1986 by Taito. It is a westernized conversion of the Japanese arcade game , released earlier the same year by Technos...
and later beat-'em-ups, in which the player character can move in four directions but are always facing left or right. There are various techniques. The player can perform a variety of martial art techniques against their enemies, as well use melee weapons such as baseball bats and throwing knives normally obtained from enemies. In some installments, there are techniques that can be done in combination with another player.
According to the supplementary materials for some of the games, the fictional martial art style of Billy and Jimmy is named , a nod to Bruce Lee's fighting method of Jeet Kune Do
Jeet Kune Do
Jeet Kune Do is a hybrid martial arts system and life philosophy founded by martial artist Bruce Lee with direct, non classical and straightforward movements. Due to the way his style works they believe in minimal movement with maximum effect and extreme speed. The system works on the use of...
, also known as the "Way of the Intercepting Fist". Additionally, some of the enemy characters take their names from Enter the Dragon
Enter the Dragon
Enter the Dragon is a 1973 Hong Kong martial arts co-production with Golden Harvest and Warner Bros. studios, directed by Robert Clouse; starring Bruce Lee, Jim Kelly and John Saxon. This is Bruce Lee's final film appearance before his death on July 20, 1973...
such as Williams and Rowper from the first game, as well as Bolo and Ohara in certain versions of Double Dragon II: The Revenge
Double Dragon II: The Revenge
is a side-scrolling beat 'em up produced by Technos originally released as a coin-operated arcade game in . It is the sequel to Double Dragon, released during the previous year. A home version for the Nintendo Entertainment System was released in which differs drastically from the original arcade...
.
External links
- Double Dragon series director yoshihisa kishimoto
- Double Dragon Series at MobyGames