Double Dragon Neon Review




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Developer: WayForward Technologies Publisher: Majesco
Release Date: September 11, 2012 Available On: PS3 and Xbox 360



Remaking old games has become chic as of late. Double Dragon Neon is only the latest in a long string of retro classics being reborn for modern consoles. Most of them have failed because they do not attempt to modernize at all. Double Dragon Neon is no different.

Double Dragon Neon is a reboot of the 1980’s arcade beat ’em up. You play as the martial artists Billy and Jimmy in their quest to rescue a damsel in distress. The game starts off in what appears to be the Chinese countryside, somehow winds up in space and then back to Earth. The over-the-top approach is somewhat amusing, but the childish humor is a definite turnoff.



Double Dragon Neon’s biggest problem is that it feels like an 80’s beat ’em up. The characters in Double Dragon Neon are painfully slow, their move set is limited and the whole experience is over in about an hour. The most damning charge is that the genre has not evolved much with Neon. Instead it has been rehashed with prettier graphics.

Just one example of the game’s many annoyances is that contact with enemies can be unforgiving. If you are even slightly above or below the enemy, the attack will miss. This might have been acceptable twenty-five years ago, but not on the PS3 and Xbox 360.



I will give the developers credit where it is due, though. The inclusion of a variety of weapons such as bats, knives and even a Geisha’s fan make the game slightly less mundane. The challenge of each level, while frustrating when attacks fail to connect, is an appreciated gesture towards an era gone by. Likewise, the boss fights remind me of the awesome times that I had playing the classic Ninja Turtle games growing up.

The bottom line is that Double Dragon Neon does more wrong than right. The short length, frustratingly outdated gameplay mechanics and annoying characters greatly deter an otherwise decent 3D recreation of a classic arcade game. However, if you are looking for a modern beat ’em up, Scott Pilgrim is a much better choice.

Graphics: 7
Sound: 5
Gameplay: 6.5
Creativity: 6
Replay Value/Game Length: 4
Final: 6 out of 10
Written by Kyle Bell Write a User Review

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