Double Dragon is one of those arcade and NES classics that people generally recall with very fond nostalgia. Guilty Gear and BlazBlue developer Arc System Works is banking on that nostalgia, as they are releasing a brand new sequel in the series next week, fittingly titled Double Dragon IV.
The original NES had three Double Dragon games that follow the adventures of Billy and Jimmy Lee, two martial arts experts who have to rescue a girl they both have a crush on, Marian. Marian, of course, has been kidnapped by an evil group of ninjas. Because the 1980s were like that. The Super Nintendo had Super Double Dragon and Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls, but no official Double Dragon IV was ever released.
This newest entry in the series is styled just like its classic NES counterparts: chunky sprites, stiff animation, and a totally rad soundtrack. Speaking of totally rad, check out the trailer below that showcases what all this entry has to offer, as told by an over-enthusiastic VO guy:
Besides the main story, players can compete in head to head matches and a tower mode, where they take on waves of increasingly difficult enemies. Being able to unlock different enemies is a cool touch that will hopefully give the game some replay value.
One big knock on Double Dragon IV is that it appears to only have local multiplayer at the moment. Although that is definitely true to the source material, that will make it much more difficult for some to play the game as intended. Hopefully Arc System Works patches in some online multiplayer somewhere down the line. Double Dragon IV releases January 30th for PlayStation 4 and PC.
Any other retro games you want to see remade or given sequels? Let us know in the comments below!