7/25/2007 - Atari 2600 Double Dragon

If you were to play any Atari 2600 game right now, you'd probably wonder how anyone could play such a primitive game with such simple graphics and sound. Well, believe it or not, a lot of people did in the 80's as it was THE hot console of the day. What made it popular? Well, it basically pioneered the concept of having interchangeable games by using cartridges. Before then, you'd have game systems that played one or two games using dedicated hardware for unique controls. For example, there were shooting games that used a light gun and Pong-type games that used a paddle. The problem was that you'd have to pay a heft price for each kind of game because it was part of the hardware package, and you'd have to swap out one game on the TV for another each time you wanted to play something different. Having a central console with a universal controller that played swappable cartridge games changed all that, offering value and convenience.

What was the 2600 capable of? Well, if the programmers were clever, it could offer a fairly decent arcade translation. So many early arcade games made it over, such as Pac-Man and Space Invaders. Some 8-bit games made it over too, such as Donkey Kong and Pole Position. The big question is, can it handle a 16-bit game? Well, one attempt at it was the translation of the arcade hit, Double Dragon. How did it do? Surprisingly well:



As you can see, you can make out your fighter (Billy or Jimmy) against some of the classic Double Dragon foes. For example you can distinguish Williams (he wields the knife and bat) from Linda and Abobo, who can throw a barrel. Graphics aside, how do you change a game from having two attack buttons to only one button on the Atari controller? Take away the punch, of course... and I'm guessing you double tap the joystick and press attack to do a jump kick. Double Dragon was never the most complex game out there, but it's still pretty cool that the 2600 managed to get a port of it.

6/1/2007 - Double Dragon 2 - FLASH Parody

The first sequels in long running franchises all have some unique quality that make them supremely awesome, or make them the black sheep in the family. Examples of the latter are Zelda II: The Adventure of Link and Castlevania II: Simon's Quest. They may have their fans, but I'm sure very few would classify them as the best games in their respective series. More often or not, though, the second game of a series is the gem that people will continue playing and become a classic.

The best example on record would have to be Mega Man II. For me, that game just had the right amount of difficulty for someone to pick up and play over and over and have a satisfying experience each time. What made the first game unique was, of course, the ability to make each boss' weapon your own after you defeat them, and that certain bosses were weak against certain weapons. The problem was that you didn't have a save or password feature... you would have to play through an entire game to figure out what the best sequence was. With Mega Man II's password feature, you could carefully map out the stage order and backtrack if necessary to perfect your overall sequence. Also, the game just had this magical quality to it that no other Mega Man game has, and it had the best soundtrack of any 8-bit game out there.

"Part II"-fighting games also belong in the awesome list. Everybody knows what a quantum leap Street Fighter II is over the original, and the same goes for Mortal Kombat II. Like Mega Man II, I would have to say that Mortal Kombat II is the best Mortal Kombat of the series. I think even the creators of the series would agree since they made the entire Shaolin Monks game based on the storyline and universe of Mortal Kombat II. The characters in that game just seem so much more iconic, and it didn't have the overkill complexity the later games had.

That brings us to Double Dragon 2 for the NES. The original Double Dragon for the NES was a rather unique port of the very popular arcade game. It tacked on an experience-building system so that the more enemies you beat, the higher the experience you have, and fighting moves would be unlocked. To me it seemed unnecessary, but I guess the developers thought the game would be too easy if you had all the moves from the beginning. That didn't really make sense though, because the original arcade game didn't have this experience-building system and it was still a quarter muncher. What was really bad about the first NES game, though, was the lack of a two-player mode for the main game! I mean, it's called Double Dragon! One of the pioneering innovations of the arcade game was the ability to play cooperatively in a beat-em-up fashion. To take that away for the NES port was a letdown to say the least. Thank goodness they fixed that for Double Dragon 2.

I think the only true way to enjoy Double Dragon 2 for the NES is to play with a buddy. It's not that there are any fighting moves that you can cooperatively pull off in the game, or that there is some huge advantage to having an extra player (to the contrary, some parts are actually easier if there's only one player on the screen). No, it's just the experience that you have collectively in this game. Like Mega Man II, the controls are tighter, the music is better, the graphics are more vivid... and it had the same magical quality that I can't explain. Maybe this animated tribute can explain it better than I can:



Now that's some great sprite manipulation! It's also a great trip down memory lane for whoever played this classic with a buddy. Interestingly enough, some of the coop moves you see in this movie did make it to Double Dragon 3 for the NES, but that didn't save it from it's mediocrity. The Angry Video Game Nerd says all there is to say in his review.