Welcome to a new edition of Retro Corner and we will take a look at the NES port of Double Dragon II. The sequel to the arcade hit is what got me into Brawlers during the golden age for the genre. I always love the second game as this took many flawed elements from the first NES title and took it further. The cover was something that really engaged me since you have both Billy and Jimmy with Marian fighting off the gang of the Shadow Warriors. The theme has a Mysterious Warrior kill Marian at the beginning and now the brothers seek revenge on him and his crime syndicate. Gameplay I remember how good it was to finally get the arcade experience that was terribly missing in the original NES title. The level system in the first game wasn't bad by any means but I would rather have the Arcade experience. Fortunately for me, Technos Japan addressed one issue and finally they added in a two-player co-op. No longer did I have to look on with envy at the Arcade game or the other ports. Each level has you face the typical challenges that most in the genre usual has with beating up a bunch of criminals. You can use the usual tactics of punching, kicking, and throwing or resort to true street fighting with weapons. The player also can manage to knock the enemies off a platform or trick them into an instant kill. It was one of the key elements in the first NES game that made getting by a lot easier. Of course, I'm not talking about the glitches as seen from the second boss of Will from the last title. Take the helicopter part and in that room the door in the upper right corner would open to the outside. I love the fact you could lore even the boss of Abobo to it and instantly kill them without much effort. It's Tricks like these that made getting passed the stages easier. Probably the best ability to have is the Cyclone Kick which can take out a few enemies at a time. Once again, it made this easier to beat a swarm of enemies that would surround me often. The special attack even knocks the bosses off their asses and allowing the player enough time to back away. It doesn't even require a special power up or a charge affect as you can pull this out at any moment. Of course, the platforming returns again along with the side scrolling areas, but there were some improvements. Most of the time, the platforming wasn't near impossible, and I could jump properly on each platform. The side scrolling areas wasn't cheap this time as it was in the Original NES port. They act like any action side scrolling gameplay with moving to the next point and climbing ladders. However, there were some issues left from the last port and the game shouldn't have such elements. There are a few parts that were a little too close to the player especially when encountering a tough villain. Take for example, the Governator knockoff of Abore (an Arnold S. type character) in stage five where the ceiling had spikes. These enemies would throw me upward into the spikes or I would accidentally jump into them. What makes this ridiculous is Abore acts like an Abobo and it doesn't help that he could take a huge chunk of health away either. The platforming got cleaned up a little but that was only a significant change. In the later stages where you have to cross conveyor belts and disappearing platforms, it then becomes practically impossible to pass. Meaning, you must jump precisely and time each landing to get pass these areas. On top of that, in the last couple of stages, there are areas where the floor gives out and you must face the common enemies along with the boss types. I mean, come on, the game is already hard as it is and a obstacle shouldn't have to force me to beat them quickly. The last boss of the Mysterious Warrior had a ridiculous challenge and because of that made me spam the jump kick until I finished him off. I don't mind a challenge but I shouldn't need to spam the same move to beat a powerful boss. Rating: 8.3/10 Graphics/Presentation Like any sequel, I love when the developers take it further and push a game's graphics beyond the original. The environments have more detail and colors being used in a gritty fashion then in the Original NES port. The levels are much more diverse with starting out in the city then to an island base, forest area, and eventually the temple. The detail saw several improvements as the backgrounds were more defined with lush features. In stage four, a sunset sitting in the distance is on the background. However, the detail really came to life in the forest and temple areas. The forest had it usual Mountain View as in the original but the animated waterfall looks great in animation. The best one is when eyes appear on the wall with the gold mural placed around the temple. I love that sense of mysticism this created as if we enter a unworldly domain. The temple truly felt like a legit Asian shrine and a place that was trying to recount a long history within the walls. The animation is a lot better this time as each sprite has more frames to their movements. Williams can now run and even do cartwheels in a fluid motion. Billy and Jimmy's Cyclone Kick and the other moves like the jumping knee came off accurate in their movements. Technos obviously went the extra mile, and this is a vast improvement over the stiff animation from the previous game. The presentation got taken seriously and now panels with dialogue will appear between the stages. Back then, this always engaged me as it explained the theme and informed me more of what was going on. It's not a Ninja Gaiden but at least the studio took some notes from a classic title. The only issue I presumably had is with the soundtrack which came off dull and uninspiring most of the time. Even the same intro theme got tone down to a slow pace. There isn't much criticism I could give as Technos should hand it to themselves for making a port with great graphics. Rating: 8.5/10 Features/Content There are a couple of changes made to the content and the game mirrors most NES titles. The Modes of A2, B and B2 are no longer featured and it's replaced with a two-player co-op. I remember feeling great to actually get the arcade two player modes in the port. Like I always say, having this feature in a brawler is an important mode. It allowed people to play together whether with a friend or a sibling. It's also a true key element in this genre as the co-op always came off as the backbone for replay value. Of course, Mode B missing was a little surprising for them to remove that extra mode but I'm not complaining. The feature wasn't that great any way so whether it's missing or not is really irrelevant. The entirety of the game was unusually put together when it comes to the full experience. I find this rather odd that even if you choose Practice (easy), the game ends at level three. When I completed the Warrior mode and beat the shadow doppelganger, it then tells me if I want to beat the true villain the player must overcome Supreme mode. What a fricking cop-out in getting this far only for the game to literally give me the middle finger. The experience is absolutely among the weirdest and backwards way of making a full title. Rating: 7.5/10 Final Rating Double Dragon II was a much improved port to the Original on NES in many ways. The gameplay and the challenges were now cleaned up from the issues that plagued the first title. Even though the level system got replaced with more traditional mechanics, as the saying goes if it ain't broke don't fix it. With the stages' obstacles, they weren't as cumbersome, and the player can properly get through these challenges. The graphic saw a nice boost overall from its presentation of dialogue with panels to the diverse environments. The sprites' and the backgrounds' detail felt broad especially for an NES title. The content got designed in a traditional sense for most Arcade to console ports with the two-player co-op. However, Mode B and B2 have gotten removed for this version and in its place is Two Player B. A few issues weren't ironed out still from the last title as some obstacles in the level design needed more thought. It's true the platforming elements did receive some tweaks, but disappearing platforms requiring timing wasn't needed. The soundtrack was just as dull as its predecessor's own and in most cases never truly engaged me. Technos managed to produce a superior port with all of its traditional features found in Brawlers. Gameplay: 8.3/10 Graphics/Presentation: 8.5/10 Features/Content: 7.5/10 Final Rating: 8.2/10 Very Good
0 Comments
|
Retro Gamer has over 25 years of gaming experience and played many classics since the Golden Age. She has been an avid fan since the day the NES graced her life and changed it forever.
ArchivesCategoriesThe social media icon images and Vector Designs by Vecteezy, Medium and Onextrapixel
For More Please Click Below |