Double Dragon Neon

[mrsmiley381]

Not sure how I feel about this.

Over the top eighties style reboot of Double Dragon is on the way from the dudes that did Contra 4.

The bad guy is now named Skullmageddon.

Dunno if this radical, tubular, or unnverving. Discuss.

[opt2not]

There's a few more screen-shots in this thread:
http://forums.superherohype.com/showthr ... p=22862601

I think it looks like shite. The lighting is ugly, the backgrounds are poorly drawn (it looks like they hand-draw the bg's -- what's with the perspective??, but the characters are trying to look like SF4 with the outlines and pastel colouring), the HUD looks too distracting, and that's got to be the most effeminate looking high-five I've ever seen.

I'm betting this is going to have the same outcome as the Turtles in Time remake, which was a total let-down as well.
It's really sad that some of these classic games get a chance to be remade, but by developers that don't really "get" what they were originally all about.

This one's a pass for me.

[JBC]

While I like Wayforward and enjoyed both Contra 4 and Aliens: Infestation I really think they should stick to the handheld market.

Those graphics wouldn't look out of place on the 3DS but for PSN they just don't cut it. In fact, they're pretty horrible. I was really hoping for some lush Contra 4 style sprite work.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Looks way too damn campy for my tastes.

[Skykid]

Well Contra 4 kicked ass, but it would have been better if they stuck with sprite work. I can see they're going for a radical cowabunga style tongue-in-cheek cheesy 80's-ness, which will no-doubt be amusing/endearing, but I'll reserve judgement until I see a little more.

[CIT]

Graphics look bland as hell and it's not what I've come to expect from WayForward.

About the rest... we'll just have to see.

[Jonathan Ingram]

Truly off-putting graphical presentation. Especially after Contra 4 and Aliens Infestation.

[Jeneki]

The bad guy is now named Skullmageddon.

I wonder if he's related to Street Fighter's Skullomania.

[Mortificator]

If only.

We already had a great remake of Double Dragon (and homage to Taito's entire brawler line) in Double Dragon Advance. It would've been better for Wayforward/Majesco to develop a new title around this neon style that's inspired by '80s face-punching instead of using the Double Dragon name as a crutch.

[Ganelon]

I'm betting this is going to have the same outcome as the Turtles in Time remake, which was a total let-down as well.

That was my first impression as well. If you're going to make a game that tries to evoke nostalgia (as this game does since Double Dragon has little fan support and rarely mentioned among series that should be revived), then you'll need to re-capture the visual style as well. As bad as the Double Dragon II remake may have looked mechanics-wise (where is that game anyway?), the level of detail and overall presentation seemed on par for what you'd expect from a modern budget remake.

For Neon though, there seems to be something missing here: nondescript life bars may not cut it anymore and the backgrounds seem a bit flat and lonely. But just as I bought Turtles in Time, I'll likely get this anyway. Any modern beat-em-up is a good thing in my view. I am surprised that WayForward—a developer I'm a fan of—didn't go with sprites (or at least a sprite look) for a series that last made large splashes in 1990.

[hzt]

I don't approve of using language that can be interpreted as homophobic but seriously that high five is fucking gay.

[mrsmiley381]

So after my initial concern over wild, rampant homosexuality, I did manage to snag the game via Playstation Plus. I've personally enjoyed it so far. It plays like Double Dragon at first, but then throws in some River City Ransom style stat progression. Enemies drop cash and mix tapes every so often; cash is currency for the curio shop and mix tapes boost your stats and give you skills. The more copies of a mix tape you haul around the bigger the bonus your special attacks and stances receive. However, you can only carry ten of each mix tape at first. Certain bosses drop mithril which can be taken to the Tapesmith who forges your tapes so that you can increase their upper limit. If you duck under attacks you get a temporary power boost. You can ask your bro in bro-op to high five you and depending on which way you tilted the right thumbstick a different effect will happen; one shares life between players, one tricks the other player into giving up health, and a third gives the Lees the aforementioned power boost.

Music is both remixes and new vocal tracks, all of which are incredibly super retro future past neo eighties.

Also, tits, retard Lee Abobo clones, Skullmageddon is TMNT cartoon Shredder levels of retarded, airlock deaths.

[drauch]

Looks way too damn campy for my tastes.

Yep, fuck this. Double Dragon is serious shit. Is your girlfriend getting punched in the stomach funny? No. This shouldn't be either.

[Marc]

I only saw one little vid, but I thought it looked ok. Not sure about the backdrops. It the animation seemed really smooth. I'll probably end up getting it.

[njiska]

Looks way too damn campy for my tastes.

Yep, fuck this. Double Dragon is serious shit. Is your girlfriend getting punched in the stomach funny? No. This shouldn't be either.

Or murdered à la Double Dragon 2. Man did I ever laugh at that.

[shmuppyLove]

Hey wait, who's girlfriend is Marian anyway? Billy or Jimmy?

Maybe they share her?

[njiska]

Hey wait, who's girlfriend is Marian anyway? Billy or Jimmy?

Maybe they share her?

Double Dragon Double Team?

[DragonInstall]

Game is a bit slow.

Kind of funny how they are making it over the top in the corny 80's theme. If it plays like Double Dragon 2 nintendo version(best game in the series) then I'll like it.

Hope to see guys going into battle cart wheeling. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1HTkzxnbTs#t=01m05s

[Ruldra]

Just tried the demo...played the whole thing and deleted it right after. What a piece of crap.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Just tried the demo...played the whole thing and deleted it right after. What a piece of crap.

Is it worse than the third arcade game? LOL

it does look pretty slow and cumbersome

[Op Intensify]

Hey wait, who's girlfriend is Marian anyway? Billy or Jimmy?

In a 2-player game of DD1, you fight each other for her at the end.

[mrsmiley381]

Well, while the combat was pretty slow, the ending was suitably ridiculous and captured the hearts of the women of the apartment.

I thought the game turned out pretty awesome. The bosses certainly weren't the same old stuff and I found enough strategy in maneuvering around enemies and their behavior to keep me engaged for a few hours. Dragon Difficulty certainly kicks things up a notch, though.

[evil_ash_xero]

I still thought the GBA remake was the best way to go on Double Dragon. You could have your nostalgia, and a solid beat 'em up.

[shmuppyLove]

Hey wait, who's girlfriend is Marian anyway? Billy or Jimmy?

In a 2-player game of DD1, you fight each other for her at the end.

Sword fight?

[stryc9]

Nope, all elbows.

But this game; it just isn't Double Dragon, is it? Just the name tagged on as others have said. The whole eighties thing is also way overdone and the animations seem amateur - couple that with nasty looking textures and a combat engine that has nothing in common with DD - and I'll get back to you about the gameplay when I grab the demo.

[SuperGrafx]

Played it.
Tried to like it.
Just can't.

Soundtrack fits, but this isn't Double Dragon.

[DragonInstall]

Yeah the only thing I can say is good is the music. It really has the double dragon mood in it, bringing back to the 80's.

Sadly that's the only thing that it does right. If they wanted to make the gameplay good, they should of played DDII and Super Double Dragon. Those games fighting mechanics were fun, but nope they went the DD1 route and had stupid stuff like buying move sets instead of giving you all of them at the beginning.

Owells I like this piece. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UOyk271SHKw really gives that 80's video game vibe.

Also why do developers feel the need to make every game have RPG / MMO mechanics? Hit points while hitting and leveling stats up? Really? These developers really didn't play much Double Dragon as kids or something. No real love in the gameplay.

[BareKnuckleRoo]

Yeah, beat 'em ups that have all the moves available at the beginning are more about actual player skill & learning to work with what's available. Beat 'em ups with upgrades can often end up with cases of simply grinding to get stronger if you can't beat something (or a few really powerful unlockable moves breaking the game). King of Dragons averted this though, as its upgrades/levelling were gradually given out and the game was such that you couldn't seriously abuse it and powerlevel or anything.

[Obiwanshinobi]

Grinding for stuff in games that remain pretty challenging nonetheless is a thing of Capcom. See Viewtiful Joe and DMC3.

[Ganelon]

Most arcade beat-em-ups that have leveling (e.g. Dungeons & Dragons, Knights of Valour) are balanced well. It's console games that would rather have grinding than real difficulty.

There's no easy answer for upgrades in today's market though. If you have all the moves available at the outset, then casual consumers will complain that there's no replay if the game is easy or complain that it's unfair if the game is hard. Consequently, the only sensible business decision is to add in the RPG elements so that players are forced to spend a certain amount of time to beat the game and piss off the smaller diehard group who don't want RPG elements.