Double Dragon (video game)

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Double Dragon is a 1987 arcade beat ’em up game by Technōs Japan, published by Taito. It follows brothers Billy and Jimmy Lee as they fight their way through the Black Warriors gang to rescue Marian. The game helped create many conventions of the genre, including a continuous side‑scrolling world, two‑player co‑op, picking up weapons from enemies, and cutscenes that give the game a cinematic feel.

Gameplay is simple to learn but hard to master. Players control Billy or Jimmy, using punches, kicks, and special moves with a joystick and three buttons. The game has four stages: a city slum, a factory, a forest, and the gang’s hideout. Enemies can carry weapons like bats, knives, or dynamite, which players can take and use. Players have a life gauge and a timer; if either runs out, they lose a life. Some enemies are tougher and boss characters appear at the end of stages. If two players finish the game together, they must fight each other to decide who saves Marian.

Development was led by Yoshihisa Kishimoto, who expanded on his earlier Kunio‑kun games to make a two‑player, more cinematic brawler inspired by Bruce Lee films and Mad Max. The arcade version used bright colors and multiple processors to create a big, fast game.

Double Dragon was released on many home systems as well, including NES, Master System, Atari 2600/7800, Amiga, Commodore 64, ZX Spectrum, Game Boy, Genesis/Mega Drive, and Atari Lynx, among others. The NES version initially removed the two‑player mode due to hardware limits and added a single‑player progression system where Billy learns new moves. It also offered a bonus Mode B with extra characters in some releases. The Master System version kept two‑player co‑op and was closer to the arcade design. Some ports had quality issues, such as an early Commodore 64 version that was criticized for its poor quality.

The game’s success led to sequels—Double Dragon II and Double Dragon III—along with spin‑offs and remakes, including Super Double Dragon on SNES and the later Double Dragon Neon. It also inspired various media, like comics and an animated TV series.

Double Dragon was a huge arcade hit and helped start a wave of beat ’em up games in the late 1980s and early 1990s. It remains a landmark title for its two‑player action, simple but deep combat, and lasting influence on the genre. The accompanying soundtrack, Original Sound of Double Dragon by Kazunaka Yamane, was released in 1988.