Double Dragon II: The Revenge is the second installment following Technos Japan’s original side scrolling beat ‘em up. Virgin Interactive Entertainment published this true sequel in 1989. This is a two person, simultaneous playing game, still revolving around the trials and tribulations of the Lee brothers, the Double Dragons.
In the original Double Dragon, the Lee brothers—Billy and Jimmy—are charged with using a secret martial art to rescue Marian, Billy’s girlfriend, from the evil rival gang, the Black Warriors. Double Dragon II: The Revenge, however, abandons the rescue concept to focus on the darker theme of revenge.
Double Dragon II: The Revenge is the second installment following Technos Japan’s original side scrolling beat ‘em up. Virgin Interactive Entertainment published this true sequel in 1989. This is a two person, simultaneous playing game, still revolving around the trials and tribulations of the Lee brothers, the Double Dragons.
In the original Double Dragon, the Lee brothers—Billy and Jimmy—are charged with using a secret martial art to rescue Marian, Billy’s girlfriend, from the evil rival gang, the Black Warriors. Double Dragon II: The Revenge, however, abandons the rescue concept to focus on the darker theme of revenge. In the opening sequence of DDII, Marian is shot by the Black Warriors, and the Lee brothers are out to avenge her wrongful death by doing away with the Black Warriors.
DDII
essentially picks up right where its predecessor left off. It shifts the theme. The side scrolling engine is the same, the heroes are the same, and the victim is the same. The previous version featured three basic commands: punch, kick and jump. In DDII, the jump command remains the same, but the former have been replaced with front and rear attack. This changes the attack style somewhat, and the damage done to your opponent is directly related to the distance away your character is when attacking.
Aside from the slight variation in attacks, the assorted weapons found throughout the game are very similar to those from the original. There are few objects that can be picked up and used like projectiles, including logs and crates. The whip that Linda often brought to the fray has been replaced by a mace, and a shovel takes the place of the most popular DD weapon, the bat. A hand grenade replaces the dynamite. Although the names and looks have been changed, the functions are almost identical, with very little variation.
DDII scrolls along through a total of four missions, beginning in the heliport and ending in the hideout of the infamous boss. As in the original, there are limited variety of enemies and play becomes tedious to view, but still difficult to accomplish. This is still a great download of a classic sequel, featuring violence that may not be appropriate for all age levels.
