Mention Double Dragon to anyone, and you’re sure to hear a joyous, nostalgic speech as they recount their favorite game to you. Personally, my favorite is Double Dragon on the GameBoy. It may seem like a strange choice, but it’s the one I grew up with, and the music, plus portability absolutely blew me away at the time. If you’re now pondering this choice, and have come up with Double Dragon Neon as your own favorite, I have some good news for you. It’s out now on the Nintendo Switch.
Initially released on the PlayStation 3 some 8 years ago, Double Dragon Neon is an over the top letter of love to the original games, mixed in with American cartoons such as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. In fact, series creator, Yoshihisa Kishimoto was even consulted during the initial development. He called it a very Western adaptation of Double Dragon that still reminded him of the original games. Take a look at the launch trailer, and you’ll see why:
Reimagined for the Switch, Double Dragon Neon sees the return of martial arts heroes Billy and Jimmy Lee as they quest (read, beat everyone to a pulp) to rescue their friend Marian from the clutches of the skeletal Skullmageddon. Sure, there’s nothing subtle about this title at all, and there may be way too many bro-fists, but it still looks great fun none-the-less. Let’s just ignore the dedicated high five button.
Set across 10 stages, you can attempt the whole thing solo, or grab a friend to fight in local co-op, just like the good old days. All this is set to a fantastic soundtrack composed by Jake “Virt” Kaufman, and more terrible puns than you can imagine. There is a reason this has become a cult classic over the years.
