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Nostalgia Heaven

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: November 26, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I bought this game and am now in nostalgia heaven. Forget the old nes game, this is the arcade game! But its even better with the new moves! Buy it, you won't regret it.

Return of a classic

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: December 23, 2003
Author: Amazon User

It's about time they made a port of this classic arcade game. It's like a mix of Double Dragon and Double Dragon 2 with new weapons, characters, and levels. I wish they would have left it the exact same was as the original arcade game but this is good enough. I gave it a 4 out of 5 because the controls are a little difficult to learn but the game is still fun once you get use to the controls.

This is one of the best games in the world

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: September 17, 2006
Author: Amazon User

Remember the time when walking into the arcades in the mid-late 80's were a blast? First to witness a strange side scrolling game called Double Dragon? This was the very first side scroller in the arcades that called out to me. It was an awesome game.

This game needs no flashy intro or any special moves involving some ancient skill that poofs onto the screen. People think that difficult games are bad, but they aren't. People that complain about these things just wuss over the fact that this game is difficult. This is why people think people in the US cannot handle difficult games. This game is insanely hard, but only on hard mode. I think that's great for replay value!

This version on the GBA doesn't play like the arcade, but it brings the feel of nostalgia to the older gamers of today. This is a great game to play. It has extra levels and has expanded game play. This version is much easier to control and you're able to do the special skills that the character's have easily.

The hurricane kick is in this game (which never belonged to the 1st game), Dashing is something new as well. The elbow move, kicks, grabbing the enemies and kneeing them in the head is back. All the moves we can associate with has come back.

I think this game is awesome, it has it's drawbacks graphically. The character sprites are a bit pixellated as well as detail to the stages. Minor details. Weapons are vast but cheap, once you get the bo sticks you can pretty much kill anything in your path.

I laugh at the fact that people say this is hard, it has a linkable co-op mode and you can definitely finish this game in under 40 mins. Great game -- good buy!

Fantastic upgrade of an old arcade favorite of mine

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: December 02, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I was 9 yrs old when this came out in the arcades and I can remember pumping plenty of quarters into this game. I think the company Atlus did a great job updating this classic game for the GBA. For starters there are new weapons off hand I can think an axe ball and chain with spikes on the end nunchukus(spelling) night sticks and I think some more but they escape me at the minute. There are various chracters added from the various sequels of Double Dragon from over the years. There are more stages than the original 4 I have only gotten to stage 6 and thats on the easy setting. You can now block and do flying kicks something I don't recall being able to do in the original arcade there are more moves but as before they escape me. The graphics are close to the original arcade and think also the music was ever so slightly tweaked for this new update. I am a fan of this game so I am giving it 5 stars without hesitation. I would recommend this to anyone who has fond memories of this arcade classic from 1987.

Excellent adaptation, nostalgic modern remake of the original arcade fighting classic

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: May 21, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This is not the Double Dragon you remember, but it's a Double Dragon you'll never forget!

Since we're discussing classic games and nostalgia, a bit of a history lesson is in order, from my own (admittedly biased) perspective:

I had little interest in the GameBoyAdvance until I got a chance to play this title. It was released "way back" in late 2003, apparently only for a limited time, making it somewhat rare these days.

"Double Dragon Advance" is based directly on the 1987 arcade game, Double Dragon, a classic three button, two player brawler, produced by Taito (liscensed from Technos), that launched the fighting genre as even its predecessor "Renegade" never could. In the days before the one on one "Vs." fighters, this coin-op title was king, and was quickly ported to every platform under the sun, inspiring several mostly lackluster sequels, spinoffs and countless imitations (some of which were quite good, like Final Fight, Vendetta, the Streets of Rage series, Alien Vs. Predator, Cadillacs & Dinosaurs, or the arcade TMNT games).

Featuring great graphics and sound for the time, it had colorful cartoony animation, memorable music, and bone crushing sound effects. The theme was a gritty, fairly realistic (for the time) street fight, with lots of moves to choose from, a variety of weapons, and two player cooperative action. At the close of the game, the two players (if they were both still standing) would face off in a grudge match to the death. While the whole concept made little sense in the real world, it was an extremely fun video game experience. During the game too, players could harm each other, so this presented the potential for competition or cooperating depending on the mood of the players.

A sequel was rushed out the following year in arcades "Double Dragon II: The Revenge" which was mostly a retread/enhanced remake of the first game, with "left and right attack" style controls (like Renegade). The hardware was tweaked for less slowdown and the difficulty was greatly increased. The game was still good, but less well recieved than the original. After this the series took a nosedive in quality. Double Dragon III: the Rosetta Stone featured completely redrawn artwork that was much more generic than the original, the moves repetoire was stripped down and modified, and a lame "shop" feature was introduced where players had to insert more real coins to obtain virtual money to buy extra lives, new moves and lame "backup" characters. The weapons were reduced to two, fairly weak ones, a sword and a pair of nunchucks. The NES version of DD3 was totally different, and became something of a hit with fans, even though it still wasn't a great game. The home console ports of the series had varying quality over the years, with the NES versions being the most popular, but featuring scaled down graphics with small cartoony characters, fewer moves, weapons, and lots of puzzle and platform elements to increase the difficulty and distract from the fighting theme (Battletoads would handle this type of gameplay in a much better fashion some years down the road).

Eventually, a goofy cartoon and comic series were created inspiring an awful one on one fighting game called "Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls" and a fairly decent Neo Geo one on one fighter would be created based on the awful movie inspired by the game. The Super Famicom/SNES would feature Return of Double Dragon/Super Double Dragon which tried to give a fresh adventure in the spirit of the first two games, but due to strict deadlines, much of the game was cut and it ended up feeling very generic compared to the original game, with small, redrawn characters, generic enemies, and a much smaller repetoire of moves (favoring instead the ability to "charge up" power to increase the strength of your punches and kicks, or block attacks to allow cheap "grapple" counter moves). The weapons in this game were made incredibly rare but incredibly cheap.

The original arcade game simply remained the best of the lot, in terms of graphics and gameplay.

There were some flaws of course. Players discovered that the elbow punch move was actually so powerful that you could win the game using it exclusively and never be hit by an enemy. Veterans learned to play the game for fun and limiting their use of this move. The game was also short, taking about 15 minutes to complete in one sitting (however the replay value was such that one could play it over and over). Finally, due to hardware limitations, there was some slowdown when a lot of characters appeared on the screen. Many of the characters in the game were just the same sprite with a different haircut or different colored clothing/skintone, but it was so short that this didn't become too repetitious.

Fast forward to the modern era. Double Dragon the series has seen numerous sequels and spinoffs, going from bad to worse. Most people remember the original arcade game and probably the popular NES takes on the series (with their inferior graphics, platforming elements, and high level of difficulty).

DDA goes back to the roots, recreating the entire arcade game, but with redrawn graphics (closer to the style of "Return of Double Dragon" on the SNES), that maintain a faithful, gritty look to them, with "updated" hairstyles that still have a retro look to them (such as the Abobos with the "Afro" hairstyle). So some things are the same as the arcade game, some things different.

So what can DD fans expect?

Many new moves have been added. The elbow punch has been toned down so it's not so powerful as it was before, and the slowdown has been removed. Some things from the arcade are missing, such as Jeff (the character who could do all the player's moves and was a boss in stage 2) and the throwable box/crate.

Many features from the various DD games over the years have been incorporated into this title, forming a rather solid fighting game experience:

Players can now crouch (a move that the enemies in the series could always do but never the player), and do an uppercut or a flying knee (similar to moves from the NES versions of Double Dragon 2 and 3) from the crouch position. The headbit is still there, but a running move (and dash attacks) have been added, as from Double Dragon III: The Rosetta Stone "Vs. Mode" of the NES version.

There is a "block" feature, like Super Double Dragon/Return of Double Dragon. This move is hard to implement properly, but if done right, an incoming attack is intercepted and the enemy tossed over the player's shoulder. Not as spectacular as the grab/beat downs of SDD/RODD but a welcome addition for advanced players.

A downed opponent can be "stomped on" much like Double Dragon III for extra damage. The players can also "crouch over" a fallen body and repeatedly punch it in the face (much like a similar move in the NES version of DD).

Players can still kick a large throwable object (oil drum, rock) with their foot, though it's a bit harder to pull off than the arcade version and so less useful.

While all the moves from the first two arcade games appear and then some (though the method to execute some of their moves and their relative strengths have changed), the weapons from these two games are also intact, with the exception of the throwable box/crate, grenade, iron ball, shovel (replaced by the double bladed battle axe), and log. New to the weapons set are the nunchuku (from DD3, the VS. mode of NES DD1, and SDD/RODD), and kali sticks. The sticks are the same type of weapon used by Chin Semei from DD2, but were never available to the player until now. These two new weapons are rather cheap, being able to hit so fast as to trap an enemy in a combo before they can ever react. These two weapons are never used by enemies, but conveniently "fall out of the pocket" of a downed enemy now and then.

Thankfully, an annoying feature of the NES DD games, where weapons were taken away after a very short time when defeating a wave of enemies (rather than at the end of a mission as in the arcade), does not show up here. Weapons can be used over and over again, until the end of a mission or if they are dropped into a bottomless pit (that kills you instantly).

Unlike the rare Sega Genesis port of the first Double Dragon, where large throwable objects (Rock, Oil drum, etc) vanished after a certain number of throws, all the thrown weapons can be used over and over (except the knife, which vanishes, as it always did, after downing one target, and the "firecracker" dynamite stick which obviously is unusable after it explodes).

In DDA, if a player dies holding a weapon, that weapon vanishes with him, so strategically you should drop a weapon when you're about to die, so that you can have something to pick up again when you come back on your next life.

Players no longer fall flat on their faces if they walk off a ledge without first jumping, but weapons can be dropped at any time by pressing the "block" button. This is a first for the series and very useful (previously you had to be hit or fall in order to change weapons).

Another difference from the arcade games is that the chain link fence at the start of Mission 2 cannot be climbed on as it was in the arcade game, and a ladder is missing, removing the ability to fight on a higher level at the start of this area. Also the ability to climb rocks, while still present in Mission 3 is diminished, since you can only climb part way up the cliff until the enemies are defeated, and then the player automatically climbs to the top (and can't climb down again) for the upcoming boss fight.

Baseball bats and axes can be thrown (something only enemies in the series could do before, starting with DD II: The Revenge) as well as swung.

The large masked boss "Burnov" who first appeared in Double Dragon II: The Revenge appears here, and is as cheap as ever. The shovel weapon is converted into a battle axe (it was mislabelled an "axe" in some versions of the DD2, and with the poor graphics of some of these ports, it might well be mistaken for one). Chin Semei, the stick wielding foe from DD2 also makes frequent appearances.

This version of DD features many more enemies on screen at a time than any previous version of the game, and without slowdown. Less of the background is visible on screen at a time, due to the smaller screen area. But the characters are still large and colorful.

In the original arcade game, Billy "Hammer" Lee wore blue and had blonde hair. His twin brother Jimmy "Spike" Lee wore red and had yellow hair and an identical haircut. In this update, following the tradition begun with the NES DD1, Billy has brown hair, and following Return of/Super DD, Jimmy has a spiked blonde haircut. Both the brothers perform their moves identically and have the same sounds.

As far as modes go, the game has a single player mode where one takes control of Billy to go on his classic quest to save Marion from the Black Warriors (aka the "Shadow Warriors"). In the Japanese version, the storyline was that New York had been ravaged by a Nuclear War and gangs ruled the city. Billy and his brother had started a martial arts Dojo to teach ordinary people to protect themselves from the evil street gangs. This lead Wily, the leader of the Warriors to have Billy's girlfriend kidnapped to intimidate the brothers and lure them out in the open to be attacked by the gang members. The US version didn't allude to the nuclear war or their role as community activists, but now we see the plot dictated to us via anime style cutscenes, with artwork reminiscent of "Fist of the North Star" an ultra violent Japanese cartoon that inspired a few games of its own. Some things are changed in the story to imply that the boss characters are not killed, but only beaten up until they surrender, but these scenes can be skipped with a few quick button presses.

There is a two character single player mode, in which you can control BOTH Lee brothers, but one at a time (you switch between them by pressing the select button). This is a challenging way to play since the brother you don't select is completely defenseless. It's too bad there wasn't an option to let the computer AI control the other brother. I use this mode when playing solo to play as Jimmy, letting Billy get killed (or beating him up myself for extra points) and playing through as the red clad character. If you complete the game solo, there are a few less lines of dialouge at the end, and no "brother vs. brother" mode (which has been now explained as a friendly martial arts match rather than some kind of death fight... which was explained in the NES version by making Jimmy the secret leader of the Shadow Warriors gang, rather than Wily, who was secretly in love with Marion and wanted to steal her from his brother!).

The third mode will only work for certain players, the 2 player mode. In this mode you either need two GBA's (or Nintendo DS's since the DS can play GBA games) and two copies of the game, plus a link cable. Or you can substitute a GBA for a "Gameboy Player" addon and play the game with two players on your TV screen, using a GameCube console.

I prefer to play the game on the big screen myself, and the graphics look AS GOOD (I wouldn't say better, just different, though perhaps you could argue there's more detail in places) as the 20 year old arcade version.

Finally, there is a one or two player mode that has never appeared in the series before, a "survival" mode, similar to the one featured in Final Fight on the Sega CD. You appear in a dojo-like room (similar to the one you start off in in the NES version of DD3) and endless waves of enemies attack you, in increasingly difficult attacks. There is no way to "win" this mode, as the enemies will keep appearing forever, and your health and the timer prevent you from staying alive forever. This is just meant to test your ability to kill as many enemies as possible before the timer runs out.

Despite the advertisment, there is no "Vs. Mode" like the one featured in the NES DD1 (which let you pick any from several characters and fight one on one in a special arena). The only Vs. battle is just like the arcade game, and only present if you beat the game with two players. If you play the 2 character single player, you can take control of one brother to beat the other one up with no resistance.

The controls in DDA are tight and responsive, and thankfully it uses four buttons (punch, kick, jump, and the new 'block/drop weapon' button), making combinations for different moves easier to pull off intentionally.

All in all, this is a solid beat-'em-up with great appeal for retro fans. It isn't exactly like Double Dragon from 1987, but it takes the best elements of the DD series over the years and revamps and remixes the old to create a new, and rather fun game.

Overall the length of the game is somewhat longer than the original arcade, but the game takes only about 20 minutes to beat, another 5 onto the original run through time of DD on average difficulty. The unlockables include a cheat for 10 credits instead of 5 (shared by both players), a sound test, and an expert difficulty option. A few of the levels are new, a truck top fight taken from SDD/RODD, a watery cavern level borrowed from DD2 for the NES (iirc), a "china town" area reminiscent of those seen in DD3, and an extension of the "trap room."

Some new enemies have been added to the usual gang members seen in the first two games (note: only two of the bosses from DD2 are here, the rest are all straight from the first arcade game). The new characters include Burnov and Chin Semie (sp?) from DD2, plus there's a samurai character with a sword (that you sadly can't use), a cartwheel kicking martial artist reminiscent of the final boss from DD2 NES (and the TurboGrafx CD version of DD2), and a variant that uses a "shadow trick" reminiscent of the incredibly cheap "doppelganger" enemies from the end of DD2. The most annoying addition to the gang are the "Steve" enemies that wear dark sunglasses and business suits like Matrix Agents. These men are predictably cheap, with hyperfast combos. Once they hit you, you're toast. Thankfully ever a flurry of attacks, these guys adjust their ties, allow you a chance to hit them finally. While amusing, these gents look rather out of place in a gang of otherwise colorfully dressed punks, buff bruisers and martial arts scrappers. It's as if somebody's limo was late and they decided to join in on the action (in a post apocalyptic world?). When the thugs are better dressed than the final boss, something is wrong!

This is very much a game in the style of classic arcade brawlers, so you won't find spectacular endings, thousand hit combos or fireballs here. All attempts have been made to foster a certain level of realism in the moves (even the famous Hurricane Kick from DD2 here doesn't have the "floating effect" it did in the 1988 arcade sequel where it first appeared). The game is short, and somewhat more repetative than the arcade game since it's longer and has more enemies (with more varied color palletes for their alternate clothing, skin tones). Some might be annoyed that they'll face waves of green, gold, and silver skinned Abobos (the arcade game featured ONE green skinned boss, and DD2 in the arcade featured two gray skinned Burnovs).

I've rambled enough, but hopefully this information will prove useful for old school fans, fans of arcade brawlers and die hard double dragon fans who might be a bit skeptical about this release. It's very much "retro" in a good way, and probably the best "2-D" scrolling fighter game to come out in the 21st century. It won't replace the original arcade game in this DD fan's heart, but it is regarded as a great game and worthy addition to the series in its own right.

A worthwhile cart to own even if you're not a fan of the GBA (there's always the Gameboy player on the GC)!

Darek Mok is wrong!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 2
Date: February 22, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Hey, this is the Double Dragon we played in the arcade
for hours and hours. The one thing I agree with
Darek on is the elblow punch is nearly impossible to
produce but there are other techniques to learn, like
hiding in corners and standing on top of boxes kicking
and things like that. Also, when you can get your hands
on them, those numbchuckers are great when you use
them to your advantage. I hate the train scene in mission
four, and when they pile up on you in other scenes but

that is the fun of Double Dragon, kicking some (booty).
It is a little challenging and you can win if you are like me
and never put the game down. Outside of going and finding the actual arcade game in working condition which probably would cost hundreads of dollars this is your best match
to the arcade version yet. I was upset with Double Dragon for the Sega, this is a hit. If you are counting on these reviews to decide to buy it then go get it now. Best (money)I spent ...in a while.

Double Dragon

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 2 / 14
Date: July 31, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Thanlks for ur order.Hi l need to buy gameboy advance but l dont no the place to go to buy the game.Please l will like u to guide me .

Remake of a classic

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 7
Date: July 29, 2003
Author: Amazon User

I have played the original Double Dragon and Double Dragon 3 for the NES. Although the NES version only had 4 Levels, the GBA version should have a bit better graphics and longer gameplay.

The NES version of the Game made you use things around you to your advantage. I hope this game does the same!

All Negative Reviews Were Written By Sub-Par Players

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: July 18, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I was quite unnerved by the negative reviews on this game. Nonetheless, my love for Double Dragon prevailed and I acquired it. I found all the negative reviews to be criminally false.

There are some similarities to the old arcade game as well as the first and second NES releases. Anyone looking for a direct copy will be disappointed. I thought that would be a deterrent, but it is not so. The attack scheme has been expanded and improved upon. There are more ways than ever to deliver pain in this Double Dragon.

The game sprawls 8 missions of increasing difficulty. The play control is not as impossible as I read before. Its not impossibly hard to win the game either. I didn't beat it on the first try, but why would I want to?

After winning the game on hard, it offers an expert level. After beating that it offers codes for extra credits. Cool eh?

Overall, I would recommend this game to anyone. Its great, engaging, and worth repeated plays.

Return of the dragon

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: January 26, 2007
Author: Amazon User

DDA is absolutely one of the funnest games available on GBA.It mixes all the old school arcade levels in with some new ones,and with that being said,you can't go wrong if your a DD fan.With classic,and new moves/combos,this is easily better than the old arcade version,and probably my favorite game on GBA.

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