Latest news
E3 2012: Double Dragon: Neon interview and gameplay
by Andrew Whipple III
17.6.12

Double Dragon has always been one of my most treasured vintage franchises. While never finding a successful way to extend its legendary reach this generation, Majesco and Way Forward might have finally discovered it.

Combining everything Double Dragon with contemporary visuals, auditory style and bucket loads of exaggeration, Double Dragon: Neon is basically The Expendables of video games. With that said, if there's one arcade game you should be excited for, it's undoubtedly this one.

Double Dragon: Neon interview



We covered a bit of Neon back at PAX East in April and a lot has changed since then. In our hands-on demo, the always classy Pete Rosky showed us some of the new mechanics. But before we get too deep into that, I feel it's necessary to state that Neon is a full re-imagining of Double Dragon. It's a proverbial love letter to Double Dragon and the 80's so expect to see everything you loved about the old school games, but also expect to see them refined and fully exaggerated. Perhaps that might put some people off since it isn't a 'pure' remake of the game, but I implore you to stay with me here.


There's always time for a high-five.

The original levels and moves are exactly how you remember them, but with more flair and less flak. For example, controls have been smoothed out and modernized. Instead of pressing two buttons to jump and hoping it works, you can tap one button like a normal game. The first level still begins with Marian getting brutally gut-punched and ends with you blasting off into... space. So that space part wasn't there before, but the humour injected is priceless. Once again, expect everything from the original game but better. Billy and Jimmy Lee go into space, man. Seriously, just take my money.


Gameplay lost in time.

Back to the mechanics. So Neon follows an upgrade system focused on what's called the mixtape. Like the times of old, each tape has two sides; A and B. The 'A' side is your physical abilities like grenades, fireballs and that classic elbow everyone loves. Side 'B' is all about passive moves that can increase your health, speed or even abilities on the 'A' side. As you progress through the game, you'll find new tapes and cash you can use to augment your dudes at the Tapesmith. Yes, the Tapesmith. Actually, tapes play such a major role in the game that if you're playing with a friend and he goes down, you can revive him by reeling back the mixtape. Maybe some of you young 'ins don't get it, but someone like me who actually remembers those things should find it rather hilarious.

Double Dragon: Neon gameplay



All joking aside, the combat is incredibly solid in Neon. It's still the same 2D sidescrolling beat 'em up you loved and the system still remains fun. Of course, the best bet is to play the game with a buddy and there will be multiplayer over the internet as well as local. Going with the exaggerated theme though, expect to find crazy weapons like a cattle prod, a ninja sai and even a hair comb. You can even give your buddy a high-five to split your health if someone is running low, or to slam the enemies around you to the ground who witness the pure masculinity of the moment. Clearly Way Forward is having a blast making this game and Pete Rosky had this to say about it:

"Imagine you got the opportunity to take your favorite parts of the Double Dragon franchise and make your own game. That's exactly what Way Forward did here."

Any self-proclaiming Double Dragon fan needs Neon and while it's definitely different, the experience in the package is solid to recommend it to practically anybody. Unfortunately there still isn't a release date on the game, but we do know it'll be out before the Summer ends. Expect it to be around the $10-15 mark or 800 to 1200 Microsoft Astral Pennies.

Labels: , , , , , , ,

- Andrew Whipple III
PAX East 2012: Double Dragon Neon preview, gameplay and interview
by Andrew Whipple III
26.4.12

Few games can compare to the outright classics, and you can bet Double Dragon is on that list. Years ago, it received an HD remake which afflicted digital hallways with its putrid structure and all was thought to be lost. Fast-forward to the present and enter Double Dragon: Neon, a re-imagining - not an HD remake, of one of the very best NES games ever conceived. Spoilers: it's not trash!

Before PAX East I wasn't even thinking about Neon, but after getting some hands-on time with the game, I came away from it majorly impressed. In most cases, keeping a property like Double Dragon largely the same is important. People, like myself, want to experience the feel of the original game without compromising what made it great. However, Pete Rosky representing Majesco and Way Forward was quick to remind me that the game is a re-imagining of the original, a love letter to what we experienced in the past.

Double Dragon: Neon interview and gameplay



What that means is Way Forward has augmented the mechanics behind the game but hasn't lost sight of what Double Dragon is. While it isn't a direct remake, Neon is still a side-scrolling action game with all the locations, enemies, punches, hair-grabs and kicks you can't live without - they just made them better. For instance, the visual style alone is remarkable and you can jump with a press of a button now instead of pressing two and hoping it works. Big baddies like Abobo are still present, and most importantly, the introduction to the game remains untouched.

Some of the big things that are different are the ability to juggle enemies with your attacks, item shops and being able to revive your downed teammate. Pete also mentioned that you'll venture into familiar zones but also into brand new exaggerated locales with new enemies. We walked into a building that blasted off into space at the end of our demo and a bad guy named Skullmaggedon was waiting for us inside. I don't know about you, but any bad guy named Skullmageddon has my undivided respect.

Perhaps just by reading these changes you're turned off by the game, but I'm telling you - don't be. If anything, these changes have made the game even more fantastic and addictive than ever before. I wasn't so sure I liked the approach Way Forward was taking either, but then I remembered that bastardized remake and my thought process changed. I'm totally fine with Neon and it's a complete blast to play. No it isn't the original, but I'll be damned if I can't say it's that much better.

Double Dragon: Neon should be released later this summer for around 1200 Microsoft Astral Pennies or $15.

Labels: , , , , , ,

- Andrew Whipple III
GGTL Classics
Some of the very best articles dug out from deep in the GGTL archives, written by some of our past and present wordsmiths alike.
Your continued use of this website and/or any others owned by Gamer's Guide to Life.com represents your acceptance and indicates your full understanding of all of our legal policies and terms. Our legal policies and terms are legally binding. If you in any way disagree with or refuse to be bound by any part of said legal policies and terms, you are advised to leave this website immediately.