Double Dragon - Which is the best one and why?

[m308gunner | 352]

I haven't played a Double Dragon game since about the 6th grade, so my memory of these games is foggy at best. I couldn't even tell you which one(s) I played. So if I wanted to pick one up today, which one would you suggest I get? Which one is the most fun/bang for the buck, and why? Any of the series not worth the time/effort/cost? 

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

Double Dragon 2. It's 2 player which the first one isn't and it's a great game unlike DD3, which is awful. 

[Californication | 1,478]

DD3 on the NES. Game is so good I am planning on getting the Genny version to see if it makes the cut.

[SuperJimtendo | 1,125]

The movie, followed by the cartoon series.

[CMR | 521]

Everybody complains about DD2s button layout if they didn't grow up with it.  So I would recommend DD1.  It's still a lot of fun till the wall beats the crap out of you in stage 4.

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

2 minutes ago, SuperJimtendo said:

The movie, followed by the cartoon series.

Have you been smoking cauliflower again?

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

Just now, CMR said:

Everybody complains about DD2s button layout if they didn't grow up with it.  So I would recommend DD1.  It's still a lot of fun till the wall beats the crap out of you in stage 4.

I don't even notice it anymore. I actually prefer the Genesis version of DD1 since it's basically a straight port of the arcade game instead of the beat em up/platformer hybrid NES version.

[ap123 | 112]

The first Double Dragon would definitely feature in my top 10 NES games. Partly because it’s a great game, but also the arcade version holds a lot of nostalgia for me. A local club had the cabinet when I was young and we spent a lot of time playing it.

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

4 minutes ago, ap123 said:

The first Double Dragon would definitely feature in my top 10 NES games. Partly because it’s a great game, but also the arcade version holds a lot of nostalgia for me. A local club had the cabinet when I was young and we spent a lot of time playing it.

I played the arcade version a lot as a kid which is why I'm more partial to the Genesis version over the NES.

[ap123 | 112]

1 minute ago, Bearcat-Doug said:

I played the arcade version a lot as a kid which is why I'm more partial to the Genesis version over the NES.

I don’t think I’ve played the Genesis version, but the NES version doesn’t deviate too much from the arcade as far as I can remember. I can imagine the Genny may be slicker though. 

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

17 minutes ago, ap123 said:

I don’t think I’ve played the Genesis version, but the NES version doesn’t deviate too much from the arcade as far as I can remember. I can imagine the Genny may be slicker though. 

The Genesis version is basically a straight port of the arcade game. The NES version is a bit longer and added in some platformer elements, plus the leveling up system to gain new moves.

[mbd39 | 2,026]

I love the first two Double Dragons on the NES. They're both great. The second one is a lot more polished and has the two player co-op.

 

 

[osg | 52]

I think all 3 NES games are pretty good. I like 3 the most. It's very unforgiving in terms of progression but once you get the mechanics it's fun to play. 2 is good also but is extremely clunky at times. The platforming especially is unpleasant. 1 is fun at times but it's maybe the hardest for me to actually sit though. It feels the most repetitive and the least fair with its platforming sections.

[rdrunner | 422]

For me, it's a toss up between 1 and 2.

The first game was also one of my very first NES games, so it has a special place in my childhood.  I had already played the entire arcade game first and remember loving the little changes. It was actually way harder, since you couldn't just abuse elbow punches to win, like on arcade.

2 was a frequent rental back as a kid, but I never bought it until I was an adult. I remember it more for the annoying platforming than for being a great beat-em-up, but the final stage was special, especially since you had to be on the hardest setting to see it.

Honorable mention: Double Dragon Neon! Nice throwback game with one of my current favorite soundtracks.

[mbd39 | 2,026]

2 minutes ago, rdrunner said:

For me, it's a toss up between 1 and 2.

The first game was also one of my very first NES games, so it has a special place in my childhood.  I had already played the entire arcade game first and remember loving the little changes. It was actually way harder, since you couldn't just abuse elbow punches to win, like on arcade.

2 was a frequent rental back as a kid, but I never bought it until I was an adult. I remember it more for the annoying platforming than for being a great beat-em-up, but the final stage was special, especially since you had to be on the hardest setting to see it.

Honorable mention: Double Dragon Neon! Nice throwback game with one of my current favorite soundtracks.

 

DD1 was one of my first NES games as well. I loved it as a kid. I remember the infamous wall of blocks being as far as I could go. The wall seemed like it had to be near the end of the game, but there's a bit more after that.

I also rented DD2 as a kid. I never even reached the platforming bits. I think stage 4 or 5 was as far as I got.

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

4 minutes ago, rdrunner said:

For me, it's a toss up between 1 and 2.

The first game was also one of my very first NES games, so it has a special place in my childhood.  I had already played the entire arcade game first and remember loving the little changes. It was actually way harder, since you couldn't just abuse elbow punches to win, like on arcade.

2 was a frequent rental back as a kid, but I never bought it until I was an adult. I remember it more for the annoying platforming than for being a great beat-em-up, but the final stage was special, especially since you had to be on the hardest setting to see it.

Honorable mention: Double Dragon Neon! Nice throwback game with one of my current favorite soundtracks.

Hey want to go one on one in a Double Dragon 2 high score contest for old times sake? I'm sure everyone would love to see that after I easily beat Bimmy at his own game. 

[Bearcat-Doug | 5,105]

 

Edited November 17, 2019 by Bearcat-Doug

[B.A. | 1,139]

I've always been a Double Dragon 3 guy.  That is the one I had as a kid and played A LOT.  The final boss has a ridicules amount of energy.  Like OSG said it takes a bit to get the hang of so it's easy to dismiss when giving it a try.  I really like it though. 

[guillavoie | 1,210]

23 minutes ago, rdrunner said:

For me, it's a toss up between 1 and 2.

The first game was also one of my very first NES games, so it has a special place in my childhood.  I had already played the entire arcade game first and remember loving the little changes. It was actually way harder, since you couldn't just abuse elbow punches to win, like on arcade.

2 was a frequent rental back as a kid, but I never bought it until I was an adult. I remember it more for the annoying platforming than for being a great beat-em-up, but the final stage was special, especially since you had to be on the hardest setting to see it.

Honorable mention: Double Dragon Neon! Nice throwback game with one of my current favorite soundtracks.

 

18 minutes ago, mbd39 said:

 

DD1 was one of my first NES games as well. I loved it as a kid. I remember the infamous wall of blocks being as far as I could go. The wall seemed like it had to be near the end of the game, but there's a bit more after that.

I also rented DD2 as a kid. I never even reached the platforming bits. I think stage 4 or 5 was as far as I got.

Me too the first is one of the few games we had very early on when I was young, heck, I remember my big bro cheering for me the first time that I managed to beat the first row of Williams, pretty sure I was no more than 3 years old at the time. Played a lot of it through my childhood so it stuck as my favorite mainly for that, even if there's a ton of bugs in the game.

 

[mbd39 | 2,026]

2 minutes ago, guillavoie said:

 

Me too the first is one of the few games we had very early on when I was young, heck, I remember my big bro cheering for me the first time that I managed to beat the first row of Williams, pretty sure I was no more than 3 years old at the time. Played a lot of it through my childhood so it stuck as my favorite mainly for that, even if there's a ton of bugs in the game.

 

 

DD1 holds up as a fun game. It's not just childhood nostalgia. It's amazingly playable despite the huge amount of bugginess.

 

[Andy_Bogomil | 815]

Double Dragon II on NES is one of my favourite games of all time and I still play it regularly. The knee is just so satisfying to this day. I like the first one and the third actually isn't as bad as most people suggest in my opinion. It's tougher and not the best but it is playable once you get the hang of it. I think DD II is the best by a fair amount. DD Neon is pretty fun as well but obviously  a little different being released much later.

[guillavoie | 1,210]

9 minutes ago, mbd39 said:

 

DD1 holds up as a fun game. It's not just childhood nostalgia. It's amazingly playable despite the huge amount of bugginess.

 

Oh, I honestly think it is legit fun, not just nostalgia material, I was saying that in comparison with the others. Plus, yes there's some bugs in the game, but they are pretty much all easy to ignore when you just play the game as 'intended'.

[mbd39 | 2,026]

Just now, guillavoie said:

Oh, I honestly think it is legit fun, not just nostalgia material, I was saying that in comparison with the others. Plus, yes there's some bugs in the game, but they are pretty much all easy to ignore when you just play the game as 'intended'.

 

The worst bug is the one that triggers a reset to the title screen. Especially annoying when it happens during a contest and you're doing well.

(Skip to near the end to see the reset glitch.)

 

 

[MuNKeY | 241]

I am partial to NES DD1 mainly for the fact how I can max out my level on the 2nd stage glitch by the fence you climb to cross the pit, DD2 I didn't like at first until I got accustomed to the controls but DD3 even though I beat it I never went back to it, and I can't quite remember if I liked super double dragon or not may have to revisit that one day. That Neo Geo fighter one was fun for a few then got pretty dull after some time, which I never really played it that long.

Edited November 17, 2019 by MuNKeY

[CMR | 521]

My issue with DD3 is that the enemies just have way too much health.  By the time you get to the ninjas, it's like you're doing spin kicks for five minutes strait.  It's a little better after that because you can use the ninja guy and he's pretty fun.  The early parts of the game are a chore though.