Now Billy Lee and Jimmy Lee have to fight their way through nine missions to defeat the Shadow Warriors and avenge Marian's death. It's not only the best beat 'em up on the NES, but one of the best of all-time for any console or coin-op.While many fighting games have you rescuing kidnap victims, 'Double Dragon II' discovers what happens when the would-be kidnap victim is killed. Double Dragon II on the NES is everything the arcade sequel was not. When I finally picked up the game and took it home, I was blown away by how much better it was than the original, somewhat disappointing port. Eventually, they got so fed up they broke store policy and held a copy for me just to get me to stop calling. I still clearly recall being so excited for the NES version that I called my local video store every half hour to ask if it was available for rent. It's longer, and improves upon the original NES port in just about every way, while the arcade version was little more than a reworking of the original game with only minor changes.

Platform jumping sequences make another appearance, but are nowhere near as frustrating as in the original (with one possible exception).Д®ven though the arcade game has the clear technical advantage, the NES version's superior level design and playability make it the clear choice for Double Dragon fans. Whereas the arcade version sports a paltry four missions, the NES version has nine. Once again, most of the levels were redesigned, and in many cases extended. Like the arcade version, the cyclone kick is difficult to perform with regularity, but the similarly nasty flying knee was also added to your repertoire. Gone is the unnecessary experience system from the first NES game as well, allowing the player to perform all their moves right out of the gate. Unfortunately, only two enemies are still allowed on screen at a time, but it's a caveat I can live with. The inclusion of two-player simultaneous play, a feature sorely lacking the first time around, adds value to the game, and you can choose whether you want your attacks to hurt your partner or not for added challenge. Nearly everything about Double Dragon II on the NES is superior to the original game's port. The story is considerably more fleshed out andВ told through cinematic cutscenes, though the ending has been changed for better or worse. The larger, more detailed sprites are wonderfully animated and the beautiful, grittyВ backdrops look fantastic. It's graphics may not compare to the coin-op's, but they're markedly better than in the original NES port. The NES version of Double Dragon II is hands down the best version of any game in the series. This time, however, the changes pay off in spades. Double Dragon II is notably harder than the original, and it's also pitifully short with only four missions.Д«y comparison, the NES version once again took a different route to compensate for the hardware. Unfortunately, the brutally cheap AI also returns along with the occasional slowdown. Most of the original game's enemies return, again with some facelifts. The baseball bat has been replaced by a shovel, dynamite has been replaced by hand grenades,В and Linda's chain whip is now a ball-and-chain variant, but they're all functionally identical. Weapons also return, with only minor cosmetic changes. Do you take the risk of gaffing the move, or do you rely on your ground arsenal? This move is a bit of a gamble because it requires precise timing to pull off, but if it connects it can decimate your enemies, giving the combat a slightly more strategic feel. A lot of players find this control scheme confusing, though it also appears in the NES version, and prefer the original set up.Д«illy and Jimmy Lee's moveset has been slightly altered as well with the addition of the devastating, but tricky to execute cyclone kick.

The biggest change is the game's control scheme, which adopts the left/right directional attacks from Technos' earlier beat 'em up, Renegade. The music, however, isn't quite as memorable as the original game's tunes. Audio has been greatly upgraded, with much louder, crisper, and more diverseВ sound effects. Graphics are noticeably improved, with a larger color palette and excellent sprites, but the backgrounds lack some of the punch of the original. It's not a bad game by any means, but minor aesthetic improvements and a revamped control schemeВ can't save the game from feeling too much like a rehash. It feels more like an expansion or a reskinning of the original game than a proper sequel.

The arcade version of Double Dragon II is essentially more of the same.

Double dragon 2 nes cover