Together Retro: Beat-'Em-Ups

[marurun]

Well, the first game is VERY slow, sometimes feeling unresponsive, and the third game is just a horrible game.

[Sarge]

I don't know if it was some weird problems with this Dotemu release on Steam or what but sometimes when pressing Punch the char would kick and so on.

You're not referring to the directional kick/punch system, are you? The way it was set up in the arcade and in the NES version was that your buttons would attack a direction regardless of the direction you were facing. So on NES, if you're facing right, the A button gives you a punch, whereas the B button will kick behind you. Flip that around if you're facing left. It's an odd system that takes a little time to understand, but works surprisingly well.

Of course, it could very well be that DotEmu messed something up, too...

[samsonlonghair]

I know the NES version is largely loved but how do you guys feel about the DD trilogy on Arcade?

Sega Master System all the way!

Seriously though, when I take off my Nostalgia Goggles I think the arcade versions of DD1 and DD2 are superior to their NES counterparts. DD3 is better on the NES, because the arcade version of DD3 introduced a shopping mechanic that players hated. This was one case where I was pleased that the NES games differed from the arcade originals.

I wish that Double Dragon was better represented on Genesis, especially considering how faithful the Master System version ported the first game. The Double Dragon franchise for Genesis is just a mess. Each game was ported by a different team. Double Dragon 1 was unlicensed. Double Dragon 2 was ported so poorly that Sega refused to release it worldwide. Double Dragon 3 is the most faithful port, but it’s faithful to everything that players hated about the arcade version. There was no Double Dragon 4 at all (presumably because Super Double Dragon was a SNES exclusive). And Double Dragon 5 was a poor attempt at copying Street Fighter II. So an American Sega Genesis collector like me gets only odd-numbered Double Dragon games - one of which is unlicensed, one is a faithful port of unpopular mechanics, and one isn’t even a beat ‘em up.

It’s a grand irony that Sega Genesis - Arguably the best platform for beat ‘em ups - so poorly represents the archetype of the genre.

[lordb0rb4]

Thank you guys!
Despite bad reviews i liked very much the weird Double Dragon IV to the point i double-dipped on Steam/PS4 and i'm sure i'll give it a go this month.
I have Double Dragon on Master System and III The Arcade Games for Mega Drive that i have never played before, should i tackle it after i'm done with this trilogy?

[Sarge]

I think the first game in the arcade is better, DD2 on NES is the best version of that, and ditto DD3.

Also, don't sleep on Super Double Dragon (or the more complete Japanese version Return of Double Dragon). Those might be a little slower than its contemporaries, but are still lots of fun.

[lordb0rb4]

I think the first game in the arcade is better, DD2 on NES is the best version of that, and ditto DD3.

Also, don't sleep on Super Double Dragon (or the more complete Japanese version Return of Double Dragon). Those might be a little slower than its contemporaries, but are still lots of fun.

Oh Sarge, thank you, i guess it's Double Dragon Month for me then!
I have to confess, since the NES was never that big here in Brazil, i think that Contra is actually the only NES game i have played for real E V E R.

[Sarge]

Well, you could do a lot worse than Contra for sure!

[SpaceBooger]

The new Shaq Fu game was released today. It is more of a Final Fight game than a Street Fighter game... I may be picking this one up.

[Exhuminator]

I put some more time into Urban Reign this afternoon. I'm now on mission 32 of 100. This game is something else people. One boss I was fighting beat me into the ground with a wrench, then kicked me up in the air, grabbed my ankle, and while dangling me mid-air started turbo punching me in the nuts. That kind of stuff happens all the time in Urban Reign. I ended up swapping out my normal PS2 controller with one I don't care about, because I was afraid I was going to break my favorite PS2 controller. Not out of anger, but from the sheer ferocity of button mashing and stick twirling. If you think you're good at beat 'em ups, but you haven't beaten Urban Reign* yet, think again.

*On at least Normal.

[lordb0rb4]

Double Dragon 3 is done and oh boy i can see why it is considered the worst DD, albeit the "next gen" graphics with high definition and kinda detailed scenery the gameplay and mechanics overall feels choppy and bland.