Topic: Double Dragon Neon

[PFG9000]

Is anybody playing Double Dragon Neon?  With all the oldschool gamers here, I'm surprised there's no thread for it.

If you're at all into 8-bit and 16-bit beat 'em ups, and you have access to an Xbox360 or PS3, you absolutely owe it to yourself to check out the demo of Neon.  It's another polished gem from Wayforward.  I never got really big into the series, but I have fond memories of the NES Double Dragon and I've played most of the sequels.  Double Dragon Neon is a love-letter to those old beat 'em ups and to the 80s as well.  It's got a lot of depth for the genre, and tons of humor too.  I haven't had a chance to play co-op yet, but I hear it's where the game truly shines.

Any thoughts on the game?

[JR]

I have mixed feelings about it. I definitely don't think it's Double Dragon. The thing I always liked about the first game in the series is how grounded and minimal a lot of it seemed...well, in the original arcade version, anyway. Like how the leader of the Black Warriors was a guy with a gun. Or even how one stage just scrolled into the next, making the levels feel like one giant set piece. And you could've never known about the post-apocalyptic back story by just playing the game itself and nothing else. To me, the game just had this simplicity that really gave it its charm.

Neon was the exact opposite. It's just so over-the-top in everything it does. Also, the game stopped being Double Dragon after the first level or so, and just became something else entirely. There are cool little nods to the series thrown in (like the ceiling spike traps or the huge tank thing from NES DD2), but it kind of reminds me of how Lords of Shadow had references to the older CV games, but in name only. It was kind of neat, but frustrating at the same time.

But I'd be lying if I didn't say the game was totally fun. I had a blast playing it, and I'll probably do it again on a higher difficulty. I didn't like how sluggish the run function was, or how the cyclone kick wasn't its own separate move, but everything else about this game was pretty solid. The whole 80s feel to it definitely brings out a sense of nostalgia for me, too. And I also liked having unlimited continues, but restarting a level when you lose your lives; the way they did the whole lives scheme in this game almost made it seem more...fair than other beat-em-ups, I guess. 

So yeah, it really wasn't the Double Dragon revival I was hoping for, but it's a pretty awesome game regardless.

[A-Yty]

I was just about post about this.

Tried the trial. I like the art style and virt's music rocks my socks off. The combat felt kind of repetitive. I'm not sure if I should buy it. Part of me says hell yeah, but it might be the rabid DD fan part of my brain.

What really gets to me it's the over the top zanyness. A bastard hybrid of Yoshimitsu and Skeletor as the bad guy and the DD talking like Bill and Ted. I would have been just fine with it being in 80's style without being such a blatant..I don't know..pastiche? Leave the funny lines to funny characters and keep the Lees as stern cool asskickers. IMO, DD2 is the pinnacle of the series and it would be hard to recognize this being of the same series if it weren't for the names, the logo and the music.

All in all, I'm glad there's still life left in Double Dragon. But I'd really take a new game over any more remakes.

Aand..umm...



I just don't know what to say about this. Kind of awesome in some way that you can still have a game where you punch these kind of women silly instead of having them parade around in cutscenes. This, my friends, is the Double Dragon I know and love

..Is it just me or do they sound like the enjoy it when you beat the shit out of them?

[Dark Nemesis]

Aand..umm...



I just don't know what to say about this. Kind of awesome in some way that you can still have a game where you punch these kind of women silly instead of having them parade around in cutscenes. This, my friends, is the Double Dragon I know and love

..Is it just me or do they sound like the enjoy it when you beat the shit out of them?

No my friend, you are not alone on this, a reason that i also enjoyed playing streets of rage.

[X]

..Is it just me or do they sound like the enjoy it when you beat the shit out of them?

That's Lynda for you. A dominatrix of sorts cause if you don't do the punishing, they will! Although she wasn't given that much character freedom in the original games. Whenever she shows up I make sure to grab the whip and go Belmont on all the enemies. Shame you can't keep it throughout the whole game    I purchased this game and have thoroughly enjoyed it. I also downloaded the soundtrack too. I liked Skullmageddon. I thought he was an entertaining villain and to make him even cooler his voice-actor impersonated Skeletor from the original He-Man series. The voice acting was so convincing in fact that the only way I found out it wasn't him was watching the credits at the end. My bro told me there is also a secret stage in the game. It has something to do with the punching bag that you see in one of the regular stages. He did say that it was a real b***h to play through even when he was fully powered up. Overall I think this game is a awesome throwback to the 80's nostalgia that is almost forgotten in today's decade. and many people out there don't even realize how "over-the-top" the era of the 80's actually was.

[A-Yty]

I think she looked more like a punk rocker in the earlier games. Sure, there was the whip and the leather, but this time they weren't pussyfooting (heh) with her presentation. "Kneel, you idiot!" 

And the 80's was definitely ridiculous. The gameplay videos just suggest that they go overboard with the whole thing. For my taste, anyway. I guess I'm compelled to buy the damn thing. Any chance of the price going down a bit in the future? I mean, 9-and-then-some bucks is not much, but if there's any chance of it dropping, I'm perfectly ready to wait.

[TheCruelAngel]

Yeah I grabbed the demo and played through it with my buddy. He wasn't happy with the controls (something about feeling vague) but we both had a blast. Love the 80's throw backs and over-the-top nature of it. I've been on the fence about picking it up, but I'm sure I'll eventually take the plunge and buy it anyway. Though...I'll probably wait until after the holiday rush of games coming out...

[A-Yty]

I was just about post about this.
The combat felt kind of repetitive.

Oohh I take this back. I had to buy the whole game to employ the stances and such. They're things I think they could bring back in later games.

Played it through and wouldn't mind co-opping. Shame they didn't enable online play before releasing it.

But I'd be lying if I didn't say the game was totally fun. I had a blast playing it, and I'll probably do it again on a higher difficulty. I didn't like how sluggish the run function was, or how the cyclone kick wasn't its own separate move,

So yeah, it really wasn't the Double Dragon revival I was hoping for, but it's a pretty awesome game regardless.

These. The references (they even nodded at Mega Man) and most of Skullmageddon's lines got several laughes out of me. This games is funny and it's fun to play. But I really, really hope this is a one time thing and the next one will be a "real" Double Dragon. Otherwise the joke might be on them (as in DD itself) instead of the 80's. I wouldn't like to think of this a reboot.

I keep hoping they'd remake and reboot the series for this or the next generation of consoles. Can anyone name a modern brawler? Seems like the whole genre just splintered after its "golden age".

I don't think I'm ever, ever going to get Neon Jungle out of my head, BTW 

[crisis]

how bout a Streets of Rage remake/reboot next 

[DragonSlayr81]

I love Double Dragon Neon. Seemingly, they wanted to include an appearance from the Battletoads, but couldn't get Rare to give them the rights.

Double Dragon Neon isn't so much a remake of Double Dragon, but kinda tribute to all BEUs and 80s/early 90s pop culture that just happens to star Billy and Jimmy Lee(or caricatures of them). I didn't mind that it didn't take itself serious. So many games do nowadays. The gold standard nowadays is to try to make a game the most gritty, realistic and grounded as possible. I love how this one just went the other way. I mean, imagine if the DD series was revived and we got something like Final Fight Streetwise? Urgh!

This game has sold me that, at the least, Wayfoward has a grasp on making a good side-scrolling brawler, and gives me hope that, maybe, they'll dabble more in this genre in the future. Hell, given the comedy and breaking of the 4th wall, a TMNT5(sequel to Turtles in Time, set in the classic toon universe) from these guys would be AWESOME! Hell, an original side-scrolling brawler would also be welcome. Or, like we all were talking about in the other board, a CASTLEVANIA brawler!! Wayforward could do it!!!

[Dark Nemesis]

how bout a Streets of Rage remake/reboot next 

There is an unofficial:http://castlevaniadungeon.net/forums/index.php/topic,3475.0.html
                             http://www.bombergames.net/sorr_project/

Streets Of Rage Remake V5-First Gameplay Video HQ+DOWNLOAD*

[VladCT]

That art style looks familiar... Genzoman?

[PFG9000]

That art style looks familiar... Genzoman?

Wow, I had never heard of Genzoman until your post, but after looking into it, you're spot-on.  Nice call.  Looks like his other artwork is pretty awesome too.

[TheCruelAngel]

That art style looks familiar... Genzoman?

Yeah, that's what I thought when I first saw some the artwork for this game too. Damn Genzoman and his unique and amazing style! /jealousy