Arc System Works·Released Jan 30, 2017·Single player
"The next entry in the side-scrolling action game series Double Dragon is finally here! The story picks up after the elimination of the Shadow Warriors in Double Dragon II!"
There's certainly nothing wrong with celebrating the past and polishing up classic game concepts for modern consumption, but Double Dragon 4 is a prime example of how not to do a revival - which is ironic when you consider that the WayForward-made Double Dragon Neon did a much better job back in 2012. The use of NES-style graphics isn't a negative in itself, but too little has been done to refine and improve gameplay which, even back in the late '80s, was showing its age against a new breed of slicker and more enjoyable examples of the genre. The co-op focus of the Switch and its Joy-Con controllers does at least mean it's easy to rope in another player for a trip down memory lane, but this is nonetheless a crushing disappointment given the incredible potential of the franchise, and should only be purchased by diehard Billy and Jimmy fans.
The completely retro Double Dragon 4 proves not everything was golden in olden times.
Double Dragon 4 plays the nostalgia card harder than most, but its narrow-sighted reliance on this has left it feeling like a relic that perhaps shouldn't have been disturbed. The combat can be simplistic fun but is ruined by cheap AI, and the trio of modes don't offer much to stick around for. The presentation is a cool look back at the 80s school of design, but once the novelty wears off, you're left with a frustrating beat-em-up that inadvertently highlights the leaps in gameplay, animation, and visuals that games have made over the last three decades.
'Keep your politics out of our games.' Behind the fretful plea (one which has recently become something of a placard sl…
The retro-style sequel to the classic beat 'em up fails to learn from the genre's history.
I’m a big fan of seeing old series recapture glory, but in this case, Double Dragon is an experience better left in the past.
