The Game That Defined the Beat-Em-Up Genre
Double Dragon is not just a classic – it is a founding document of an entire genre. Released to arcades by Technos Japan in 1987 and ported to virtually every platform that existed (including DOS in 1989), Double Dragon established the template for every side-scrolling beat-em-up that followed: cooperative two-player action, weapon pickups, environmental hazards, and a kidnapped damsel whose rescue drives the plot. Before Streets of Rage, before Final Fight, before Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles – there was Double Dragon.
About This Classic
Double Dragon was the brainchild of Yoshihisa Kishimoto, who designed the game after the massive success of Technos’ earlier hit, Renegade (Nekketsu Koha Kunio-kun in Japan). Kishimoto wanted to expand on Renegade’s street-fighting formula with cooperative play, weapon combat, and a more cinematic approach to storytelling. The game’s title was inspired by the Bruce Lee film Enter the Dragon, and its two-player dynamic was loosely based on the martial arts movie tradition of buddy action duos.
The story is archetypal 1980s action cinema: Billy and Jimmy Lee, twin brothers trained in the martial art of Sou-Setsu-Ken, return home to find that the Black Warriors gang has kidnapped Billy’s girlfriend Marian. The brothers fight their way through the gang’s territory – city streets, factories, forests, and the gang’s heavily-armed hideout – culminating in a final confrontation with the machine-gun-wielding leader, Willy. In a twist ending that shocked arcade-goers, the two-player mode concludes with Billy and Jimmy forced to fight each other – only one can have Marian.
Gameplay and Tips
The DOS port of Double Dragon strips away some of the arcade version’s visual flair but preserves the core mechanics: side-scrolling beat-em-up action with punches, kicks, jumps, and a variety of collectible weapons including baseball bats, whips, throwing knives, and dynamite. Enemies attack in waves, and the key to survival is crowd control – never let yourself get surrounded by multiple attackers.
The PC version uses keyboard controls (the arcade had three buttons: punch, kick, and jump), which adds a layer of precision to the combat. Timing matters more than button-mashing – a well-timed elbow strike (pressing punch in the opposite direction you are facing) is one of the game’s most powerful and overlooked moves.
Pro Tips
- Master the elbow smash: The reverse elbow strike (punch while facing away from an enemy) is Double Dragon’s most efficient attack. It deals heavy damage, has surprising range, and covers both sides of your character. In most versions of the game, you can clear entire screens by spamming this move.
- Weapons are double-edged: Grabbing a bat or whip increases your range and damage, but enemies can disarm you and use your own weapon against you. Pick weapons up strategically – in crowded fights, having a weapon knocked out of your hands can be more dangerous than fighting bare-handed.
- Watch the bottom of the screen: Many enemies in the PC version enter from off-screen, especially from below. Keep your character positioned in the middle of the play area rather than pressing too far forward, which can spawn enemies behind you.
- Jump kicks for crowd control: A well-timed jumping kick can hit multiple enemies at once and creates space when you are being surrounded. It is safer than ground combos against groups.
Controls
- Arrow Keys: Move, jump (Up)
- Space/Ctrl: Punch
- Alt/Shift: Kick
- Enter: Jump kick
Why It’s a Legend
Double Dragon’s influence on gaming cannot be overstated. It was one of the first arcade games to sell over one million cabinet units worldwide. The cooperative two-player mode – two characters on screen cooperating to defeat waves of enemies – was revolutionary and became the standard that every beat-em-up after it would follow. The weapon system, environmental interactions (throwing enemies into pits, off ledges), and cinematic cutscenes between levels established storytelling templates still used in action games today.
The franchise spawned numerous sequels, a 1994 feature film (which is a fascinating case study in how not to adapt a video game), a 1995 animated TV series, a crossover game with Battletoads, and a well-received 2012 reboot titled Double Dragon Neon. More than 35 years after its arcade debut, new Double Dragon games continue to be released.
Did You Know?
- The team at Technos originally considered calling the game “Double Dragon” because of the twin brothers, but also briefly tested “Fighting Dragon” and “Kung-Fu Master II” before settling on the iconic title.
- The elbow smash – the most powerful and abusable move in the game – was reportedly a programming bug that appeared late in development. The developers left it in because it was fun, not realizing it would become the dominant competitive strategy for decades.
- The NES version of Double Dragon outsold the arcade version in North America, moving over 3 million cartridges and cementing the franchise’s cultural status beyond arcades.
- The final boss Willy is actually the arcade version’s player 2 sprite with a palette swap and a machine gun – one of the earliest examples of a “mirror match” boss fight in gaming.
💬 Comments & Reviews
Enjoying Browser Games? Try Steam!
Discover thousands of games on the world’s largest PC gaming platform. Free-to-play, indie gems, AAA blockbusters — something for everyone.
Support Indie Developers on itch.io
Discover unique indie games made by creators worldwide. Many are free or pay-what-you-want!