DOUBLE DRAGON

1-2 players, horizontal game
Telegames, for the Atari Lynx
$39.95
Stereo? No


OVERVIEW:
  Running rampant through the city, a gang of vicious street thugs has
kidnapped the lady Marion. In retribution, martial artists Billy and Jimmy Lee
set out to rescue her, determined to fight anyone in their way. This is the
humble premise of DOUBLE DRAGON, an arcade game that spawned two sequels, over
a dozen home versions, a cartoon series, and countless imitators. Courtesy of
Telegames, this classic title has now reached the Atari Lynx. Four skill
levels are available, as well as a practice mode and the ability to play with
or against a second player. Whether bare-fisted or armed with a variety of
weapons, Lynx players can now take the fight to the streets.


GAMEPLAY:
  In theory, DOUBLE DRAGON should work on two levels, appealing to gamers who
want an action-packed fighting title and to collectors looking for a quality
adaptation. Unfortunately, this card does neither, and the result is a mild
disappointment. Though there's plenty of action, compared to the fighting
games popular today, this title sports a pace that seems plodding by
comparison. Devotees of the arcade version will notice numerous subtle, but
fundamental differences here. These include abbreviated levels, enemies that
take a high number of hits, and the lack of most of the original's end-level
villains.

  The game is fairly difficult for a variety of reasons. You start with three
lives, but there are no ways to get extra lives, recover health, or continue a
game. The controls are the worst culprit. By pressing button A or B, alone or
with the joypad, the player punches, kicks, jumps, jabs, grabs, and throws
enemies and objects. As a result, the controls are unresponsive at times and
behave unexpectedly at others. While the game remains playable, all of this
adds up to create a grueling contest that players may find is more trouble
than it's worth.


GRAPHICS/SOUND:
  The Lynx adaptation attempts to duplicate the graphics of the arcade, and
partially succeeds. The cartoony characters and scenery have been retained,
though the sprites are drawn much larger on the screen to retain the level of
detail. The minimal animation of the original DOUBLE DRAGON has been trimmed
further by the removal of more frames, making the game look jumpy at times.
Sound effects have suffered the most; powerful thuds and punches have been
reduced to tinny echoes. A number of tunes play in the background, but they
are mostly uninteresting.


SUMMARY:
  DOUBLE DRAGON is not a terrible game, but it is also not an especially
captivating title, either. Tolerant players who don't mind this card's
leisurely pace, translation liberties and quirky controls will be sufficiently
entertained. More demanding gamers, however, should not set their expectations
too high, lest they be disappointed.


                GAMEPLAY:        5
                GRAPHICS:        7
                SOUND:           5.5
                OVERALL:         5