Modus Games is bringing back the classic side-scrolling beat ’em up action of Double Dragon for an all new adventure this Summer!
Double Dragon remains one of my favorite classic gaming franchises. As a kid with a hand-me-down NES and only a couple of games to play, that meant Double Dragon II was something I played pretty much daily for a lot of my childhood. As such, I’ve always had an affinity for Billy and Jimmy even as other attempts to revitalize the franchise struggled.
That’s not stopping me from being excited for this, however! This morning, Modus has announced Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons, an all new game that recaptures the old-school style while offering new gameplay, story, and characters.
New York City in the year 199X: the city has been devastated by nuclear war. Its citizens fight for survival as riots, crime and chaos flood the streets. Criminal gangs terrorize what remains as they vie for dominance. Unwilling to endure these conditions any longer, young Billy and Jimmy Lee take it upon themselves to reclaim their city.
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons gives players incredible, seamless tag team abilities and a multitude of strategies for devastating combos, defensive and offensive moves across the game’s 13 unique playable characters.
Series icons Billy and Jimmy Lee are joined by Marian, returning as a fully realized, firearm-wielding ranged fighter, and newcomer Uncle Matin, a riot-shield-wielding powerhouse. Tag in and out as the classic Lee duo or switch it up with different characters. With two-player local co-op, the action quadruples as you and a friend clean up the mean streets.
Endless playthrough possibilities are made a reality with the game’s dynamic mission select function – the order in which you choose your mission will affect the mission length, number of enemies, and overall difficulty. Players choose between missions housed within city sectors, pursuing the leaders of four deadly gangs across unique stages packed with melee weapons, dangerously devoted members and varied environments perfect for all-out fights.
Cash is earned by using a Special KO on opponents, while health boosts are earned by performing Crowd Control moves, which are special KOs that knock out multiple enemies at once. Spend cash at the end of each stage to unlock powerful upgrades for your chosen characters or choose to save up your cash. Experiment with different duos, pursue alternate builds for your fighters through upgrades and change the order in which they challenge the city’s sinister gang leaders.
Should a session end in defeat, players can convert any remaining cash into tokens usable to permanently unlock extra characters and bonuses in between sessions, making every battle serve a purpose. But buying a Continue with that token to instead extend a promising round of gang-slugging action is worth considering, too…
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons recalls the series’ classic aesthetic with refreshed pixel art visuals, sporting updated-yet-faithful appearances for both returning heroes and villains and a stirring soundtrack that keeps players ready for the next fight. With unlockable bonuses, adjustable difficulty levels, optional permadeath and infinite modes, Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons is a robust revitalization of the series’ signature side-scrolling action. Online co-op is planned as a post-launch update later this year.
No specific release date has been given, but Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons is set to hit PlayStation 4|5, Xbox consoles, Nintendo Switch, and PCs this Summer.
