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Presentation doesn't often count for as much as it does in Double Dragon Neon, but everything is so cohesive and considered as part of its homage/reimagining that it's hard not to get caught up in the in-jokes and cheese, especially as wrapped in something so attractive.

But the nostalgia and goodwill for '80s specific sensibilities manage to set Neon apart from pretty much anything else in the genre. The basic play isn't particularly evolved from 8- and 16-bit brawlers — even the NES Double Dragon had experience levels. Wrap Up: DOUBLE DRAGON NEON'S PRESENTATION SAVES IT FROM FEELING MUCH TOO FAMILIARĭouble Dragon Neon's throwback sensibilities cut both ways. Double Dragon Neon has some great bosses and inventive setpieces, to say nothing of some pretty excellent music, including a second stage track that sounds lifted directly from a phantom sophomore album from electro duo La Roux. While I could've lived without the needlessly salacious touches here and there - girlfriend and damsel-in-distress Marian's breasts are practically falling out of her top, and Linda, the whip-wielding badass chick, is now a leather-bound dominatrix - I was compelled forward to see what was next. The art design evokes a sort of magical '80s blend of music videos from Prince, Michael Jackson, and Queen, of all things. It's then left to Double Dragon Neon's radical presentation choices to hold it up and inject some sense of vibrancy to the game. NEON EVOKES MUSIC VIDEOS FROM PRINCE, MICHAEL JACKSON, AND QUEEN, OF ALL THINGS Perhaps due to WayForward's efforts to remain "faithful" to the basic structure of an arcade game from 1987, Double Dragon Neon's controls feel stiff, its combat system underdeveloped, and shy of some minor gameplay wrinkles added during each stage and a few clever bosses, things play mostly the same for the 3 hour-ish duration of the game. Underneath that grind lies stage design and combat that function but don't achieve much more than that. At that point, you'll be forced to grind on the easier difficulties, banking money and mixtapes in order to level up your characters enough to have a fighting chance against more aggressive (and more cheap) AI opponents. These only unlock after completing Double Dragon Neon'sdefault mode. Save for the final boss, you won't even need the help, until, you start a new game on the harder difficulties. There are even achievements and trophies for finishing Double Dragon Neon without using the special moves at all, underlining their nature as a sort of bolted-on addition. Each special move and stance can be leveled up by finding more of the same mixtape, or by spending cash earned from defeated enemies at specific stores scattered throughout the game. Other more specific styles give the player more life for every hit they land, for example.

Other mixtapes yield different stances, which nudge your stats toward offense, defense, or the middle ground between. These range from a souped-up version of the original Hurricane Kick to fireballs or lightning attacks. But Neon also adds dedicated buttons for ducking, running, and special moves, which is where WayForward has attempted to add some depth to a 25-year old formula.īy finding mixtapes dropped by defeated enemies - I'll get to that in a minute - Billy and Jimmy learn new special moves. The punch, kick, and jump buttons are joined by a throw button, which is more practical than revolutionary. In a nod to the modern character action title, Double Dragon Neon's controls are a bit more complicated than before. THERE'S NOT MUCH MORE TO THE FUNDAMENTALS THAN THAT. There's not much more to the fundamentals than that. As you make your way through the game, you'll kick the hell out of a variety of Williams, Lindas, Abobos, and more. In this respect, Double Dragon Neon takes after its namesake. You control Billy and Jimmy Lee, walking through levels from left to right, encountering a variety of enemies and beating the ever-loving crap out of them with your fists, feet, or the weapons you take away from them. Double Dragon Neon's basic play is what you'd probably imagine it to be.