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Double Dragon hits XBLA tomorrow

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpotPosted May 8, 2007 11:38 am PT

Billy and Jimmy Lee take it to the streets one more time in Empire Interactive's revamped edition of the arcade classic.

"You got 50,000 on Double Dragon?"

That line, uttered by Fred Savage in the 1989 feature film The Wizard, represented a turning point in the movie, the moment when Savage's character recognized his friend and fellow runaway Jimmy was not just a withdrawn and socially awkward head case, but a gaming prodigy capable of besting even the toughest tournament-level competition.

Xbox 360 gamers will be able to see if their skills can measure up to Jimmy's this week, as Microsoft today announced Double Dragon as its Xbox Live Arcade Wednesdays release.

An instantly popular beat-'em-up when it was released in 1987, Taito's Double Dragon let two players take the roles of twin brothers Billy and Jimmy Lee as they cleaned up the mean streets in an effort to rescue Billy's kidnapped girlfriend.

For the game's release on Xbox Live Arcade, Empire Interactive took the original Double Dragon and re-created it with high-definition visuals, new music, and online multiplayer action. The publisher is also including the option to play the game with its original graphics for arcade purists. Rounding out the package are extras like scans of original sales fliers for the arcade game, tips for newcomers, customizable button configurations, and the XBLA-standard leaderboards and achievements.

Double Dragon will be available Wednesday at 2 a.m. Pacific for 400 Microsoft Points ($5). It has been rated E10+ for Everyone 10 and Older.

171 Comments

  • theKSMM

    Posted May 15, 2007 10:18 pm PT

    Man, Double Dragon brings back memories. And I have yet to find a version that compares to the old arcade console; I'm hoping this XBOX Live Arcade version does the trick.

    I'm glad they actually chose to improve the game a bit instead of releasing it "as was." Hopefully that doesn't affect the gameplay negatively at all..

  • dmastor

    Posted May 10, 2007 8:53 am PT

    @ Sonicgod who cares...............to everyone else do ya'll like the game

  • RealXBoxKiller

    Posted May 9, 2007 3:36 pm PT

    "it was a serious quarter eater. You'd need about $20 just to get through the game"

    haha... sounds like you had no idea how to play. the first time i played through it in 1988, it took me 2 bucks in quarters. everytime i beat it after that it took a quarter less, up til i was able to do it with only losing a single life. - you don't get enough time on the forest level, so you lose a life because of that!

  • Sonicgod

    Posted May 9, 2007 12:19 pm PT

    The NES version bites compared to the real arcade machine and you are getting the real aracade machine not any of the ports and or can have the new graphics or old graphics. The arcade does not have the lame leveling up it looks better sounds better.

    The NES version served it purpose around 1988 and was good then now there is no reason your should not have a improved arcade game and the xbox 360 version is it.

    the only one version that came close to the Arcade was the SEGa genesis and even it fails, and most of the other ports sucked so bad it was not even double dragon you could not tell.. the snes version was double dragon 4 not even the same game.

    The Xbox 360 version is the best version of the game The NES was changed so much you might as well call it double dragon 0.5 since it's not even the same game when they got done with it.

    Contra was brought just fine You are getting the ARcade version on xbox 360 enhanced at home legal for $5 and that is how it play changing Arcade games to slap on tiny town consoles and changing them 100% to make them work was common. So most the time just getting the ARCADE game rom alone is better than the consoles. And if it shows on wii all you will get is the inferior console copy versions from years ago 99% of the time.

    Double dragon 2 is the rare game that is better on a console than arcade it's the 1%, and there is a version better than NES on The Turbo duo Super CD.

    But i still have my double dragon 2 games so i dont care.

  • Sanguis_Malus

    Posted May 9, 2007 7:51 am PT

    I spent so much time playing this game as a kid, I used to be able to finish this game on one credit. I look forward to downloading this piece of nostalgic gold !

  • Bronson2k3

    Posted May 9, 2007 7:27 am PT

    Cool Sega days Now we need Bad Dudes

  • thewesman

    Posted May 9, 2007 6:46 am PT

    I like beat-'em-ups.

  • LosDaddie

    Posted May 9, 2007 6:30 am PT

    Online co-op? Try getting that from a PC ROM or your NES cart..

    Xbox Live Arcade continues to be the online leader of the generation!

    Go, Wii60!!

  • TheDanwich

    Posted May 9, 2007 6:05 am PT

    Cant we focus on the new games now a days instead?

  • chrisdojo

    Posted May 9, 2007 5:45 am PT

    awesome game. i have the NES cart so don't need to buy again....

  • niqpere

    Posted May 9, 2007 5:10 am PT

    finally brothers that aint brothers kicking butt again

  • feryl06

    Posted May 9, 2007 5:07 am PT

    to be able to play the original or the updated version for $5---now that's something that will satisfy every customer. hope MS keeps it up! that's why XBLA will be better than Nintendo's VC.

  • XChaosHawKX

    Posted May 9, 2007 4:38 am PT

    my GOD i remember watchin the old TV series and never realized they had a game, Thank u XBOX LIVE this world is truly nothing without u

  • THEdjnme

    Posted May 9, 2007 4:20 am PT

    Diablo........
    Sony WISHES it had a service that was even half as good as Xbox live!

  • diablo1000000

    Posted May 9, 2007 3:42 am PT

    Wish this was coming to the PSN. Oh well...

  • zacksbored

    Posted May 9, 2007 2:42 am PT

    been playin it i always forget that the live arcade versions are the arcade versons not the console version its not the same game as the nes one

  • n8berman

    Posted May 9, 2007 12:04 am PT

    Dreski83...not to mention by buying it from XBLA, it means you're no stealing it!!! But what you listed are definitely more compelling reasons.

    And for all the people who will likely complain that $5 is too much for a game this old, I got 2 things to say...1) This iteration of the game has "high-definition visuals, new music, and online multiplayer action". That stuff wasn't free to create. 2) Try buying Double Dragon off of ebay. You'll probably pay more than $5 in shipping alone!

  • Dreski83

    Posted May 8, 2007 11:17 pm PT

    some dude was clowning me recently for having a 400 dollar machine and using it for classics that could easily be aquired on some PC emulator. I was speechless cause he had a decent point, but its all about the perks... something he and many others may never understand. I look foward to enjoying some classic beat'em up action on a wireless controller with someone over LiVE, who's wit me?

  • fanboy_killa

    Posted May 8, 2007 10:18 pm PT

    @blackace......

    yes i do remember BAD DUDES!! LOL

    KUNG FU, KARATE CHAMP, RING KING.........

  • fanboy_killa

    Posted May 8, 2007 10:13 pm PT

    old school gamers, rejoice!! for our cries for double dragon has been heard!!!

    back in the NES days this game was like $30 plus or $40 plus....$5 dont sound so bad.

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