Billy and Jimmy Lee are back and this time they want revenge.
THE GOOD
-Superb audio
-Solid controls
-Epic boss fights
-Excellent level design
-Plenty of different attacks that keep the fighting fresh
THE BAD
-Platforming sections are frustrating
OVERVIEW
Double Dragon II: The Revenge is a very fun Beat-'Em-Up game. You play as Billy and Jimmy Lee in their quest to seek revenge against the Shadow Warriors for killing Billy's girlfriend Marian. The game takes place in 19XX in New York City after the Nuclear War. For some reason a few games for the NES start off after a nuclear war but that is besides the point. Anyways, after the Nuclear War a group called the Shadow Warriors are creating lots of violence and the only two people (or dragons) that can stop them are the Double Dragons. So, this is the setting from the beginning and you get short cut scenes with story in between stages (8 total).
GAMEPLAY
The gameplay for Double Dragon II is lots of fun. The controls are solid for this game. There are plenty of different attacks to use on your enemy which keeps the fighting from getting boring. Along with you basic punches and kicks the Double Dragons can perform drop kicks, grapples, and the ever popular Hurricane (or spin) kicks. Plus, you and a friend can both play as Jimmy and Billy Lee.
The game consists of eight separate missions which puts the Lee brothers in all sorts of situations. Each mission consists of fighting weaker enemies, mini bosses, and regular bosses. The boss fights and even some of the mini-boss fights are challenging. Unfortunately, there are some "jumping" or platforming parts in this game. All of them are frustrating, which sucks, and this is where you will probably lose most of your lives. So, be aware of your character's limitations and you should be fine.
Some of the missions will put your fighting skills to the test on a train, helicopter, and the streets. With that said, the level design is very well done. The unique changes of scenery really keeps the game from feeling repetitive, which sometimes happens with beat-em-up games.
GRAPHICS & SOUND
The visuals are awesome for this game. From the characters to the backgrounds there is a lot of good features here. Also, the excellent level design is a big plus.
The music is great and really fits each mission and the overall game itself. Plus, the sound effects are great too.
CONCLUSION
I really enjoyed this sequel. There is some replay value to this game and I would recommend it to anyone. So, come on and help out the Double Dragons get their revenge and help save NYC from the Shadow Warriors!