Double Dragon: Neon

 PlayStation 3
User Score
7.1

Mixed or average reviews- based on 74 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 40 out of 74
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 74
  3. Negative: 13 out of 74

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  1. raccoondaddy
    May 6, 2017
    8
    Overall, this was a nice update to the classic beat em up'. I did like the 80s cartoon feel it had, not to mention the main boss is voiced by a VERY memorable character from the 80s cartoon He-Man. If you remember seeing the cartoon, you'll recognize it right away.
    Challenge wise, it has its moments. Then again I was playing on normal and there were TWO higher difficulties to choose    Overall, this was a nice update to the classic beat em up'. I did like the 80s cartoon feel it had, not to mention the main boss is voiced by a VERY memorable character from the 80s cartoon He-Man. If you remember seeing the cartoon, you'll recognize it right away.
    Challenge wise, it has its moments. Then again I was playing on normal and there were TWO higher difficulties to choose from. So yeah, I guess it being a challenge isn't a problem here.
    Lots of humor, nice little upgrade system and it has a good variety of enemies to fight against.
    BTW, the last boss is pretty challenging and felt pretty rewarding once I beat him. Overall, nice nod to the fans!    … Expand
  2. RossBoss
    Jun 17, 2016
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I grew up on Double Dragon for the Sega Master System and while I can't say this remake is as good, it does a great job of alluding to previous references. The music remixes of the classic songs are awesome and I appreciate Billy and Jimmy fighting for the girl at the end of the co-op. It's definitely replayable for the unlocks and higher difficulty as the game was fairly difficult for normal even with one of the players having had skills from a previous playthrough. It is a great tune-up of the old Double Dragons and the 80's with its own modern style. However, I can't say I was overly impressed with the game or found it to be the most fun I've had with a game. I would be reluctant to replay it and unsure how much potential it would have for me to keep being fun or for me to introduce more strategy to improve in it. The mechanics are good but not great, which can be frustrated when trying to make a jump or hit an enemy in a certain way. It's a solid beat 'em up with value even after a playthrough, especially for the Double Dragon fan, but I can only rate it above average at best.… Expand
  3. DKR
    Jan 22, 2016
    10
    TLDR: This is the most underrated game in years. You need to buy it NOW.

    Everyone has a precious, childhood game that made many life-shaping, cherish-able memories for them. Mine was Double Dragon 2 on NES. I nearly burnt out that old cartridge. The music was unforgettable, the gameplay: classic, the difficulty merciless and punishing, the graphics and level design were priceless, and    TLDR: This is the most underrated game in years. You need to buy it NOW.

    Everyone has a precious, childhood game that made many life-shaping, cherish-able memories for them. Mine was Double Dragon 2 on NES. I nearly burnt out that old cartridge. The music was unforgettable, the gameplay: classic, the difficulty merciless and punishing, the graphics and level design were priceless, and coop to round off the joy. It was an embodiment of all the trends in the 80s-90s with masculine dudes roughing up gangsters and hooligans on the streets, which gave it a special appeal to me: a 90s kid and 80s nerd. I might even crown it THE greatest game ever made, however, the series didn't age well including many a black sheep entries and passed into history.

    FF to 2015. I briefly hear about a reboot of the series and shudder. Reboots don't exactly have glamorous reputations; more like reputations of butchering classics and ignoring source material in the name of $_$. DDN did NOT look charming at first. I was especially turned off by the "fanservice" and Billy's possessed-zombie visage, but all the reviews for the game seemed harsh, and I finally gave into my inner dragon's urge.

    The rockin' 80s style remix of the theme roused my hope. After head bangin' for a few min, I started the game. It felt a little slow, but that didn't bother me. They introduced the grunt of the baddies as "Cartwheeling Fodder: Williams" and I was hooked. Here I not only saw how the game didn't take a pixel of itself seriously, but it was also true to the source material; a refined blend of old and new. The plot, characters, and cheesy lines are corny, silly, and one big love letter to my favorite 2 decades, all full of references to pop culture of the time and surfer-dude talk (bro, tubular, bodacious, ect). Every mission even ends with the bros AIR GUITARING!

    The gameplay is punishing and brutally difficult at first. The secret to mastering it is Sosisetsu (magic), Stances (passive buffs, both illustrated as your "mixtapes", my favorite being Spin Kick and Desperation), upgrading them wisely with $ and boss-loot mythril, and use of crouch-dodge. If you dodge correctly, you will "gleam"; doubling your damage and increasing your battery power regen (mana). It's overwhelming at first, but when you get into the rhythm of gleaming, then counterattacking with a mix of your magic, and the killer soundtrack is kickin, followed by a cheesy line from the bros, it all creates a silly, clean, and wonderfully entertaining experience (pistol whipping and shouting I HUCKED A LUGER!)...sadly, I have no one to play the coop with, yet it looks hella fun, but very easy. You can high5 your bro for on-demand gleam, which seems game breaking, but fun.

    Speaking of the soundtrack, I'd be p**d if I played a DD game w/o phenomenal music and Jake "virt" Kaufman blew me away. I'm so addicted to DDN's OST, that I can't go a day w/o Billy and the Breakers Firebird. It takes me back to that inspirational music the 80's classics had, when we had a positive definition of "to be a man".

    It does have cons. Hit detection can be a little finicky, stunning an enemy causes players animation to freeze; leaving you open to attack unfairly, but most of all is the excess fanservice. Nearly every female in the game is half-nude, and Linda is the worst. Every line from her is tacky innuendo, and her outfit is ridiculous. I'm all for sex appeal, but we gotta curb this. It's getting out of control. My brothers are married men, and its offensive to their marriages for a toon to be so over-sexualized, so they refuse to play it. We're in an age of evolving games, right, so where is the option to curb some of these more "adult" themes? What if I like Bulletstorm, but can't stand the saturation of lewd remarks? Where's the middle ground between Counting w/ Hello Kitty and Lollipop Chainsaw?

    I also want to address the unfair criticism this game gets like "dated gameplay that we have progressed past". What progression are we talking about; $120 updates to failure/skill-free console shooters with 0 replay value to their copy/paste, gimmick-ridden campaigns and toxic communities, or 16yr olds on twitch with 3 viewers; riding on delusions of grandeur? DDN takes us back to a time when games were actually difficult and had skill based mechanics you had to learn and practice. Now, kids throw DS's away after dying once on Mario 3, and demand a mobile game. They aren't used to enduring blood/sweat/tears of failure as you slowly got better at a difficult game. I had my @* kicked about 4x ON THE 1ST MISSION. Now, I can breeze through Very Hard mode with no deaths. The process was rough, but I can't express how rewarding the feeling is of conquering your fears and obstacles.

    Epic soundtrack, classic gameplay, coop, great characters, near limitless replay value, and delightful humor FOR TEN BUCKS?! That is a STEAL! Hopefully we'll get a sequel instead of the devs bein so busy with their arab chick...    … Expand
  4. xdhollywood
    Oct 26, 2014
    8
    A really fun and well done revive to the Double Dragon franchise. If you have a friend over and enjoy beat'm ups, this is a perfect choice. and for the price it is at it is perfect.
  5. Invid
    Oct 9, 2014
    5
    As an old school Fan of Double Dragon arcade and Nes I find this game to a mixed bag. The music is amazing and the visuals are adequate. Now as for atmosphere its gone from a Mad Max like vibe to the Teenage mutant Ninja turtles. The fighting style does not have the same feel and generally feels awkward.
    Last but not least some of the stages (haunted forest) just feel like filler.
    Good    As an old school Fan of Double Dragon arcade and Nes I find this game to a mixed bag. The music is amazing and the visuals are adequate. Now as for atmosphere its gone from a Mad Max like vibe to the Teenage mutant Ninja turtles. The fighting style does not have the same feel and generally feels awkward.
    Last but not least some of the stages (haunted forest) just feel like filler.
    Good try developers but its got nothing on the original.    … Expand
  6. GamerRedux
    Sep 23, 2014
    10
    Odd thing, I HATED this game when it first came out. I kept getting my butt kicked and not understanding how to play the game. When I finally gave it a chance I fell in love with it and logged in almost 20 hours. Give it a chance guys.
  7. Lcvolt
    Jul 16, 2014
    9
    This is a perfect reboot to a dead franchise. Might feel extremely difficult at first, but after some time, it gets pretty easy to understand. It has a nice art-style, and the 80s references are awesome. The game is full of puns, but very subtle ones. The soundtrack is one of the best, and you will love it if you are a Double Dragon fan. The length is OK, and the replay value amazing. ThisThis is a perfect reboot to a dead franchise. Might feel extremely difficult at first, but after some time, it gets pretty easy to understand. It has a nice art-style, and the 80s references are awesome. The game is full of puns, but very subtle ones. The soundtrack is one of the best, and you will love it if you are a Double Dragon fan. The length is OK, and the replay value amazing. This is simply a lot of fun, i just didnt expect so much awesome from a downloadable title.… Expand
  8. hooper-316
    Jul 4, 2014
    8
    This is exactly what I as expecting from a Double Dragon reboot so I played it without the caution I normally approach these type of reboots. It has the classic gameplay with added twist of levelling up but that is something more in common with the NES version and the ability to revive the downed partner by rolling the cassette back with a pencil is pure '80s charm. This game is what it isThis is exactly what I as expecting from a Double Dragon reboot so I played it without the caution I normally approach these type of reboots. It has the classic gameplay with added twist of levelling up but that is something more in common with the NES version and the ability to revive the downed partner by rolling the cassette back with a pencil is pure '80s charm. This game is what it is and that's an enjoyable brawler but I would have loved to see a port of the original like the one XBOX owners got a few years ago and even if it was thrown in as a bonus unlockable .… Expand
  9. GlobalNightmare
    Jul 31, 2013
    8
    Double Dragon Neon is a colourful and amusing reboot of the original Double Dragon franchise. The most important thing to take into account here is that this game does not take itself very seriously, and is a reminder of what a video game is supposed to be; fun.
    At its core its a classic 2D side scrolling beat-em-up with truckloads of 80's references for your amusement. There's a light    Double Dragon Neon is a colourful and amusing reboot of the original Double Dragon franchise. The most important thing to take into account here is that this game does not take itself very seriously, and is a reminder of what a video game is supposed to be; fun.
    At its core its a classic 2D side scrolling beat-em-up with truckloads of 80's references for your amusement. There's a light RPG element in terms of a cassette tape upgrade system which adds a lot to the replayability. The visuals and animation are great, and the game lays down a satisying fighting mechanic for you. In my opinion, the most memorable aspect of this game is the music; it's incredible. It's an original 80's inspired soundtrack which also has a few tracks poking fun at Rick Astley, NWA and Marvin Gaye. My personal favorite is the "training Wheels" power-up song.
    Plug in a second controller, and give this game a 9. You can even activate "friendly fire" for added fun.
    It's cheap, its fun, and you can trick your partner into missing a high five and laugh in their face.
    Double Dragon Neon is Radical.    … Expand
  10. Vickdalintine
    Dec 25, 2012
    8
    I am only writing this review to counter the apply named "TheBadGamer"s "Review" of DD Neon. It was obvious that they had played for 10 or 30 minutes and hadn't bothered to read instructions included with the download. Firstly the control is smooth and there might be a slight problem with hit detection but if your flailing wildly at the air you shouldn't expect your punches to connectI am only writing this review to counter the apply named "TheBadGamer"s "Review" of DD Neon. It was obvious that they had played for 10 or 30 minutes and hadn't bothered to read instructions included with the download. Firstly the control is smooth and there might be a slight problem with hit detection but if your flailing wildly at the air you shouldn't expect your punches to connect anything but said air. This game can be somewhat difficult but heres where reading the included instructions before writing a blatantly biased review pays off.. the tape system and "tapesmith" located on various stages. The tapes serve to level up stats and increase power of the specials with you can change on the fly. The Tapesmith increases capacity of said tapes using bits you accquired after beating bosses. The whole experience isn't perfect by far... in fact the art style bothers me for one and not to mention the way the dragon twins speak and behave invokes the worst of the 80's. All in all I feel it's a better reboot than the pastel colored turtles in time travesty years ago.… Expand
  11. MFZ
    Dec 17, 2012
    8
    I'm on the last stage as I write this. If you like the old school game, you'll love this. 'Nuff said, really. I don't know why people are writing a huge amount about this game. The graphics, sound, control, and gameplay are solid. Don't let some of these weirdos steer you away from this game with their ridiculously negative reviews of it. There are very minor issues with hitI'm on the last stage as I write this. If you like the old school game, you'll love this. 'Nuff said, really. I don't know why people are writing a huge amount about this game. The graphics, sound, control, and gameplay are solid. Don't let some of these weirdos steer you away from this game with their ridiculously negative reviews of it. There are very minor issues with hit detection, but not what some of these guys are blowing it up to be.… Expand
  12. Vandiel
    Nov 29, 2012
    7
    I must give my opinion on this game based on my experience playing it and not guided by my classic NES Double Dragon Nostalgia. The graphics are so so, and the control has some flaws but in the end work ok. I must say it's more fun to play whit a friend in co op mode that single mode. But if u liked the original game and are a hardcore fan of Double Dragon series, u will love this game. II must give my opinion on this game based on my experience playing it and not guided by my classic NES Double Dragon Nostalgia. The graphics are so so, and the control has some flaws but in the end work ok. I must say it's more fun to play whit a friend in co op mode that single mode. But if u liked the original game and are a hardcore fan of Double Dragon series, u will love this game. I know i do!… Expand
  13. DunnoDontcare
    Oct 12, 2012
    8
    WayForward Technologies brings us a throw back to 80's/90's beat-'em ups, and a spoof of children's television from the same time. Full Review:http://vidyabeer.boards.net/index.cgi?board=110&action=display&thread=6

    Sorry, it's more than (5000 characters)
  14. Zant
    Oct 4, 2012
    5
    I can't help but feel that this childhood memoryn has been somewhat diminished, the game is way too easy even on max difficulty and the audio of the game is plain awful, cheesy one liners and an evil guy with a British voice. On the Plus side, the fighting is solid and entertaining but that's as far as it will stretch.
  15. GrumpyReviewer
    Sep 26, 2012
    7
    Fun, challenging and aimed for the masochist audience. It's great to play with a friend and it's torture to play alone. That being said, nice graphics and an interesting overhaul with a crazy atmosphere that constantly made me scratch my head saying, "wait, what? Was this in the original?". A cool downloadable game and worth its $9,99 price. An old school beat'em up with a current-gen feel.
  16. TheBadGamer
    Sep 25, 2012
    4
    Imagine, if you will, an 8 year old little boy sitting on the floor of his brown carpeted room surrounded by GI Joes and Ninja Turtles in front of a 300 pound, 24 inch television. He inserts his neighbor's copy of "Double Dragon" into his NES and presses the "on" switch. The screen blinks green and black repeatedly. So, he takes the game out of the system, blows on it and puts it back in.Imagine, if you will, an 8 year old little boy sitting on the floor of his brown carpeted room surrounded by GI Joes and Ninja Turtles in front of a 300 pound, 24 inch television. He inserts his neighbor's copy of "Double Dragon" into his NES and presses the "on" switch. The screen blinks green and black repeatedly. So, he takes the game out of the system, blows on it and puts it back in. He hits the power button and it works!

    After getting through the title screen and its kickin rad intro music, he marches his in game sprite to the right, punching and kicking his way through street thugs. Then, he loses a life. Then another. Then another. Then he gets a "game over" screen and has to start over from the beginning.

    4 hours later, this 8 year old has had one of the best times of his short life, even though he barely made it past the 2nd stage.

    I have a lot of fond memories of wasting away hours playing really hard, really bad videogames. The nostalgia is wonderful and it fills me with joy to remember the innocence of my early days as a gamer.

    However, those memories are just that: memories. My gaming palette has evolved. In 2012, I expect a game to have responsive, smooth controls. I expect collision detection to make sense. I expect QA to eliminate game breaking bugs.

    Double Dragon Neon fulfills none of these expectations.

    2D beat em' ups died sometime around the end of the Super Nintendo's life cycle. Games like Final Fight, Streets of Rage, and Turtles in Time had pretty much evolved the genre as far as it would go. Somehow, this game takes the innovations of the 16-bit era and discarded them entirely and decides to be a neon colored, clunky mess.

    Take the controls, for example. While the button layout is pretty natural and fits with the style of the game, the execution of the button presses feel like sludgy trash. This, coupled with the awkward collision detection, make the game a frustrating nightmare. You end up taking a bunch of damage from enemies because of delayed reactions from your character. You miss hitting guys because you are outside of their hit box even when you are right in their faces. You miss hitting guys because they were immune to your swings, even though they didn't give you any kind of visual cue. Even Mike Tyson blinked before he beat you up in "Punchout"! Bad controls are 1988 jank that have no business in a 2012 release.

    Even with the control issues, I was able to finish the game in 2 hours. For a 10 dollar price tag, this is entirely too short. They try to encourage multiple playthroughs by adding in powerups, co-op and unlockable difficulty settings, but none of these things make the game not play like hot garbage.

    I ran into a few game breaking bugs, including one where an enemy would get stuck on the environment and would not allow me to advance in the level.

    To deviate from the original game, they added unlockable power ups and stores to buy things within the levels themselves. I bought a bunch of extra lives. When I continued my save the next day, all of the lives I purchased were gone.

    I get that nostalgia is all the rage, but putting out bad titles and slapping familiar names on them is insulting to our intelligence as gamers, and I hope that people will stop encouraging these lazy cash grabs by putting their wallets back in their pockets.    … Expand
  17. Bhurak
    Sep 17, 2012
    10
    A surprisingly excellent game. This game should not be seen as some cheap port or a quick cash grab for nostalgia. This is not the failure of the TMNT remake from a few years ago. Instead, it is a lovingly produced game with many references to Double Dragon and many other classic video games, and comedic (and sometimes just silly) use of the 80's setting. It takes many cues fromA surprisingly excellent game. This game should not be seen as some cheap port or a quick cash grab for nostalgia. This is not the failure of the TMNT remake from a few years ago. Instead, it is a lovingly produced game with many references to Double Dragon and many other classic video games, and comedic (and sometimes just silly) use of the 80's setting. It takes many cues from classic beat-em-ups but adds a nice upgrade mechanic and a number of selectable special attacks. This adds enough depth to motivate you to play all the way though as you enjoy the scenes, over-the-top story, and amazing music. Don't be put off by some of the screenshots or gameplay videos, it plays great. Cheap, deep enough, and super fun! Enjoy!… Expand
  18. JazGalaxy
    Sep 16, 2012
    9
    Dd neon is one of the most surprisingly amazing ages I've played all year, and for many years prior. Its the beat me up I've always wanted minus a few small flaws. The overall goal of the game seemed to be that the developers didn't want to make a button masher. In this, they succeeded with flying colors and o the apparent ire of game critics. It's a highly technical game that is a joy toDd neon is one of the most surprisingly amazing ages I've played all year, and for many years prior. Its the beat me up I've always wanted minus a few small flaws. The overall goal of the game seemed to be that the developers didn't want to make a button masher. In this, they succeeded with flying colors and o the apparent ire of game critics. It's a highly technical game that is a joy to play. There's no spazzing out on the controls and hoping to do something tht looks cool on screen and makes you feel good about yourself. If you don't play with your brain, the game will feel sluggish. The benefit, though, is that you actually CAN play with your brain which is incredibly rare for this genre. Moreover, if you get hit, you know it's because you screwed up, and there's never a doubt in your mind that good players can play through the whole game without taking damage. The games sense of humor is at the same time outlandish and yet wittily restrained. For instance, one second the main villain is calling you "knob sniffer" and the next second billy will have picked up a gun, and instead if using it to shoot, will either beat people with it or throw it at them. The restraint at the joke is what gives Dan it's sence of wit and masterfully aiming at both being clever and vulgar. In the end, people who dislike the game seem to be ad that it doesn't play like a remake of the old games, and then seem to add on "and nobody wants to play those games anyhow". On the contrary, if you love engaging games that force you to pay attention, and even ask you to replay scenes when your skills don't yet meet the challenge, this game is a gift from heaven for you.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

84
#84 Most Discussed PS3 Game of 2012
63
#63 Most Shared PS3 Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
71

Mixed or average reviews - based on 20 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 10 out of 20
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 20
  3. Negative: 2 out of 20
  1. CD-Action
    Nov 29, 2012
    60
    Double Dragon Neon can be very frustrating, because it's unforgiving, fighting mechanics are a bit clumsy and the main character is sluggish. That's how you played games back in the day. Fortunately you don't have to anymore. [CD-Action 13/2012, p.79]
  2. Play UK
    Nov 27, 2012
    37
    This is just a pretty bad game. [Issue#224, p.81]
  3. Eurogamer Italy
    Oct 26, 2012
    70
    If you're an old beat'em up lover, you can't miss Double Dragon Neon.
    Read full review
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