Double Dragon: Neon

 Xbox 360
User Score
7.4

Mixed or average reviews- based on 52 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 34 out of 52
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 52
  3. Negative: 9 out of 52

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  1. Protec
    May 31, 2013
    10
    One of the best XBOX 360 arcade games i've ever played. Fun, filled with 80's easter eggs, great humour, great gameplay and on top of that: Difficult. This game is for those who love good old Beat Em Up's like Final Fight or Streets Of Rage. Music is great...this game has the most 80s vibe than any else game.
  2. Pericles83
    Sep 22, 2012
    8
    Great game! Doesnt have the same vibe from the old double dragon games but its a great beat-em up and for only 800 microsoft points, a must buy for all the fans of the genre.
  3. bbrightside
    Sep 17, 2012
    9
    Don't be fooled by the low scores Beat-em Up fans Double Dragon Neon is a game you need on your radar!

    At the first announcement of WayForward remaking Double Dragon I was a tad sceptical and the first screen shots didn't help this feeling. Though the team have pulled through and the finished product exceeded all expectations. This game bleeds style like a rare steak from its cell    Don't be fooled by the low scores Beat-em Up fans Double Dragon Neon is a game you need on your radar!

    At the first announcement of WayForward remaking Double Dragon I was a tad sceptical and the first screen shots didn't help this feeling. Though the team have pulled through and the finished product exceeded all expectations. This game bleeds style like a rare steak from its cell shaded neon infused art style, 80s influence and referential humour. The story is as simple as can be, one day thugs take your girl and you'll have to fight tooth and nail to get her back. Fighting on the city streets, country side, laboratories and others locations that need to be witnessed first hand. Skills and fighting styles are earned by collecting mixtapes; skills vary from a spinning kick to a screen clearing dragon attack and styles are to cater to the way each persons play-style, having a rough time? Equip the "training wheels" style or do you want to abuse fireballs? use the "Magic gambit" style. Both can be levelled up at the various stores and collected through normal gameplay.

    On the topic of Mix tapes the games soundtrack has to be the best part of this game Jake Kaufman's work really makes the game flow and a lot of effort was put into the games sound design (All the mixtapes in the game have their own little jingles that each show the 80's influences and the OST is free on his bandcamp). The cast of voices have a refined cheesy vocabulary that fits well into the aesthetic, Minions will cartwheel on screen yelling out "Gymnastics!" as their battle cry. The Bosses are very creative to fight and require some skill and strategy to defeat (the final boss can feel a bit cheap). Minion feel a little repetitive but their designs vary over the levels and new foes are introduced all the way til the final stages. The game currently has some small issues from launch but a patch is already on the way and the bugs did not affect my gameplay. The game is short running about 2.5 hours on a single play through. Re-playability comes in the style of higher difficulties and maxing out your mixtapes. The game supports drop-in, drop-out local co-op but currently lacks a online feature.

    For $10 you really can't go wrong, Double Dragon Neon is one of the finer remakes of this generation that would be a shame to miss.    … Expand
  4. TheGunhaver
    Sep 19, 2012
    8
    I'm a little disappointed at some of the low review scores for this game. My friend and I have been playing Double Dragon and having a blast. The slower, deliberate pacing and controls might require a bit to get used to if you've been hammering on modern beat-em-ups like Castle Crashers, Shank, or Scott Pilgrim, but after a while they'll click into an all-too-familiar rhythm. The gameI'm a little disappointed at some of the low review scores for this game. My friend and I have been playing Double Dragon and having a blast. The slower, deliberate pacing and controls might require a bit to get used to if you've been hammering on modern beat-em-ups like Castle Crashers, Shank, or Scott Pilgrim, but after a while they'll click into an all-too-familiar rhythm. The game can get a bit grindy once you get further into the game, but the solid fighting and high-fiving, bro-action silliness keep it lively. If you've got a buddy willing to plunk down $5 alongside you, chances are you'll be high-fiving each other right alongside the Lee brothers.… Expand
  5. StarlessBB
    Sep 13, 2012
    6
    I'll be honest, ever since the first trailer for this game I thought it was going to be absolute garbage. And this game completely defied all my expectations. It's a really fun game with only a few major shortcomings that down the score to the 6 I'm giving it. The first thing you really notice is the Street Fighter 4 styled visuals which look pretty good, although it is a little weirdI'll be honest, ever since the first trailer for this game I thought it was going to be absolute garbage. And this game completely defied all my expectations. It's a really fun game with only a few major shortcomings that down the score to the 6 I'm giving it. The first thing you really notice is the Street Fighter 4 styled visuals which look pretty good, although it is a little weird coming from WayForward, known for great looking 2D sprites. The second thing is the awesome 80's as hell soundtrack. And then the humor in the game, which is fantastic. It's really funny, and also the references to other games (even Diablo 2) are always nice to catch and bring a smile to your face. The combat is a little awkward to get used to at first but you sort of get the hang of it after a while. It is a pretty non-standard style of play for the genre but it works well, especially with 2 players. The shortcomings of the game sadly bog down the experience to one I would pay 5 dollars for rather than the 10 dollar asking price. For one, the combat isn't perfect, it's really not good enough to uphold the whole experience. I'd much rather go back and play the first game or the second game. Pretty much the biggest gripe I had with the combat was the grappling system. Remember in the first and second games you would grab woman by the hair and knee them in the face? Or grab men by the neck, and beat their face in with your fist? That doesn't happen in this game, the grapple is relegated to a stupid dinky little throw you can only do to certain enemies when they're stunned. The game lacks all the brutality of the old Double Dragon games, which while that may suit the cartoony 80's style they have going on, doesn't make the combat feel very fun or satisfying. That's just a minor gripe with the combat though, the biggest issues are how short the game is, and the lack of replay value. Aside form replaying the game on higher difficulties there's not much replay value, ESPECIALLY for a short game without much variety. even with all the different moves and stances to level up it doesn't really seem like the game you'll be going back to. Also an issue is - who is this game for? I mean, it's not Double Dragon enough for the Double Dragon fans, and it's too 80's for anyone who didn't own an NES as a kid. All in all I'd wait for a 5 dollar price and romp through it with a friend.… Expand
  6. City
    Apr 14, 2013
    8
    Double Dragon Neon se veut comme un hommage au beat'em all des années 90, tout en s'éloignant considérablement de l'esprit du titre originel, ce qui risque de lui aliéner les fans de la première heure. Pour les autres, ils prendront un certain plaisir parcourir, le temps de quelques heures, en solo mais surtout en duo, ce jeu de baston assez sympathique qui présente un challenge assezDouble Dragon Neon se veut comme un hommage au beat'em all des années 90, tout en s'éloignant considérablement de l'esprit du titre originel, ce qui risque de lui aliéner les fans de la première heure. Pour les autres, ils prendront un certain plaisir parcourir, le temps de quelques heures, en solo mais surtout en duo, ce jeu de baston assez sympathique qui présente un challenge assez relevé. Pas un chef d'oeuvre, mais un titre l'ancienne qui gagne néanmoins être essayé...… Expand
  7. Mr-Red
    Apr 14, 2013
    9
    Great Old-School-esque Co-Op! All things considered, I think this is a great game for $10. My friend
    and I played this yesterday and kept on playing straight-through to the end, despite retrying levels
    until we beat the game! I'm 29, so is my friend. I was really surprised this game held his attention so much, but it WAS an awesome 'bro-op experience' (a term I think the developer    Great Old-School-esque Co-Op! All things considered, I think this is a great game for $10. My friend
    and I played this yesterday and kept on playing straight-through to the end, despite retrying levels
    until we beat the game! I'm 29, so is my friend. I was really surprised this game held his attention
    so much, but it WAS an awesome 'bro-op experience' (a term I think the developer coined just for
    this game).

    I grew up in the 90s, not the 80s, but I still knew about Double Dragon games. I just never really
    played them. I've played Battletoads, Streets of Rage, Street Fighter, etc., but that's NOT the
    point. This game is similar to those games, perhaps lacking in one or two areas (like grappling), but it
    MORE than makes up for it with the rest of the game.

    You get 2 'mixtape slots'- basically 1 for powers and 1 that grants different stats & sometimes
    special abilities. This keeps things interesting, similar to a loot-fest, trying to get better
    mixtapes. Mixtapes also LEVEL UP (aka. stack) upon receiving a mixtape of the same name. I like it.
    It's KIND-OF an old-school school idea: power-ups, except these are persistent, level up, aka. have a
    modern twist. :D

    Also the MUSIC is great, poking fun at 80s songs, such as their original "He's A Maniac" and
    another song which sounds strangely like "Let's Get Physical", NOT to mention all the silly snippets
    of songs that you hear play (while paused) for each Power and Stance. The humor in general in this game is on-point with references, one-liners, and rocking it 80s style.

    Of course, this game took us 4 hours to beat, but it was a FUN 4 hours, and notice I never said this
    game was easy. Fun, yes, but it is challenging at times, and is meant to be played co-op. I REALLY
    do not see how someone could beat this game solo (nor do I get why you would want to...bro). For
    $10, 4 hours is enough. Don't MAKE me ask you to do math on that last $60 game you bought which only lasted you 20 hours.

    In the end, the replay value is moderate for this game and I DO wish they had a Versus mode that you
    could use to play against your friend after you beat the game, but all in all, it was still a great
    experience with my friend & it had us high-fivin', so I can't deny that. A lot of love went into
    this game & it shows. I give it 9/10. I have spent over 6 hours playing it so far and I don't regret buying it one bit, so...if you have a bro, I hope you will give it a chance.

    (P.S. Play the demo first if you're not sure, just know that if you buy it, your tapes from the demo won't carry over.)    … Expand
  8. Yaar
    May 4, 2013
    10
    It has been a long time since I played a game where it was so obvious that the developers loved their game and its source material than Double Dragon Neon. This game, it's amazing sound track by Jake Kaufman and it's surprisingly deep brawler game-play warrants several play thorough to see and do all it has to offer. Whether single player or bro-op it's a hype experience from start toIt has been a long time since I played a game where it was so obvious that the developers loved their game and its source material than Double Dragon Neon. This game, it's amazing sound track by Jake Kaufman and it's surprisingly deep brawler game-play warrants several play thorough to see and do all it has to offer. Whether single player or bro-op it's a hype experience from start to finish that never takes itself seriously.… Expand
  9. Steyraus
    Aug 26, 2020
    9
    Great game about as good as this genre will get. Fell true to the old games and has new moves and attacks to learn. Ahead of it time but much appreciated by OG beat em up fans.
  10. Alex_Pilgrim008
    Apr 2, 2023
    7
    This Double Dragon update features the aesthetic of a 1980's Saturday morning cartoon. It looks great and is a lot of goofy fun. Some fans of the original game may not care for the cartoon-style animation or the constant jokes. But the combat stays true to the spirit of the franchise. In fact, it almost feels like a spiritual sequel to the Super Nintendo's Super Double Dragon. Fans of theThis Double Dragon update features the aesthetic of a 1980's Saturday morning cartoon. It looks great and is a lot of goofy fun. Some fans of the original game may not care for the cartoon-style animation or the constant jokes. But the combat stays true to the spirit of the franchise. In fact, it almost feels like a spiritual sequel to the Super Nintendo's Super Double Dragon. Fans of the similar-themed Far Cry 3: Blood Dragon should have a blast with this. At only $10, this is a real deal for beat 'em up fans. I would rate it with a 7.6 out of 10.… Expand
  11. aljirik1992
    Oct 21, 2019
    6
    Старикам ли тут место?

    За 25 лет существования серии, DDN утвердительно отказалась взрослеть и, без вразумительной завязки, бросает новичков в "броский" геймплей, что предполагаемо должно порадовать старичков, вот только надежда даётся ложная. Уже после 7 минут прохождения, ощущается нагромождение механик, которые совсем нелишние, но реализованы не лучшим образом, в частности, из-за    Старикам ли тут место?

    За 25 лет существования серии, DDN утвердительно отказалась взрослеть и, без вразумительной завязки, бросает новичков в "броский" геймплей, что предполагаемо должно порадовать старичков, вот только надежда даётся ложная. Уже после 7 минут прохождения, ощущается нагромождение механик, которые совсем нелишние, но реализованы не лучшим образом, в частности, из-за музыки играющей на фоне, потому что банально ритм сражения от неё отстаёт. Является ли звуковое сопровождение, в отрыве, плохим? Нет, ровно, как и приятные пасхалки в представлении некоторых противников и отсылки к предыдущим частям в диалогах, что добавляют плюс в карму, однако темп из-за этого рушится всё равно. Бесспорным достоинством для умирающей эры посиделок с друзьями на хате, тут будет локальный кооператив и пул боссов, что, к сожалению, не спасает от проблемы указанной выше. В итоге, дойти до титров не проблематично, куда сложнее после режима NORMAL запустить HARD и вновь пройти нудный путь под светом неоновых огней.    … Expand
  12. Awanka
    Dec 28, 2022
    3
    I only played it for two levels, but I did not have fun at all. It is somehow worse than the original Double Dragon. Input controls are ambiguous. You'll try to pick up a weapon but will grab an enemy instead. The enemies themselves are annoying. There doesn't seem to be a way to reliably avoid attacks. Enemy attacks are fast, very difficult to dodge, and they'll shrug off yourI only played it for two levels, but I did not have fun at all. It is somehow worse than the original Double Dragon. Input controls are ambiguous. You'll try to pick up a weapon but will grab an enemy instead. The enemies themselves are annoying. There doesn't seem to be a way to reliably avoid attacks. Enemy attacks are fast, very difficult to dodge, and they'll shrug off your attacks, so you can't stun them with combos like most of these games. That might sound great to you in theory, but it really breaks the flow of combat. 2-D beat-em-ups aren't supposed to be that deep. This game tries to diversify the combat, but just end up making it a painful experience.

    Chalk it up to my own personal experience. It's worth a quick try to judge for yourself.    … Expand
  13. MrJPrime
    Jul 9, 2022
    8
    What a hidden gem. 2022 and just now finally getting around to playing this. Fun rpg elements on top of a very solid beat-em up engine. Highly recommend.

Awards & Rankings

94
#94 Most Shared Xbox 360 Game of 2012

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
66

Mixed or average reviews - based on 25 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 25
  2. Mixed: 16 out of 25
  3. Negative: 1 out of 25
  1. X-ONE Magazine UK
    Dec 1, 2012
    60
    Not anywhere near as good as Streets of Rage 2, which came out 20 years ago. That said, it's fun, and more importantly knows that it's outdated. [Issue#91, p.87]
  2. Official Xbox Magazine UK
    Nov 16, 2012
    60
    Fine combat, badly balanced. [Dec 2012, p.103]
  3. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Nov 4, 2012
    70
    Nice resurrection of the classic fighting game will probably discourage many modern gamers because of its excessive difficulty. This one is only for the toughest. [Nov 2012]
See all critic reviews »