Double Dragon is a beat ’em up video game series initially developed by Technōs Japan and released as an arcade game in 1987. The series features twin martial artists, Billy and Jimmy Lee, as they fight against various adversaries and rivals.

The original Double Dragon was a hit arcade video game,^[1] ushering in a “Golden Age” for the beat ’em up genre,^[2][3] resulting in a flood of beat ’em ups during the late 1980s^[3] to 1990s that followed the conventions set by Double Dragon.^[4] A 1993 animated series and 1994 live-action film adaptation were produced; these adaptations were widely-panned by critics and audiences.^[5]

The franchise is now the property of Arc System Works, the company that ported the original Double Dragon to the Master System console in 1988.^[6]

Game series

The first game, Double Dragon, was released in the arcades in 1987. A Nintendo Entertainment System version produced by Technōs was released in 1988, followed by a Game Boy version in 1990. Various licensed versions were also produced by other developers for gaming platforms such as the Master System, Atari 2600, Atari 7800, Genesis, Atari Lynx and for home computers.

Two Double Dragon sequels were released for the arcade: Double Dragon II: The Revenge in 1988 and Double Dragon 3: The Rosetta Stone in 1990. Like the original, Technōs produced versions for the NES (Double Dragon II: The Revenge in 1989 and Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones in 1991, respectively).

In 1991, a game titled Double Dragon II, unrelated to its arcade and NES counterpart, was released for the Game Boy.

Gameplay

The gameplay in most of the games takes place in a pseudo 3D perspective like in Renegade and later beat-’em-ups, in which the player character can move in four directions but are always facing left or right. The player can perform a variety of unarmed fighting techniques against their enemies, as well use melee weapons such as baseball bats and throwing knives normally obtained from enemies. In some installments, there are techniques that can be done in combination with another player.

Characters

Lee Brothers

Billy and Jimmy Lee, as depicted on the packaging artwork of Double Dragon Advance. Their poses in this image were modeled after the fight between Bruce Lee and Chuck Norris in Way of the Dragon.^{[citation needed]}

For most of the series, players take control of martial artist William “Billy” Lee, who battles against various adversaries such as gang members and rival fighters. He is often assisted by his elder twin brother James “Jimmy” Lee, who usually serves as the second player’s character in most of the games. The Lee brothers are characterized as successors of a fictional martial art known as Sōsetsuken (双截拳, “Twin Sever Fist”, also known as Sōsaiken), which combines techniques from other styles such as karate, tai chi and Shorinji Kempo.^[12]