S4E15: Double Dragon and Double Dragon 2 -or- Brothers in Arms
Key Takeaways
- Scharonne from 40 Something Gamers joins Mike and Jaymo to review the NES classics Double Dragon and Double Dragon II: The Revenge.
- The hosts discuss how both games changed when they were ported from the arcade to the home console and evaluate if the losses were worth it.
- The episode explores the chaotic charm of 90s video game movies, highlighting the Los Angeles-set mayhem of the 1994 Double Dragon film.
- Listeners get a deep dive into some of the most unforgivable video game manuals of all time, particularly for the Double Dragon franchise.
- Scharonne shares insights about his artistic influences and his podcasting journey on 40 Something Gamers.
Scharonne from 40 Something Gamers brings a beat down in beat’em ups Double Dragon (NES, 1988) and Double Dragon II: The Revenge (NES, 1990) with Mike and Jaymo as part of The Old SwitchAroo’s epic quest to research and review every retro game in Nintendo Switch Online’s Nintendo Classics catalog.
In this episode, Scharonne shares his artistic influences, we look at how Double Dragon and Double Dragon II: The Revenge changed when they were both ported from the arcade to the home console and wonder if the losses were worth it, the charm that came from 90s video game movies including the Los Angeles-set mayhem of 1994’s Double Dragon movie, and Jaymo may find some vindication about Zelda II. Finally, Double Dragon may have one of the most unforgivable video game manuals of all time.
Thanks for listening, and a very special thanks to Kristal Fields of The Lazy Circles for our catchy theme song! Subscribe to The Old SwitchAroo to get more retro goodness delivered straight to your feed! You can also join the fun on https://www.theoldswitcharoo.com, where you'll find links to our Discord, social media, and so much more!
Game on, everyone.
(0:00) Intro
(1:20) Welcoming Scharonne from 40 Something Gamers
(7:15) Double Dragon
(36:43) NintenDIS-or-DAT
(39:22) Double Dragon (con’t)
(43:17) Double Dragon II: The Revenge
(1:08:30) NintenDO or NintenDON’T
Check out Scharonne on the 40 Something Gamers podcast on all podcast platforms, including Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3YfII057Bl61WCY5WPWkIE
Double Dragon manual: https://www.thegameisafootarcade.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Double-Dragon-Game-Manual-1.pdf
Double Dragon II manual: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/clv/manuals/en/pdf/CLV-P-NACHE.pdf
The Man Who Created Double Dragon by Matt Leone | Polygon: https://www.polygon.com/2012/10/12/3495124/the-man-who-created-double-dragon/
“Did Double Dragon have the most random redesigns of any game heroes? The answer: YES!” | NeoGAF: https://www.neogaf.com/threads/did-double-dragon-have-the-most-random-redesigns-of-any-game-heroes-the-answer-yes.479304/
Double Dragon by LRock in 12:04 - SGDQ2018 | Games Done Quick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJ-VKdb2dNE
Double Dragon II: Wander of the Dragons | Metacritic: https://www.metacritic.com/game/double-dragon-ii-wander-of-the-dragons/
The Double Dragon II remake is so bad you shouldn't even waste time reading this review by Chad Sapieha | Financial Post: http://business.financialpost.com/2013/04/09/the-double-dragon-ii-remake-is-so-bad-you-shouldnt-even-waste-time-reading-this-review/
Review: Double Dragon II: Wander of the Dragons by Nikola Suprak | Hard Core Gamer: https://web.archive.org/web/20190502161917/http://www.hardcoregamer.com/2013/04/18/review-double-dragon-ii-wander-of-the-dragons/
Double Dragon II: Wander Of The Dragons review – worst game ever by David Jenkins | Metro GameCentral: http://metro.co.uk/2013/04/15/double-dragon-ii-wander-of-the-dragons-review-worst-game-ever-3616685/
Double Dragon II: The Revenge by sinister1 in 13:01 - SGDQ2018 | Games Done Quick: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JrhLgH5Rhk0
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the guest on S4E15 of The Old SwitchAroo?
Scharonne from the 40 Something Gamers podcast joins Mike and Jaymo as the guest for this episode.
Which retro games are covered in this episode?
The hosts and their guest review the NES classics Double Dragon (1988) and Double Dragon II: The Revenge (1990) available on Nintendo Switch Online.
What is discussed regarding the Double Dragon ports?
Mike, Jaymo, and Scharonne look at how the games changed when they transitioned from the arcade to the home console and debate whether the changes were worth it.
