As your typical “'90s kid,” the more I learned about the 1980s, the more grateful I became that I didn’t grow up in it. That bubblegum pop on the radio stations, those corny television shows like He-Man, the Reagan Administration; it all sounded so bizarre to me as a kid in the '90s, and back then, I never wanted to associate myself with it. But as I grew up, I realized that the 1980’s also brought us some incredible video game series, one of which was Double Dragon. Even as a kid during the age of the Super Nintendo and Nintendo 64, Double Dragon remained an experience that transcended generations, one that never strayed from its strengths in the visceral beat-em-up genre. In the words of Matt Kowalewski, “it was pure. It was innocent.” So leave it to WayForward, the modern masters of retro-era revitalization, to tackle the challenge for a new Double Dragon, with Abstraction Games bringing the game to Steam. Double Dragon Neon embodies everything goofy and obscure about the '80s, but in combining it with a pitch-perfect representation of the series’ legendary gameplay and design, that goofy and obscure vibe isn’t annoying. In fact, it’s more than welcome.

Double Dragon Neon pays tribute to the original NES classic in a number of interesting ways. The story follows the classic heroes of Billy and Jimmy Lee in their journey to rescue the kidnapped Marian. After taking out a number of enemies, the main villain, Skullmageddon shows his face. The rest of the game stays true to the original with the duo beating down thugs to reach Marian. Though the story isn’t anything complex, WayForward and Abstraction Games put forth a ton of effort to give Double Dragon Neon its own identity. The game is chock full of nostalgic references; from the synth bubblegum pop themes to the use of cassettes as power-ups to the pointing Power Glove that tells you to run right, Double Dragon Neon is the purest essence of the 1980’s. Whether it’s a movie, a band, or some obscure pop culture fad that appeared in the decade, you’re bound to find some trace of it in Double Dragon Neon. Skullmageddon himself is a blatant parody of another skull-faced cartoon antagonist from the 1980’s, nasally cackle and all. The amount of reverence that WayForward put toward the 1980’s vibe is shocking, but it makes Double Dragon Neon a surprisingly intelligent use of chronological satire that doesn’t look, sound or feel forced in the least.

Like its predecessors, Double Dragon Neon is a side-scrolling beat-em-up; just get to the goal while fighting some thugs and you’re golden. You get all of the mainstays that the original Double Dragon used: combos, grabs, dodges, weapons, hazards and all the rest are available. The fighting system is quite limited compared to many other beat-em-ups on Steam like Castle Crashers or Shank; you won’t find many over-the-top combos to learn and there are very few moves to enhance your skillset. It’s extremely bare-bones. However, the plentiful number of enemy types, weapons and environmental hazards add a strong amount of variety to each challenge. One notable annoyance, however, is movement, which is reserved to the typical planar system. You can’t punch someone unless they’re on your horizontal plane, so if they’re closer to the bottom or top of the screen than you are, your options are few. Though this stays true to the original Double Dragon’s gameplay, with so many other games opening up the combat zones and offering more multi-dimensional move types, it can seem obnoxiously archaic.

Like many beat-em-ups, the goal is to reach the end of a stage while beating up anyone in your way. The typical level in Double Dragon Neon involves walking right until enemies appear and you’re unable to progress until they’re all taken out. The structure may sound limiting and too straightforward for some, but the variety comes from the level designs themselves. You’ll be fighting enemies ranging from ninjas to zombies to good ol’ Abobo, each one offering unique challenges and requiring new tactics to defeat. Weapons like bats, knives, fans, swords and combs add dimension to combat, adding in some ranged abilities along with close quarters combat. The environments also have barrels and bombs to use in combat as well, so each level provides some cool new tools to use in combat. Because of this, the combat rarely reaches a stale state. Beat-em-ups have always had the concept of tedium lurking behind them, but the greatest ones were able to combat that monotony by offering fresh mechanics in their levels. Double Dragon Neon has its moments of repetition at times, but for the most part, it dodges the bullet of tedium with its level design impressively.

If you’re up for more customizability in your beat-em-up, Double Dragon Neon has you covered as well. The Sosetsitsu and Stance powers allow you to add modifiers and techniques to your character. Sosetsitsus offer new attacks like fireballs, flying knee attacks or even a giant dragon, while Stances are constant modifiers that improve things like attack power, defense or magic. These powers appear on cassettes in-game and can be upgraded at the local “tapesmith” for improved performance. They’re definitely welcome and add some fresh appeal to gameplay, but there aren’t many of them and they rarely offer as much variety as the levels themselves do.

Double Dragon Neon further channels the spirit of classic beat-em-ups with its emphasis on cooperative multiplayer. Two players can team up in combat and offer twice the fisticuffs to take out enemies. Without a doubt, Double Dragon Neon is a standout title in cooperative multiplayer. WayForward and Abstraction have provided considerable attention to using combat intelligently with two players, offering a number of cooperative techniques and even some more devious mechanics like stealing lives from your partner. It never reaches the realm of awkwardness, even in the more harrowing moments; it really feels built for co-op. The Steam release of Double Dragon Neon is the first to offer online multiplayer in addition to the traditional local co-op of the PSN/XBLA versions, and while the game is best played locally, the addition of online co-op is very welcome, opening doors for you and those on your Steam friends list.

But this isn’t to say that the game is bad when solo; Double Dragon Neon is still a competent and complete package in single-player, offering numerous unlockables and difficulty levels for the lone wolf as well. It’s not a long game, though; it can be completed in just a handful of hours, but it’s certainly no cakewalk. It’s difficult with its lack of checkpoints and slightly lengthy levels, but it’s never a chore. Even in its moments of repetitiveness and slightly long-windedness, Double Dragon Neon is a joy to play.

While it doesn’t share the retro pixel art of its forebearers, Double Dragon Neon is a stylish rendition of the classic franchise. The bright neon colors that have become synonymous with 80’s flare are nearly always on display. Character models are cleaner, but still portray their legendary roles with no serious complications. The moves are as flashy as ever, with shimmering light emitting from the Gleam power and plenty of noticeable references to 80’s pop culture. Frame rates are fluid, animations are extremely expressive, and the levels even get chances to deviate from the norm with new aesthetic designs (such as some levels which offer battles in a silhouette room). The music is by far a standout, with 1980’s anthems and pop tracks filling the playlist. The music even changes depending on which cassette you equip, and the final symphony from the game’s villain is one of the goofiest, most enjoyable musical moments in any game. When it comes to evolving the vibe, but still staying pure to said vibe, Double Dragon Neon is a classic game with a great amount of new-age polish.

Closing Comments:

WayForward have earned a huge reputation for respecting the retro age for the current generation and Double Dragon Neon is a great example of how good they are at making the old feel new again. Its respect for the age of its predecessor borders on obsessive, but that sense of respect is what makes Double Dragon Neon laugh-out-loud cheesy fun. But behind that flashing neon sign stands a beat-em-up that, while still in the past, holds up remarkably well in the present. The movelist is sparse and the movement controls are rather cumbersome, but there’s a ton of variety in the levels. The enemy and weapon diversity makes up for the slightly reserved basic combat, which shines the brightest with a friend. Abstraction Games has also put their best foot forward with online play and some excellent PC porting, making the Steam version the definitive edition. Double Dragon Neon is a game that disguises its hardcore gameplay within a constantly entertaining 80’s nostalgia-filled fever dream. It’s never serious and it never tries to modernize when it doesn’t need to, and that’s what makes Double Dragon Neon such an excellent example of a reborn classic.

Version Reviewed: PC