Double Dragon Neon is a fighting game in the long-running brawler franchise created to commemorate the original game’s 25th anniversary. As in the original title, Billy Lee and Jimmy Lee are the protagonists. Marian must be rescued, kidnapped by the Shadow Warriors gang and its leader Skullmageddon. With various surprises, the game incorporates numerous aspects and elements from the original three Double Dragon games. The game is now in 3D, with an eighties neon aesthetic, an electro soundtrack, and many references to American society.
The game is divided into ten levels, beginning with ordinary city streets and progressing through an outer space dojo, an Asian countryside, a laboratory, a graveyard, and eventually, Skullmageddon’s palace. At the end of most stages, there is a boss. Actions are carried out using three primary buttons: punch, kick, and throw. These can be combined in a variety of ways. Throws are often only possible after foes are stunned by a succession of assaults. A new feature is the ability to sprint at adversaries and perform two attacks. There are two sorts of jumping attacks that can be done while jumping. A duck button is utilized for two extra attacks: leg sweeps and high knee kicks. Duck can also be used to deliver a ‘gleam’ if it is successfully timed to dodge an impending attack. The character glows red and deals twice the damage for a short time. A finisher move can be executed when an enemy is on the ground.
In addition to the battling, there are obstacles to dodge and jumping sequences. Weapons such as rifles, baseball bats, whips, bombs, and fans are left behind by enemies and can be picked up to assault or throw. The game promotes collaborative play with another player. In a two-player game, the characters can split and share their life meters by high-fiving each other. Another talent is ‘psych,’ which allows the other character to be pushed out of harm’s way or made to fall over to escape a difficult situation. A high-five can be used to pass on gleam. There are three different kinds of high-fives, which can be performed by leaping across the screen. If one player dies, the other can steal a life if there are at least two left. There’s also the ability to activate friendly fire.
Sodas can be found along the path to refresh health, batteries to charge magic, different lives, cash, and Mythril (after killing a boss). These are frequently concealed in destructible things. Two talents are obtained by picking up songs or purchasing them from tape-smiths in-game shops, where they can be forged into mix tapes. Sosetsitsu magic is provided on the A side, while a stance is provided on the B side. Stances are passive abilities that have varying effects on stats. These can be improved by spending money. Magic is enhanced by the rarer mythril obtained from bosses. Magic allows you to perform a special attack when a meter is full. These include solid kicks, combos, and a dragon who flames the entire screen. Magic and stances can be switched at any time. After unlocking a level, it can be played without completing the whole game.
