DuckandCover Posted May 29, 2002 Share Posted May 29, 2002 I recently obtained a copy of Activision's Double Dragon cart for the 2600. I had always been somewhat curious to see how the game fared when ported to the VCS. In terms of graphics, it isn't bad. However, when it comes to playing the game... I'M CONSTANTLY GETTING STOMPED INTO THE CONCRETE!!! After playing a few rounds, I felt it was a huge accomplishment when I managed to knock out ONE of the bad guys. Is it just me, or are the controls on this one pretty unresponsive? It seems like the baddies can lay five hits on me for every one I can produce. Does anyone have any hints on how to get ahead with this game? Or am I doomed to frustration? [ 05-28-2002: Message edited by: duckandcover ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted May 29, 2002 Share Posted May 29, 2002 Don't get frustrated, here is what The Video Game Critic writes about Double Dragon: Double Dragon (Activision 1989) F Considering when this title was released (late 80s), it is surprisingly horrendous. Double Dragon is all about walking the streets and kicking some ass. These side-scrolling fighters were hugely popular on most 8 and 16 bit game systems. But in this version the characters are tiny, and their moves are not represented well on screen. Press a button and a small appendage appears. Whoopee. Attempting to perform special moves is a demonstration in futility! The fighters never seem to actually make CONTACT with each other, and it's hard to tell what the heck's going on (did I hit him, or did he hit ME?!). Even worse, once a bad guy lands a shot, you tend to lose control as your man proceeds to get beaten to a pulp. I'd recommend joining a gang before I'd recommend buying this game. Besides, all the cool kids are doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcprs1 Posted May 29, 2002 Share Posted May 29, 2002 One piece of advice, stick and move. If you go in and try to duke it out, you will get destroyed. I find the best thing to do is wait for them to get close, hit em and back off. One of these days, I am going to get together a video clip to show how to beat the game. In the meantime, you can check out a map on my webpage that shows that the game can be beaten. It took me many hours of play and frustration, but I eventually got through it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DuckandCover Posted May 30, 2002 Author Share Posted May 30, 2002 Pretty awesome map, Quest! Thanks for directing me to it! The hit and run tactics seem to work a lot better, but I can tell it will take a lot of practice to get anywhere. Oh, well....patience, patience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Atari Posted May 31, 2002 Share Posted May 31, 2002 Here's what I wrote for Atarinvader: I would have never thought this possible. This game contains some of the best graphics seen on the 2600, and no flicker!!! Brought to us by the almost always dependable Activision, this game has been given a bad reputation by the poor control, which is sad, if you can get past that it really is a pretty good game. It's obvious that the programmers were trying to make the levels look as close as possible to the arcade's, and they did a fairly well job. Although for the 2600 they're A+, the characters don't even resemble the arcade's characters. Billy and Jimmy don't wear blue and red. Still, this isn't too much of a problem. The music is also top notch, it repeats for a good part of the game, but it's well done and not to annoying. The real problem here is the enemies. Your main enemies are generic thugs (I guess their Ropers/Williams), Lindas, and the killer Abobo. Of all these characters, Abobo will pound you the most, unless you can get the hang of the controls. The controls are the really bad thing about this version. They are hard to pull off with the 2600 joystick (easier with a keyboard, using an emulator), and the enemies are incredibly tough. Until you become a pro at the controls, you won't make it past the first screen without losing some important life, and in this version you need all the life you can get. Lindas are the easiest, but give them a chance, and even they will overcome you. The only other thing that hurts this port is the small characters. If you're sitting from a distance, it can be hard to tell what your character just did, especially when it comes to punching and elbow smashing. But with no flicker, you can sit a little closer to the TV and not make your eyes hurt. So overall, this is a mostly enjoyable version, and my white label PAL release is one of the prizes of my collection (traded to me by one Will Luton, the owner of this site!), and it is an asset to any 2600 collectors library. Although using a joystick is killer on the wrist, this can be overcome once you get used to the game's control system. Hopefully more people will see this game as it really is, an excellent release by Activision, one of their last. Final rating: B+. HINT: when fighting an enemy, don't give him/her an open shot! Not much to help you with controls, but who knows. I always instantly move down, kick the guy to death, wait for the other to move down, repeat. Jump kick Lindas ALWAYS. Abobo: do the best you can. NOTE: I was playing the PAL version on my emulator unknowingly, so Billy and Jimmy's clothes didn't appear blue and red. However, in the actual NTSC release, they are indeed blue and red. Just wanted to clear that up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted May 31, 2002 Share Posted May 31, 2002 Maybe the PAL version is a bit better playable due to the slower gameplay? BTW: Will there be ever any homebrew reviews on Atari Invader? [ 05-31-2002: Message edited by: Thomas Jentzsch ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nateo Posted May 31, 2002 Share Posted May 31, 2002 Of course, that DD review is coming from a huge DD fan... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Atari Posted May 31, 2002 Share Posted May 31, 2002 quoteBTW: Will there be ever any homebrew reviews on Atari Invader? Already is my friend, I'll post the link. quoteOf course, that DD review is coming from a huge DD fan... *King Atari is happy*. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Atari Posted May 31, 2002 Share Posted May 31, 2002 AHHHH! It goes to the front page, as the address doesn't change. Simply go to Atarinvader, click on articles, scroll down, and click on homebrew mini reviews. Also check out Stan's excellent article about homebrews. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jentzsch Posted May 31, 2002 Share Posted May 31, 2002 quote: Originally posted by King Atari: AHHHH! It goes to the front page, as the address doesn't change. Simply go to Atarinvader, click on articles, scroll down, and click on homebrew mini reviews. Also check out Stan's excellent article about homebrews. Thanks! But I'm a bit depressed, because Stan didn't put Thrust into his top 5. [ 05-31-2002: Message edited by: Thomas Jentzsch ] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Atari Posted May 31, 2002 Share Posted May 31, 2002 SHHHH! DON'T TELL STAN, BUT I THINK HE'S GOOFY THAT WAY! OH! Uh, hiya, Stan, how ya doin'? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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