tbd
Stripped of the context of time (the 1980s) and space (the amusement arcade, where every life has a financial cost attached), that spell has been severely weakened.
65
Despite how fabulous the extra stuff is, though, Double Dragon IV just isn’t a good game. It is, however, a compelling and fascinating oddity. For franchise fans it’s a must-purchase, since it’s as much a historical trip as it is a new entry. While I can’t recommend it based on gameplay, the fact that it’s such a straight-faced resurrection of a long-dead style alone makes it worth a look.
50
It does seem as though Arc System Works were relying entirely on the nostalgia to sell Double Dragon IV. And while it captures the essence of those original games it falls short of being a good game today simply because the original hasn’t aged well. It would have been pretty rockin' back in the 80s though.
7
A nostalgic sequel that looks and feels like the NES version of "Double Dragon II: The Revenge". Of course, it's not nearly as good. If this had been released in 1992, I'm sure it would've received mixed reviews by critics. As it stands, the game is a fun retro throwback, especially in two-player co-op. As you complete each level of the "Arcade" mode, you unlock characters for "Duel", which is a two-player versus game. And once you complete the Arcade mode, you unlock "Tower" which consists of 100 floors which can only be beaten with one life. As you progress, you unlock characters for "Arcade". An update added online play for all modes. Overall, I would rate this with a 7 out of 10.
8
Looks like crappy nes, port of Double Dragon. Sounds like nes, feels like NES, but...Plays better, has more moves, more animation, more sound, more everything. This is exactly as advertised. Enjoyed it a TON. Video on my YouTube: PLAYwithGREGG
4
Saying I had high hopes for this is an understatement. The NES series of Double Dragon games is like an old friend. Double Dragon II in particular remains one of my favorite games of all time. Seeing the familiar aesthetic in the preview screenshots filled me with an old sense of joy. Double Dragon II has returned! I was never particularly taken by the arcade series for a number of reasons. I always felt the controls were loose, the collision detection was inconsistent at best, and brutal at worst. The AI was cheap and reactive and combat felt "one-for-one". I knock you down. You get up and knock me down. Repeat. In contrast, Double Dragon II felt natural. The controls were tight. The enemies seemed to have distinct personalities (all 5 or 6 of them... this was NES after all.) Billy and Jimmy had a simplistic move set that was easy to get the hang of, but deadly when mastered. (Flying knee! KERPOW!) Combine this with memorable setpieces, an eerie atmosphere and combat that was just plain fun and you instantly have everything that Double Dragon IV is not. Sad, but true. Playing Double Dragon IV instantly evokes the frustration I felt playing the arcade versions of the game. Despite having a similar moveset (albeit with a few added extras) the brothers feel clumsy and lumbering. Enemies hover just outside the "hitbox" when you attack them and then manage to slip a few attacks between your flurry of punches. Hi Billy... this is floor. You'll be spending a lot of time together. The reactive AI from the arcades is in full force in this game. At one point I was surrounded by 7 enemies... who were standing dead still. Why were they doing this? They were watching me stand dead still. Tap the control two steps forward. Lo and behold, we all moved two steps together and then stopped dead. Two steps back? Guess what happened. It was like watching an 8-bit line dance where you knew as soon as someone throws a punch all hell was about to break loose. Eventually i did throw a punch which floated through the air like without connecting with so much as a pixel. What did connect was every single attack that was thrown my way. The line dance was over. Hmph. Everyone is a critic. After playing the game for 10 minutes I was already spamming the "rising" special attacks to clear through the enemies. In fact, this easiest way to play the game is to wait for an enemy to knock you over and then thin the crowd using a super uppercut or flying knee. Effective? Very. Fun? Not so much. Is it worth playing? Definitely, if you are a fan of the game. The retro aesthetic and feel is not the problem here. The mechanics feel broken. The storytelling is weak, and the memorable moments just aren't there. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll fire up Double Dragon II and take my frustrations out on some goons who don't mind a fair fight!
Double Dragon IV
Released On:
Jan 30, 2017
Metascore
Generally Unfavorable
49
User score
Mixed or Average
6.5
My Score
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Metascore
Generally Unfavorable
11% Positive
2 Reviews
2 Reviews
44% Mixed
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
44% Negative
8 Reviews
8 Reviews
Feb 13, 2017
83
Double Dragon IV is fun for a limited time. while it captures the look and feel of the classic games, it tends to get a bit stale and starts to grind on your nerves. Its awkward platforming and imperfect controls hinder the overall experience, while the lack of online play hurts as this game would be perfect for some drop in / drop out action! Overall, I still liked the entire package and can ignore its minor issues long enough to have a great time. New players may find it boring, while fans of the classic games will feel right at home. Pick this up if you want to try out what beat-em ups were like in the '80s!
Feb 7, 2017
60
Double Dragon IV is a sequel that came about three decades too late. While it’s a great follow-up to the games from the 8-bit era, it also unintentionally shines a light on the shortcomings of the time—which only the most diehard of fans will be able to overlook.
User score
Mixed or Average
47% Positive
15 Ratings
15 Ratings
28% Mixed
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
25% Negative
8 Ratings
8 Ratings
Feb 6, 2017
10
I read a bunch of reviews from many big gaming publications and it makes me wonder what's wrong with the management of those editorial agencies. They are clearly assigning work the wrong people. If your reviewer only knows about NASCAR you don't make him review a Formula 1 game. Reviewers need basic understanding of what a product is and to what kind of audience is the product designed for. This game was clearly designed for people who wanted a trip to the 80s, The game meets those requirements perfectly. There are no errors in accomplishing that purpose. The game is exactly what fans of the series wanted and therefore it deserves the highest recognition.
Feb 6, 2017
10
This game was designed specifically for those of us that love the NES trilogy. Double Dragon I & II had arcade counterparts that were well received, however Double Dragon III the predecessor to this game was best received on the NES since both the arcade version and the more powerful Genesis version that despite the "better" graphics they had, were not very good and gave the franchise a bad rep, however the NES version was the one people loved just like people loved the other 2 previous games. This one is the continuation of that awesome influential trilogy. Arc System Works took the necessary care to make this game released affordable for current platforms to look and feel exactly like those games people loved. If no one told you when this game was made, you would not be able to tell which one out of the 4 games was made in the 21th century, that's how awesome this game is, and that's how grateful are fans of the series for receiving a game made with the respect it deserves. Whether you are playing solo or co-op you would have a lot of fun finding better ways to approach different sections of the games and defeat enemies just like in the old good days. The difficulty level is perfect and the length is appropriate. It also has many unlockable characters to enjoy battleling your friends. I highly recommend it. It is definitely one of the best beat 'em up releases in recent years.
Jan 31, 2017
60
Arc System Work's staunch dedication to the retro aesthetic for Double Dragon IV is admirable, but still falls short of the mark even when juxtaposed to several of the series' own entries. Punch and kicking dudes as Billy and Jimmy still works, but many elements of IV just feel a little too off-brand for my liking.
Feb 16, 2017
50
It does seem as though Arc System Works were relying entirely on the nostalgia to sell Double Dragon IV. And while it captures the essence of those original games it falls short of being a good game today simply because the original hasn’t aged well. It would have been pretty rockin' back in the 80s though.
Feb 9, 2017
40
Sadly, I would only recommend Double Dragon IV to you if you are a Double Dragon fanatic or very die hard beat ’em up fan, and if that’s the case, you probably already own it. It is fairly cheap, but even then, I have played much more enjoyable games for the same price.
Feb 1, 2017
35
I am certainly not immune to the charms of 80s and 90s game design, but the NES version of Double Dragon wasn’t a great example for Double Dragon 4 to follow. It’s not just that this simplistic beat-em-up formula didn’t age well graphically or mechanically, it’s that it simply isn’t very fun or engaging to play in 2017.
Feb 1, 2017
30
The ‘80s nostalgia is laid on so thick you could almost choke from it, in this joyless proof that too much nostalgia can be a bad thing.
Feb 4, 2017
10
If you over the age of 30 and remember playing Double Dragon on NES. GET THIS GAME NOW!! It is a true sequel to the NES series. Although I would have liked a modernized version (Neon ****). This will do in the meantime
Feb 3, 2017
10
Exactly what it is intended to be. A fun beat em up NES style. True to the Double Dragon name, and a blast with two players. Gameplay is smooth, and the graphics are a welcome return to the days when 8-bit ruled. It's cheap, it's fun. Enjoy.
Nov 28, 2025
7
A nostalgic sequel that looks and feels like the NES version of "Double Dragon II: The Revenge". Of course, it's not nearly as good. If this had been released in 1992, I'm sure it would've received mixed reviews by critics. As it stands, the game is a fun retro throwback, especially in two-player co-op. As you complete each level of the "Arcade" mode, you unlock characters for "Duel", which is a two-player versus game. And once you complete the Arcade mode, you unlock "Tower" which consists of 100 floors which can only be beaten with one life. As you progress, you unlock characters for "Arcade". An update added online play for all modes. Overall, I would rate this with a 7 out of 10.
Jan 31, 2017
7
Ah...a new Double Dragon game! From Arc System works no less;developers of the Guilty Gear series...Should be a visual treat ! Oh.....? What? It;s based on the NES versions and uses the same graphic engines as DD 1 and ****... Ok...i wasent a huge fan of the NES versions ,was an Arcade junkie myself,,,but what we have in DD IV is a solid and respectful nod to the past but with very little in the way of **** move sets are largely the same,with some extra attacks mapable to the the shoulder buttons; same gameplay and **** NES platforming sections are back,,,if you dig that sort of **** will fly through the game in no time untill the later stages ;unlocking bonus characters for the 2p Dul mode after each stage is **** enemies return,weapons to pick up and bad guys to elbow in the face. Not a classic but yeah if you are fan,,get it! Its cheap ,has some rocking tunes and hopefully will pave the way for a FULL sequel.
Feb 7, 2017
4
Saying I had high hopes for this is an understatement. The NES series of Double Dragon games is like an old friend. Double Dragon II in particular remains one of my favorite games of all time. Seeing the familiar aesthetic in the preview screenshots filled me with an old sense of joy. Double Dragon II has returned! I was never particularly taken by the arcade series for a number of reasons. I always felt the controls were loose, the collision detection was inconsistent at best, and brutal at worst. The AI was cheap and reactive and combat felt "one-for-one". I knock you down. You get up and knock me down. Repeat. In contrast, Double Dragon II felt natural. The controls were tight. The enemies seemed to have distinct personalities (all 5 or 6 of them... this was NES after all.) Billy and Jimmy had a simplistic move set that was easy to get the hang of, but deadly when mastered. (Flying knee! KERPOW!) Combine this with memorable setpieces, an eerie atmosphere and combat that was just plain fun and you instantly have everything that Double Dragon IV is not. Sad, but true. Playing Double Dragon IV instantly evokes the frustration I felt playing the arcade versions of the game. Despite having a similar moveset (albeit with a few added extras) the brothers feel clumsy and lumbering. Enemies hover just outside the "hitbox" when you attack them and then manage to slip a few attacks between your flurry of punches. Hi Billy... this is floor. You'll be spending a lot of time together. The reactive AI from the arcades is in full force in this game. At one point I was surrounded by 7 enemies... who were standing dead still. Why were they doing this? They were watching me stand dead still. Tap the control two steps forward. Lo and behold, we all moved two steps together and then stopped dead. Two steps back? Guess what happened. It was like watching an 8-bit line dance where you knew as soon as someone throws a punch all hell was about to break loose. Eventually i did throw a punch which floated through the air like without connecting with so much as a pixel. What did connect was every single attack that was thrown my way. The line dance was over. Hmph. Everyone is a critic. After playing the game for 10 minutes I was already spamming the "rising" special attacks to clear through the enemies. In fact, this easiest way to play the game is to wait for an enemy to knock you over and then thin the crowd using a super uppercut or flying knee. Effective? Very. Fun? Not so much. Is it worth playing? Definitely, if you are a fan of the game. The retro aesthetic and feel is not the problem here. The mechanics feel broken. The storytelling is weak, and the memorable moments just aren't there. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll fire up Double Dragon II and take my frustrations out on some goons who don't mind a fair fight!
SummaryThe next entry in the side-scrolling action game series Double Dragon is finally here! The story picks up after the elimination of the Shadow Warriors in Double Dragon II!
Rated E +10for Everyone +10
Platforms:
- iOS (iPhone/iPad)
- PC
- PlayStation 4
- Nintendo Switch
- Xbox One
Initial Release Date:Jan 30, 2017
Developer:
Publisher:
