Return of Double Dragon (2018). Play online

Summary

Return of Double Dragon feels like a refined upgrade of Super Double Dragon on the SNES. The soundtrack was cleverly reordered – the Mission 1 theme shows up in the fourth stage, and the option screen lets you cue any track or sound effect. A new Options mode also lets you tweak difficulty and even add extra credits, which is a welcome touch for those tight on quarters.

The game adds a guard button and a Dragon Power gauge that fills when you hold L or R, unlocking a flying hurricane kick and temporarily strengthening every attack. You can actually pull a boomerang back after you throw it, and the hurricane kick can strike the same foe more than once in a single combo. Knives and incendiary bombs are toned down, and enemies sometimes duck or crouch, especially on higher settings, making timing more critical.

Jimmy’s roundhouse is snappier while his punches pack a heavier hit, and the enemy roster – from the street thugs Williams and Roper to bosses like Steve and the Chin brothers – feels more diverse. The final mission expands to two extra levels before the showdown with Duke, adding a satisfying bit of extra challenge.

Storyline

Return of Double Dragon was meant to follow Billy and Jimmy Lee as they track down a mysterious criminal group called the Shadow Warriors. The brothers start their investigation after several local martial artists vanish, leading them deeper into the gang’s operations.

According to lead designer Muneki Ebinuma, the final showdown is with the gang’s leader, Duke, who turns out to be a childhood friend of the Lee brothers. The game’s manual also references a policewoman named Marian, a nod to the comic and animated series, though she never appears in the actual cartridge. In the shipped version, no explicit storyline is presented; players simply battle the Shadow Warriors without any in‑game explanation.