Double Dragon Neon

"all my enemies gunna get rocked"

I'm going to be frank here. Double Dragon Neon is easily one of the greatest games created as of this date. It is the most perfected and finely tuned example of its genre, and it creates such a satisfying and empowering experience that it nearly leaves one with exhaustion.

DDNeon is a game developed by WayForward, who have quite a big reputation dealing with old school titles. From Contra 4 to Risky’s Revenge, they’ve managed to deliver top quality entertainment on a number of old brands, and this is no exception. Nearly everything about Neon screams dedication and soul, from the flawlessly executed style to the satisfying and meaty combat.

The game starts the same as the traditional Double Dragon. Marian is punched and taken away, so you and preferably a friend set off to rescue her. It only takes a few seconds before you fight a few cartwheeling goons with hair picks and gorgeously styled hair. The first taste of combat can seem a bit slow at first, but by the end of the first stage, the mechanics reveal themselves for what they are, and you understand exactly the kind of game Neon is.

Neon presents its mechanics in the favored form of Final Fight, but with some much needed tuning and personality. You have a punch and kick, simply enough. You can punch infinitely, but kicking in the middle of a combo unleashes a spin kick, inflicting multiple hits of damage, stunning enemies, and giving you a brief invincibility frame. You’re going to become best friends with that move, because it’s easily the one you’ll use most.

You can also quickly duck and roll to dodge. Doing so perfectly gives you “gleam” which causes Billy or Jimmy to light up red and doubles their attack strength. Alongside these basic mechanics, you can dash and jump kick, as well as use a heavy assortment of weapons, ranging from a comb to a boomerang.

These may sound like ordinary mechanics, and that’s because they are, but they way they are put to use has to be felt for oneself. The powerful, meaty feel and style to the combat cannot be overstated. There are as many enemy types as weapons, and each of them feels entirely different to engage. They knocked the ball into goddamn outer space. I've never seen a battle system work and feel this well since God Hand.

Aside from basic attacks, we have probably the most definitive feature of the game: the ability to equip songs on cassettes that grant you special abilities or status upgrades. Not only does each song offer a distinct ability, but a distinct song, complete with lyrics.

I can’t really describe in words how great it is to point my cursor over the “Bomb Toss” tape and hear a deep voice man sing a song about love explosions, or to equip the “Balanced” tape and hear harmonized chanting of the classic Double Dragon theme.

The abilities granted by these songs are nothing to laugh at either. “Training Wheels”, a delightful song about a cheerful girl who finally graduated from her training wheels, will appropriately give the player a large health boost.

There are a large handful of status upgrade songs to choose from. One may increase your magic meter, allowing you to perform more specials, and another may allow you to regenerate health with each blow you strike. It works beautifully, and especially in co-operative play, allows players to click together nicely, combining preferred combat styles in the best way possible.

While we're on the subject of co-op, Double Dragon Neon is probably the most perfect co-operative experience available. I mean that. It's that damn good.

With a friend, the game almost entirely changes. Things that were fun in single player become so ridiculously and wonderfully enjoyable that it feels like you are going to snap the controller in two.

You can split your life with a partner using high fives, give them a boost in power, juggle enemies back and forth, and revive them upon their defeat. The game goes out of its way to encourage that you work and form a bond with your partner. It never feels like you're just zoning out with a buddy, because the game always keeps you involved.

I can't spoil too much, but the game is such a masterpiece from beginning to end that I almost don't know what else to praise. The game culminates into such an unbelievably fantastic crescendo that it's impossible to describe in words.

Just, goddamn.