Editing Double Dragon

{{short description|Video game series}}
{{About|the video game series|the first game in the series|Double Dragon (video game){{!}}Double Dragon (video game)|other uses}}
{{Infobox video game series
| title = Double Dragon
| creator = [[Yoshihisa Kishimoto]]
| image = Double Dragon Logo.png
| caption = iOS/Android version logo
| developer = [[Technōs Japan]]<br>[[WayForward|WayForward Technologies]]<br>[[Arc System Works]]<br>[[Yuke's]]
| publisher = Technōs Japan<br>[[Taito]]<br>[[SNK]]<br>Million Corp.<br>[[Atlus]]<br>Arc System Works
| genre = [[Beat-'em-up]]
| platforms = [[Arcade video game|Arcade]], [[Nintendo Entertainment System|NES]], [[Master System]], [[Atari 2600]], [[Atari 7800]], [[Game Boy]], [[Mega Drive|Mega Drive/Genesis]], [[Atari Lynx|Lynx]], [[Game Gear]], [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super NES]], [[Atari Jaguar|Jaguar]], [[Neo Geo (system)|Neo Geo]], [[Neo Geo CD]], [[PlayStation (console)|PlayStation]], [[PlayStation 3]], [[Game Boy Advance]], [[Xbox 360]], [[PlayStation 4]], [[PlayStation 5]], [[iOS]], [[Android (operating system)|Android]], [[MS-DOS]], [[Windows]], [[Amiga]], [[Commodore 64]], [[Atari ST]], [[ZX Spectrum]], [[Amstrad CPC]], [[MSX]], [[Zeebo]], [[Nintendo Switch]], [[Xbox One]], [[Xbox Series X and Series S|Xbox Series X/S]], iiRcade
| spinoffs =
| first release version = ''[[Double Dragon (video game)|Double Dragon]]''
| first release date = 1987
| latest release version = ''[[Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons]]''
| latest release date = 2023
}}

{{nihongo|'''''Double Dragon'''''|{{ruby|双截龍|ダブルドラゴン}}|''Daburu Doragon - Sō Setsu Ryū''}} is a [[beat 'em up]] [[video game]] series originally developed and published by [[Technōs Japan]]. It began with the release of the arcade game ''[[Double Dragon (video game)|Double Dragon]]'' in 1987. The series features twin martial artists, Billy and Jimmy Lee, as they fight against various adversaries and rivals.

The original ''Double Dragon'' was a hit [[arcade video game]],<ref>{{cite magazine |title=Combatribes! |magazine=RePlay |date=June 1990 |volume=15 |issue=9 |pages=32–6 |url=https://archive.org/details/re-play-volume-14-issue-no.-9-june-1990-600DPI/RePlay%20-%20Volume%2014%2C%20Issue%20No.%209%20-%20June%201990/page/32}}</ref> ushering in a "Golden Age" for the beat 'em up genre,<ref name="tao2">Spencer, Spanner, [http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/a_taoofbeatemups_pt2_retro The Tao of Beat-'em-ups (part 2)], ''EuroGamer'', Feb 12, 2008, Accessed Mar 18, 2009</ref><ref name="ddhof">Cassidy, William, [http://www.gamespy.com/articles/488/488826p1.html Hall of Fame: Double Dragon] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090818045122/http://www.gamespy.com/articles/488/488826p1.html |date=2009-08-18}}, ''Gamespy'', Jan 5, 2003, Accessed, March 24, 2009</ref> resulting in a flood of beat 'em ups during the late 1980s<ref name="ddhof"/> to 1990s that followed the conventions set by ''Double Dragon''.<ref name="Williams">{{cite book |last1=Williams |first1=Andrew |title=History of Digital Games: Developments in Art, Design and Interaction |date=16 March 2017 |publisher=[[CRC Press]] |isbn=978-1-317-50381-1 |pages=143–6}}</ref> A 1993 [[Double Dragon (TV series)|animated series]] and 1994 [[Double Dragon (film)|live-action film adaptation]] were produced; these adaptations were widely-panned by critics and audiences.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://uk.ign.com/videos/2012/04/10/double-dragon-quick-history |title=Double Dragon: Neon – Quick History – IGN Video |publisher=Uk.ign.com |date=2012-04-10 |access-date=2014-02-08}}</ref>

In June 2015, [[Arc System Works]] acquired the rights to all former Technōs IPs, including the ''Double Dragon'' series.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Handrahan|first=Matthew|date=June 12, 2015|title=Arc System Works buys Double Dragon rights|url=https://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2015-06-12-arc-system-works-buys-double-dragon-rights|access-date=2020-08-21|website=GamesIndustry.biz|language=en}}</ref> Arc System Works had previously ported the original ''Double Dragon'' to the [[Master System]] console in 1988.

==Game series==
The first game, ''[[Double Dragon (video game)|Double Dragon]]'', was released in the arcades in 1987. A [[Nintendo Entertainment System]] version produced by Technōs was released in 1988, followed by a [[Game Boy]] version in [[1990 in video gaming|1990]]. Various licensed versions were also produced by other developers for gaming platforms such as the [[Master System]], [[Atari 2600]], [[Atari 7800]], [[Mega Drive|Genesis]], [[Atari Lynx]] and for home computers.

Two ''Double Dragon'' sequels were released for the arcade: ''[[Double Dragon II: The Revenge]]'' in [[1988 in video gaming|1988]] and ''[[Double Dragon 3: The Rosetta Stone]]'' in [[1990 in video gaming|1990]]. Like the original, Technōs produced versions for the NES (''[[Double Dragon II: The Revenge (NES video game)|Double Dragon II: The Revenge]]'' in [[1989 in video gaming|1989]] and ''[[Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones]]'' in [[1991 in video gaming|1991]], respectively).

In 1991, a game titled ''[[Double Dragon II (Game Boy)|Double Dragon II]]'', unrelated to its arcade and NES counterpart, was released for the [[Game Boy]].

A fourth game in the main series was released exclusively for the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|Super NES]] in [[1992 in video gaming|1992]], titled ''[[Super Double Dragon]]''. It was the last game produced by the original team at Technōs.

The [[Game Gear]] game ''Double Dragon'' is not a port of the original arcade game, but is instead an entirely new entry in the series that has gameplay elements that are more similar to ''[[Streets of Rage]]''.

In [[1994 in video gaming|1994]], [[Tradewest]] released ''[[Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls]]'' for the Super NES and Genesis in North America and Europe, a [[fighting game]] developed by Leland Interactive based on the ''Double Dragon'' animated TV series by Bohbot Entertainment. A [[Atari Jaguar|Jaguar]] version was released by Telegames as well.

Another fighting game produced by Technōs, simply titled ''[[Double Dragon (Neo Geo)|Double Dragon]]'', was released for the [[Neo Geo (system)|Neo Geo]] arcade and home console in [[1995 in video gaming|1995]]. A [[Neo Geo CD]] version was also released, as well as a [[PlayStation]] version by Urban Plant. It was the last ''Double Dragon'' game produced by Technōs before the company went out of business.

In [[2003 in video gaming|2003]], a remake of the original ''Double Dragon'', titled ''[[Double Dragon Advance]]'', was produced by [[Atlus]] and Million (the copyrights holder of the ''Double Dragon'' series at the time) for the [[Game Boy Advance]].

In [[2009 in video gaming|2009]], a remake was released for the [[Zeebo]], developed by Brizo Interactive and published by [[Tectoy]].

In [[2011 in video gaming|2011]], another remake was released for the [[IOS (Apple)|iPhone]], developed by Brizo Interactive and published by [[Aksys Games]].

[[WayForward|WayForward Technologies]] developed ''[[Double Dragon Neon]]'', a self-parody of the series.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://xboxlive.ign.com/articles/122/1222234p1.html |title=Double Dragon is Getting a Flashy Neon Reboot – IGN |publisher=Xboxlive.ign.com |date=2012-04-04 |access-date=2014-02-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120625104908/http://xboxlive.ign.com/articles/122/1222234p1.html |archive-date=2012-06-25 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The game was released on September 11, 2012, for the [[PlayStation 3]] on [[PlayStation Network]], one day later for the [[Xbox 360]] on [[Xbox Live]], and for PC in the first quarter of 2014.<ref>{{cite magazine|date=2012-07-18|title=Double Dragon: Neon Release Date – News|url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2012/07/18/double-dragon-neon-release-date.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120721071930/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2012/07/18/double-dragon-neon-release-date.aspx|url-status=live|archive-date=July 21, 2012|access-date=2014-02-08|magazine=[[Game Informer]]|publisher=Game Informer}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.polygon.com/2014/1/8/5288256/slender-coming-to-consoles-krautscape-and-double-dragon-neon-hitting |title=Slender coming to consoles, Krautscape and Double Dragon: Neon hitting Steam |publisher=Polygon |date=2014-01-08 |access-date=2014-02-08}}</ref>

''Double Dragon II: Wander of the Dragons'', a 3D remake of the original ''Double Dragon II'', was released on the [[Xbox Live Arcade]] by game developer [[Gravity (Korean company)|Gravity]] in April 2013.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2013/03/26/double-dragon-2-remake-heading-to-xbox-live-arcade-next-week.aspx |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130329120309/http://www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2013/03/26/double-dragon-2-remake-heading-to-xbox-live-arcade-next-week.aspx |url-status=live |archive-date=March 29, 2013 |title=Double Dragon 2 Remake Heading To Xbox Live Arcade Next Week – News |publisher=Game Informer |date=2013-03-26 |access-date=2014-02-08}}</ref>

A compilation of the three arcade titles, titled ''Double Dragon Trilogy'', was released by [[DotEmu]] in [[2013 in video gaming|2013]] for [[iOS]], [[Android (operating system)|Android]], GOG and [[Steam (service)|Steam]] platforms.

In [[2017 in video gaming|2017]], ''[[Double Dragon IV]]'' (not to be confused with ''Super Double Dragon'') was released in January 2017, for the [[PlayStation 4]] and PC, respectively, and September 7 for the [[Nintendo Switch]]. It takes place shortly after ''Double Dragon II: The Revenge'' and uses an 8-bit artstyle, similar to the NES ports of the earlier entries of the series. The title was developed by [[Arc System Works]] and former Technōs staff such as producer Takaomi Kaneko, director [[Yoshihisa Kishimoto]], character designer Koji Ogata, composer Kazunaka Yamane and programmer Kei Oyama.

In [[2023 in video gaming|2023]], a spin-off of the franchise, titled ''[[Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons]]'', was announced for Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, [[PlayStation 5]], [[Xbox One]] and [[Xbox Series X and Series S|Xbox Series X/S]], and was released on July 27, 2023.<ref>{{cite web|last=Damian|first=Arthur|url=https://www.escapistmagazine.com/double-dragon-gaiden-rise-of-the-dragons-release-date-trailer/|title=Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons Nabs a Release Date|publisher=The Escapist|date=2023-05-31|accessdate=2024-03-17}}</ref>

===Other appearances and related games===
* ''[[U.S. Championship V'Ball|Super Spike V'Ball]]'' (NES) – the NES version which features Billy and Jimmy as playable characters.
* ''[[WWF Superstars]]'' (arcade) – features a cameo by Billy as one of the game's spectators.
* ''[[River City Ransom]]'' (NES) – the ''Double Dragon'' theme music plays during the battle against Randy and Andy, two characters based on Billy and Jimmy. The Japanese counterparts of Randy and Andy, Ryūichi and Ryūji, are recurring characters in the later ''[[Kunio-kun]]'' games. Abobo appears as a recurring enemy in the sequel, ''River City Ransom Underground''.
* ''[[Battletoads/Double Dragon]]'' (NES, GB, Genesis, SNES) – a crossover game between the ''Double Dragon'' and ''[[Battletoads]]'' franchises.
* ''[[Voltage Fighter Gowcaizer]]'' (Neo Geo) – Burnov from the second game makes a cameo as Captain Atlantis' opponent in his ending.
* ''[[Rage of the Dragons]]'' (Neo Geo) – an unofficial homage to ''Double Dragon'' produced by [[Evoga]] and [[Noise Factory]] in association with Playmore which became the current incarnation of SNK. The main characters are named Billy and Jimmy Lewis.
* ''[[Abobo's Big Adventure]]'' (PC) – an unofficial parody of various Nintendo Entertainment System titles, including ''Double Dragon'', and starring Abobo as the main character.
* ''[[River City: Rival Showdown]]'' (3DS) – both Billy and Jimmy Lee are playable characters in the Double Dragon Duel mode.
* ''[[River City Girls]]'' (PC, Switch, PlayStation 4, [[PlayStation 5]], Xbox One) – the Lee Brothers have two Dojos in River City, where the player characters can acquire new fighting moves from the brothers in exchange for money. Abobo appears as a boss in the game, Marian and Skullmageddon as shop keepers, and Burnov works as a bouncer.
* ''[[River City Girls 2]]'' (PC, Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, [[Xbox Series X and Series S|Xbox Series X/S]]) – Marian appears as a playable character in the base game. Billy and Jimmy are playable via [[downloadable content]].

===Related media===
A ''Double Dragon'' comic book limited series loosely based on the games was published by [[Marvel Comics]] in [[1991 in video gaming|1991]], which lasted six issues from July to December. The comic book was written by [[Dwayne McDuffie]] for the first four issues and by [[Tom Brevoort]] and Mike Kanterovich for the final two. It features original villains and a unique story that explains the brothers' parentage.

''Double Dragon'' is one of the video games featured in the ''Rock'n Game Boy'' manga by Shigeto Ikehara, which was published in Comic BomBom from October 1989 to December 1991.

A ''[[Double Dragon (TV series)|Double Dragon]]'' animated series was produced by [[DIC Animation City]] and [[BKN|Bohbot Entertainment]], which originally aired in syndication on Bohbot's [[Amazin' Adventures]] block for two seasons from 1993 to 1995, lasting 26 episodes.

A film version of ''[[Double Dragon (film)|Double Dragon]]'' was released in theaters in 1994, directed by James Yukich and starring [[Scott Wolf]] and [[Mark Dacascos]] as the Lee brothers.

==Gameplay==
The gameplay in most of the games takes place in a pseudo 3D perspective as seen in ''[[Renegade (video game)|Renegade]]'' and later beat 'em ups, in which the player can move in four directions but is always facing left or right.  In almost all cases the player moves to the right in a horizontally scrolling environment, encountering various enemies who attack and try to prevent the player from progressing.  The player can perform a variety of unarmed fighting techniques against their enemies, as well use melee weapons such as baseball bats and throwing knives normally obtained from enemies or found on the floor. In some installments, there are techniques that can be done in combination with another player, the game also has an elbow move that enables the player to move to keep hitting the enemy without getting hit when moving side to side on a fallen opponent.

==Characters==
===Lee Brothers===
[[Image:DDragon Leebros.jpg|thumb|right|Billy and Jimmy Lee, as depicted on the packaging artwork of ''Double Dragon Advance''. Their poses in this image were modeled after the fight between [[Bruce Lee]] and [[Chuck Norris]] in ''[[Way of the Dragon]]''.{{citation needed|date=March 2017}}]]
For most of the series, players take control of martial artist '''William "Billy" Lee''', who battles against various adversaries such as gang members and rival fighters. He is often assisted by his elder twin brother '''James "Jimmy" Lee''', who usually serves as the second player's character in most of the games. The Lee brothers are characterized as successors of a fictional martial art known as {{nihongo|'''Sōsetsuken'''|双截拳||"Twin Sever Fist", also known as '''Sōsaiken'''}}, which combines techniques from other styles such as [[karate]], [[tai chi]] and [[Shorinji Kempo]].<ref name=dd1fcflyer>{{cite web|url=http://disk-kun.com/handbills/double-dragon|title=''Double Dragon'' Famicom version flyer|website=Disk-kun|access-date=2015-11-16|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117020802/http://disk-kun.com/handbills/double-dragon|archive-date=2015-11-17|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The duo were actually unnamed when the original arcade game was initially released in Japan,<ref name=dd1jpnflyer>{{cite web|url=http://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=thumbs&db=videodb&id=1922|title=''Double Dragon'' Japanese arcade flyer by Technos Japan|website=The Arcade Flyers Archive}}</ref> although the names '''Hammer''' and '''Spike''' were given to them in the cabinet and promotional flyer produced by [[Taito]] for the overseas version.<ref name=dd1usflyer>{{cite web|url=http://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=thumbs&db=videodb&id=319|title=''Double Dragon'' American flyer by Taito|website=The Arcade Flyers Archive}}</ref> The names Billy and Jimmy Lee were first established in the Famicom/NES version of the first game and consequently used in other console versions and tie-in products such as ''The Original Sound of Double Dragon'' soundtrack album,<ref name=dd1fcflyer /><ref name=osodd>{{cite web|url=http://vgmdb.net/album/5002|title=Original Sound of Double Dragon ■ Arcade Version ■|website=The Video Game Music Database}}</ref> but were not actually used in the arcade versions until ''[[Double Dragon 3: The Rosetta Stone]]''. Billy Lee's name comes from a combination of [[Bruce Lee]]'s last name with the first name of his character Billy Lo from the movie ''[[Game of Death]]'', while Jimmy is named after musician [[Jimmy Page]].<ref name=pixnlove>* {{cite journal |author=Gorges, Florent |date=March 2009 |title=La Naissance de Kunio Kun et Double Dragon |journal=Pix'n Love |issue=#07 |pages=34–49 |publisher=Edition Pix'n Love |isbn=978-2-918272-00-7 |url=http://www.editionspixnlove.com/Tous-nos-ouvrages/Pix-n-Love-7/flypage.tpl.html |access-date=2011-05-08 |language=fr |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110605080949/http://www.editionspixnlove.com/Tous-nos-ouvrages/Pix-n-Love-7/flypage.tpl.html |archive-date=2011-06-05 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

Because of the differences between the arcade and console versions of the games, the designs of the Lee brothers tend to vary throughout the series. While the original arcade game has Player 1 controlling a blond-haired Lee brother dressed in a blue outfit and Player 2 as a brown-haired brother in red, the NES version had their hair and outfit colors switched around: Billy was now the brown-haired brother in blue, while Jimmy became the blond-haired brother in red. ''[[Super Double Dragon]]'' was the first game to have the Lee brothers sport different hairstyles during gameplay, with Billy being given a laid down hairstyle and Jimmy a spiky flat top, a design convention adopted by later games such as ''[[Double Dragon Advance]]'' and the smartphone versions, although some of the promotional art and in-game visuals for the earlier games (such as the ending photograph of ''[[Double Dragon II: The Revenge]]'' and the story sequences/character portraits of ''[[Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones]]'') had already depicted the Lee brothers with differing hairstyles. Other games such as the [[Double Dragon (Neo Geo)|Neo Geo fighting game]] and ''[[Double Dragon Neon]]'' depict the Lee brothers as identical twins like in the first arcade game.

The two brothers are shown to be romantically interested in a young woman named '''Marian''', a student in their dojo.<ref name=dd1fcflyer /><ref name=osodd /> The arcade version of the first game (along with most console versions) can end with both brothers fighting each other over Marian if two players reach the end together, with the survivor ultimately winning Marian's affections. The Famicom/NES version, which establishes Marian to be Billy's long-term girlfriend, changes the story so that Jimmy was actually the leader of the Black Warriors (a change made as a result of the lack of two-player cooperative play in that version) and was the one who orchestrated Marian's kidnapping.

===Enemy characters===
The enemy organization in the original ''Double Dragon'' are the '''Black Warriors''' gang, who are characterized as the dominant criminal organization in [[New York City]] after a nuclear war has left the city deprived of any law and order. Much like the Lee brothers themselves, the names of the gang members were established throughout the console versions of the series. The gang's original leader is the machine gun-toting '''Willy Mackey''' (commonly known simply as '''Willy'''), who wishes to acquire the knowledge of the Lee brothers' martial arts for himself and orders the kidnapping of Marian as ransom. Recurring members of the gang throughout the various versions of the first game include the thugs '''Williams''' and '''Rowper''', [[dominatrix]] '''Linda''' and bald strongman '''Abobo'''.<ref name=dd1fcflyer /><ref name=osodd /> The arcade version also featured two unnamed [[head swap]]s of other characters (namely of Abobo and the Lee brothers) as end-stage bosses: although these characters were absent in the NES version, which instead introduced a unique enemy, a Chinese martial artist named '''Chin Taimei'''. The Lee brother head swap would later appear in the Mark III/Master System version released by Sega, where he was named '''Jeff'''.<ref name="dd1mk3manual">{{cite web|title=Double Dragon (ダブルドラゴン / 双截龍) – Japan Manual – Scans – SMS Power!|url=http://www.smspower.org/Scans/DoubleDragon-SMS-JP-Manual|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822224835/http://www.smspower.org/Scans/DoubleDragon-SMS-JP-Manual|url-status=dead|archive-date=2017-08-22}}</ref>

The name of the gang would change in later games. While the arcade version of ''Double Dragon II: The Revenge'' had Willy and the Black Warriors retaliating against their earlier defeat by gunning down Marian,<ref name=dd2jpflyer>{{cite web|url=http://flyers.arcade-museum.com/?page=thumbs&db=videodb&id=6245|title=''Double Dragon II: The Revenge'' Japanese arcade flyer by Technos Japan|website=The Arcade Flyers Archive}}</ref> the Famicom version replaced Willy with a nameless fighter who led a mysterious armed group following the dissolution of the original Black Warriors.<ref name=dd2fcflyer>{{cite web|url=http://disk-kun.com/handbills/double-dragon-ii|title=''Double Dragon II: The Revenge'' Famicom version flyer|website=Disk-kun|access-date=2015-11-17|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118150318/http://disk-kun.com/handbills/double-dragon-ii|archive-date=2015-11-18|url-status=dead}}</ref> While unnamed in the Japanese version, the English localization of the NES version would refer to this organization as the '''Shadow Warriors''' (or the '''Black Shadow Warriors''' in the manual), a name later used for an unrelated enemy group in ''Super Double Dragon'', as well as Willy's own gang in ''Double Dragon Advance''. The Shadow Warriors was also the name of the villain group in the ''Double Dragon'' animated series and its tie-in game, ''[[Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls]]'', where they consisted almost entirely of new characters.

The names Williams and Rowper were derived from the characters played respectively by [[Jim Kelly (actor)|Jim Kelly]] and [[John Saxon]] in the movie ''[[Enter The Dragon]]''.<ref name=pixnlove /> Other characters seem to follow a similar naming convention such as Linda, who shares her name with Bruce Lee's widow [[Linda Lee Cadwell]], and the enemy character '''Bolo''' from ''Double Dragon II: The Revenge'', who shares his name with actor [[Bolo Yeung]].<ref name=dd2enemychara>{{cite web|url=https://www.nintendo.co.jp/wii/vc/vc_ddn2/vc_ddn2_07.html|title=VC ダブルドラゴンII The Revenge 敵キャラクター紹介|website=Nintendo Co., Ltd. Homepage|language=ja}}</ref>

==Legacy==
While not the first games in the genre, the original ''Double Dragon'' titles laid the foundations for modern beat 'em up games. They influenced the creation of titles such as ''[[Golden Axe (video game)|Golden Axe]]'', ''[[Ninja Gaiden (arcade game)|Ninja Gaiden]]'' and ''[[Final Fight (video game)|Final Fight]]'', which firmly established beat 'em ups as a popular game genre.<ref name=capcomking>{{cite web|url=http://www.videogames.com/features/universal/okamoto/okfinal.html|title=VideoGameSpot's Interview with Yoshiki Okamoto (Waybacked)|last=Kent|first=Steven|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990223191246/http://www.videogames.com/features/universal/okamoto/okfinal.html|archive-date=February 23, 1999}}</ref><ref>[http://www.retrogamer.net/retro_games80/the-making-of-golden-axe/ "The Making Of Golden Axe"] (2014-12-02). ''RetroGamer.net''. Retrieved 2019-01-31.</ref>

''Double Dragon'' ushered in a "Golden Age" for the beat 'em up genre that took it to new heights with its detailed set of martial arts attacks and its two-player cooperative gameplay.<ref name="tao2"/><ref name="ddhof"/> ''Double Dragon'''s success resulted in a flood of beat 'em ups in the late 1980s.<ref name="ddhof"/> Subsequent beat 'em ups during the late 1980s to 1990s followed the conventions set by ''Double Dragon''.<ref name="Williams"/>

Years later, original series creator Yoshihisa Kishimoto lamented the inconsistency in design and quality of the various versions and spin-offs of ''Double Dragon'' in games and other media. He attributed these failings to Technōs losing the control of the license and allowing a multitude of third parties to work on the franchise.<ref name="Polygon">{{cite web|url=https://www.polygon.com/2012/10/12/3495124/the-man-who-created-double-dragon|title=The man who created Double Dragon|publisher=Vox Media|work=Polygon|date=October 12, 2012|access-date=October 7, 2020|last=Leone|first=Matt}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* ''Double Dragon'' series director [http://wind.ap.teacup.com/kishi/ Yoshihisa Kishimoto] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210813053322/http://wind.ap.teacup.com/kishi/ |date=2021-08-13}}
*[http://www.mobygames.com/game-group/double-dragon-series ''Double Dragon'' series at MobyGames]
* ''Double Dragon'' [https://dunyaevents.com/ detailed knowledge]
* DOUBLE DRAGON at [https://abicen.lovestoblog.com ddragon] (available)

{{Double Dragon series|state=expanded}}
{{Arc System Works}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Double Dragon (Series)}}
[[Category:Arc System Works franchises]]
[[Category:Double Dragon| ]]
[[Category:Side-scrolling beat 'em ups]]
[[Category:Video game franchises]]
[[Category:Video game franchises introduced in 1987]]
[[Category:Video games about siblings]]
[[Category:Video games adapted into comics]]
[[Category:Video games adapted into films]]
[[Category:Video games adapted into television shows]]