Double Dragon 3 - The Sacred Stones

Double Dragon 3 - The Sacred Stones on NES is a classic beat 'em up action game, taking players on a global adventure with the Lee brothers, Billy and Jimmy. The storyline revolves around the mission to rescue Marian, who has been kidnapped by an ancient Egyptian queen. To achieve this, the brothers must seek out and collect five Sacred Stones scattered across the world.

The gameplay of Double Dragon 3 - The Sacred Stones maintains the familiar beat 'em up formula: players move through screens, confronting numerous enemies and utilizing various hand-to-hand combat moves such as punches, kicks, jumps, and signature grappling techniques. The most distinctive, and often controversial, feature of this NES version is its "shop" system. Instead of picking up weapons or skills, players must purchase them using money earned in-game. Purchasable items include: weapons (like knives, sticks, nunchaku), new combat skills (e.g., the powerful Hyper Uppercut), and even extra lives or supporting allies such as the ninja Ranzou or the sumo wrestler Sonny. However, money is very scarce, making resource management extremely critical and challenging.

Each stage transports the Lee brothers to a new global location, from America, China, and Japan to Italy and Egypt, featuring enemies and bosses unique to each region. Another notable aspect is the absence of a "Continue" screen when lives run out. This means that once players lose all their lives, the game ends immediately, significantly increasing the difficulty and demanding extreme caution from the player in every move. The game requires patience, effective dodging and attacking, along with a sound strategy for resource utilization to overcome its challenges.