Double Dragon

In Double Dragon for the NES, players take on the role of Billy Lee, a courageous street martial artist, on a mission to rescue his girlfriend Marian who has been kidnapped by the notorious Shadow Warriors gang. This classic side-scrolling beat 'em up requires you to fight your way through hordes of enemies across city streets, factories, caves, and various other dangerous locations.

The gameplay of Double Dragon focuses on intense close-quarters combat. Initially, Billy only has basic punches and kicks. However, a unique feature of the NES version is its distinctive "experience" system: as you defeat a certain number of enemies, Billy will learn new, more powerful moves such as the jump kick, elbow smash, or headbutt. This provides a clear sense of progression for the player.

Players can utilize various weapons picked up from enemies or the environment, including baseball bats, whips, knives, and even dynamite. Each weapon offers different tactical advantages, helping you deal with various enemy types like common thugs, whip-wielding Linda, or the giant Abobo.

A crucial point to note about the NES version is its game modes. Unlike the arcade version which allowed two players simultaneously in story mode, Double Dragon NES only supports a single player in Mode A (Story Mode). At the end of Mode A, the player will face Jimmy Lee, Billy's brother, in a one-on-one fight to determine who is worthy of Marian. Additionally, the game features Mode B, a 1v1 versus mode, allowing two players or one player against the computer to choose from different in-game characters, each with their unique moves. Despite the lack of co-op in the story, Double Dragon NES remains a challenging and highly beloved title with characteristic 8-bit graphics and sound.