The actual combat sound effects fall somewhere between the original 8-bit sound and more realistic slams and kicks that take better advantage of the superior hardware of the 21st century. Sound effects also adhere to the 80s standard, with seasoned cartoon veterans likely to be shocked when they hear classic effects such as the Generic Thunderclap that graced every cartoon of the decade alive and well in Double Dragon Neon. Bad puns, non sequiturs and over the top delivery are all on display, with pride. Not a single word of dialog is delivered in a credible, believable way but in many ways, that’s the point. The voice acting is laughably-and intentionally, I hope-bad, evoking the ludicrousness of Double Dragon peers like Bad Dudes or, stepping into the 90s, with the legendary awfulness of Resident Evil. Just when you think there couldn’t possibly room for one more gratuitous guitar solo, Kaufman finds a way. Jake Kaufman, composer of the game’s soundtrack, has an awful lot of love-and intimate knowledge-for the music of 80s and he pours every genre conceivable into every orifice the game has. It’s the new tracks that are the most surprising, pulling some dead ringers for musical style from the likes of Depeche Mode to Devo and all guitar-laden points in between. The music is the main event, with “retro updates” of the original soundtrack (think how Double Dragon would have sounded if it had had the budget to hire a new wave synth band in 1987) and a lot faux-80s tracks. The audio complements the look, but in some ways, might just be the real star of the show for Double Dragon Neon. The simple, 80s era pixel characters are now bright, simple polygonal figures almost reminiscent of characters from the cover of Grand Theft Auto: Vice City with flashy color, clean details and hyper-stylized body proportions. It’s also unapologetically sexist, but it’s a game about the 80s when men were men and women were the reason men went out and beat up other people. This is not one of those games that will ever be accused of living in a monochrome world of greys and/or browns, and for a smaller development effort, the look of the characters is surprisingly detailed and robust. It’s now a mix of 2D backgrounds with 3D characters that are seamlessly integrated to make a splashy, bold, colorful look in keeping with the retro-styling of the game. The biggest change to the game is definitely in the graphics department.
If a group of 15 year olds fed on a strict diet of Fruist Gushers, Tab Cola and “Don’t Stop Believin’” as their personal anthem were given 21st century coding abilities, Double Dragon Neon would be the result. Space, ninjas, haunted forests and Nordic “tape smiths” are just a few of the ridiculous elements scattered with obvious love and irreverence throughout the entire game.
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From there, Double Dragon Neon goes on an 80s obsessed, neon drenched fisticuffs crusade with its tongue so firmly in cheek it breaks the skin and starts licking its own face. That’s the plot of the entire game, remaining utterly faithful to the 1987 arcade original, right down to the opening scene of Marion getting punched and carried away as a garage containing our two heroes opens up just 10 seconds too late to stop the madness. Billy and Jimmy Lee are brothers with a simple problem the girlfriend, Marion, has been kidnapped by some bad dudes, and they need to get her back.