Not content to let its genre standard-bearers have all the fun,Double Dragonis joiningStreets of RageandTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtlesas yet another classic Beat ‘em-up franchise receiving a modern-day update via an unexpected new entry. Beat ‘em ups have experienced a significant resurgence in popularity thanks to a slew of indie titles and updated releases in classic franchises, so it was only a matter of time before one of the most popular and widely-known series from the genre’s heyday,Double Dragon, got its own new entry. Perhaps what’s most interesting about the upcomingDouble Dragon Gaidenis the way that it aims to adhere to the classic feel of the original games.
Streets of Rage 4brought back a return of the gameplay from the original three games in the series with its “easy to pick up but difficult to master” gameplay and emphasis on combos and cancels, but other modern beat ‘em ups have varied in terms of their complexity. Notably,TMNT: Shredder’s Revengestruck a crucial balancebetween the technicality ofStreets of Rage 4(with both games sharing the same publisher) and the frenetic button-mashing fun of the originalTMNTarcade games. Game Rant had the chance recently to speak with Secret Base founder Raymond Teo about howDouble Dragon Gaidenapproaches “the game feel” associated with the genre, among other things.
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“When I started work on the game, one of the first things I did was compareDouble Dragon, be it the NES version of the classic arcade version, and compare it to all the other beat ‘em up games in the 90s and the modern ones to see what the differences are.” According to Teo, it was important to the team at Secret Base to nail the balance between the originalfeel ofDouble Dragonwhile also taking into consideration how modern entries have evolved the genre.
“One of the things we came up with was the way combat feels. You know, it feels a little bit heavier, and the game features more environment and terrain when you move up and down locations”.
While the originalweighty feel toDouble Dragon’s combatset it apart in both the arcades and the console versions of the original trilogy of titles, the genre has certainly evolved since then to include moves more reminiscent of fighting games. While the basic expected punch, kick, and combinations thereof are certainly expected, newer entries in the beat ‘em up genre have gone on to include nuances such as move canceling, a crucial component of almost all major fighting games and their respective competitive scenes. Teo and his team are well aware of this, hoping to strike a calculated balance between the feel of the original games, their legacy, and the expectations of modern beat ‘em up fans.
In addition to the actual movesets themselves and how they feel to implement, which are arguably the core mechanic upon which all beat ‘em ups are judged, any conversation about classic beat ‘em ups would be remiss to not mention cooperative play. In addition to the solo single-player experience offered in the coin-op and console versions of many classic genre titles, most player’s fond memories of beat ‘em ups come fromthe co-op experience with friends, whether that was shared huddling around the CRT monitor of an arcade cabinet or at home in couch co-op.
Here again is where Secret Base is striking a careful balance in terms ofDouble Dragon Gaiden’s gameplay, with Teo explaining that,
“…everybody expects games like this to only be fun with a friend, but I played beat ‘em ups by myself sometimes, especially as a kid. I wanted to makea beat ‘em up that’s funwhen you are playing alone.”
As a result of this approach, Secret Base has worked to make sure that each of the game’s 13 unique playable characters is balanced for either co-op or solo play. With a keen understanding of the genre and a reverence for the legacy of the franchise,Double Dragon Gaidenlooks to be yet another great modern beat ‘em up, though fans will be able to find out for themselves soon enough.
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragonsreleases on July 27 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.
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