In spite of their flaws I genuinely like the Double Dragon games. I’m sure like most it was my introduction to the beat em up genre and would remain the one I judged subsequent games against. The NES version of Double Dragon 2 is a great game with an ending that was worth the trouble it took to reach. The series was on an upward trajectory but would be derailed by its installment. Double Dragon III is a game full of baffling design decisions that drive you up a wall. That is if you stick with it past the first level. Avoid this one like the plague.
A year after the defeat of the Shadow Warriors Marion disappears once again. The only witness, Brett is killed before he can divulge the identity of her captors. Hiruko, a mysterious fortune teller informs the Lee brothers Marion’s kidnappers are looking for the Sacred Stones and they need to find them before they do.
The Sacred Stones is technically a different game from its arcade counterpart although they share similar stories and locations. Double Dragon III in the arcade was a dreadful game, full of micro transactions (seriously) and lacking polish. Before you assume Technos did us a favor creating an “original” title don’t celebrate. In some ways this version is even worse than the arcade game. How they managed that considering how bad the arcade game turned out is practically legendary. This remains one of the biggest gaming disappointments of my life.
The Lee brothers are not alone in their worldwide journey. After beating them in combat Chin and Ranzou become playable characters and are very different from Billy and Jimmy. Chin is slower than the rest but has a longer life bar and a few really useful moves such as his double jump kick. Ranzou is quick and by default attacks with a katana. In fact everyone possesses a powerful secondary weapon although its use is limited. Sad too as they make the game a little bit more tolerable.
For the most part the game uses the same controls as the second installment. A few of the new moves from the arcade have been carried over such as the dash and head grab. The head grab in particular is pretty useful but hard to time. In coop there are a number of team up attacks you can pull off you’re your partner although their effectiveness leaves something to be desired. Sadly the hyper uppercut and knee have not made the cut. It’s just as well as executing most attacks consistently is a crapshoot. I know the button input but try as I might executing a cyclone spin kick regularly fails. Brawlers live or die by their combat and Double Dragon III fails in this regard.
It also makes an already insanely difficult game that much harder. As bad as part II might have been with its lack of continues the Sacred Stones is worse. You have no lives, at least at first. You must survive the first three levels, at which point the bosses Chin and Ranzou become playable and act as extra lives. This makes the opening of the game extremely difficult in single player, to the point of madness. The game throws a relentless stream of enemies in succession before moving on, likely to cover up its brevity. There are only five extremely brief stages. Most levels are three screens long at most but you’ll deal with thirty to forty enemies in that brief period.
Even after you have all playable characters the game is still hard. Between the finicky controls and constant enemies you’ll be lucky to reach the first boss with a decent amount of health. Enemies are more aggressive and inflict large amounts of damage with weapons. Their attack priority is higher than yours and it isn’t uncommon to end up chain stunned to death. Once a character dies that’s it; they don’t come back. You can avoid this by switching back and forth but it is still likely to happen before the last stage. The terrible platforming that marred the back half of Double Dragon 2 returns but is relegated to the last level, Egypt. It’s just as bad as in that game and capped off with one of the most aggravating final boss battles I’ve ever encountered. And unfortunately like its predecessor there are no continues.
In Closing
I could keep going but you get the point. Whether it’s the arcade, the Genesis port, or this exclusive NES version Double Dragon III is a bad game in every form. This has been one of the most frustrating experiences of my gaming life. Stay far away from this game and warn future generations of its awfulness. The series deserved better.
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