Double Dragon Zzap Review

Looking at this I have to keep reminding myself that the standard of arcade conversions really is improving. Generally speaking, conversions are getting better — Double Dragon just isn't one of them. It's not even one of those really hard to convert coin-ops that you'd always find a bit disappointing on the 64. I mean, there are quite a few really fantastic beat'em-ups — Target Renegade and IK+, for example — so you can't blame the shortcomings of the conversion on the machine. Nobody's expecting the 64 version to be exactly like the coin-op (that would be stupid) — just a fair representation. With such primitive graphics, basic sound and a really tedious multiload, Melbourne House definitely haven't managed that.

Double Dragon in the arcades is one my most favourite games, so I was naturally looking forward to a home conversion. It's a real pity that the 64 conversion is absolutely pathetic. I thought the point of a conversion was to put all the elements of the arcade original into the home version. Unfortunately, the programmers have left out quite a lot of things, such as the pit on level two where the enemies are supposed to fall, the large enemies that burst through walls and the dynamic knee-in-the-groin and shoulder-throw moves. Also to its detriment are appalling graphics (which glitch) and feeble sound. Oh — and it's a multiload. Aaaaaargh!