Double Dragon II: The Revenge

As I said, I'm continuing with the Double Dragon series with its sequel: Double Dragon II: The Revenge.  Developed and published by Technos, Double Dragon II was released in December 1988 in the arcade and 1989 for the Nintendo version.  While they both have the same plot, the Nintendo version has significantly more missions and a difficulty to choose from. 

So the story picks up after the first Double Dragon and the game doesn't expect you to guess what's going on; it is very straight forward and let's you read it. So, violence rules the streets of New york after a nuclear war and crime syndicates are growing continuously.  But Billy and Jimmy Lee are brave enough to challenge the syndicates and they are now being called the Double Dragons. The Shadow Warriors, apparently displeased about getting their tails whooped before, attacked the city and Billy's girlfriend Marian (the girl who is kidnapped in the first game) is shot and killed.  And so the Double Dragons are off for revenge. 

So anyways, the game works much like the last one, moving through levels, defeating enemies and then facing a boss at the end.  The controls were changed from the generic punch and kick buttons to a directional format where one button attacks to the right and the other left (punch the direction you're facing and kick in the other).  The new controls are a bit strange to get used to, but not all too difficult.  The game also removes the experience feature it had in the first, meaning you also start off with all your moves, which is a nice change. 

The enemies are a bit smarter in this game, all having their AI increased and being given more moves and the ability to run.  Instead of just charging in like the last game, enemies will now try and flank you and will run to close the distance.  They also all have some strategies that are quite annoying, in the first fight of the level, one of the goons kept jump kicking me right as I was standing up.

Anyways, you keep moving and after a few fights you run into this game's version of Linda who has gone for the mohawk look now.  She isn't wielding her trademark whip immediantly, but the Lindas do make it easy by slowly climbing down a ladder so you can knock them off and almost defeat them with a single hit.  You get to climb the ladder after that fight, and at the very top you face off against more Lindas, this time with the whip (actually looks more like a flail).

Soon afterward you face the first boss: Abo-no... it's not Abobo.  Abobo, though he does appear in the game, is replaced as the first boss by this big guy with a helmet named Burnov.  So he isn't as agile as all the other enemies, but will duck when you try a jumpkick, but the game has a nice uppercut you can do right after landing a jumpkick that is Burnov's weakness.  After a few, Burnov vanishes (dropping his helmet) and then reappears and puts on his helmet to keep fighting.  At this point he doesn't actually change or get harder, so a few more hits and he retreats for good, leaving his helmet as your prize.  

And I've played another game and onto the weekend I go.  Adios for today though.