From: tpehrson@javelin.sim.es.com (tim clinkenpeel)
Subject: [SNES:Clinkenreview> _"Super"_Double_Dragon_
Reply-To: tpehrson@javelin.sim.es.com
Organization: Evans & Sutherland Computer Corp.
Date: Fri, 6 Nov 1992 21:45:49 GMT

 _ 
(_ l i n k e n r e v i e w
------------------------------------------------- reviews follow this format:
gameplay is summarized in a short paragraph.  next, highlights and faults are
compiled in the various pertinent areas.  in conclusion, an overall rating is
given on a scale of 1 to 10--see the rating guide at the bottom of the review
for further details.  i do not rate individual areas and average them, as the
good does not always count against the bad and vice versa.  -----------------
old reviews  are  kept  on  file  and  may  be  requested by sending mail  to
tpehrson@javelin.sim.es.com  with  the text 'review request: <string>' in the
subject.   all  reviews  with  titles  matching  <string> (wildcard)  will be
returned, or use "all" to receive all reviews.   my reviews are  my  opinion,
written  with  no  intention  to  neither  appease  nor  offend any person or
corporation.  ---------------------------------------------------------------

great peril!  the city has been overwhelmed by a gang of hooligans, who all
look identical but sometimes wear different color clothes!  such is the basic
premise behind SUPER DOUBLE DRAGON.

   game type:  chop-socky
# of players:  1 or 2 simultaneous
       lives:  3 per credit
   continues:  7 credits

the description of gameplay is pretty straight forward: beat up the bad guys.
this is done via jumping, punching, kicking, blocking and combinations
thereof.  also various weapons can be obtained to aide you (the barrel is
back, of course), of which the nunchutkas work too well and all the others
suck.  i would have said that there are 'bosses' at throughout the game;
however, since every character i encountered made multiple appearances i'm
afraid i'll have to refrain from advancing such a claim.

the game screen appears from a third-person perspective and scrolls, for the
most part, to the left with some up and down scrolling as well.

OVERVIEW:  highlights (+), shortcomings (-) and mediocrities (o) 

+  game control is good: controls are laid out in a manner which makes sense
   and is simple to master.  unfortunately, this is virtually the only good 
   thing about this game.

o  graphics are acceptable, although they appear fuzzy.  nothing to write
   home about.  personally, i preferred the oversize, blocky look of the
   original coin-op but this did not infringe upon my judgement.  the animation
   is tolerable, but pales in comparison what i consider to be the new standard
   set by street fighter 2.  some animations i did enjoy were when you blocked
   a baddie's punch, which results in you locking his arm, and the subsequent
   actions you could take; for instance the knee in the gut and back-and-forth
   kicking foot-in-his-face.  but, alas, although they were amusing the first
   couple times, none of these moves appear to inflict significant damage over
   a simple punch or kick.

-  the perfect 'surround you' algorithm is intact in this game, aided by the
   fact that enemies can move off the edge of the screen.  get used to the fact
   that you are going to have thugs to the front and to the rear, unless you
   care to dance with them (they will mimic your movements keeping a reasonably
   safe distance until you tire of such charades).  most of the time the
   hoodlum not receiving your physical attention will sit idle, but on the
   higher levels you are doomed--UNLESS you decide to go in the jump-kick-to-
   the-left jump-kick-to-the-right routine, which works absurdly well although
   it takes forever to defeat your opponents.

-  other serious problems with gamplay are the facts that (1) when standing
   on a box or stairs a punch that visibly flies way above a knave's head
   registers a hit, (2) standing in such an area where you are slightly
   elevated above the enemy is practically as good as invincibility, (3)
   the nasties can do moves such as a slide kick, which is impossible to detect
   when they will pull it and therefore reasonably impossible to avoid, and (4)
   grouped enemies (standing atop another) are much simpler to defeat that a
   lone nasty.  go figure:  two in the same position can only successfully
   parry if both block simultaneously, which i've never seen happen.
   otherwise it's bedtime for bonzo for the both of them, regardless of what
   tactices they are applying.

-  i'd like to reiterate the fact that there are only a few unique enemy
   identities as a big minus; you'll find yourself asking "didn't i just defeat
   these guys?" everytime you advance the scrolling screen a smidgen.  and like
   i said i _thought_ there were bosses until i kept seeing those clowns again
   and again later in the game.

-  sound is simply hideous: it reminded me of my least favorite muzak scores
   i hear on rare visits to k-mart.  i returned the cartridge over a week ago
   and it's still droning in my head.  perhaps i should consider a lawsuit.
   punching and other body abusing sounds are clint eastwood quality, but can
   lead to headaches in large quantities (which is how you'll hear 'em).

-  longevity and fun factor of this game are big losers.  i only played it
   three times, at that was all i could tolerate.  i'm certain i made it to the
   last part of the final stage, yet i could not bear to embark on that dreary
   journey again for probably the rest of my natural life.
 
OVERALL RATING:  4.5.  do not buy this game.  despite the low rating, it
could amount to a decent short-term rental; you should have no problem
finishing it if you feel so inclined.

+--rating-scale----------------+
| <2  complete trash           |
| <4  not worth the bother     |
| <6  possible cure for ennui  |
| 6-8 merits rental            |
| >8  worthy of purchase       |
+------------------------------+--upcoming--reviews---------------------------+
soulblazer
street fighter 2
super double dragon
super smash tv
zelda ]I[
+---------------------------------reviews--on--file---------------------------+
addamsfamily.rev	adventureisland.rev	axelay.rev
bartsnightmare.rev	contra3.rev		doubledragon.rev
krustysfunhouse.rev	rampart.rev		smartball.rev
ultraman.rev
-- 
	       there is no religion when a man has  good curry
				       -
      tim clinkenpeel: aberrant analytical skeptical agnostic idealist.
		     -- i exclusively represent myself --