Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons | PS5 Review

I bought a Nintendo Entertainment System after taking on a paper route when I was eleven years old. My best friend was a bit luckier, he was gifted his NES. I purchased every single one of my own games (except for Bases Loaded, a gift from my parents one surprising Christmas morning). My friend received every game he asked for. His mom was one of those people in the wacky Super Mario Bros 3 lines at Toys R Us. But, he was also gifted Double Dragon. Beat ‘em up style games were new to us. We played that game a lot. Passing the controllers back and forth between four great friends who could only play two at a time. Never making it to the end of the game because my friend had SO MANY games to play, plus we still enjoyed playing outside.

Memories are a true treasure of life, especially the good ones.

Let’s Hear About the Game

Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons is an update of the classic arcade looking beat ‘em up that I remember so fondly from the late 80s. Developed by Secret Base and published by Maximum Entertainment and Joystick, Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons is similar in style and content to the original on the NES although it provides the bright vibrant colors, textures, and performance of our modern gen consoles. 

Even as I write this, the tug of my childhood memories run through my mind. Big Wheel races, video games, the Contra code, pretending we were going to be the next Guns N Roses, wiffleball in the street and shouting “CAR!” every few minutes. 

I don’t think I need to tell you, I love this game. Through Scott’s appreciated contacts, we were given a code to try out the new DLC. The base game has been out since July 2023 and I’m regretting missing out but grateful beyond words to have been gifted (see what I did there? Full circle) the experience. Let’s jump in!

Minimal Story – Fine By Me

Anybody who has played just about any beat ‘em up can likely write this section for me. In the original game, your girlfriend is kidnapped by thugs (was it Billy’s girlfriend? Jimmy’s? Unclear, although ChatGPT seems to think she was Billy’s). 

In Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons, you’re still playing as Billy and/or Jimmy, but instead of the girlfriend being kidnapped, the city is controlled by multiple factions of mafia-like gangs. Strong-arming the businesses, causing chaos and havoc. The city is falling apart; Billy and Jimmy have trained for this. We can save the city!

How to Play Plus Splendid Controls

The controls are simple enough to master. Walk through the streets of your crumbling town, punch and kick your way to each boss. Beating the boss clears that area of the city. Besides punching and kicking, there is also a variety of moves that can be done. Double jump kicks were a particular favorite of mine as they caused decent damage and the dummy enemies rarely got out of my way.

And then there is the “Special Move” button. Using the special move button is not only powerful, there are also rewards if used properly. Knocking out 3 or more enemies using one special move will shake loose a lot of cash from the enemies and maybe even a hamburger to refill your health! In addition, you are rewarded for using the special move especially when used as the knock-out hit against the main boss. Just be wary of the Special Move meter; using it depletes the meter which has to recharge through defeating enemies the good old fashioned way.

As you progress through each level, you’re given opportunities to power up your character. You can choose upgrades like faster Special Move recovery, increased health, or more cash earned from defeated enemies. These enhancements help your fighter keep pace with the rising difficulty, making each run feel more balanced and rewarding.

I Was Never Frustrated By the Controls!

I found the controls to be responsive and precise. Any mistakes were my own, such as holding the jump button down to make Billy or Jimmy jump higher (this doesn’t work). Billy and Jimmy are pretty interchangeable as far as movement goes, but one has a more punch heavy arsenal of attacks while the other is more kick centric. I preferred the kicks of Billy. We’ll hear about the characters in the DLC later.

Before moving on, I want to tip my hat to the development team. Recently, I played The Phantom. Another beat ‘em up that I enjoyed but lamented the repetitive enemies. How many times am I going to beat that guy to a pulp?! In Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons, sure there are some repeat enemies on each level. However, each level has their own distinct set of enemies who attack slightly differently than other enemies. The variety was truly appreciated making each level, and sometimes each screen progression, seem fresh with a new challenge!

Visuals and Music – A Master’s Thesis

Arcade Glory! All that I was missing was the quarters stacked on the cabinet claiming my spot in line. The music, the graphics, the sound design: not a single sound or pixel felt out of place. Each punch or kick had a satisfying thud or thwack. The music was energetic and fun.

And the graphics! Clearly inspired by the side scrollers from the 80s, the updates were so simple and yet so drastic. Smooth transitions, bright colors that pop and added depth and character to each level. For a simple side scrolling beat ‘em up, I found myself stopping between enemy sets to admire the sights and sounds; another tip of the cap to the development team at Secret Base. If I had to nitpick, the stair-climbing felt oddly speedy. But seriously, that is the worst comment I can make. 

The DLC

And now, the reason I was given this joyful gift. The DLC brought with it five, yes five, new playable characters. Each brought with them a differing fighting style giving variety for repeat play throughs. Learning the nuances of each character’s style and, in particular, their special move made the game feel almost new!

And then there are the new gameplay modes including online co-op, because kids these days, am I right? Just kidding, might as well take advantage of the technology available to us. Another game mode is survival mode in which you must take down waves of attacking enemies to beat the levels. Finally there is a 1v1 mode to fight each other instead of the enemy. I was unable to try out the 1v1 mode and, to be honest, I’d probably rather play Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat if I’m going to fight my friend…or, in my case, have my friend make me lose over and over again.

There were other quality of life improvements including performance and gameplay improvements as well as a new difficulty option. 

Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons Final Verdict

It’s a classic beat ‘em up. Full stop. If beat ‘em ups are for you, then you must try this game. Each playthrough takes about 2 hours, depending on your difficulty setting. A short game, indeed, but beat ‘em ups do not need to be much longer than that. Want it to last longer? Play as different characters. You’re allowed to tag in a second character as you play, so you have the ability to try out two at a time even!

This is my review though, and I probably like this game more than most who have played it. I have not felt this gleeful while playing a game in many many months. It hit for me. It hit my heart. Childhood friends may not remain childhood friends. I keep in minimal touch with only one of mine. But playing this game made me feel like I was there. Surrounded by laughter, excitement, my friend’s mom who put way too much sugar in their Kool-aid, and the lack of responsibilities of being a kid again. 

I hope each and every one of you has a game, even a simple game, that grants you the emotions and memories I felt with Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons. And hug your friends. We’re all on a timetable here. Make life count.

To hear me talk more about Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons, be sure to listen to the April 10, 2025 episode of The Gaming Outsider podcast around the 48:14 time stamp.

This review is based on a PlayStation 5 copy of Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons provided by 1Up PR for coverage purposes. It is also available on PlayStation 4, Xbox, Nintendo Switch, and PC via Steam.