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Controls[edit]

  • Joystick: Use the player 1 joystick to control Billy Lee, or use the player 2 joystick to control Jimmy Lee. Press the joystick in the direction that you would like either player to move. When standing near a ladder or chain link fence, you may use the joystick to climb up or down these surfaces.
  • Kick: Press the kick button to attack your enemies with your foot.
  • Jump: Press the jump button to leap into the air. Press the jump button while holding the joystick left or right to jump in either direction. The jump button is also used to escape when an enemy grabs you from behind.
  • Punch: Press the punch button to attack your enemies with your fists.
  • Player 1 / 2: Press either button to begin a one or two player game.

Players[edit]

Double Dragon Arcade Billy Lee.png
Double Dragon Arcade Jimmy Lee.png

Throughout the game, you are in control of the Lee brothers. Player 1 on the left side controls Billy "Hammer" Lee, and Player 2 on the right side controls Jimmy "Spike" Lee.* Billy and Jimmy are well trained and highly skilled martial artists. They are on a mission to rescue Marion from the Black Warriors gang who have kidnapped her. To do this, they will have to travel through several regions that are broken up into four "missions." In each mission, they will have to do battle with large numbers of gang members, including one particularly strong member who serves as the boss for the end of the mission.

Billy and Jimmy can take a great deal of damage before succumbing to their wounds. A health meter for each player is displayed at the bottom of the screen. It contains five units of health. If Billy or Jimmy sustain enough damage to empty their health meters, they will fall over and lose one life. At the default settings, each player begins the game with two lives, with the opportunity to earn more at 30,000 points, and every 60,000 point gained thereafter. If all of the players lives are lost, each player has the opportunity to continue their game from right where they died by purchasing another credit.

* The Hammer and Spike nicknames come from Taito's North American promotional material, and appear on the arcade control panel.

Combat techniques[edit]

This is a list of all the moves that the brothers are capable of performing against the enemy. Note that holding a weapon may disable, or replace, some of these moves.

Punch Kick
Double Dragon move punch.png
Input: Punch button
Score: 50 points, 300 for a knockdown
The punch is the Lee brother's most basic technique. They use both fists when fighting, so tapping the punch button will result in one punch being thrown, followed by the other. If both punches connect and stun the opponent, a third punch thrown in rapid succession will be an uppercut. Landing an uppercut will knock the enemy down and earn you more points.
Double Dragon move kick.png
Input: Kick button
Score: 100 points, 300 for a knockdown
Kicks are another staple of the Lee brother's fighting style. When kicking an opponent, they will first perform a kick to the abdomen. If this succeeds in causing their opponent to lean forward, they will follow up with a roundhouse kick that is likely to knock the enemy down and score big points.
Jump Jump kick
Double Dragon move jump.png
Input: Jump button
Jumping alone is not an offensive move, but it may set Billy or Jimmy up for a mid-air kick. It can also be used as an attempt to escape danger, or overcome obstacles. You can jump straight up, or you can jump to the left or the right by holding the joystick in either direction when you jump. If you jump in a particular direction, be sure that the location you are jumping to is safe.
Double Dragon move jumpkick.png
Input: Jump, then kick or punch button
Score: 100 points
When you jump, you can perform a kick in the air which can knock enemies to the ground. To perform a jump kick, you must must press the kick or punch buttons depending on whether you wish to kick left or right respectively. You may only kick in either direction if you jump straight up. If you jump forward in one particular direction, you can only jump kick with the button which matches that direction. For example, if you jump to the right, you can only perform a jump kick by pressing punch.
Spinning jump kick Elbow
Double Dragon move spinkick.png
Input: Jump and kick buttons together
Score: 200 points
A spinning jump kick can really take enemies by surprise. When you perform a spinning kick, you will attack whoever is behind you. When you land, you will be facing the opposite direction. If you perform two spinning jump kicks back to back, you will end up facing in your original direction. Landing a spinning jump kick will knock enemies down.
Double Dragon move elbow.png
Input: Jump and punch buttons together
Score: 180 points
By pressing jump and punch together, you will throw an elbow in the face of any enemy standing behind you. While it knocks opponents down, it doesn't do a tremendous amount of damage. Never the less, enemies in this game are incredibly susceptible to this attack, and it can be used to defeat a large number of opponents without risking retaliation, because your enemies won't attack you from behind!
Head-butt Grab
Double Dragon move headbutt.png
Input: Tap joystick left or right twice.
Score: 200 points
A head-butt is performed by rapidly tapping the joystick twice to the left or the right. This move does not have a long range, and it can put you at risk of being counter attacked if you miss, but it may save your life if you are surrounded at close range. Unfortunately, it's quite common to execute this move by mistake if your joystick is not reliable.
Double Dragon move grab.png
Input: Push forward when an enemy is leaning forward
If an opponent is doubled over in pain, it's possible to grab their hair and hold on to them. From here, you may execute the two last moves described below. The easiest way to make an enemy vulnerable to grab is to kick them. You cannot grab opponents who are bigger than you.
Knee Throw
Double Dragon move knee.png
Input: Press kick while grabbing an enemy
Score: 50 points
When you grab hold of an enemy by the hair, you can bash them in the head with your knee. There is a limit to how much you can do this however. After three hits from your knee, the opponent will collapse, and you will be forced to let go.
Double Dragon move throw.png
Input: Press punch while grabbing an enemy
Score: 50 points
While you still have your opponent by the hair, it is possible to throw them over your shoulder. Doing so will send them flying and they will land on their back. To do the most damage to your opponents, it is best to knee them in the head twice before throwing them. Beware of attacks from behind while you are holding on to an enemy's hair.

Weapons[edit]

While you do not begin the game with any weapons, it's possible to pick up, and utilize, any weapons that you have knocked loose from opponents' hands. To pick up a weapon, you must stand over them while they are on the ground, and press punch to bend down and collect them. Note that while you are collecting a weapon, you are vulnerable to attack. Be aware that your opponents can also knock weapons out of your hands, and pick them up to use against you. Also note that it is not possible to grab an opponent while you are holding a weapon.

  • Melee weapons: It is possible to pick up a bat or whip and use them against your opponents by pressing the punch button. Every successful hit will earn you 200 points, and will always knock down the opponent. Enemies will be cautious when you possess one of these weapons, and will be hesitant to approach you if you swing them constantly.
  • Throw weapons: Some enemies carry around knives or sticks of dynamite. If you pick one of these weapons up, pressing the punch button will cause you to throw them. A knife can be thrown across the screen, and you will earn 500 points if you hit someone with it. A stick of dynamite is thrown to the ground near your feet. Shortly after it lands (whether it was trhown by you, or dropped by an enemy), it flashes before detonating. Anyone caught in the blast, including yourself, will lose a significant amount of health. You earn no points when enemies are damaged by dynamite.
  • Heavy weapons: During the game, you may encounter barrels or crates, or even boulders. These heavy weapons can be picked up and thrown at opponents for a good amount of damage by pressing punch. Crates simply bounce off the floor or any nearby walls that they hit, but barrels and boulders will continue to roll forward in the direction they were thrown after they land.