The beat 'em up genre spent years in a weird sort of purgatory. For a long time, if you wanted to walk from left to right and punch thugs in the face, you were basically stuck replaying Streets of Rage 2 on an emulator or hoping a niche indie dev released something on Steam. Then Streets of Rage 4 and TMNT: Shredder's Revenge happened. Suddenly, everyone remembered that brawlers are actually awesome. But while those games focused on polished nostalgia, Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons decided to do something way more interesting, and honestly, a bit weirder.
It’s a roguelite.
I know, I know. Every game is a roguelite now. But stick with me because Secret Base—the developers behind this—actually understood how to make that work for a franchise that started in smoky 1980s arcades. Most people remember Billy and Jimmy Lee as the tank-top-wearing twins who save Marian. In Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons, the stakes are the same, but the way you get there changes every single time you hit "Start." It's chaotic.
This Isn't Your Dad’s Double Dragon
Forget the stiff, linear progression of the NES era. In this game, New York City is a post-nuclear wasteland divided into four main territories. You pick where to go first. Sounds simple, right? It isn't. The catch—and this is the brilliance of the design—is that the gangs you don't fight immediately get stronger.
If you leave the Triangle Gang for last, their stage gets longer, their bosses get new move sets, and the difficulty spikes through the roof. It creates this genuine tactical layer where you have to decide: "Do I handle the annoying platforming sections of the Junkyard now while they're short, or do I risk a buffed-up Anubis boss fight later?"
The combat feels heavy. Not sluggish, but heavy. You aren't just mashing a single button; you’re managing a tag-team system. You pick two fighters. You can swap them mid-combo to extend your damage or pull a character out of a sticky situation when their health bar starts looking dangerously thin.
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The Roster is Actually Huge
Most players start with Billy and Jimmy, obviously. Billy is your balanced brawler, while Jimmy hits like a literal truck but moves a bit slower. But then you see Marian. She isn't the "damsel in distress" anymore. She’s a long-range specialist with a firearm. It completely changes the flow of a Double Dragon game when one player is zoning enemies with a gun while the other is delivering hurricane kicks.
As you play, you earn tokens. These tokens are the lifeblood of the meta-game. You use them to unlock a massive roster of characters, including former bosses like Abobo or Burnov. Playing as Abobo is a power trip. He’s massive. He fills up half the screen. He doesn't care about your "tactics"—he just wants to throw people into pits.
How the Roguelite Mechanics Actually Work
The "Gaiden" in the title is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. It signals that this is a side story, a departure. When you finish a floor or a boss, you get to spend your earned cash on upgrades. These are randomized. Maybe you get a buff that increases your special meter gain, or perhaps you find an upgrade that heals you every time you perform a "Crowd Control" move.
What is Crowd Control? It's the mechanic that forces you to play well. If you kill three or more enemies simultaneously with a special move, you get health-restoring food. It’s a risk-reward loop. You're low on health. You could play it safe, or you could round up five thugs, wait for them to bunch up, and pray your Special move connects so you can spawn a turkey.
It makes the game feel like a high-speed puzzle.
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The Controversy of the Art Style
Let's address the elephant in the room: the "chibi" art style. When the first trailer for Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons dropped, the internet had a meltdown. People wanted the gritty, muscular sprites of Double Dragon Neon or the pixel perfection of the arcade originals.
Honestly? The art style grows on you. It allows for much clearer animations and better "readability" when the screen is filled with fifteen different enemies. In a game where positioning is everything, being able to see exactly where a hitbox starts is more important than seeing the sweat on Billy’s forehead. The colors pop. The environments feel distinct. It’s a vibe that works once you're five minutes into a run.
Why the Permadeath Doesn't Suck
A lot of casual fans hear "roguelite" and think they’re going to lose all their progress. That’s not how this works. The game uses a "Cash to Token" conversion system. When you die, or when you win, your leftover money is turned into tokens.
These tokens persist. You use them to buy permanent unlocks. You can buy music, concept art, or—most importantly—new characters. It gives the game that "one more run" feeling that the original arcade games had, but without you having to feed a physical machine quarters.
There is a deep level of customization here too. Before you start a run, you can adjust the difficulty sliders. You can make the enemies weaker but the upgrades more expensive. Or you can make it "Permadeath" mode where you get more tokens for the increased risk. It's incredibly accessible for people who just want to see the ending, while still being a brutal challenge for the "No Damage" crowd.
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The Importance of Local Co-op
You can play this solo, and it’s fun. But Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons is a co-op game at its heart. There is something specifically nostalgic about sitting on a couch with a friend, arguing over who gets to pick up the burger that just dropped from a wooden crate.
The tag-team system works in co-op too. Each player has two characters. That’s four characters on screen potentially swapping in and out. It’s beautiful chaos. The developers eventually added online co-op in a post-launch update, which was a huge "finally" moment for the community. If you haven't played since the update, the netcode is surprisingly stable.
The Music Slaps
Soundtracks in this series have always been iconic. This game doesn't miss. It features rearranged versions of the classic themes that will make any 90s kid feel like they're eight years old again. It’s high-energy synth-rock that perfectly matches the pace of the combat.
Tactical Advice for Your First Run
Don't just mash buttons. If you play this like a standard arcade brawler, you will die by the second stage. You need to master the "Special" meter.
- Prioritize the Mission Order: Start with the boss you find hardest. Their stage will be at its shortest length, and they won't have their advanced desperation moves.
- Abuse the Tag: Your "bench" character slowly recovers "blue health." If you get hit, swap out immediately. Let the other character take the heat while your primary fighter heals.
- Save Your Tokens: Don't spend tokens on continues unless you are at the final boss. It's almost always better to take the "Game Over," convert your cash to tokens, and buy a permanent upgrade or a new character for the next run.
- Learn the Crowd Control: Positioning is more important than combos. Get the enemies into a pile. Use Billy’s kick or Marian's grenades to finish them all at once. The food drops aren't just bonuses; they are the only way you survive long runs.
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons succeeds because it doesn't try to just be a museum piece. It takes a legendary IP and actually does something modern with it. It respects the past—the hair, the music, the street-fighting grit—but it understands that in 2026, we need more than just a 30-minute arcade loop. It gives you a reason to come back.
To get the most out of your experience, start by focusing on unlocking Uncle Matin. He’s a riot to play and his shield dash is arguably one of the best crowd-clearing moves in the game. Experiment with the difficulty sliders early on to find a balance that rewards you with enough tokens without making the game a frustrating slog. Once you've mastered the tag-system timing, try a run with two "Heavy" characters to see how the game's physics engine handles the absolute carnage of throwing enemies into one another.
Next Steps for Players:
- Check the Token Exchange: Before starting a new run, always check if you have enough tokens to unlock a new character; some of the bosses offer entirely different gameplay styles that make the stages feel fresh.
- Toggle the Soundtrack: Explore the options menu to switch between the original 8-bit style tracks and the modern arrangements depending on your mood.
- Focus on the Kill-Combos: Practice the timing of killing three enemies at once in the training room to ensure you can generate health items reliably during the tougher, later stages of a run.