Double Dragon (Atari 2600)
How is this even possible? Not the prettiest port but still an (unforgiving) blast to play
We wanted something awesome to sum up our second year producing video content and I suppose, Double Dragon on the Atari 2600 may not have made the impact when it first came out but it’s a game I can totally jump on.
Double Dragon totally sums up everything that the Leftover Culture Review stands for. An iconic beat ’em up that had a huge impact on me personally but it’s a game that’s always had a really terrible rap.
I’m a massive Double Dragon fan and it was pretty exciting to rediscover this game for the Atari 2600. This was my first invitation to the world of side-scrolling beat ’em ups and it’s a genre that has stuck with me and largely dominated a good chunk of the reviews here at the Leftover Culture Review.
Double Dragon was everywhere for a while, but it seems that the distinction for the most low-tech port goes to the Atari 2600. That’s probably not a good thing but it means the 2600 version has some really different mechanics by comparison.
The reason I remember this game so well, is the versus mode. One those Atari joysticks, it felt like it didn’t matter what you pressed you could pull off some move. It was also a lot more satisfying at the time to beat the hell out of my brother instead of getting my arse handed to me in the first screen.
Double Dragon for the Atari 2600 is a totally unforgiving game that requires you to develop a pattern of fighting. It’s a game that makes you calculate your moves, find patterns, practice and keep practicing… Sound familiar? I’ve pretty much described every Atari 2600 game ever. The Atari 2600 console (through its limitations) actually forced its games to feel like Atari 2600 games, even games like Commando and Double Dragon that were coming in much later with ports on the Nintendo and the Sega Master System.
Double Dragon isn’t a great game by any means, but it’s something of an oddity, a two-player side scrolling beat ’em up on the Atari 2600 with weapons and boss characters. It’s amazing thinking that such an old console (designed to play Pong and Combat) had games like this as the Nintendo and Sega Master System took over the market.
So what a great way to signify two years of the Leftover Culture Review. If you wanted to see the entire Atari 2600 review, you can check that out here.