The original Double Dragon is arguably one of the most historically important beat 'em ups ever made, being an important step in-between titles such as Renegade and Final Fight. The lack of any standard for what constituted a beat 'em up would give the series freedom to experiment, and as such each subsequent release tried something different. Awkward platforming, experience systems or even micro-transactions, The Double Dragon series was often one of change, for better or worse.
However, by the time Super Double Dragon released in 1992, we already had titles such as Final Fight and Streets of Rage solidifying the conventions of the genre; Super Double Dragon by comparison, plays rough even when compared to the NES originals. The game feels slow, hits are at times unresponsive, enemies and bosses move strangely and are very, very dumb often walking straight into your attacks after getting knocked down. You don't even get a in-game story until after you beat the final boss, it all just feels unfinished. Double Dragon 2, which was released in 1988 felt more ambitious than this game, with more varied locations, enemies and cutscenes. It's an improvement over the misstep that was Double Dragon 3 for sure, and the counter system is unique, if clunky in practice. I've played worse, but Super Double Dragon is just sad, and a clear example of just how fast the industry was moving during the early 90s.
However, by the time Super Double Dragon released in 1992, we already had titles such as Final Fight and Streets of Rage solidifying the conventions of the genre; Super Double Dragon by comparison, plays rough even when compared to the NES originals. The game feels slow, hits are at times unresponsive, enemies and bosses move strangely and are very, very dumb often walking straight into your attacks after getting knocked down. You don't even get a in-game story until after you beat the final boss, it all just feels unfinished. Double Dragon 2, which was released in 1988 felt more ambitious than this game, with more varied locations, enemies and cutscenes. It's an improvement over the misstep that was Double Dragon 3 for sure, and the counter system is unique, if clunky in practice. I've played worse, but Super Double Dragon is just sad, and a clear example of just how fast the industry was moving during the early 90s.