Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls

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Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls

Cover art of the SNES version
Developer(s) Leland Interactive Media
Publisher(s) Tradewest
Series Double Dragon
Platform(s) Super NES, Genesis, Atari Jaguar
Release date SNES and Genesis versions
NA August 5, 1994
Jaguar version
NA April 5, 1995
Genre(s) Fighting
Mode(s) Single player, Cooperative

Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls is a 1994 American-produced sequel to Technos Japan's Double Dragon series.[1] Unlike the previously produced Double Dragon games, Technos had little or no credited involvement in the development of the game outside of licensing the series' name to publisher Tradewest (the publisher of the first Double Dragon and Super Double Dragon). The game was actually developed by Leland Interactive Media, a subsidiary of Tradewest. Unlike the previous games, which were side-scrolling beat-em-ups, Shadow Falls is a competitive Street Fighter II-style fighting game based on the Double Dragon animated TV series and set in the same universe. Technos would later produce its own fighting game based on the Double Dragon movie the following year simply titled Double Dragon. Shadow Falls was originally released for the Super NES and Sega Genesis and later released for the Atari Jaguar by Telegames in 1995.

Contents

[edit] Plot

Billy and Jimmy Lee must stop the vile Shadow Master from spreading a deadly virus that threatens the citizens of Metro City and the world. The brothers first must face the Shadow Master's Shadow Warriors who stand in their way or reaching the villain's Shadow Dojo.

[edit] Gameplay

The game follows the typical 8-way directional pad/stick with 6-button layout common to most fighting games (including Street Fighter II) at the time comprising of weak, medium and strong punches and kicks. The Genesis version supports the standard 3-button controller (making use of the start button to toggle between punches and kicks), as well as the 6-button controller released during the previous year. The characters has several special moves, as well as finishing moves called "Overkills" where the losing character has their own unique death animation when they are defeated by a certain type of basic attack.

The game features four game modes: Tournament Mode, Vs. Battle, Quest Mode and Battle Mode. Tournament Mode is an arcade-style single player mode, where the player competes against a series of computer-controlled opponents, with each character having their own ending, while Vs. Battle is a typical two player mode where one player competes against another. Quest Mode is an alternate single player mode where one competes in a series of storyline-based battles. In Quest Mode, the player can adjust the attributes of their own character. Watch Mode allows the player to pit two computer controlled characters against each other. There is also a Dossiers mode, where the player gets to view the game's character profiles, as well an Options mode to adjust the difficulty setting control configuration and other features.

[edit] Characters

Shadow Falls has a character roster of twelve fighters, ten immediately playable character (the two "Double Dragons" and eight Shadow Warriors) and two end bosses. Many of the characters are taken from the Double Dragon animated series that aired during the game's release. Only Bones, Sekka, Blade and Dominique are original characters, with Blade's design being based on the generic Shadow Warrior soldiers who were on the show. Dominique and the Shadow Master are playable in the Super NES and Genesis versions via a code. In the Jaguar version, Blade, Trigger Happy and Icepick were removed and Dominique was added to the immediate roster.

[edit] The Double Dragons

  • Billy Lee - Raised by the Oldest Dragon after being left at the Dragon Dojo by his father John Lee to find his twin brother, he was raised as a Dragon Master to obey the code to the detail. After meeting his brother Jimmy he decides to fight and becomes a Double Dragon. He is noble and only fights when he must.
  • Jimmy Lee - Raised by the Shadow Master and fooled into believing the Shadow Master was his father, he was raised to be the Shadow Boss and be evil. After being betrayed by the Shadow Warrior he joins with Billy as a Double Dragon. He is reckless and always gets in trouble.

[edit] The Shadow Warriors

  • Shadow Master - The master of all Shadow Warriors, he is evil and deceptive. His ultimate goal is to cover the world in darkness and shadow. He has many powers which include shapeshifting and teleporting, and he is able to trap warriors who fail him in the Shadow Mural. He has a scythe for a weapon which has a sword for the lower half which can detach and be used as the sword. He is a secret character and the final boss of the game
  • Dominique - A dangerous dominatrix with a whip and knives at the tips of her high heels. She is the sub-boss that precedes the Shadow Master and is also a secret character.
  • Jawbreaker - Extremely tall He will eat anything and anyone. He has a large jaw with sharp teeth and can bite a chunk out of anything.
  • Icepick - A computer expert and the brains of the orginization. He fights using a sword and dagger.
  • Bones - A resurrected skeleton who is influenced by rock n' roll and has a tattoo of a cobra on his forehead. He wields a laser rifle.
  • Sickle - Rude and cruel. He fights with two rather large red sickles.
  • Blade - A literally heartless cyborg who looks similar to the low ranking Shadow warriors in the cartoon. His weapons are crimson blades on his gauntlets.
  • Trigger Happy - A large brute who loves to destroy and shoot at things, he loves chaos. He uses a hand mounted blaster to fire at unsuspecting people.
  • Countdown - Robotically enhanced. He attacks with shoulder mounted rocket blasters and laser vision.
  • Sekka - A cyborg similar to Blade who has skin made of armor and claws on the end of her gauntlets.

[edit] Others

  • The Oldest Dragon The original Dragon Master of the Dragon Dojo who raised Billy Lee. He is an NPC who tells Billy and Jimmy who they have to face.

[edit] References

  1. ^ "Retro Review of Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls," Game Informer 174 (October 2007): 134.

[edit] External links

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