The developer behind Dragon BallFighterZ and Guilty Gear Strive, Arc System Works, is leading the effort to give Double Dragon a 3D revival nearly five decades after the original beat 'em up game.
The new project will see the 1980s game characters from the Nintendo Entertainment System era getting 3D-modeled versions. Double Dragon was a game that was a mainstay on arcades and consoles throughout the late '80s and the early '90s.
Double Dragon's 3D Revival
(Photo : Technos Japan, Arc System Works / Screenshot taken from official website)
It appeared on a variety of platforms and at one point also partnered with the Battletoads and is revered as one of the most influential beat 'em ups in the history of video games. It joins the likes of Final Fight and Streets of Rage that followed in its footsteps.
The upcoming project comes as Arc System Works acquired the rights to Double Dragon and other classic beat 'em up series Kunio-Kun, also known as River City, from Technos Japan Corp in 2015, according to IGN.
Since then, the studio has released a myriad of games in the aforementioned series much to the delight of fans.
The chief among these titles was Double Dragon 4, which was a title that was made in collaboration with the series' original director, Yoshihisa Kishimoto, and its anime-influenced spin-off, River City Girls.
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Unfortunately, the former was met with relatively poor reviews due to some issues but the latter, on the other hand, gained a lot of critical acclaim. What is also worth noting is that River City Girls 2 featured Double Dragon leads Billy and Jimmy Lee as playable DLC characters.
There was also a roguelike spin-off, known as Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons, that was released in 2023 and garnered average reviews.
Arc System Works' efforts to bring Double Dragon back as a 3D title are expected to come to fruition in 2025. It is expected to be available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox, and PC.
Modernized Controls and Other Features
Despite the announcement of the project, there is very little information that has been shared about the 3D revival of Double Dragon. What we do know so far is that the game will feature modernized controls and difficulty options, said Eurogamer.
It will also supposedly include the Lee brothers, Roper and Abobo reimagined in 3D and some of the visuals were shown off in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. It also comes as one of Arc System Works' games, Guilty Gear Strive, is getting an anime series coming out later this year.
The show is known as Guilty Gear Strive: Dual Riders and recently released its first trailer that showcased footage for fans to enjoy. The story will focus on so-called "Gears," who are creatures that were fused with magic in a post-apocalyptic setting.
Similar to other fighting games, the appeal that Guilty Gear has on players is its electric cast of colorful characters and its fast-paced action gameplay.
The anime world has previously included the likes of Street Fighter, Tekken, Virtua Fighter, Darkstalkers, Fatal Fury, and many others, according to ComicBook.
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