NES Action Beat 'em Up 1990

Double Dragon II: The Revenge

Reviewed by Marcus Webb & Elena Castillo · Updated June 2025

Technos Japan's 1990 NES beat-em-up and the widely beloved sequel to Double Dragon — Double Dragon II: The Revenge adds the spinning Hurricane Kick and Cyclone Spin Kick as core mechanics, improves two-player cooperation with a side-by-side rather than competitive structure, features Marian's death as the inciting narrative event, and delivers more complex level design than the original across nine missions.

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💡 Double Dragon II: The Revenge — Key Facts

→ Double Dragon II: The Revenge was developed by Technos Japan and published by Acclaim
→ Released in 1990 on NES
→ Genre: Action, Beat 'em Up
→ We rate it 8.7/10 — highly recommended
→ Technos Japan's 1990 NES beat-em-up and the widely beloved sequel to Double Dragon — Double Dragon II: The Revenge adds the spinning Hurricane Kick and Cyclone Spin Kick as core mechanics, improves two-player cooperation with a side-by-side rather than competitive structure, features Marian's death as the inciting narrative event, and delivers more complex level design than the original across nine missions.

Overview

Marian is shot in the opening cutscene. Billy Lee watches it happen. The Black Warriors responsible have a mission to complete and nine stages to protect them.

Double Dragon II came to NES in 1990 with a narrative justification, cooperative play that actually worked, and the spinning kick that made the sequel worth the name.

The Hurricane Kick

The original Double Dragon’s NES port had the elbow — the reliable crowd-control move that cleared groups. Double Dragon II replaced it with something more spectacular.

The Hurricane Kick is a jump-and-spin: leave the ground, press attack, spin horizontally through any enemy in contact range. In a group of three Black Warriors, the Hurricane Kick catches all three simultaneously. It’s the kind of move that changes how the game looks when executed — a spinning blur through an enemy pack that clears faster than any direct approach.

The ground-level Cyclone Spin Kick extends the spinning toolkit. Two spinning attacks with different range applications gave Double Dragon II a distinctive combat feel compared to the original’s elbow-heavy approach.

The Real Co-Op

Original Double Dragon NES: two players. But not simultaneously. One player controls, then the other. Alternating turns, not cooperation.

Double Dragon II fixed this. Billy and Jimmy on screen together, simultaneously, through all nine missions. Attacks don’t damage the partner — the cooperative intent is genuine rather than competitive. Two Hurricane Kicks in the same enemy group from opposite approach angles creates the kind of coordinated chaos that explained why the beat-em-up genre built its design around co-op.

The Extra Missions

Most ports cut arcade content. Cartridge limitations, time constraints, publisher decisions — the home version arrives with less than the coin-op.

Double Dragon II went the other direction. The NES version includes missions beyond the arcade game’s content — approximately one-third more game, exclusive to the home version. Players who’d finished the arcade discovered additional enemies, environments, and encounters after the apparent conclusion.

The reversal was unusual enough to be remembered: this was the Double Dragon where staying home gave you more than going to the arcade.

Our Review

8.7

Excellent / 10

🎮

Gameplay

★★★★★

🎨

Graphics

★★★★★

🎵

Audio

★★★★★

🔄

Replay

★★★★★

Gameplay

Double Dragon II is a side-scrolling beat-em-up across nine missions where Billy Lee (player 1) and Jimmy Lee (player 2) fight through the Black Warriors gang to avenge the murder of Marian. The attack system now uses directional inputs — attacking left or right depending on the d-pad direction — with the Hurricane Kick (spinning kick) added as a powerful crowd-clearing move. Two-player mode is fully cooperative: players don't accidentally hit each other, removing the competitive damage mechanic of the original. Mission variety includes helicopters, moving platforms, and indoor/outdoor environments. An NES-exclusive final section beyond the arcade version adds approximately one-third more content.

Graphics

Double Dragon II's NES visuals represent an advancement over the original's graphics — more detailed character sprites, varied indoor and outdoor environments, and the series' characteristic digitized-from-film-reference aesthetic for character designs.

Audio

Double Dragon II's NES soundtrack includes the iconic Mission 1 theme and stage-appropriate action compositions. The music quality is considered a high point of NES beat-em-up audio.

Replayability

Nine missions with two-player co-op, character mastery of the Hurricane Kick and Cyclone Spin Kick, mission 9's additional NES content, and the beat-em-up replay structure of different enemy configurations provide solid genre replay.

Historical Significance

Double Dragon II (1990 NES) is broadly considered an improvement over the original Double Dragon NES port and stands as one of the NES's best beat-em-ups. The NES version's additional final missions beyond the arcade version created unique content — a rare case where the home version exceeded the arcade source. The two-player cooperative fix — removing the accidental friendly-fire damage of the original — made co-op the intended two-player experience. The spinning kick additions influenced subsequent beat-em-ups in the genre. Double Dragon II's NES reception cemented the franchise's status alongside Battletoads and Final Fight as defining the NES action genre's end period.

✅ Pros

+ Hurricane Kick and Cyclone Spin Kick add crowd-clearing depth
+ True co-op two-player without accidental friendly fire
+ Nine missions including NES-exclusive final content
+ Mission variety across helicopter attacks, moving platforms, indoor stages
+ Improved NES graphics over original Double Dragon port

❌ Cons

- NES one-button attack system compared to arcade's layout
- Final mission's difficulty spike frustrates casual players
- AI partner behaviors in single-player aren't present — true co-op game
- Arcade version differences in stage structure

Also Known As

Double Dragon II NESDD2ダブルドラゴンII ザ・リベンジ

Double Dragon II: The Revenge FAQ

What is the Hurricane Kick in Double Dragon II?

The Hurricane Kick (also called the Cyclone Kick in some versions) is Double Dragon II's signature addition to the beat-em-up moveset. The move is performed by jumping and pressing the attack button while airborne — Billy or Jimmy spins through the air with a horizontal kick that hits all enemies in contact range simultaneously. The Hurricane Kick is Double Dragon II's crowd control tool: entering a group of enemies and executing the spinning attack can hit multiple opponents simultaneously, breaking through encircling situations that would require careful individual strikes otherwise. The move is powerful enough that players who master its timing can use it as their primary approach to dense enemy groups. Double Dragon II also adds the Cyclone Spin Kick — a ground-level spinning kick executed from a standing position — as a companion crowd move.

How does two-player co-op work in Double Dragon II?

Double Dragon II's two-player cooperative mode is genuinely cooperative unlike the original Double Dragon NES port. The original Double Dragon NES allowed only one player at a time — both players controlled the same character in alternating turns rather than simultaneously. Double Dragon II allows simultaneous two-player with Billy (player 1) and Jimmy (player 2) on screen together throughout. The cooperative structure removes the accidental friendly-fire damage that the original arcade version included — players do not damage each other when their attacks overlap, allowing close coordination without the competitive risk. Two-player Double Dragon II is designed as a co-op experience: the enemy count and difficulty scale to accommodate two players fighting simultaneously, and the Hurricane Kick's crowd-clearing is most effective when one player sets up enemy positions for the other to clear.

What is the NES-exclusive content in Double Dragon II?

Double Dragon II for NES includes missions beyond those in the original arcade version — approximately one-third more content. The arcade game's final confrontation with Shadow Boss occurs earlier in the NES version's mission structure; the NES adds additional missions after the apparent climax, extending the game with unique NES-only content. This additional content was unusual: most arcade-to-NES ports condensed or reduced arcade content due to cartridge limitations, but Double Dragon II NES expanded the game. The NES-exclusive missions add environments and encounters not seen in the arcade original, giving NES players a longer experience than the source material. This made the NES version notable in a period when home ports were typically compromises — Double Dragon II was one of the cases where the home version exceeded the arcade source.

Is Double Dragon II available on modern platforms?

Double Dragon II: The Revenge is available on Nintendo Switch Online's NES library, allowing Switch Online subscribers to play the NES version on modern hardware. The game has also been available on various digital storefronts historically. The Double Dragon Neon (2012, WayForward Technologies) is a modern re-imagining for PC/PS3/360 that pays tribute to the classic series. Double Dragon IV (2017) is a direct sequel in the classic art style. The original arcade Double Dragon II is accessible through MAME emulation, which differs from the NES version in stage structure and additional missions. Physical NES cartridges are widely available in retro game markets.