Double Dragon (USA)

About Double Dragon on Atari 7800

Kicking down the arcade doors in 1987, Double Dragon is a cornerstone of the beat 'em up genre that I've cleared more times than I can count. You take control of Billy or Jimmy Lee, smashing through four brutal city levels to rescue Billy's girlfriend Marian, all while mastering a surprisingly deep martial arts system that still holds up decades later. Double Dragon includes region marker: USA, which helps separate this page from nearby ports, regional releases, and similarly named entries.

• Atari 7800 listing context
  Double Dragon includes region marker: USA, which helps separate this page from nearby ports, regional releases, and similarly named entries. The strongest visible context is the Atari 7800 platform and its RPG play style. Emulator core: atari7800.
• Pioneering Co-Op Brawling
  This wasn't just a two-player gimmick—you and a buddy could actually fight back-to-back, taking on the entire Black Warriors gang together, though competitive moments could suddenly turn you into bitter rivals for points or power-ups.
• Progressive Combat System
  Beating up thugs fills an experience bar that lets Billy or Jimmy unlock new techniques, from simple elbow jabs and headbutts to jump kicks and those devastating overhead elbow drops that send enemies flying.
• Iconic Stage Progression
  The trek from the mean city streets through to what we called the 'Forest' stage—really more of a weird industrial park—feels epic, culminating in a tense climb up the gang's final hideout to face the boss, the shadowy Abobo.