Double Dragon Revive is a 3D Beat 'em Up developed by Arc System Works for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S and PC. The game is a reboot of Double Dragon and takes the gameplay of the series into the world of 3D.
15 years following the world being devastated by a nuclear war, everyone who survived has constructed new homes in portions across the ruined landscape of the globe. At the same amount of time, the nations as a concept have died, and there are power-hungry folks who control the colonies for the sake of laws and politics. The colony on the coast of New York is under the control of a gang of such people known as the Shadow Warriors, led by Willy Mackey, whose control of that colony led to a wider gap between the wealthy and the impoverished, with survivors struggling in the slums as disappearances rise. Billy and Jimmy Lee, friends with Marian Kelly since childhood, lead a Sosetsuken dojo that stands in the middle of the gang's evil routine, with all three about to become a thorn in the side of the Shadow Warriors.
Although kidnapping is involved in the game, Marian does not hold the role of victim this time in the story; she instead aids the Lee Brothers in trying to find the missing people and decimate the numerous Shadow Warriors plaguing the city. The various grunts encountered across the city include Assassins, Douglas, Eliza, Lance, Burnov, crooked security guards and riot officers, and a handful of more cronies. Several of the bosses the trio must face include Abobo, the Ahn sisters, Marcus, and Joji, as well as Roper, Linda, and Williams, who were previously mooks in the franchise who have ascended to boss status as well. Along the way, our main trio will also form an unexpected alliance with the ninja Yagyu Ranzou in their efforts to defeat the Shadow Warriors.
Tropes:
- Actor Allusion: In Revive's Japanese version, Billy and Jimmy are voiced by Kazuyuki Okitsu and Takehito Koyasu... not the first time they voiced 'brothers' (Jonathan Joestar and Dio Brando), and also somehow alluding to the NES version of the first game where Jimmy was given an Adaptational Villainy (thankfully, Billy and Jimmy remain as true brothers in Revive).
- Adaptational Badass: In the original games, Williams, Linda and Roper were common mooks. Here, they're three of the bosses fought in the game.
- Adaptational Early Appearance: Yagyu Ranzou made his debut in Double Dragon III. Here, he meets the Lee Brothers earlier in this reboot than the events of III.
- Adaptational Heroism: In the arcade version of III, Yagyu just attacked the brothers when they were after the Rosetta Stone he was guarding. Here, he helps fight the Shadow Warriors after being defeated.
- Adaptation Name Change: Four of the Five Emperors from Double Dragon Advance get new names here. Yáng Zhèng-lì gets renamed Lance, Wu In-sik gets renamed Irving, David gets renamed Jasper, and Anderson gets renamed Douglas.
- Adaptational Wimp: Mibobo, the green version of Abobo, is no longer a boss and is just a common enemy, albeit in the final stage. Several others like Burnov and Jack also are no longer bosses either and are just enemies.
- Adapted Out:
- As she is Promoted to Playable, Marian's kidnapping scene along with being hoisted up high in the Shadow Warriors' lair have both been removed.
- Jeff, the arcade game's second boss, was removed from the cast once again.
- Cigar Chomper: Willy Mackey. Nearly every scene he's in, the man always has a cigar in his mouth. Check the picture up top
- Defeat Means Playable: After beating Yagyu once, he will be unlocked for the game.
- Kick Chick: Marian does have a few punches in her reptriore, but many of her attacks are kick focused. Inverted for Jimmy. He does mix and match his moves, but uses a lot more kicks than his twin, Billy.
- Named by the Adaptation: Raymond, introduced in Double Dragon Advance, gains the last name of Cromwell.
- No Name Given: The assassin, the security agent, and the riot guard all are nameless.
- Promoted to Playable: Marian earns her status as a playable character here as opposed to being just a damsel in distress in the arcade game.
- Purple Is Powerful: Like his original counterpart from Double Dragon Advance, Raymond wears all purple (this time a leather jacket over his sleeveless leather shirt) and even exhumes purple aura as he powers up.
- Red Is Violent: Willy Mackey wears a red outfit as in the versions of II that feature him and he's as nasty a customer as always in the Double Dragon franchise.
- Shotoclone: Downplayed, but it is noticeable. Billy and Jimmy do share similar move sets, but the former is much more punch focused wearing blue and white, while the latter wears red and black, and uses more kick based attacks. Thus making Billy and Jimmy, the Ryu and Ken respectively. Billy can perform a Shoryuken via his super move. Both can perform a Hurricane Kick, but Jimmy has a special flaming variation he uses as a super move. Marian shares some elements, but hers is mainly her doing a super version of her Hurricane Kick that spawns a large tornado.