Super Double Dragon by Konami Author: DJ Tigresa and MC Pantera Email: djtigresa@classicgaming.com, mcpantera@classicgaming.com Note: Here's a guide we did back in 1992 shortly after the game came out and has been reformatted for today's use. Story If you haven?t heard of Double Dragon, you haven?t been playing video games for long. It started as an arcade hit, and is known for being the first true beat-em-up game. As the screen scrolls from side-to-side (or up and down in some cases), enemies appear from all sides to put you out of business. The latest sequel was Double Dragon 3, which even found its way to many popular computer formats. Now Super Double Dragon appears for the Super Nintendo, and it?s the most original offering yet. Billy and Jimmy Lee return as the greatest martial arts heroes, but since the last installment of Double Dragon they?ve been in training. Now they can perform 24 new martial arts moves, plus four special moves. Try blocking a punch, then holding the enemies arm as you punch and kick him in the head. Juice up your Dragon Power Gauge and try a Roundhouse Kick or Round Back Fist. These are the kinds of moves that make the difference between a boring fight and a truly awesome battle. Tradewest throws in awesome graphics and sounds as a bonus. Strategies First we must recommend using a special controller with rapid fire for the R button (We like the AsciiPad by AsciiWare). To perform the four special moves, you must hold the R button until the Dragon Power Gauge is full, then punch or kick to throw a Round Back Fist, Jumping Round Kick, Jumping Back Round Kick or Roundhouse Kick. Holding the R button is very tiring, and can make your fingers become sore. With a rapid fire controller you can set the R button on auto, and enjoy playing the game more. Also note: if you leave the L and R buttons on rapid fire you?ll have to turn them off at the beginning of each mission to make the enemies appear. If the enemies still don?t appear, try pausing and unpausing the game (by pressing Start). When the enemies appear, set the R button back to Auto. Practice mastering the moves, and make sure you know which but tons perform each move. By playing around you can quickly become familiar with all the moves. The Dragon Power Gauge is directly below the score. If you hold the L and R buttons it will slowly build up. When it reaches maximum power you?ll look meaner and be able to punch and kick harder. You can also get back up from being knocked down faster, with a cool kick up off the floor. If you hit any button while the Dragon Power is building, it will quickly diminish back to empty. If you kick while the power is above halfway, you can perform a Roundhouse Kick, and if you punch you?ll do a hard back hand punch. The best strategy is to walk around (mostly up and down) to avoid the enemies while waiting for your power to build, then when you look mean unleash a few punches and kicks on the tougher ene mies. In the two player game you can take turns, building power while the other player distracts or fights the enemies. The secret to nearly every beat-em-up is noticing the attack angle of the enemies. In Super Double Dragon they?re smarter than most, but the ene mies still only attack directly to the left or right. If you move up or down on the screen they?ll miss making contact with you, then as they walk up or down towards you, begin a jump kick early so they?ll walk into your foot (and hopefully hit the floor). Many times an enemy will punch you a few times, then back off and prepare to jump kick you. Hold up or down on the control pad to avoid being knocked down by the kick. There are seven missions, but the first five enemies appear throughout each. The difference between missions is the boss, with the earlier bosses appearing in later missions as common enemies. The following are profiles of each enemy, with offense and defense techniques. ENEMIES WILLIAMS: Wears green or blue camouflage pants and has very long, blond hair. One of the first three enemies to appear, he often carries a Fire Bomb, which you can pick up off the ground before it begins blinking, then throw at an enemy to cause major damage. As the Fire Bomb explodes it moves sideways, so keep a safe distance. Williams likes to punch, so he makes the perfect target for a block and attack move. Hit the B button to block him as he punches, then punch, kick or throw him. ROPER: Always seen wearing a bandanna on his head. He?ll always take a step or two backwards before attacking with a jump kick. He?s tough to grab, but some times will try to punch, allowing an opportunity to block his arm and cause some damage to his skull. Jump-kicking will also nail him just about every time. Roper will provide you with Nunchakus when he appears later in the first mission, and in other mis sions. Just jump kick him, then pick the Nunchakus off the ground by pressing the punch button. You can easily knock out any enemies by rapidly hitting the punch button to swing the Nunchakus. You?ll lose them at the end of each scene or mission, or if you?re knocked down by an enemy. Other Ropers will bring Boomerangs into play, but watch out for their rebound. BAKER: You?ll learn to hate these guys early in the first game you play. He appears wielding two swords, which he uses in a few different attacks that usually end up with crunching sounds from your body (sounds kinda like a bite into an apple, doesn?t it?). He?s tough to punch, and will often block punches and kicks. The jump kick will hit him every time, and a reg ular kick is also effective. The punches and kicks are more powerful in weakening the enemies, so use them as often as possible. You may also want to build up your Dragon Power, then attack Baker easily with a kick or punch he can?t block. JEFF: He makes his first appearance in the second scene of Las Vegas, wearing green. He is the toughest of the main ene mies. The jump kick will make him lay down for a few seconds, but his determination will have him standing back up several times. He also performs a Roundhouse Kick quite often. Mission 1: Las Vegas The background scenery features the excitement of Vegas at night, but the enemies are nothing to get excited about. They'll appear in packs of three or four, often bringing weapons with them. Jump kick the ene mies with weapons, then quickly pick up the weapon and use it against the toughest enemy (usu ally Jeff, or Baker with his two-sword attack). After traveling through two sidewalk scenes you?ll be in a glass elevator on your way to the top floor of a hotel, where the first boss waits. Enemies will ride up in an elevator next to you, then jump through that hole in the bottom-right corner. Once they?re inside your elevator they can?t be thrown out, nor can you fall out of the hole. You can jump up against the walls, then off towards an enemy with a high jump kick. The first boss is Steve (gee, sounds menacing!). He appears to be a gentleman in his suit. but his manners quickly deteriorate to pure rudeness. He?ll appear many times throughout the next six stages, so watch for his pattern of attack closely and master a defense against him now. His reach is long, and filled with kicks and punches. Use the techniques described at the beginning of this chapter, always approaching him from above or below. If you stand directly in his path you?re sure to get attacked, but if you move up or down after each successful hit you?ll miss his first attack. Begin a jump kick as he walks into its path, or try a rapid punch or kick to weaken him faster. Steve will be joined by Roper at the beginning of the battle. Avoid Steve while knocking out Roper to free up some of your offense time. Mission 2: The Airport It?s off to the airport for more of the same enemies, only now Steve appears twice as a gang member. After passing through the terminal, and several familiar-looking characters, you?ll have to head down sev eral stairs to the runway. A narrow floor makes it tougher to fight enemies in this area. You?ll have to be more aggressive, with rapid punches and kicks. If you?re playing a two- player game you can take turns charging up your Dragon Power gauge while the other player fights and distracts the enemies. After fighting Steve for the second time you?ll end up by an airplane on the runway. To the far right, near the the nose of the airplane, is Jackson. He?s and unlike Michael Jackson he prefers to boss for this mission, wear two gloves, made of steel. He?s an ex-heavyweight boxing champion with a very painful uppercut. He also appears throughout each of the next five missions several times, so try to find his weakness and concentrate on it. Jump kicks are nearly guaranteed to knock him down, and eventually out cold. Approaching him straight on is dangerous, because his reach is long, but you can move up or down away from him and kick or punch as he moves into your path. Mission 3: Chinatown In the second scene you?ll see a punching bali. You can use it to hit the enemies by standing on the opposite side of the ball and punch ing, then quickly blocking or moving out of its path. In the third scene is a punching bag. Punch it several times to knock it down, then throw it to bowl down several enemies at once. Jackson makes his second appearance in this room. On the top floor is Chin Ron Foo, the first boss for this mission. Avoid kicking him, because he enjoys grab bing your foot and twist ing it to flip you down to the floor. Jump kicks work well, as do rapid punches and Dragon Power moves. Keep mov ing up and down away from him, then kick as he enters your path. The second boss is on the next floor down. It?s Chin Ron Foo?s brother, Chin Ron Pyo. He stud ied martial arts with his brother, and it shows. His pattern of attack and defense is the same. Mission 4: Golden Gate Bridge You?ll begin this mission on the top of a moving truck. Avoid falling off the bottom area of the screen (you can?t fall off the top). The wind will blow you and the enemies to the left, which causes a few problems. If the enemies are to your left, they?ll have the added benefit of the wind to let them move away from your punches and kicks. Try to get on their left side, then jump kick them for an easy defeat. As you get off the truck, a gang of enemies will walk off to the right, with only a clown remaining. The other four enemies will soon return with weapons in hand. Try to kick the weapons loose first, then attack the other enemies while avoiding the clown, which will leave the fight and appear at the end of the next mission. Mission 5: The Slums Both Steve and Jackson make appearances on this mission. You?ll have to fight several enemies to reach a fire escape. After climbing up one and down another you?ll meet the boss, which is the clown from the last mission. The clown has a rolling attack that will knock you off your feet. If you see him disappear off the side of the screen, or roll into a ball, quickly move up or down out of his path. Avoid his attack, then punch or kick as he moves up or down into your path. Mission 6: Forest & Mountain The enemies increase their strength with each mission, and this one?s no exception. Watch out for an open hole near the beginning of this mission, which will equal instant death if you fall in, but provides the same effect for any enemies that may be knocked into it. Be very careful not to Roundhouse Kick near the hole, or you may end up at a dead stop above it, soon followed by a Wile E. Coyote-style fall. Practice your jumping before crossing the bridge. If you?re playing a two-player game, stick close together. You?ll have to jump to avoid falling planks, and to cross over a gaping hole. You?ll be safe from obsta cles after the hole, but plenty of enemies will attack. Jackson will likely outlast the rest for a few rounds, then Carlem will make his appearance. Carlem is the boss for this mission, and his height is equal to his strength. He has a light ning-fast ?Death Leg? that will kick you down to the ground with one hit. Jump kicks are the safest and most effective attack. If you keep moving in small circles he won?t attack, and you can give your Dragon Power gauge a chance to charge up for some real action. Mission 7: Duke?s House The only thing different about this stage is the immense increase in difficulty. All the enemies you?ve learned to hate will appear several times, and are more difficult to defeat than before. Their patterns are the same, but they take more hits to conquer. The gold-plated floor decoration transforms into an elevator, which makes three stops to let more enemies on before making the final trip to the last room. It still won't be over. You?ll have to fight a few more waves of enemies (including another clown) before seeing the dragon door to the right, where Duke eventually enters the room from. After reaching the door you?ll have to fight two Steve?s and a Roper, then Carlem (that tall guy), Williams, Baker, Jackson, and another Roper. Then, and only then, will Duke appear as you?re fighting the last two enemies that appear. Duke is wearing yellow pants arid gloves with a grey shirt. He is easy to jump kick. He will block every punch and kick except the Dragon Power moves, and has a tendency to attack quite often with a saw blade kick (his entire body spins like a saw blade!). The only defense for the saw blade kick is to move up or down out of his way (you can?t block it). Keep moving up and down to avoid him, then jump kick him as he walks into your path. Also give your Dragon Power a chance to charge so you can inflict stronger hits. His final fall is a slow-motion drop. It?s the closest thing to an ending sequence you?ll receive, with only a short text message and credits following (a Double Dragon trend). But it was still worth playing, wasn?t it!?!