Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones
System: NES
Release Date: February 1991
Developer: Technos Japan
Publisher: Acclaim Entertainment
Genre: Beat ‘em Up
Go on a globe hopping affair to prove why your kung fu is the best in Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones! You’ve saved Marion twice so far, but it’s not enough, as she’s been kidnapped again! Call in Billy and Jimmy Lee to collect the three Sacred Stones and find their way to the big evil. A kindly old lady and soothsayer is your friend on these missions. Can you find the big bad and put an end to them? Your quest begins in a dojo, where you have to battle some bad guys in order to talk to your prize student, Brett. Unfortunately, he succumbs to his injuries before you can get all the information. A battle commences and you meet Hiruko. This old lady lets you know about the Sacred Stones and that you need to collect them. Thus begins your travel around the world.
As Billy Lee, you have some martial arts skills at your disposal. Kicking is always way better than punching, because it has range. It also keels your opponent over so you can grab them for a knee or elbow. You should use this a lot, because it’s the only way to keep the second enemy on screen away. This game is a pain in the butt if you aren’t taking advantage of the AI. You’ll get stun locked and beat to crap if you aren’t careful.
You have a couple new moves to help you out, but they really aren’t that great. A cyclone kick can sometimes be activated if you jump and immediately press the B Button, but don’t rely on it, because it won’t always work. If you jump and press the A or B Buttons, you can get a throwing attack or jump kick, respectively. Of course, the throwing attack doesn’t work on every enemy, so be prepared to be disappointed.
After the second and third levels, you get new teammates that can be switched to with the Select Button. Chin is a kung fu master that hits hard with his open hand strikes. His diving headbutt is also a formidable attack. Ranzou is a master of ninjitsu and comes equipped with a sword. It feels like his attacks should do more damage than they do, but you have to take what you can get. Each level has you killing a bunch of enemies before moving on to another section or to a boss battle. You can switch to a limited use weapon at any time in the pause menu, and you should if it keeps you alive, because when you die in the first few levels, it’s game over. You’re awarded a continue in the last two levels, but that goes quickly, as well.
There’s very little depth to your fights. You want to keep them from swarming you, which is accomplished by grabbing them. Some enemies also come equipped with a weapon like a beer bottle or sai that you can use until they die. Bosses are quick to kill you if you don’t take advantage by changing the vertical alignment of your character. Otherwise, you can wear them down in time with your special weapons and kicks. The final boss is a transformed Marion, but if you can beat her supernatural abilities, you can pick up the win. Oh yeah, two player mode is the origin of “I’m Bimmy!”
Graphics: 2.5
Graphics are on par, at best, with the previous game in the series. There hasn’t been any upgrade.
Sound: 2.5
Music and sounds are serviceable, I’ve heard worse, but I’m not impressed.
Gameplay: 1.5
This is a downgrade. Each character has less move available and they’re all less useful overall.
Difficulty: 1.0
No continues in the first few levels, but extra characters are basically extra lives, but if they die, they don’t come back the next round.
Fun Factor: 1.0
This is a severe downgrade in enjoyment from the previous titles. I don’t know what Technos was thinking, but this is what they gave us.
Overall Rating: 1.7
Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones earns a C-. This is definitely a worse game than its predecessors. I would recommend staying away.