While this change does give the NES version a sense of progression, it severely hampers the player in the early-goings. It should be noted, however, that the NES version also includes the ability to attack your opponents on the ground - which the arcade version lacks. Even the simple jump kick, a staple of the game's combat, must be unlocked. In the NES version, however, you begin with only the basic punch, kick, and jump - the latter being accomplished by pressing both attack buttons at the same time - and you earn experience that unlocks new moves as you pummel your opponents. The arcade version of the game supplied players with three buttons to perform a bevy of moves available from the onset, including savage headbutts, vicious elbows, and the ability to grab and throw your enemies.

Gameplay is the same in principle, but the execution is quite different.

Both tell the story of Billy Lee attempting to rescue his girlfriend, Marian, from the clutches of the Black Warriors, but in the NES version Billy's twin brother Jimmy turns out to be the villain behind her kidnapping. Despite sharing the same name, the NES and Arcade versions of Double Dragon have surprisingly little in common.

Double dragon 2 nes multiplayer