Double Dragon III

Game Details:

Double Dragon III was developed by Technōs Japan and published by Acclaim in North America and Europe (released in January-February 1991). The game continues the side-scrolling beat 'em up style, supporting 1P/2P mode, and adds a "character switch" function: defeating enemy BOSSes can recruit two warriors - Chin, the Chinese martial arts master, and Ranzou, the Japanese ninja, allowing players to switch instantly. The combat system includes punches, kicks, dashes, aerial rolling kicks and other combos, as well as unique sub-weapons (such as nunchucks, iron claws, shurikens), each with a limited number per level. The game is set in 5 global stages: USA, China, Japan, Italy, and Egypt, with the fifth stage featuring consecutive platform jumping elements. The single-player mode is one-life, while the two-player mode starts with one life per person, but it is still extremely challenging later on. The Japanese version differs significantly from the North American version, including differences in health values, enemy configurations, and storyline settings.

Editor's Recommendation:

Although Double Dragon III has been criticized by some players as one of the lowest points in the series, it still has unique highlights: the multi-character system brings tactical depth and allows for instant switching of teammates during intense battles. The five-country level design adds a sense of fun exploration to the gameplay, and the sub-weapon system provides rich variations to battlefield strategies. The NES version, though simplified from the arcade mechanics, is still powerful in difficulty, making it an excellent stage for hardcore players to prove their strength. It's worth a try for those who like retro beat-'em-ups and challenging the limits.

Game Guide:

I. Levels and Scenes

• Levels 1-2 (USA/China) serve as a warm-up, with enemies being slower but having higher health. Be sure to remember the enemy spawning locations, and master the BOOM attack (tornado kick + aerial kick in alternation) to clear the ground crowd.
• Level 3 (Japan): Platform jumping and ninja enemies increase, prioritizing using Ranzou's jumping advantage to escape the ground siege.
• Level 4 (Italy): Encounter Italian gladiators; their close-range attacks are deadly, so it is recommended to use Chin's iron claws and slow-motion to interrupt attacks.
• Level 5 (Egypt): Enter the platform + jumping-intensive area, it is recommended to use the highly mobile Ranzou, and save sub-weapons like shurikens to clear the ranged enemies.

II. Characters and Switching Skills

• Billy/Jimmy: Balanced characters, the first choice are tornado kicks and aerial kicks, suitable for dealing with regular enemies.
• Chin: High health bar, strong attack, suitable for cutting off high-health enemies; can quickly switch if surrounded.
• Ranzou: High jump and ranged weapon advantages are obvious, suitable for platform and ranged enemies.

It is recommended to use Chin to charge through the enemy crowd when enemies are dense, use Ranzou for jumping + aerial attacks, and switch to a healthy character in time when the health bar is low.

III. Sub-Weapon Usage

Each level has a limit of 5 uses for sub-weapons:

• Lee brothers' nunchucks are powerful for clearing groups;
• Chin's iron claws deal high damage to a single target;
• Ranzou's shurikens for ranged output.

Reasonably reserve sub-weapons for Boss battles or platform areas to deal with distant enemies.

IV. Boss Guide

• Bosses will periodically launch strong attacks and combos.
• It is recommended to use tornado kicks to interrupt enemy combos or jump into the air to use aerial kicks to control the rhythm.
• For the final stage Boss, it is recommended to switch to Ranzou and combine sub-weapons for long-range harassment, and then switch to Chin for close-range to decide the outcome.

V. Practical Tips

• Learn the dash + tornado kick combo, which is the most efficient;
• Health cannot be restored after entering a new screen, maintaining health is very important;
• Cooperative mode is recommended to choose Lee brothers respectively, the double tornado kick combo is powerful;
• If stuck on a level, you can farm previous levels to gain more experience and master the enemy's movement patterns.