Double Dragon - Play Online Free

About Double Dragon

Marian is knocked out and carried off by the Black Warriors in the opening screen, and four missions of walking right and hitting people follow — through the city slums, a factory and construction area, the woods, and finally the gang's hideout. This 1988 Technos conversion is not the arcade game shrunk down: the stage layouts were rebuilt for the NES, with climbing, platforming and bottomless pits worked into the fighting.

You begin with a punch, a kick and a jump, and every 1,000 experience points earns a heart on the status bar that unlocks a new technique. Seven hearts are available in all: uppercuts and high kicks at two, the jump kick at three, grabs at four, a finisher on downed enemies at five, the back-turned elbow smash at six, and a jumping roundhouse at seven. Dropped knives, bats, whips, rocks, oil drums and dynamite can be picked up and swung until an enemy knocks them loose.

Why play Double Dragon

The trade-off for the NES port is co-op: only one player fights at a time in Mode A, with two players alternating turns rather than teaming up. In exchange you get an experience system the arcade never had, a separate one-on-one Mode B fought with double-sized sprites, and a final duel against Billy's own brother Jimmy — a fight the coin-op staged only as a two-player epilogue.

Tips for new players

Farm hearts on the weak early enemies in Mission 1 before pushing on. The sixth heart unlocks the elbow smash, which ties with the last unlock as the hardest-hitting attack in the game.
The elbow is triggered by pressing punch while your back is to an enemy — let one walk behind you, then strike without turning around.
Jump kicks have far more reach than punches and let you land the first blow. They are the safest opener against Abobo and against whip-carrying enemies.
Mission 4's trap corridor punches bricks out of the walls and can take a whole life on its own. Find a spot where nothing reaches you, watch the bricks pulse in sequence, and jump on the beat instead of running the length of it.
Fight near ledges in the outdoor stages. Enemies knocked into a pit are gone instantly, though a mistimed jump does the same to you.

Platform

Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)

Released

1988

Genre

Beat 'em up

Publisher

Tradewest (North America)

Developer

Technos Japan

Players

1 player

Price

Free

Default Controls

You can play with keyboard, gamepad, or touch (on mobile). The default keyboard layout is below; remap any key inside the emulator settings.

↑↓←→D-Pad

ZB

XA

EnterStart

ShiftSelect

Frequently Asked Questions

Why can't two people play Double Dragon on NES at the same time?

The port drops the arcade's simultaneous co-op. Mode A has two players alternating turns, and Mode B is a separate one-on-one versus fight rather than teamwork. Double Dragon II on the NES restored proper two-player co-op.

What do the hearts on the status bar mean?

They are your experience level, one heart per 1,000 points earned by landing attacks. Each heart grants a technique: uppercuts and high kicks at two, the jump kick at three, grabs at four, a finisher on downed opponents at five, the elbow smash at six and a jumping roundhouse at seven.

Who is the final boss of Double Dragon on NES?

Machine Gun Willy waits near the end of Mission 4, but he is not the last fight. Once he falls, one more door opens and Billy faces his own brother Jimmy — the figure waiting behind the Black Warriors, and a confrontation the arcade version handled as a duel between the two players instead.

Is Double Dragon really free to play?

Yes. Every game on OldGames.Games is free to play in your browser. There are no downloads, hidden fees or account requirement for single-player games.

Can I save my progress?

Yes. The emulator supports save states — you can save the exact moment you're at and resume later from any device by signing into a free OldGames account.