Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls
Encyclopedia
Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls is a 1994
American-produced sequel
to Technos Japan's Double Dragon series. Unlike the previously produced Double Dragon games, Technos had little or no credited involvement in the development of the game outside of licensing the series' name to publisher Tradewest
(the publisher of the first Double Dragon
and Super Double Dragon
). Instead, the game was developed by Leland Interactive Media
, a subsidiary of Tradewest. Unlike the previous games, which were side-scrolling fighting action games or beat-em-ups, Shadow Falls is a Street Fighter II
-style head-to-head fighting game
based on the animated Double Dragon
TV series. Technos would later produce its own fighting game based on the Double Dragon movie
the following year simply titled Double Dragon
for the Neo Geo
. Shadow Falls was originally released for the Super NES
and Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, and later released for the Atari Jaguar
by Telegames
in 1995
.
) at the time consisting of weak, medium and strong punches and kicks. The Genesis version supports the standard 3-button controller (making use of the start button to toggle between punches and kicks), as well as the 6-button controller released during the previous year. The characters have several special moves, as well as finishing moves called "Overkills" where the losing character has their own unique death animation when they are defeated by a certain type of basic attack.
The game features four game modes: Tournament Mode, Vs. Battle, Quest Mode and Battle Mode. Tournament Mode is an arcade-style single player mode, where the player competes against a series of computer-controlled opponents, with each character having their own ending, while Vs. Battle is a typical two player mode where one player competes against another. Quest Mode is an alternate single player mode where one competes in a series of plot-based battles. In Quest Mode, the player can choose to play as one of the Lee brothers, who are on a mission to stop the Shadow Master from releasing a plague, or play as one of the Shadow Warriors, who must compete to become the Shadow Master's new second-in-command. The player can also alter the storyline by having Billy be the Shadow Boss while Jimmy is good. In Quest Mode, the player can adjust the attributes of their own character. Watch Mode allows the player to pit two computer controlled characters against each other. There is also a Dossiers mode, where the player gets to view the game's character profiles, as well as an Options mode to adjust the difficulty setting, control configuration and other features.
1994 in video gaming
-Events:*Nintendo calls this year "1994: The Year of the Cartridge".*Nintendo Australia Pty. Ltd, the Australian subsidiary of Nintendo Co., Ltd is established and opened by Hiroshi Yamauchi and effectively ends Mattel Australia's distribution of Nintendo's products throughout Australia.*"Project...
American-produced sequel
Sequel
A sequel is a narrative, documental, or other work of literature, film, theatre, or music that continues the story of or expands upon issues presented in some previous work...
to Technos Japan's Double Dragon series. Unlike the previously produced Double Dragon games, Technos had little or no credited involvement in the development of the game outside of licensing the series' name to publisher Tradewest
Tradewest
Tradewest is a now-defunct American video game company based in Corsicana, Texas that produced numerous games in the 1980s and early 1990s. The company is best known as the publisher of the Battletoads and Double Dragon series in North America and the PAL region.The Tradewest name was revived in...
(the publisher of the first Double Dragon
Double Dragon (arcade game)
is a 1987 beat 'em up developed by Technos Japan and distributed in North America and Europe by Taito Corporation. The game is a spiritual and technological successor to Technos' earlier beat 'em up, Nekketsu Kōha Kunio-kun , but introduced several additions such as two-player cooperative gameplay...
and Super Double Dragon
Super Double Dragon
Super Double Dragon, known in Japan as , is a side-scrolling beat-'em-up released for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in . It was published by Technos Japan Corp. in Japan and by Tradewest in North America and the PAL region...
). Instead, the game was developed by Leland Interactive Media
Leland Interactive Media
Leland Interactive Media is a video game developer that made Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis games like Kyle Petty's No Fear Racing, Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls, and Troy Aikman NFL Football. The company was established in 1992 and developed games primarily in the 1990s.-...
, a subsidiary of Tradewest. Unlike the previous games, which were side-scrolling fighting action games or beat-em-ups, Shadow Falls is a Street Fighter II
Street Fighter II
is a competitive fighting game originally released for the arcades in . It is the arcade sequel to the original Street Fighter released in and was Capcom's fourteenth title that ran on the CP System arcade hardware...
-style head-to-head fighting game
Fighting game
Fighting game is a video game genre where the player controls an on-screen character and engages in close combat with an opponent. These characters tend to be of equal power and fight matches consisting of several rounds, which take place in an arena. Players must master techniques such as...
based on the animated Double Dragon
Double Dragon (TV series)
Double Dragon is an animated series based on the video game franchise of the same name. The television series was produced by DiC Entertainment and ran for 26 half-hour episodes in 1993 and 1994.-Overview:...
TV series. Technos would later produce its own fighting game based on the Double Dragon movie
Double Dragon (film)
Double Dragon is a 1994 live-action film loosely based on the Double Dragon video game series. This film was directed by James Yukich and stars Mark Dacascos and Scott Wolf as brothers Jimmy and Billy Lee, along with Alyssa Milano as Marian Delario and Robert Patrick as antagonist Koga Shuko...
the following year simply titled Double Dragon
Double Dragon (Neo Geo)
is a 1995 fighting game spinoff of the Double Dragon series developed and published by Technos Japan. It is based on the 1994 Double Dragon movie, which in turn was based on the original arcade game. It was originally released for the Neo Geo and later released for the Neo Geo CD and PlayStation...
for the Neo Geo
Neo Geo (console)
The is a cartridge-based arcade and home video game system released on July 1, 1991 by Japanese game company SNK. Being in the Fourth generation of Gaming, it was the first console in the former Neo Geo family, which only lived through the 1990s...
. Shadow Falls was originally released for the Super NES
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
and Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, and later released for the Atari Jaguar
Atari Jaguar
The Atari Jaguar is a video game console that was released by Atari Corporation in 1993. It was the last to be marketed under the Atari brand until the release of the Atari Flashback in 2004. It was designed to surpass the Mega Drive/Genesis, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, and the Panasonic...
by Telegames
Telegames
Telegames, Inc. is a North American video game company based in Gun Barrel City, Texas, with a sister operation based in England.Telegames was well known for supporting not just modern game systems but also classic game systems, after they've been abandoned by its manufacturer. Effective September...
in 1995
1995 in video gaming
-Events:*May 11 – Introduction of trade magazine GameWeek *May 11-16 — The 1st annual Electronic Entertainment Expo is held in Los Angeles, California...
.
Gameplay
The game follows the 8-way directional pad/stick with 6-button layout common to most fighting games (including Street Fighter IIStreet Fighter II
is a competitive fighting game originally released for the arcades in . It is the arcade sequel to the original Street Fighter released in and was Capcom's fourteenth title that ran on the CP System arcade hardware...
) at the time consisting of weak, medium and strong punches and kicks. The Genesis version supports the standard 3-button controller (making use of the start button to toggle between punches and kicks), as well as the 6-button controller released during the previous year. The characters have several special moves, as well as finishing moves called "Overkills" where the losing character has their own unique death animation when they are defeated by a certain type of basic attack.
Overkills
- Billy & Jimmy Lee - With a flash of light they turn into skeletons, their sword still intact.
- Jawbreaker - Bends down on his knees shouting in pain as his teeth shatter (covering his mouth in embarrassment).
- Icepick - Upper torso gets chopped in half, falling to the ground and shattering.
- Bones - Collapses, leaving him into a pile of bones (his head rolling away).
- Sickle - Starts spinning so fast that he spins through the floor, leaving his upper torso exposed (crosses arms in frustration after).
- Blade - Stunned, he melts into a puddle of goo.
- Trigger Happy - His hand cannon overheats as he explodes, leaving him a pile of ashes.
- Countdown - Overcharges, his robotic skeleton becomes exposed then falls in half.
- Sekka - Her body starts glowing, and she disappears into thin air, leaving only her oufit on the ground.
- Dominque - Feels ill, mutates and falls into a pile of maggots.
- Shadow Master - He crouches down to his knees letting out a scream and suddenly vanishes, leaving a pile of ashes.
The game features four game modes: Tournament Mode, Vs. Battle, Quest Mode and Battle Mode. Tournament Mode is an arcade-style single player mode, where the player competes against a series of computer-controlled opponents, with each character having their own ending, while Vs. Battle is a typical two player mode where one player competes against another. Quest Mode is an alternate single player mode where one competes in a series of plot-based battles. In Quest Mode, the player can choose to play as one of the Lee brothers, who are on a mission to stop the Shadow Master from releasing a plague, or play as one of the Shadow Warriors, who must compete to become the Shadow Master's new second-in-command. The player can also alter the storyline by having Billy be the Shadow Boss while Jimmy is good. In Quest Mode, the player can adjust the attributes of their own character. Watch Mode allows the player to pit two computer controlled characters against each other. There is also a Dossiers mode, where the player gets to view the game's character profiles, as well as an Options mode to adjust the difficulty setting, control configuration and other features.
Characters
Shadow Falls has a character roster of twelve fighters, ten immediately playable character (the two "Double Dragons" and eight Shadow Warriors) and two end bosses. Many of the characters are taken from the Double Dragon animated series that aired during the game's release. Only Bones, Sekka, Blade, and Dominique are original characters, with Blade's design being based on the generic Shadow Warrior soldiers who were on the show. Dominique and the Shadow Master are playable in the Super NES and Mega Drive/Genesis versions via a code. In the Jaguar version, Blade, Trigger Happy, and Icepick were removed, and Dominique was added to the immediate roster.The Double Dragons
- Billy Lee - Raised by the Oldest Dragon after being left at the Dragon Dojo by his father John Lee to find his twin brother, he was raised as a Dragon Master to obey the code to the detail. After meeting his brother Jimmy he decides to fight and becomes a Double Dragon. He is noble and only fights when he must.
- Jimmy Lee - Raised by the Shadow Master and fooled into believing the Shadow Master was his father, he was raised to be the Shadow Boss and be evil. After being betrayed by the Shadow Warrior he joins with Billy as a Double Dragon. He is reckless and always gets in trouble.
The Shadow Warriors
- Shadow Master - The master of all Shadow Warriors, he is evil and deceptive. His ultimate goal is to cover the world in darkness and shadow. He has many powers which include shapeshifting and teleporting, and he is able to trap warriors who fail him in the Shadow Mural. He has a scythe for a weapon which has a sword for the lower half which can detach and be used as the sword. He is a secret characterSecret characterA secret character can be a player character or a non-player character in a video game that must be unlocked by completing a goal within the game...
and the final bossBoss (video games)A boss is an enemy-based challenge which is found in video games. A fight with a boss character is commonly referred to as a boss battle or boss fight...
of the game - Dominique - A dangerous dominatrix with a whip and knives at the tips of her high heels. She is the sub-boss that precedes the Shadow Master and is also a secret character.
- Jawbreaker - Extremely tall, he will eat anything and anyone. He has a large jaw with sharp teeth and can bite a chunk out of anything.
- Icepick - A computer expert and the brains of the organization. He fights using a sword and dagger.
- Bones - A resurrected skeleton who is influenced by rock n' roll and has a tattoo of a cobra on his forehead. He wields a laser rifle.
- Sickle - Rude and cruel. He fights with two rather large red sickles.
- Blade - A literally heartless cyborg who looks similar to the low ranking Shadow warriors in the cartoon. His weapons are crimson blades on his gauntlets.
- Trigger Happy - A large brute who loves to destroy and shoot at things, he loves chaos. He uses a hand mounted blaster to fire at unsuspecting people.
- Countdown - Robotically enhanced. He attacks with shoulder mounted rocket blasters and laser vision.
- Sekka - A cyborg similar to Blade who has skin made of armor and claws on the end of her gauntlets.
External links
- Double Dragon V at Double Dragon Dojo