Double Dragon IV is a side-scrolling brawler, the latest installment in the classic series that began with 1987's Double Dragon. As with all previous games in the series, you take on the roles of brothers Billy and Jimmy Lee, whose goal of establishing a chain of martial arts dojos is interrupted by yet another confrontation with a gang of street hoodlums.

Kick your way to glory

Like the previous games in the series, Double Dragon IV is a side-scrolling brawler in which you use a variety of martial arts attacks to bash your way through wave after wave of enemies, fighting your way through linear levels to reach more challenging boss fights. The graphics are intentionally old-fashioned, but there are many new types of enemies not seen in the previous games. There are also a head-to-head competitive duel mode and a tower battle mode in which you fight your way through floors packed with enemies to see how high you can go. As you progress, you'll unlock new characters from among the game's many enemies and bosses. Double Dragon IV introduces a few new tweaks into the combat system of the original, but this is very much an homage to an earlier genre of games.

A classic reborn

If you love the classic beat-'em-ups of the 80s, Double Dragon IV will scratch your itch, giving you more of the same with a few new twists.