Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons
A Double Dragon spin-off with tag-team combat and roguelike progression.
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons is a 2023 beat 'em up developed by Secret Base and published by Modus Games. A spin-off set before the original Double Dragon, it was released for Nintendo Switch and other platforms on July 27, 2023. The game received generally positive reviews, with critics comparing it favorably to Double Dragon IV, though its lack of online cooperative multiplayer at launch drew criticism.
Quick Facts
- Developer
- Secret Base
- Publisher
- Modus Games
- Engine
- Unity
- Series
- Double Dragon
- Platforms
- Nintendo Switch
- PlayStation 4
- PlayStation 5
- Windows
- Xbox One
- Xbox Series X/S
- Director
- Raymond Teo
- Artist
- Luis Peche
- Programmer
- Tan Sian Yue
Facts from the source article.
Gameplay
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons is a side-scrolling beat-em-up that mixes roguelike mechanics into the downtime between stages. A big change from older games: up to two players each pick two fighters to form a tag team. Every character has their own speed, attacks, and special moves, and you can swap your active fighter for their partner at any moment. The base game has thirteen playable characters, but only four are available from the start: series regulars Billy and Jimmy Lee, their friend Marian, and a new guardian named Uncle Matin. The other nine—including Abobo, Burnov, Chin Tai Mei, Linda, Machine Gun Willy, Duke, Anubis, Lady Okada, and the Mysterious Warrior—start as bosses in story mode and can be bought later using tokens from the in-game shop. In story mode, you have to take down four gangs: the Killers, the Royals, the Triangle cult, and the Okada Clan. You can fight them in any order, but each gang you beat makes the remaining ones tougher, with longer levels and harder boss fights. Defeated enemies drop cash, and taking out several foes at once gives you food that heals health. Between levels, money can buy character upgrades or be turned into casino tokens for unlocking tips, art, music, or new fighters. If your team runs out of health, you can spend some tokens to restart from the last checkpoint, or wipe your progress and convert leftover money into extra tokens.
Development
Lead developer Raymond Teo became acquainted with Arc System Works, which had acquired the Double Dragon rights in 2015, during development of Secret Base's previous game Devil's Dare. Discussions continued for about a year until the project was greenlit in late 2019. The game was officially revealed on May 3, 2023, via a website and announcement trailer.
Release
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons hit Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S on July 27, 2023, in both digital and physical formats. The physical version came with a poster of David Liu’s cover art and a sticker sheet. On August 4, 2023, Secret Base said they would add online co-op later. That plan became concrete on March 15, 2024, during the MIX x Kinda Funny Spring Showcase, where they announced the free Sacred Reunion expansion, which brought online co-op, two new modes, and three new characters. It launched April 4, 2024. At the MIX and Kinda Funny Spring Game Showcase 2025, Jeff and Abore were revealed as free DLC for an April release. Another free update on August 12, 2025, made Super Anubis and Evil Marian unlockable.
Reception
Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons received mixed or average reviews on Metacritic. In Japan, four Famitsu critics gave it a total score of 28 out of 40, each awarding 7 out of 10. Critics praised the animation, music, tag-team system, and replay value, but criticized uneven difficulty and the absence of online cooperative multiplayer at launch. IGN's Jarrett Green noted that the tag-team system and large roster turned a shallow early game into an impressive array of collaborative combat options. Push Square's Jamie O'Neill praised the roguelike progression for making it a strikingly replayable contribution to the modern beat-'em-up resurgence, but compared it unfavorably to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge and Streets of Rage 4.
More in Nintendo Switch Game Library of the 2020s
Spotted an error? Know more?
Reader corrections go straight into our review queue. Suggest an edit · How this site is sourced