Play Double Dragon:The Sacred Stones Online

Punch your way through waves of knife-throwers and juggle between fighters—just when you think you've got the rhythm, the game throws a brutal swarm at you outta nowhere. That stiff NES control makes every hit feel earned.

Developer: Technos Japan

Genre: Beat 'em up

Released: 1990

File size: 256 bytes

Game Overview

Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones on NES is a weird one—it’s not just a straight port of the arcade version, but a whole different beast. Technos Japan reworked everything, so instead of the usual arcade brawler feel, you get new enemies, redesigned stages, and even some fresh mechanics. At first glance, it still feels like Double Dragon, but once you start playing, you notice the little changes—like how the controls are a bit stiffer, or how some enemies just love to gang up on you.

It’s got that classic side-scrolling beat-em-up action, but with a few curveballs. You can switch between different fighters mid-game, which is cool, but good luck keeping them all alive when the screen fills up with knife-throwing goons. The difficulty spikes hard, too—don’t be surprised if you lose a few continues before figuring out the rhythm.

If you’re a fan of the series, it’s interesting to see how they tweaked it for the NES, even if it doesn’t always land perfectly. Just don’t expect the arcade experience.