Now owned by Arc Systems, Technos is most famous for Double
Dragon and the Kunio-kun series of games. Basically, anything that involves
bashing people with weapons and things that happen to be lying around in the
street. It’s a back catalogue that seems like a smart fit of the Evercade and
this first collection from the company certainly has some highlights.
There are eight games here in total with seven of them
coming from the companies NES back catalogue and Super Double Dragon being the
lone Super Nintendo offering. As SNES games go though it’s certainly not a bad
one to include. The original cart is very expensive now and this is the first
time it has appeared on a system since its initial launch all those years ago.
The game itself is pretty solid as well. It’s quite a
technical brawler with different types of kicks and punches available and a
parry and counter system also in play. The only real downside with it is the
fact it moves along quite slowly and there is a lot of repetition in terms of
the enemies that you face. That said, it is well worth playing and it looks
absolutely gorgeous with the detail of the levels and sprites rivalling the
best the system had to offer.
The other Double Dragon representation comes in the form of
the original two NES games. The first game is quite different from the arcade
with added maze sections and some different levels. Players also have to level
up their character in order to pull off more moves. It’s an odd but fun game
that is severely helped by the save state system.
Double Dragon II remains the highlight of the NES trilogy
and seems to hold up just as strongly as it did back when first released. It’s
up there with the best the NES had to offer in terms of brawlers with varied
levels, decent graphics and a solid move set. It’s Well worth seeking out for
fans of the series.
Renegade and the highly regarded River City Ransom also make
this first collection. Using a less refined version of the system used in Double
Dragon II, Renegade is fairly entertaining but is really showing its age in
terms of how basic and unforgiving it is and is one for the hard core and history
loving fans only. River City Ransom is yet another highlight though with the
mix of brawling and light RPG elements still able to create an engaging and interesting
take on the genre. It does require some grinding but is packed full of charm
and small touches that newcomers and old fans alike will be drawn to.
The rest of the package is rounded out with oddball sports
games. Street Challenge is a kind of urban version of track and field which is
never quite as fun as the concept suggests, while Super Dodge Ball is hounded
by flickering sprites and slowdown that can make an otherwise entertaining game
a real chore to play. Once you get used to the controls, Super Spike V’Ball has
a decent amount of fun on offer though the later pairings are almost psychic in
how they anticipate your moves. Also, this is one game that would really
benefit from a two player option to get the most out of it.
Overall, the Technos collection is a solid addition to the
growing Evercade line up. Most of the games are solid and the inclusion of the
SNES version of Double Dragon will catch the eye of collectors. There’s three
really good games on here and the others fill out the package well. It’s a
worthy addition for brawler fans – even if it is a bit odd to have a Double
Dragon collection without Double Dragon 3 and actual Arcade based version of
the game on it. Now, I wonder who has the rights to Battle Toads and Double Dragon:
The Ultimate Team?
Game Ratings
Double Dragon 3/5
Double Dragon II: The Revenge 4/5
Crash ‘N’ The Boys: Street Challenge 2/5
River City Ransom 4/5
Super Dodge Ball 3/5
Super Spike V’ball 3/5
Super Double Dragon 4/5
Renegade 3/5
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