Double Dragon is one of the earliest brawlers I remember playing on NES. Its hearty difficulty meant I probably never finished it as a child, but I would end up playing its 8-bit sequels and later their team-up adventure with the Battletoads. In the years since, there have been sequels and spinoffs released to a generally mixed reception, but publisher Modus Games has thrown their bandana in the ring in an attempt to keep the Dragons alive. Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons brings back the familiar side-scrolling beat-'em-up gameplay while offering dozens of unlockables to keep players coming back. Even though it's short on stage variety, the action and customization options contribute to a decent overall experience.

With gangs running amok in the city, the mayor enlists the aid of Billy and Jimmy Lee (the titular Double Dragons), Marian, and Uncle Matin. After selecting your two characters, with a tag-team set up in single-player, you can choose from four stages to complete in any order. Where Rise of the Dragons adds some variety to the standard brawler mix is that depending on the order you pursue the four bosses, their stages grow in length depending on how long you wait to confront them. Your first opponent will only offer a single area to conquer before you encounter them; the second will take you through two areas (including a mini-boss); and the third and fourth gang leaders will throw three areas worth of lackeys and mini-bosses at you before showing themselves. It's an interesting wrinkle that makes additional playthroughs worthwhile.

The minute-to-minute gameplay will be familiar to Double Dragon fans and beat-'em-up veterans. Each character has a standard attack that combos multiple times for extra damage, and a jumping variation to come at opponents from a different angle. Through a stamina meter that gradually refills, you have access to special moves that pile on the punishment. More than that, if you defeat three or more opponents with a single special attack, you'll earn health-replenishing food. The caveat is that such an event brings with it a full-screen SPECIAL KO! announcement stopping the action for a second or two, which gets annoying after you've seen it a few dozen times.

Each of the four initial characters have a unique moveset, with Marian and Uncle Matin feeling particularly distinct. Billy and Jimmy deal in the business of punches and kicks, whereas Uncle Matin has a more bruiser-type style with his giant riot shield. Marian actually uses a pistol for her primary attack, which may seem unfair for a character in this genre, but her attack power is reduced to compensate for her significant range advantage. Her special move, which involves whipping out a rocket launcher, is extremely helpful against some of the late boss fights, so she's good to have as your tag character for such occasions.

Replay value comes in the form of tokens that are earned by cashing in the money you earn during each playthrough. This in-game cash actually serves multiple purposes, including paying for continues when both your characters get knocked out. You can also purchase upgrades for each character between areas, like upgrading your health, boosting your damage output, or increasing your stamina regeneration rate. The aforementioned tokens can be used to purchase new characters, music tracks, artwork, and game tips. Local co-op is available at launch, with online co-op planned for later in the year.

It's not all sunshine and elbow drops, though. On multiple occasions I had my characters stuck off screen where I couldn't see them or get back to the boss arena where I needed to be. Enemies can also shoot you from off screen, making the edges of stage especially precarious. While the unlockable characters do have their own individual movesets, it still feels like a few more bosses and stages would flesh out the package in a meaningful way. Online leaderboards or different game modes would be welcome, too.

After throwing my share of punches and delivering a healthy dose of kicks, I can safely say that I did enjoy my time with Double Dragon Gaiden: Rise of the Dragons. This latest entry in the brawling brothers series employs some sound tactics to keep the gameplay feeling good across multiple playthroughs. Its lack of staying power holds me back from offering a full-throated recommendation, but beat-'em-up fans will definitely be able to squeeze some juice out of this muscle-bound orange. Even if I'll always prefer Bimmy to Billy, Double Dragon Gaiden has enough moves to make it worth a look.