The inclusion of the vocal tracks really brings the particular identity to the soundtrack that makes it stand out. Sung by Jessie Seely under the name Mango Tango, the vocals are in style of a Kim Wilde pop song and sounds absolutely fantastic, becoming a highly infectious and catchy theme for the stage. Kaufman is not a man that simply emulates the sound of the 1980’s, it is his musical identity, and the result is that the music he composes feels true. But the opposite is true for Double Dragon Neon. “Neon Jungle” is an original vocal track, a scary inclusion and gutsy to boot, because the result could have quickly turned the game’s sound into a cheesy gimmick. It is a near flawless buildup bringing the game back in style with the use of effective music.īut it is on the second stage theme that you get the taste of the versatility of Kaufman that makes this game shine so bright. The live guitar is backed by synth and 16-bit Turtles in Time hits, and truly brings out both the spirit of the game along with its roots at the same time, and the sound follows through into the first stage theme, which is an arrangement of the first stage theme from Double Dragon. In certain ways, the game and its soundtrack does not only pay tribute to the Double Dragon series, but the brawler genre in general, and many familiar sounds and settings bring back memories far beyond what’s expected.īut for its title track to start it out, there really was no other way than taking the Double Dragon theme and arranging it into a powerful melodic rock anthem with wonderful solos spliced in. The synth patches and harmonies that Kaufman employs in each song are perfectly selected, and sounds as authentic as they sound nostalgic. The soundtrack is very much crafted like a mixtape of the times it is based around, and so each stage brings something new to keep things entertaining. The sound is varied and the style of music diverse. Jake Kaufman is no stranger to the 80’s, he’s still stuck there and discovering hair in his armpits to this very day just like back then, and that is the reason why the soundtrack succeeds well above the game itself, which is in its own right a fantastic tribute and awesome co-op experience. But its soundtrack is in no shape or form outdated. Music has always been a memorable part of the long running series, and for Neon, none other than Jake Kaufman was put to the task of bringing all the classics back, and make a few of his own.įind out if soundtrack matches up with its inspiration after the jump.ĭouble Dragon Neon is a game that quite obviously roots itself in the 80’s and is self-aware of its own outdated fashion and slang, featuring hilarious voice overs that over-act just enough to make them believable characters, plenty of hairspray and lots and lots of neon lights.
#DOUBLE DRAGON NEON REVIEW IGN SERIES#
Based on the sidescrolling beat-em-up classic, the game that birthed the whole genre in 1987, Neon is both a tribute and remake by Wayforward timed with the 25th anniversary of the original, rebooting the franchises while nodding to Technos’s legendary series of Double Dragon games releases over the years. Street Fighter IV brought life back into the fighting arena with balanced combat and a competent, though forgettable soundtrack with some great arrangements of the old songs we remember from SFII, and Punch Out bringing back boxing in the best of Rocky fashion. There have been a few successes Bionic Commando ReArmed retained its classic gameplay and sound while mixing it with new mechanics and electronic sound.
#DOUBLE DRAGON NEON REVIEW IGN MOVIE#
Video games live in a fairly synced world with the movie industry, sequels and at times loosely connected remakes are always around the corner and ready for the nostalgic mind to revisit. It’s as if our childhoods consisted of nothing more than mere extended product shills and action figure commercials disguised as cartoons that are being revisited to once again have the same effect on today’s young. Lately, we’ve been seeing a trend of reboots and reimaginings in the world of entertainment.