Double Dragon IV

There's next to no value in this curious rehash of an old and nearly forgotten series to anyone except those who played the original games -- and probably not even them. Arc System Works has stayed unflinchingly true to the series, crafting a new game that recreates the look and feel of its predecessors almost perfectly. But the effort is a little too sincere. There's no sly wink in its poorly written dialogue, no subtle updates to the interface or action to acknowledge that there's a reason why games have evolved. Players are going to die endless times trying to make simple platformer-style jumps, and they're going to wonder in frustration why some of their punches and kicks connect with characters on a slightly higher plane while others do not.

Sadly, the one truly novel addition to the series -- the nearly endless Tower mode, which lets players choose from a wide variety of playable characters -- isn't available until you've finished the game, and that's a feat that's far from guaranteed. The story mode is short, but players have limited lives. There's a pretty good chance many people will give up on the brawling monotony after dying during the ninth mission two or three times in a row. Even those with fond memories spending quarters playing Double Dragon IV's precursors in the arcade aren't likely to get much enjoyment from this poorly planned sequel beyond its soothingly familiar theme song. Bottom line? Don't waste your time.