Billy Lee
One of the Lee brothers and a playable martial artist.
Documented for this version
Joystick | Move the character Move left, right, up, or down across the three-lane playfield. |
|---|---|
Punch | Punch Attack in the direction the character is facing. |
Kick | Kick Perform a kick attack. |
JoystickPunch | Use a directional attack The attack direction follows the character's facing and lane position. |
JoystickKick | Jump-kick or directional kick Use the joystick with Kick for airborne or directional attacks when available. |
PunchKick | Jump Press both attack buttons together for the arcade jump input. |
The arcade cabinet uses a joystick and Punch and Kick buttons.
Button names may vary on individual arcade cabinets.
Two-player controls use the same actions for the second player.
How it plays
Players move through a sequence of side-scrolling stages while defeating waves of gang members, martial artists, soldiers, and other enemies. The three-lane layout permits movement toward or away from the screen, while the character's attack direction changes according to the side being faced.
Punches, kicks, jumping attacks, throws, and weapons form the core combat system. The arcade version supports one or two players, with Billy and Jimmy fighting simultaneously in cooperative play. Each stage ends with a stronger enemy or boss, and progress is maintained through a limited number of lives and continues.
Plan your run
Stay near the center lane until enemy positions are clear, then use short attacks rather than repeatedly committing to long animations. Throws are effective against nearby human enemies, while dropped weapons can quickly reduce groups.
In two-player mode, avoid standing on the same lane as your partner when several enemies surround you. Save continues for later stages, learn boss attack patterns, and use jumping attacks when a boss controls the ground directly in front of you.
Meet the cast
One of the Lee brothers and a playable martial artist.
Billy's brother and the second playable martial artist.
Billy's companion whose death motivates the revenge mission.
The gang leader and primary antagonist.
Before you begin
Use the lane system to separate enemies before attacking.
Pick up dropped weapons when a group approaches.
Coordinate player positions in cooperative play.
Editorial context
A strong arcade sequel with energetic combat and useful two-player cooperation.
Its enemy crowds and limited lives make the later stages notably challenging.
Double Dragon II: The Revenge is a side-scrolling beat 'em up developed and published by Technōs Japan for arcade systems in 1988. It follows martial artists Billy and Jimmy Lee as they pursue the gang responsible for Marian's death. The game uses a three-lane scrolling perspective, allowing attacks toward the left, right, and background-facing side of the playfield. Players fight through urban streets, industrial areas, forests, and enemy strongholds using punches, kicks, throws, and weapons. Its responsive combat, cooperative two-player mode, and memorable presentation made it a well-regarded arcade sequel, although its difficulty and limited continues could be demanding.
Catalog entry maintained by EmuGamers Editorial Team
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