I love the synth rock vibe and the focus on a longer melodic passage will certainly win over fans of a developed melody. The boss theme for this area, “Boss – Mecha Biker,” is much stronger than the previous area’s equivalent in my opinion. Fans of this era will surely appreciate it though. The vocals, on the other hand, are something that I’m still warming to, as I’m not the biggest fan of 80s metal vocals.
Musically, it’s a fantastic tune full of wailing guitars and some lovely synth accents. “Space Dojo 2” is another original vocal tune and is done in the style of 80s metal. Of course, the synthesizer melody and solo is also a highlight. The jazzy brass tones brighten up the entire piece while the bass guitar helps bring in that funk. This track also stands out and does the original a lot of justice as well. “Space Dojo 1” is a funky synth rendition of the second stage theme in the original Double Dragon, “Riot”. As with many boss themes for games of this type, it focuses on shorter melodic phrases rather than a drawn out melody, and works in the heat of the moment. The boss theme for the first area, “Boss – Skullmageddon,” is an intense synth rock piece that really manages to create a great rush of adrenaline. It’s this ridiculously catchy synth pop tune with bubbly lyrics and it really manages to capture the essence of the neon lights seen on a night on the town. “City Streets 2,” on the other hand, is an original vocal tune that transports the listener to the 80s. Just as it did in the first game, this tune definitely sets the gamer in the mood to beat up some thugs! Of course, it also comes with some awesome guitar and synthesizer solos that really add to the piece. “City Streets 1” is an awesome rock rendition of “The Black Warriors Arrive” from the original Double Dragon. Of course, the majority of the music is dedicated to the various stage and boss themes. “Marian’s Theme” is also quite pleasant, offering a very ballad-like approach with stunning strings and a nice acoustic sound. Among other homages, I like how “Shopkeeper’s Theme” has a very ethereal Asian vibe to it, while also incorporating the title theme’s melody.
Likewise, as short as it is, “Mission Bumper” is a nice upgrade from the original “The Journey Continues (Intermission).” There are also some miscellaneous themes that I’ll group together at the beginning of the review. Of course, there are some awesome electric guitar solos thanks to the extended development of the track. I imagine this is what the original composers were aiming for when they wrote the classic all those years ago. The album opens up with a fantastic synth rock rendition of the iconic Double Dragon theme, aptly named “Title Theme” on this release. How does the overall listening experience turn out? Body
The release is intended as a tribute to both the series- musical style as a whole as well as the music of the era when this game was released. For Double Dragon: Neon, the company’s sound director and game music fanatic Jake Kaufman wrote all the music, releasing it through his Bandcamp page on a ‘name your price’ deal.
WayForward Technologies, don’t you love them? Between offering original games such as the Shantae and Mighty franchises, they have also offered inspired reboots of franchises with Contra 4, Bloodrayne: Redemption, and now Double Dragon: Neon.