Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls

From Sega Retro

n/a

DoubleDragonV title.png

Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls
System(s): Sega Mega Drive
Publisher: Tradewest
Developer:
Sound driver: GEMS
Peripherals supported: Six Button Control Pad
Genre: Action

















Number of players: 1-2
Release Date RRP Code
Sega Mega Drive
US
T-97106
Videogame Rating Council: MA-13
Non-Sega versions

Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls is a 1994 competitive fighting game developed by Leland Interactive Media and published by Tradewest for the Sega Mega Drive. It was also released for the Super NES and Atari Jaguar. The change in genre from the side-scrolling beat-'em-up format of the previous games to one-on-one fighting was due to the popularity of games such as Street Fighter II and Mortal Kombat at the time.

Despite the title, Double Dragon V has no continuity with the previous games in the series, and it was actually a tie-in to the Double Dragon animated series airing at the time. The unusual numbering was due to the existence of Super Double Dragon, a Super NES-exclusive game in the series that was released in 1992. Former series' developer Technos Japan had very minimal involvement with Double Dragon V, and the game was never sold in Japan. An unrelated Double Dragon IV would later be released for the PlayStation 4 and PC in 2017.

Story

The Lee brothers, Billy and Jimmy, were separated at birth: Billy is raised by an elderly martial arts master known as the Oldest Dragon, and Jimmy is raised by the evil Shadow Master. When Jimmy is betrayed by the Shadow Master, he renounces his evil ways and joins his brother as a Dragon Warrior. The brothers fight a war against the Shadow Master and his henchmen for control of Metro City.

Gameplay

The game is a fighting game that plays similarly to Street Fighter II. Two fighters square off in a small arena and compete to drain the other's health bar by landing attacks (or by having more health left than the opponent when the timer runs out). The first fighter to win two rounds is the victor. Characters have several special moves, as well as finishing moves called "Overkills" where the losing character has a unique death animation when defeated by a certain type of basic attack in the final round of a match.

Characters move with Left and Right, crouch with Down, and jump with Up. Characters can punch with X (light), Y (medium), and Z (hard) and kick with A (light), B (medium), and C (hard). When playing with a standard three-button control pad,  START  toggles between punches and kicks. Using combinations of buttons can trigger special moves such as fireballs and thrust attacks. Opponents can be grabbed or thrown by pressing the D-Pad toward them while pressing a medium or hard punch or kick button. Attacks, other than grapple moves, can be blocked by holding the D-Pad away from the opponent. Characters can become temporarily stunned after receiving repeated attacks.

Players are given nine skill points that can be distributed between Strength, Defense, or Special, which can be set as high as five. Strength and Defense can be set to a minimum of one, while Special can be disabled entirely, allowing the player to invest more in attack power or vitality at the cost of not being able to use special moves. There are four difficulty levels for computer-controlled opponents (Easy, Normal, Hard, and Pro).

Modes

The game features multiple modes:

  • Tournament: An arcade-style single-player mode where the player competes against a series of computer-controlled opponents, with each character having his or her own ending.
  • Vs Battle: A two-player mode where one player battles another.
  • Quest Mode: A single-player story mode where the character competes in a series of plot-based matches. The player can choose to play as one of the Lee brothers, who are on a mission to stop the Shadow Master from releasing a plague, or play as one of the Shadow Warriors, who must compete to become the Shadow Master's new second-in-command. Like the Vs Battle mode, the player can adjust the attributes of the selected character.
  • Battle Demo: A demo mode where the player can pit two computer-controlled characters against each other.
  • Dossiers: A gallery of character profiles.

Characters

Move lists assume the player is facing right. If facing left, Left and Right should be reversed. P refers to any of the punch buttons, while K refers to any of the kick buttons.

There are twelve available characters (including two boss characters). Bones, Sekka, Blade, and Dominique are original characters who never appeared on the television series.

Double Dragon V, Characters.png
Billy Lee
Overkilled by:
Standing  HP 
Raised by the Oldest Dragon after being left at the Dragon Dojo by his father John Lee to find his twin brother, he was raised as a Dragon Master to obey the code to the letter. After meeting his brother Jimmy, he decides to fight and becomes a Double Dragon. He is noble and only fights when he must.
Move list
Name Command Description
Dragon Shock Hold Left for 2 seconds, then Right+P Billy sends a dragon head fireball across the screen.
Rising Dragon Right Down-right Down P Billy rises into the air while holding his sword out.
Shuriken Strike Down Down-left Left P Billy throws himself forward while spinning like a shuriken.
Slide Right Right+P Billy slides forward while holding his sword in a crouched position.
Double Dragon V, Characters.png
Jimmy Lee
Overkilled by:
Standing  HK 
Raised by the Shadow Master and fooled into believing the Shadow Master was his father, he was raised to be the Shadow Boss and be evil. After being betrayed by the Shadow Warriors, he joins with Billy as a Double Dragon. He is reckless and always gets in trouble.
Move list
Name Command Description
Dragon Fire Hold Left for 2 seconds, then Right+P Jimmy shoots a fireball across the screen from his sword.
Rising Dragon Right Down-right Down P Jimmy rises into the air while holding his sword out.
Shuriken Strike Down Down-left Left P Jimmy throws himself forward while spinning like a shuriken.
Slide Right Right+P Jimmy slides forward while holding his sword in a crouched position.
Double Dragon V, Characters.png
Jawbreaker
Overkilled by:
Standing  HP 
A monstrous pink-skinned mutant, he is a voracious eater. He has a large jaw with sharp teeth and can bite a chunk out of anything.
Move list
Name Command Description
Spit Hold Left for 2 seconds, then Right+P Jawbreaker spits a projectile across the screen.
Yell Down Down-left Left P Jawbreaker yells damaging sound waves across the screen.
Flying Headbutt Right Right+P Jawbreaker flies across the screen with a headbutt.
Jawbreaker Right Right+ MK  (close) Jawbreaker swallows, chews, and spits out his opponent.
Bulldog Bite Right Right+ HK  (close) Jawbreaker bites and throws his opponent behind him.
Double Dragon V, Characters.png
Icepick
Overkilled by:
Crouching  MP 
A cyborg and computer expert, Icepick's body is entirely made of solid crystal. He fights using a sword and dagger with ice powers.
Move list
Name Command Description
Ice Dagger Down Down-right Right P Icepick throws an icy dagger across the screen.
Ice Ball Hold Left for 2 seconds, then Right+P Icepick breathes an ice ball that travels across the screen. The projectile does no damage on its own but freezes his opponent momentarily.
Sword Fury PPPPP Icepick slashes his sword furiously in front of himself.
Sword Spin Down Down-left Left  LK  Icepick spins around on his sword while kicking.
Hammerhead Right Right+ MP  Icepick slams his head against the ground in front of him.
Double Dragon V, Characters.png
Bones
Overkilled by:
Standing  MP 
An undead skeleton resurrected by the Shadow Master who is influenced by rock 'n' roll and has a tattoo of a cobra on his forehead. He wields a laser rifle.
Move list
Name Command Description
Eye Beam Down Down-left Left P Bones lifts his sunglasses and shoots a laser beam across the screen from his eye sockets.
Gun Shot Right Down-right Down K Bones fires a beam across the screen from his rifle.
Skull Toss Hold Left for 2 seconds, then Right+P Bones throws his head across the screen in a low arc (before sprouting another one).
Arm Lash Right Right+ MP  Bones removes one of his arms and uses it to swipe in a semicircle in front of him.
Long Headbutt Right Right+ MK  Bones stretches his body and headbutts in front of him.
Double Dragon V, Characters.png
Sickle
Overkilled by:
Standing  MK 
A rude and cruel street fighter and criminal. He fights with two large red sickles.
Move list
Name Command Description
Energy Blade Down Down-right Right P Sickle throws a spinning blade across the screen in a low arc.
Rolling Buzzsaw Down Down-left Left P Sickle spins along the ground like a sawblade.
Flying Buzzsaw Right Down-right Down P Sickle spins like a sawblade into the air, then falls downward.
Cyclone Hold Left for 2 seconds, then Right+P Sickle twirls forward while spinning his blades around him.
Double Dragon V, Characters.png
Blade
Overkilled by:
Standing  MK 
A French cuisine expert and hired mercenary of the Shadow warriors. His weapons are crimson blades on his gauntlets.
Move list
Name Command Description
Spin Kick Hold Left for 2 seconds, then Right+K Blade dashes forward while rotating on one leg and kicking with the other.
Torpedo Hold Left for 2 seconds, then Right+P Blade shoots himself across the screen like a torpedo while holding his blades forward.
Blade Fury PPPPP Blade punches repeatedly in front of himself with his bladed hands.
Slide Throw Right Right+P Blade slides forward in a crouched position while holding his blades out. If the move connects, he stabs and throws his opponent over his head.
Blade Ripper Down Down-left Left  MP  Blade slashes downward with his blade.
Double Dragon V, Characters.png
Trigger Happy
Overkilled by:
Standing  LK 
A large, ex-military brute who loves to shoot at and destroy things. He uses a hand-mounted blaster.
Move list
Name Command Description
Low Cannon Blast Down Down-left Left K Trigger Happy shoots a low shell from his blaster.
High Cannon Blast Hold Left for 2 seconds, then Right+P Trigger Happy shoots a high shell from his blaster.
Rocket Uppercut Right Down-right Down P Trigger Happy rises into the air with an uppercut.
Force Field KKKKK Trigger Happy stands in place and covers his body in a force field, which reduces the damage he takes.
Fire Punch Down Down-left Left  MP  Trigger Happy punches with his blaster, which has a fire effect and knocks down his opponent.
Double Dragon V, Characters.png
Countdown
Overkilled by:
Standing  LP 
A robotically enhanced cyborg. He attacks with shoulder-mounted rocket blasters and laser vision. He was manipulated into betraying the Shadow Master and punished for his treason.
Move list
Name Command Description
Flame Thrower Down Down-left Left P Countdown crouches and shoots his blasters diagonally upward.
Missile Shot Right Down-right Down K Countdown fires a missile across the screen that rises as it travels, which burns and knocks down his opponent.
Eye Laser Hold Left for 2 seconds, then Right+P Countdown shoots a laser across the screen from his eye, which electrifies and knocks down his opponent.
Rocket Dive Right Right+K Countdown jumps into the air, turns into a rocket, and dives downward.
Rotating Kick Hold Left for 2 seconds, then Right+K Countdown moves forward while rotating on his fist and kicking.
Double Dragon V, Characters.png
Sekka
Overkilled by:
Standing  MP 
A television personality and mercenary who was hired by the Shadow Master, she is more interested in her payment than the Shadow Warriors' cause and follows her own agenda, making her more neutral. Sekka wears a combat armor and claws similar to Blade on the end of her gauntlets.
Move list
Name Command Description
Claw Roll Attack Down Down-left Left P Sekka rolls forward, then does three claw strikes.
Flying Grab Hold Left for 2 seconds, then Right+K Sekka flies across the screen and throws her opponent against the wall.
Claw Spin Down Down-left Left K Sekka advances forward while standing on her claw and spinning her legs in the air.
Flying Grinder Down Down+ LK  Sekka jumps forward and does a Claw Spin after landing.
Handstand Kick Right Right+ HK  Sekka stands on her claw and kicks high.
Ground Swell Down+ HK  while jumping diagonally Sekka holds a straight leg in a head stomp.

Bosses

The two bosses are playable in every mode except the Quest Mode with a cheat code.

Double Dragon V, Characters.png
Dominique
Overkilled by:
Standing  MP 
A dangerous dominatrix with a whip and knives at the tips of her high heels. Dominique is the personal bodyguard of the Shadow Master and his most loyal and devoted minion. She is a sub-boss who precedes the Shadow Master.
Move list
Name Command Description
Ponytail Beam Right Down-right Down K Dominique whips her hair forward, which shoots a laser across the screen.
Swoop Hurricane Down Down-left Left K Dominique slides forward while crouch kicking.
Heel Knife Slide Down Down+ LK  Dominique slides forward while pointing knives from her shoes.
Double Dragon V, Characters.png
Shadow Master
Overkilled by:
Standing  HK 
The master of all Shadow Warriors. He is evil and deceptive, and his ultimate goal is to cover the world in darkness and shadow. He has many powers which include shapeshifting and teleporting, and he is able to trap warriors who fail him in the Shadow Mural. He has a scythe, the lower half of which can detach and be used as the sword. He is the final boss of the game.
Move list
Name Command Description
Fireball Down Down-right Right P The Shadow Master blows a fireball across the screen.
Lightning Spear Hold Left for 2 seconds, then Right+P The Shadow Master infuses his spear with lightning and dashes forward with it.
Energy Ball Hold Left for 2 seconds, then Right+K The Shadow Master shoots an energy ball that rolls across the ground.
Teleport Right Down-right Down Down-left Left P or K The Shadow Master teleports in front of his opponent with P or behind his opponent with K.

Stages

Double Dragon V, Stages, Dragon Dojo Interior.png

Dragon Dojo Interior
Double Dragon V, Stages, Dragon Dojo Interior.png

Double Dragon V, Stages, Dragon Dojo Exterior.png

Dragon Dojo Exterior
Double Dragon V, Stages, Dragon Dojo Exterior.png

Double Dragon V, Stages, Cody's Nutron Grill.png

Cody's Nutron Grill
Double Dragon V, Stages, Cody's Nutron Grill.png

Double Dragon V, Stages, Metro City Sewer System.png

Metro City Sewer System
Double Dragon V, Stages, Metro City Sewer System.png

Double Dragon V, Stages, Dusty's Garage.png

Dusty's Garage
Double Dragon V, Stages, Dusty's Garage.png

Double Dragon V, Stages, Chemical Factory.png

Chemical Factory
Double Dragon V, Stages, Chemical Factory.png

Double Dragon V, Stages, Fusion Plant Interior.png

Fusion Plant Interior
Double Dragon V, Stages, Fusion Plant Interior.png

Double Dragon V, Stages, Fusion Plant Exterior.png

Fusion Plant Exterior
Double Dragon V, Stages, Fusion Plant Exterior.png

Double Dragon V, Stages, Metro City Hotel.png

Metro City Hotel
Double Dragon V, Stages, Metro City Hotel.png

Double Dragon V, Stages, Shadow Dungeon.png

Shadow Dungeon
Double Dragon V, Stages, Shadow Dungeon.png

Double Dragon V, Stages, Shadow Dojo Exterior.png

Shadow Dojo Exterior
Double Dragon V, Stages, Shadow Dojo Exterior.png

Double Dragon V, Stages, Shadow Dojo Interior.png

Shadow Dojo Interior
Double Dragon V, Stages, Shadow Dojo Interior.png

Production credits

  • Producer: Michael Abbot
  • Creative Director: Kevin Lydy
  • Art Director: Stan Gorman
  • Game Designers: Michael Abbot, Stan Gorman, Tim Heydelaar, Kevin Lydy, David Schwartz
  • Lead Programmer: Robert Sun
  • Programmer: David Schwartz, Mike Waltman
  • Game Artist: Derek Benson, Frank Borowitz, Rex Cataroja, Sukru Gilman, Francisco Gracia, Mark May, Greg Miller, Harry Teasley
  • Additional Artists: Juan Galceran, Gary Luecker, Michael Platteter
  • Music: Rob Atesalp
  • Sound Effects: Orpheus Hanley
  • Story Consultants: Derek Benson, David Schwartz
  • Quality Control: Randy Estrella, Tim Heydelaar, Brian Johnson, Steve Kramer, Dan Lewis, John Stookey
Source:
In-game credits
Double Dragon V MD credits.pdf
[2]

  • Illustration & Print Director: Debbie Austin
  • Packaging & Manual Concept and Production: Steve High, Shawn Murphy, Debbie Austin, Beeline Group, Inc.
Source:
US manual
DoubleDragonV MD US Manual.pdf
[3]


Magazine articles

Main article: Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls/Magazine articles.

Promotional material

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Print advert in GamePro (US) #60: "July 1994" (1994-xx-xx)
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Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in GamePro (US) #60: "July 1994" (1994-xx-xx)
also published in:
  • EGM² (US) #1: "July 1994" (1994-07-19)[1]
Logo-pdf.svg
Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in EGM² (US) #2: "August 1994" (1994-0x-xx)
Logo-pdf.svg
Logo-pdf.svg
Print advert in EGM² (US) #5: "November 1994" (1994-1x-xx)
Logo-pdf.svg

Physical scans

Sega Retro Average 
Publication Score Source
{{{{{icon}}}|L}} Division by zero.
Based on
0 review
Sega Retro Average 
Publication Version Score
1700 igr dlya Sega (RU)
40
[4]
Game Players (US) NTSC-U
65
[5]
GamePro (US) NTSC-U
63
[6]
Sega Pro (UK) NTSC-U
63
[7]
Sega Mega Drive Review (RU)
52
[8]
Tricks 16 bit (RU)
65
[9]
Video Games (DE)
39
[10]
VideoGames (US) NTSC-U
80
[11]
Sega Mega Drive
58
Based on
8 reviews

Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls

Mega Drive, US
DoubleDragonV-TheShadowFalls MD US Box.jpg
Cover
DoubleDragonV MD US Cart.jpg
Cart
DoubleDragonV MD US Manual.pdf
Manual

Technical information

Main article: Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls/Technical information.

References


Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls

DoubleDragonV title.png

Main page | Comparisons | Hidden content | Magazine articles | Reception | Region coding | Technical information | Bootlegs


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Double Dragon games for Sega systems
Sega Master System
Double Dragon (1988)
Sega Mega Drive
Double Dragon II: The Revenge (1991) | Double Dragon (1992) | Double Dragon 3: The Rosetta Stone (1992/1993) | Battletoads/Double Dragon: The Ultimate Team (1993) | Double Dragon V: The Shadow Falls (1994)
Sega Game Gear
Double Dragon (1993)