Double Dragon & Kunio-Kun: Retro Brawler Bundle Reviews
The games themselves, today, I’d score 2/10. The effort put into this bundle, 8/10. Let’s meet in the middle.
For the quality included in Double Dragon & Kunio-kun: Retro Brawler Bundle, it feels as if Arc System Works isn't onto a winner here. In fact, when giving it a little thought, it's hard to understand why this collection is needed at all.
The Double Dragon And Kunio-kun Retro Brawler Bundle is a decent collection that provides a look into a slice of gaming that a lot of people haven’t seen. What it doesn’t do is explain in any way why anyone under forty should care about it. It’s a missed opportunity, one that hopefully Arc might consider taking another shot at with a Volume 2.
Double Dragon & Kunio-kun Retro Brawler Bundle provides a pretty good selection of games, many of which are welcome blasts from my past. Plenty of options to tweak the experience were welcome, though perhaps the presentation and generations of consoles represented would have provided a more robust overall package. Fans of old-school brawlers and rough-and-tumble sports should come away entertained.
A bundle of joy for fans of these mega beat ‘em up franchises. The new polish looks nice, but there isn’t much to keep any newcomers coming around.
The best and most flexible way to experience these NES and Famicom titles.
Fans of Double Dragon and/or Kunio-kun can find a lot in this collection to enjoy but some things hold it back from being a must have.
The Double Dragon & Kunio-kun Retro Brawler Bundle brings a lot of novelty with its new NES translations, but the retro games on offer will hold little value to anyone not already familiar with the Technōs catalog.
Double Dragon & Kunio-kun Retro Brawler Bundle is a great piece of video game history for beat-em-up enthusiasts the world over. The once niche and Japanese-exclusive library of Kunio-kun games are playable in English for the first time, and while some of them haven't aged well enough to warrant extended play sessions, the in-game achievement system and Online Play add oodles of replayability to otherwise minorly novel Famicom classics. The lack of a gallery mode and alternate console editions of each game keeps the collection from being perfect though.
Seeing as it's such a comprehensive collection, Double Dragon & Kunio-kun: Retro Brawler Bundle is a must-have for fans of 8-bit brawlers and sports games. It may not appeal to modern gamers as much as other collections do but that doesn't make it any less special.
With 18 classic titles with Local and Online Multiplayer for all of the titles on the collections its a perfect addition to anyone collection and a great starting point for anyone who would like to get introduced to the Kunio-Kun series.
Overall, Double Dragon and Kunio-Kun: Retro Brawler Bundle is a very good compilation. The games are classics, with enough oddball gems to intrigue anyone looking for the oddities in the Famicom lineup. A majority of the games here are translated Japanese titles, so much of this content will be new to most players. The upgrades in quality mean that you're ultimately getting a better version compared to a straight rom dump. These are still difficult games, and the lack of extras feels like a missed opportunity, but this is a great title to add to any retro fan's library.
You might come to Double Dragon & Kunio-kun: Retro Brawler Bundle for Double Dragon and River City Ransom, but you'll likely stay for the sheer variety of mayhem and play experiences that it has to offer.
In summary, Kunio’s catchphrase “Don’t underestimate me!” perfectly describes the content of this compilation. Do not be surprised to find most of these decades-old Famicom games among your go-to choices when you have friends around.
The Double Dragon & Kunio-kun Retro Brawler Bundle is a quirky, cool, unique release that gives players a big dose of retro gaming including several titles that have never been published stateside.
Also the ice hockey game is legit fantastic. Lastly, the handful of games localized into English for the first time are wonderful to experience, regardless of their overall quality. This Kunio-kun collection might not be the best or even most necessary retro compilation, but it's a damn good one that I'm thrilled to see out in the west.
While I can’t say that every game is a winner in this collection, those that are vastly outshine the lesser offerings. This bundle is a must have for any lovers of old side scrolling beat ‘em ups and more arcadey sports games, especially for those who want to play with friends.
In conclusion, Retro Brawler Bundle sets A new gold standard for gaming compilations, taking untranslated Japanese games and just fully translating them from start to finish, while also improving upon every game whenever possible. From a bunch of achievements to unlock, the extra quality of life features, to rock-solid emulation, this is a must-own compilation for fans of Technos, Kunio, or even Double Dragon. (despite only one of the three games here being a must-play, due to the unfortunate lack of DDIII’s Famicom version)
If you’re a Kunio-kun or Double Dragon fan, or both, then this is the bundle you’ve been waiting so long for. This is the game that I personally would take with me if I were going to be stranded on a deserted island. Everything about this bundle is perfect. So dust off those knuckles and prepare your Dragon Feet, because Kunio-kun is now officially stateside!
All in all, Nekketsu! Street Basketball All-Out Dunk Heroes is a solid entry in the Kunio-kun series, whether you’re playing alone or with friends. Its simplistic take on basketball makes it accessible and enjoyable even to those who aren’t big sports fans, and its consistent presentation and feel with the rest of the series gives it a distinct appeal that remains somewhat timeless.