Hi everyone!
This is the Double Dragon series development team at Arc System Works.
In this third volume of Developer’s Diary Revive, a project to share information on the Double Dragon series, we will introduce the two playable characters announced in Fall 2024, Marian and Yagyu Ranzo.
■The Sosetsuken and Dragon Vein
In order to offer a deeper understanding of these characters, first we have two of our developers joining to explain key words from the game: Sosetsuken and Dragon Vein.
Cailteux:
Sosetsuken is the ultimate martial art, a culmination of all techniques known. This title also includes the idea of fortifying yourself by holding supernatural power from the Dragon Vein within the body.
This technique has been passed down through generations since ancient times. In the past, there were hundreds of martial artists studying it, but past wars and the control of the Shadow Warriors over the city caused the Sosetsuken dojo to close its doors. In the modern era, only three people inherit the Sosetsuken: Billy, Jimmy, and Marian.
Marian’s father, the prior heir, has gone missing, and currently the group run a bar next door to the closed dojo while patrolling the city.
To step outside of the story for a moment, the idea behind Sosetsuken from the original Double Dragon series was heavily influenced by pop culture such as hit movies at the time, and is even said to be inspired by Bruce Lee’s Jeet Kune Do.
Nagaki:
The phrase Dragon Vein originates from the term in Feng Shui, and in the game as well it refers to a form of energy found in nature.
This power has a flow to it, and at certain crossroads the flow reaches greater concentrations. The colony appearing in the game is one such place, a fact known only by the select few people who know of the Dragon Vein’s existence. It is no coincidence that the Sosetsuken dojo can be found there, as the valuable land was chosen as its home base.
The Dragon Vein plays a very important role in the story this time.
With these two key words in mind, let’s introduce our characters.
Character Profile ① Marian Kelly
Marian is a familiar face, as the heroine of the series.
Although she gets kidnapped at the beginning of the game, she can wield the Sosetsuken just like the Lee brothers.
Cailteux:
She’s appeared throughout the Double Dragon series in various forms, whether in need of rescue or serving as a police officer.
In this game, Marian is the daughter of the previous generation’s Sosetsuken heir, as well as childhood friend to Billy and Jimmy.
Highly intelligent, she has the strength to stand up against opposition despite her calm nature, making her a reliable presence in the lives of the people around them.
She works as a bar owner, providing a place where the citizens can enjoy a small comfort even in the harsh world after the nuclear war.
From a design perspective, she sports quite athletic attire to ensure a comfortable range of movement so she can be ready to defend the customers at her bar or those close to her at any moment.
She wears a t-shirt in her favorite color, red, with few accessories so she can be battle-ready at quick notice. She chooses mostly black clothing to avoid her clothes looking dirty.
Nagaki:
Allow me to explain Marian’s role from the gameplay perspective.
If we think of Billy as a standard character and Jimmy as a power type, Marian would be a speedy character.
Although she deals slightly less damage, her incredible mobility allows her to traverse the stage and take down enemies in style.
Some stages in the game require you to make your way past obstacles rather than simply defeating enemies. Marian will prove invaluable on these stages.
Character Profile ② Yagyu Ranzo
Yagyu Ranzo is another playable character in Double Dragon Revive.
He comes from a lineage dedicated to protecting the Dragon Vein.
Cailteux:
Ranzo is yet another familiar character from the series.
He made his first appearance as a playable character in Double Dragon 3, and has shown up as a boss character as well.
As in his prior appearances, he works as part of a highly secret organization.
In this game, he comes from a lineage dedicated to keeping locations of the Dragon Vein secret and preventing them from being used for evil. He is an elite ninja of the highest rank within the organization, respected by his allies.
He enters the story and encounters the heroes after learning about the misuse of the Dragon Vein in the colony where our tale takes place.
For his visual design, we’ve kept the white and light grey color scheme from his earlier designs, with the concept of “what would a modern ninja wear?”
This concept combines the garbs traditionally associated with ninja with modern streetwear and sportswear.
Nagaki:
Ranzo is a character who can fight at far range.
All of the other playable characters fight using hand-to-hand combat. However, Ranzo can attack by throwing shuriken and kunai, as well as other long-range attacks, even capable of setting enemies aflame with his fire technique.
He also has good mobility options, with quick movement speed and high jumps, meaning he can easily take a hit-and-away approach.
I’d recommend anyone who doesn’t want to get in too close to the enemies to give him a try.
●Coming Up
In this issue of Developer’s Diary Revive, we introduced Marian and Ranzo now that you’re familiar with the main Lee brothers.
Next time, we’d like to touch on the Shadow Warriors gang that stands in opposition to our protagonists.
Keep an eye out!
Be sure to follow the Community Hub and official X account so you don’t miss the next volume.
Thank you for reading through to the end.
Official Webpage
https://www.arcsystemworks.jp/ddrev/en/
Official X Account
https://x.com/DD1987_PR