Arc System Works has just revealed they have acquired the rights to Technos’ old properties, including Double Dragon and the Kunio-Kun series.
Arc System Works is best known for making the Guilty Gear and BlazBlue fighting game series, but they also develop and publish many smaller games. As of late, they have been publishing some Kunio-Kun games, including Downtown Nekketsu Jidaigeki on the 3DS.
Double Dragon, of course, is the granddaddy of all beat-em-ups, and is subsequently also a significant game in the history of fighting games. Originally released in the arcades in 1987, it has been ported to a record 25 platforms, with the most famous being the NES port, and most recently, the partial remake on iOS and PC, Double Dragon Trilogy.
The Kunio-Kun series that precedes Double Dragon is also one of the most successful beat-em-up franchises, branching out into sports and RPG games. Although most of the games have stayed in Japan, a few of the titles were famous for having been localized for the NES in the 1980s. The most famous of these is River City Ransom, a side scrolling nonlinear beat-em-up with RPG elements, and Super Dodge Ball, a seminal sports game.
While these series’ original developer, Technos, dissolved years ago, games were still being made and licensed until recently by Million, which was composed of many former Technos developers.
It’s not clear for now if this purchase was a strong move on Arc System’s part, due to Million’s decision to leave the market, or a little bit of both. Given Arc System’s strong presence in the West, we can be at least little optimistic that Double Dragon and Kunio-Kun games will start being made and brought stateside more often.
What would you like Arc System Works to do with Double Dragon and Kunio-Kun? Share your thoughts with us in the comments.
Image is from Double Dragon Trilogy