Double Dragon: Neon, the eighties-themed reimagining of the Double Dragon franchise is now available on both Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network. That's good! But publisher Majesco has revealed a bit of bad news at the last minute: the game only supports 2-player local co-op at launch. Don't worry, though - online co-op is "coming soon" in a post-release update. It's your basic Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light situation. Majesco probably should've announced the online co-op delay a little earlier so as not to mar news of the game's launch, but what's done is done.

If there's one thing I really enjoy about the rise of downloadable console games, it's the abundance of retro remakes. Some of my favorite games from this generation are remixed, remastered, and high-def-ized versions of Pac-Man, Turtles in Time, and many others. Next week, another venerable co-op franchise gets similar treatment: Double Dragon Neon.

People used to say wizard as an adjective, all by itself, just as we now use the word cool. It's true; I saw it in a movie once. But nowadays calling something wizard would just elicit looks of confusion. "Is he saying that Double Dragon: Neon's Achievements wear long robes and cast magic spells?" they might wonder. But what other noun used as an adjective could be more appropriate for an Achievement list that actually references Fred Savage's 1989 magnum opus film The Wizard? None, I say! As it turns out, pretty much all of Neon's Achievements overflow with the game's tongue-in-cheek style of humor and machismo.

Reverb Games have announced a release date for Double Dragon: Neon for Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network.  The game is set to release on September 11th for $9.99 or 800 .  It'll feature two player local or two player online co-op as players assume the role of the Dragon brothers in a reimagining of the classic game.  

We've been getting a slow drip of material about Double Dragon Neon for the last couple months, so it was good to finally be able to put some hands-on time with it.  For those who need a refresher, it's a throwback to the classic brawler, complete with absurdly neon color palette and a really strong 1980s aesthetic.

Coming to XBLA and PSN with a 1980’s flair, Double Dragon Neon rewinds the side-scrolling beat'em up genre over two decades to bring us a co-op game worthy of a chest bump.

While we're still waiting on the XBLA-exclusive Double Dragon II remake from Korean developer Gravity Co, Ltd, a separate team on the other side of the world has set their sights on remaking the original Double Dragon for both XBLA and PSN. The new game, Double Dragon: Neon comes from Wayforward Technologies (makers of Batman: The Brave and the Bold and Contra 4) and Majesco. Like Double Dragon II: Wander of the Dragons, this one uses the original game as a template, switching to a 3D engine and revamping the actual fighting mechanics. Neon takes many more creative liberties with the source material, and thus Majesco calls it a "radical reinvention" rather than just a remake.