

After all 10 of the default fighters are defeated, the player will face Shuko's bodyguard Duke before challenging Shuko himself. In single-player mode, the player competes against all 10 of the playable fighters, including a clone of their own character. Other techniques available in the game include dashes, air guards, air throws, and down attacks (which allows characters to jump over and attack their opponent while they are momentarily unconscious on the ground). "Charge moves" are usually performed by executing the command of a regular special move and pressing two attack buttons simultaneously at the end instead of just one. The less health the character has, the quicker it will fill up. The player's character and his or her opponent have a super move meter called the "charge meter", overlaid over the character's health gauge.

Instead, there are four attack buttons of varying strength and speed, which can perform punches or kicks depending on the character's position.

One of the unique aspects of Double Dragon is the lack of specific punch and kick buttons like other fighting games. The game plays like a conventional one-on-one fighting game. Gameplay screenshot showcasing a match between Billy Lee and Rebecca.
