Classic arcade game from the 1980s is getting a 3D remake 38 years after its debut

It's 1987. Predator and Lethal Weapon are on the big screen, while a brand new cartoon called Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles hits TV screens across America. And if you wanted to play a new video game, your best bet was to take a pocket full of quarters and head down to the local arcade - where you'd find one of the year's hottest games, Double Dragon.

The original Double Dragon introduced many to the concept of the beat 'em up, where up to two players took on the roles of martial artists Billy and Jimmy Lee to bring the pain to street thugs and other baddies. Double Dragon ushered in a golden age for the beat 'em up genre; it spawned sequels, popular console versions for the Nintendo Entertainment System, and even a film adaptation in 1994.

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Several new entries have been made, including recent ones for mobile and modern consoles like the Switch. However, Double Dragon Revive is different because it's a complete 3D remake of the 1987 original - one that is set to arrive 38 years after its original debut.

"See your favorites from the golden age of arcades recreated in modern 3D graphics," developer YUKE'S and publisher Arc System Works write. "Experience the same simple and intuitive gameplay, with controls and balance refined for the modern era."

Games like the original Double Dragon, although created with 2D sprites, presented a pseudo-3D world with depth that allowed characters to move up and down as well as left and right - so it should translate well to 3D. Publisher Arc System Works is known for creating engaging fighting game experiences, so it plans to bring this expertise to the Double Dragon Revive remake.

The game is on track for a 2025 release on PC and consoles.