The arcade version of Double Dragon II: The Revenge begins with Marian, the damsel in distress from the original Double Dragon, being shot to death by the leader of the Black Warriors. Once again, the player assume the role of brothers Billy and Jimmy Lee, who are now tasked with the duty of avenging Marian's death. The arcade version of the game is essentially an improved version of the original title. The biggest change in the game's controls are in the replacement of the original's punch and kick buttons with two directional-based attack buttons (Left Attack and Right Attack) similar to Renegade. Pressing the attack button of the player's current direction will do a standard series of punches, while pressing the opposite attack button will perform a back kick. A few new moves are added as well, including a Hurricane Kick.

Almost all of the returning enemy characters from the first game were given makeovers and new moves which they can use against the player. The weapons that can be use by the player have also been redrawn and modified from the previous game. The steel bats and dynamite sticks for example, were replaced by shovels and grenades.

Like in the original game, the arcade version of Double Dragon II is divided into four missions: a heliport, a lumber storehouse, a wheat field, and the new hideout of the boss. Each stage has its own boss character with his own theme. After defeating Willy (the final boss from the original game) in the fourth stage, the player will confront a double of their own character for the game's final battle. If two players reach the end together, then both will each to have to face their own clone for the final battle.

Nintendo Entertainment System

The Nintendo Entertainment System version of Double Dragon II: The Revenge was produced by Technōs Japan and released in Japan on December 23, 1989. An English localization was published by Acclaim Entertainment, which was released on January 1990 in North America and later in the PAL region. It was later re-released on the Wii Virtual Console in North America on June 21, 2012.

The NES version of Double Dragon II has many differences from the original arcade game. Unlike the first NES game, the game now features a co-op mode. There are two different co-op modes: in mode A, the player's attacks will not hurt each other; in mode B, they will. There are also three difficulty settings, which also determine the length of the game in the English version. The final mission is only available on the hardest difficulty setting.

The story is the same as the arcade version with the only difference being the true ending in which Marian is resurrected, the game now has story sequences between each stage which serves to advance the plot. The level designs are also completely different, with the NES version featuring nine missions instead of just four. Most of the enemy characters from the arcade version are featured in the NES version as well, while a few were replaced by new ones. Notably, the ninth and final mission is a battle against the "Mysterious Warrior", a character introduced in the NES version who serves as the new final boss. In contrast to the arcade's bittersweet ending, the NES version features a happier ending in which Marian is brought back to life after the final opponent is defeated.

Mega Drive

The Mega Drive version of Double Dragon II: The Revenge was released by Palsoft exclusively in Japan on December 20, 1991. Unlike the NES version, the Mega Drive version of Double Dragon II is more of a direct conversion of the original arcade game, featuring the same levels and moves, as well as almost every enemy character. The only significant exception was the level design for Mission 2, which was substantially changed in order to make it a longer and more complex level. This port is infamous for being poorly designed with smaller sprites and far less colors than the arcade or the unlicensed port of the original Double Dragon released by Accolade. The poorly written code for the game also causes slow-down even though the Mega Drive is more than capable of driving a complete conversion.

PC Engine

A PC Engine version of Double Dragon II: The Revenge was also released exclusively in Japan, which was published by Naxat Soft on March 12, 1993. Released in Super CD-ROM² format, the PC Engine version is based on the NES version of the game instead of the arcade one. The story sequences from the NES version were remade and are now animated, with voice acting featuring Makoto Horikawa (as Billy), Nobutoshi Hayashi (as Jimmy), and Hiroko Emori (as Marian) among other actors.

There are other few slight changes to the game as well. While the gameplay is the same, the graphics have been remade completely and the soundtrack consist almost entirely of new music (with the exception of the final boss theme and the closing credits theme). Some of the levels designs have been altered and the order of Mission 4 and 5 (the Undersea Base and the Forest of Death) were switched. The PC Engine version allows the player to reach the final stage in any of the three difficulty settings, making the game closer to the Japanese Famicom version in this regard than its western NES counterpart. However, the ending changes depending on the difficulty setting, with the full ending shown only when the player completes the hardest setting.

Computer platforms

Virgin Mastertronic released ports of the arcade version for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, IBM PC, Commodore Amiga, Amstrad CPC and Atari ST in 1989. The computer ports were developed by Binary Design, the same outfit that handled the computer ports of the first game.

A soundtrack, simply titled Double Dragon II: The Revenge, was published in Japan by Meldac and released on March 10, 1990. The soundtrack features arranged versions of the music from the NES version (originally composed by Kazunaka Yamane) composed by Kazuhiro Hara and Nobuhito Tanahashi. The soundtrack also features a vocal J-pop rendition of the Double Dragon opening theme performed by Manami Morozumi titled "Dead or Alive". Its catalog number is MECG-28001.

1. Dead or Alive (Opening Theme) - Female Vocal Version
2. "The Vengeful Demon Has Began to Move" (Mission 1) (動き出した復讐鬼, Ugokidashita Fukushū Oni)
3. "A Quiet Pursuit" (Mission 2) (静かなる追跡, Shizukanaru Tsuiseki)
4. "Tension at the Night Sky" (Mission 3) (緊迫の夜空, Kinpaku no Yozora)
5. "A Pleasant Advance to the Morning Glow" (Mission 4) (朝焼けの快進撃, Asayake no Kaishingeki)
6. "Escape to the Forest" (Mission 5) (森を抜けて, Mori o Nukete)
7. "Wicked God" (Mission 6) (邪神, Jashin)
8. "Breaking the Barrier" (Mission 7) (難関突破, Nankan Toppa)
9. "Enter to the Enemy's Base (Mission 8) (敵基地を行く, Teki Kichi o Iku)
10. "Roar of the Twin Dragons" (Fight of Fate) (双龍の雄叫び, Sōryū no Otakebi )
11. "Miracle of the Twin Dragons" (After the Battle) (双龍の奇跡, Sōryū no Kiseki)
12. "Sweet Memories" (Ending Theme) (懐かしき思い出, Natsukashiki Omoide)
13. "Dead or Alive" (Edit Version)