Originally released for Japanese arcades in 1991, Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones is the third game in the Double Dragon franchise. Developed by East Technology and published by Technos Japan Corp., Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones has since been released on a wide variety of platforms, with numerous differences between ports. Typically regarded as one of the worst games in the franchise, Double Dragon III: The Sacred Stones is often criticized for its shop system, unnecessarily difficult bosses, and lowered graphical quality. Despite this, the NES version received mostly positive reviews, due to the more direct attention from Technōs Japan Corp.