Double Dragon 3 can be set up to be played by up to two or three player simultaneously. The first two players control returning heroes Billy and Jimmy Lee respectively, while the third player controls a new character named Sonny. The controls consists of an eight way joystick and three buttons once again, but the combat system has been greatly altered from previous games. The game discards the directional attack buttons from Double Dragon II: The Revenge, returning to the punch and kick format of the original Double Dragon. However, moves such as the elbow strike and the hair grab had been removed and new abilities were added in their place. The player can now run by pushing the joystick left or right twice and perform moves with a second player such as a back-to-back hurricane kick when standing near each other and a triangle jump kick when one player jumps towards the other. Other new moves include a running head-butt, a belly-to-back throw and a jumping knee drop. At the start of certain stages, players will have access to an item shop where they can purchase in-game power-ups such as faster attack speed or new moves by using real money. The item selection vary between stages and each one cost a single credit. One item named "Extra Guys", allows the player to control one of three new character types in addition to the Lee brothers. These characters form other teams of fighting siblings as well, allowing each player to control a different member of the group. When the player's current fighter is killed, the new one will replace him, essentially substituting the extra lives system from previous games. These new fighters consists of the Urquidez brothers who are mixed martial arts champions, the Chin brothers which are tai chi experts and the Oyama brothers being karate masters. Each player can hold up to three extra fighters in reserve and availability of a fighter type varies depends on the stage.