Bruce Lee: 11 Versions Ranked

[cwpab]

Interesting video, but the guy places the CPC version on 5th after the ZX Spectrum... and MS-DOS CGA versions!

[Shaun M. Neary]

The CPC version isn't without it's flaws (random crashes and ability to skip half the game by ducking under the door two screens to the right from the start) but at least it presented a challenge. @Nich has since fixed that bug a year or two ago.

The Speccy version is a boring playable demo. It can be finished in about 5 minutes without losing a life, it's that easy.

[eto]

I found the comment that not using the system font is a downside a bit weird. But probably he doesn't know the CPC that well. From the footage I would not have rated the Speccy and Apple II above the CPC but as I haven't played them it's really hard to say.  

My biggest personal issues with the CPC version is that the opponents are extremely dumb and barely have an impact on the game. You usually can outrun them - or they are stuck in an area where they can't reach you anyway. Overall the CPC version is a bit too easy - except for the screen of death which is in extreme contrast to the rest of the game.


Seems a bit as if the CPC version was released with the 95% done status. Just a day before they fixed the palette, added the remaining sound effects and could activate the proper opponent AI - and maybe fixed the much too hard screen of death.

On the bright side it's not a Speccy port.

[Shaun M. Neary]

My biggest personal issues with the CPC version is that the opponents are extremely dumb and barely have an impact on the game. You usually can outrun them - or they are stuck in an area where they can't reach you anyway. Overall the CPC version is a bit too easy - except for the screen of death which is in extreme contrast to the rest of the game.

You should play the Speccy version on an emulator just to have a good laugh at how ridiculously easy it is. 
There was a homebrew of it made recently enough for the Sega Master System and it's pretty much ported from the Speccy. You can literally run through the opponents too!

The electric floor screen actually becomes easy once you know exactly when to jump. It used to frustrate me for years but I eventually figured out the jump points. The top and third platforms are piss easy, it's the second and fourth ones that can trip you up.

[eto]

The electric floor screen actually becomes easy once you know exactly when to jump.

Indeed, but it's such a crazy contrast to the rest of the game. I remember that I mastered it but for that I had to spend hours to get to that screen over and over again to practice (on real hardware, not being able to use save states). And once I finished the screen the rest of the game was easy again - even the final screen is no challenge.

Still I think it would have deserved a better AI (that can at least climb the ladders) and a more balanced screen designs (not too easy/boring, not too hard/frustrating).

Anyway... one of the games that I remember fondly and regularly give it a try, especially when I just want to spend a few minutes.

[BSC]

ability to skip half the game by ducking under the door two screens to the right from the start) but at least it presented a challenge. Nich has since fixed that bug a year or two ago.

It was not a bug, though, but a glitch which made for a great a speedrun 

[eto]

It was not a bug, though, but a glitch which made for a great a speedrun

It works in many more places. It's not as powerful as that particular one but still can save some time for a speedrun. 

[cwpab]

Several observations:

- The CPC version we know is, as the video says, "harder in some places"... specifically the "screen of death" (by electric currents on the floor). I believe that wasn't intentional, probably a rough "eyeball" conversion without polishing (perhaps due to deadlines). It's funny to think we wouldn't be so frustrated with the game if this was done properly. Fuck the "additional challenge" of this screen, seriously.

- And yes, some negatives he sees on the Amstrad, seems like he was looking really hard to find some. The UI font? Come on, dude...

- Also, not trying to be offensive, but... isn't the strong Scottish accent of this man getting a bit in the way? 

- The BBC Micro version is noticeably bad. No ninja and the fat guy looks like an alien. Bruce has pink skin and yellow hair. And generally badly drawn pixel art. The machine is 2mhz, so it could have been done well. Some BBC scene member should try to port it properly.

- I had never seen the FM-7 and mz-800 versions. MobyGames doens't have screenshots for them. I like the mz-800 look!

[cwpab]

I also find interesting how this game was not among the top sellers for the ZX Spectrum in 1985. And in one of the magazine reviews, they found the game too outdated (I think it was an "updated review" years later, probably 1990) because, among other things... the number of combat moves is "too limited"!

I bet he hates Super Mario Bros and Another World too...

[VincentGR]

CPC has the best version. Great controls and graphics. Ok, that level with the electricity is hard.
I have finished many versions, I even have a video finishing ZX with one hand playing with the stick and using the fire button.

And yes, I agree that the SMS version is the ZX one as Shaun mentioned.