The journalist Matthew Pollyresponsible for the biography “Bruce Lee – A Life”, which tells in detail the story of Bruce Lee (1940 – 1973)was accurate in stating in the publication that Lee’s warlike actions in Operation Dragon – released in 1973 after the death of the creator of Jeet Kune Do—immediately transformed the Western view of Asians.
Bruce Lee: The man responsible for establishing a new culture in the West
Bruce Lee was directly responsible for establishing an entire culture of worship in the West for Eastern films and fighting stars. A man who broke countless barriers to make a name for himself, even in such an unfavorable environment, where opportunities for Chinese actors were almost nil.
The martial artist’s early death and his short but impactful list of films turned Lee into a legend, a brand that, to this day, is associated with the great personality of the cult of fighting and the practice of physical activities. He also inspired millions of people around the world to follow the same path.
Bruce Lee’s commercial legacy
His legendary status after his death also turned his name into a highly profitable product from a commercial point of view, allowing his image to be printed on t-shirts, posters, the subject of books, documentaries and even games.
Today, on the day Bruce Lee would have turned 84, let’s remember one of these games: Dragon: The Bruce Lee Storyreleased in June 1994 for the SEGA Genesis, the legendary Mega Drive and also with versions for the Game Gear, Master System, Atari Jaguar and Super Nintendo, a version that will be my focus here.
Game was inspired by the 1993 film
The title was named after the film namesake, released in 1993, based on an updated version of Bruce’s biography written by Linda Lee, his wife, in 1989.
The launch of the game was a strategy related to the investment that Universal made around Bruce Lee’s name. The studio bought the rights to Linda Lee’s book, signed a contract to produce the film and also the game.
Full of references
The game’s development was handled by Virgin Interactive Entertainment, while publishing was handled by Acclaim.
As the game is based on the film, the representation of Bruce Lee’s face that we see in some moments, introducing the story points, is that of the actor Jason Scott Leewho played the Chinese legend in the feature film.
Bruce’s sprite in the game also always reminds me of Fei Long, from Street Fighter.
Although the game only has a thread of story and works more like a merchandising action, it has its value in some points, such as the good attempt to bring elements related to Bruce’s on-screen persona, such as his poses, grimaces and his screams when playing. apply the blows. Bruce’s great speed in his kicks is also explored in the game. Of course, the classic nunchucks are also present—they couldn’t be missing, right?
Difficulty and bonus stages
The difficulty level is very challenging, making the player go through frustrating moments when trying to understand certain patterns to eliminate their opponents. In addition to direct confrontations, the player is also placed in bonus stages, in which Bruce did one of the things he liked most in life: training and perfecting his strikes.
References to the Film ‘Enter the Dragon’
It is interesting to note how the game explores the look of a character that clearly refers to the actor Jim Kelly, who played alongside Bruce Lee in Operation Dragon. Another character present is the legendary Han, the villain of Operation Dragonplayed by actor Shih Kein, notable for his claws and the confrontation with Bruce in the famous hall of mirrors.
The game also ventures into some more unusual situations, such as Bruce’s confrontation with a pair of sisters.
A short but fun game
In general, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story is a short and fun game, which also helped many people come into contact with the name of this great personality of the 20th century.
Undoubtedly, Bruce Lee will be forever remembered. A figure with a gigantic legacy and influence.
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Source: https://www.hardware.com.br/artigos/bruce-lee-jogo-super-nintendo/
