Indiagames has secured a deal with Universal Studios to create mobile games based around, 'The Legacy of Bruce Lee'. In the press release, a deeply lyrical Jeremy Laws, vice-president of Media Licensing and Strategy at Universal Studios Consumer Products Group, commented:
"Bruce Lee is a truly global brand. His powerful visual image and spiritual philosophies combined with the feelings of excitement and heroism he invokes, have transformed him into a cultural icon, resonating with fans of all ages throughout the globe."
Which, you have to admit is more imaginative than the usual, "we're excited about the opportunity to make money out of this."
We especially enjoyed the mention of Lee as a 'global brand' - just a few lines before appreciating the star's 'Spiritual philosophies'. The juxtaposition may seem stunningly inappropriate, but then Lee did theorise that a good fighter must keep his mind in a perpetual state of emptiness, surely something the average brand manager is familiar with.
Anyway, this whole post was just an excuse to reminisce over the classic 1984 platformer, Bruce Lee, developed by Datasoft for the Apple II, Speccy and C64. Remember it? You had to guide Bruce through a wizard's fortress, constantly pursued by a ninja and some kind of rotund sumo character named Yamo. You could kick and punch them both, making this an early variant on the beat-'em-up genre.
Best of all, a second player could take control of Yamo, ostensibly to make things harder for the chap playing Bruce. But how many of us simply ganged up on that tiny ninja, kicking our computer-controlled victim around the screen for hours, his tiny brain unable to comprehend Yamo's sudden switch in allegiance?
Or was that just me?
There are some screenshots here.
So I've covered Jet Set Willy and Bruce Lee in the space of a week. Look out for my exciting, "Beachhead, what a classic, eh?" and, "Why don't they make games like Sentinel anymore?!" posts, coming soon...
