Review by: Mike Laidlaw
Published: July 30, 2002

Like James Dean, Mozart, Keats and countless other figures from Western history, Bruce Lee never had the chance to grow old and fade away. Instead, his legend carries with it the special place reserved for those members of our culture who were snatched away before they could truly live up to their potential, or before they could burn out and fade away. Incandescent as his brief stint in film and television was, Lee also managed to passively make great inroads for race relations and the popularization of martial arts in the West. These, understandably, are big shoes to fill, and the undertaking of a game in honor of the master of Jeet Kune Do is a bold step for any new developer. To paraphrase the man himself, when you undertake a project that leaves itself open to such scrutiny, “You must become water, my friend, for it can flow, or it can crash!” The question before us, then, is whether Bruce Lee: Quest of the Dragon will crash into you with the one-inch punch of superior design, or merely leave you soaking wet.

Bruce Lee: Quest of the Dragon’s plot could be taken from virtually any martial arts movie, steeped as it is in themes of family, honor, revenge and tradition. In this structure, Bruce is a retired British Special agent who’s recently returned to his family dojo. In the course of his duties, he was forced to kill the master of a criminal organization called Black Lotus, something which the honorable Lee regrets. The past can not be undone, though, and in true villain form the daughter of Lee’s defeated opponent up her father’s mantle and seizes control of Black Lotus for herself.

All of this is unknown to Lee until his return, which quickly changes from celebration to chaos as his father is kidnapped, an ancient relic from the shrine is stolen, and soldiers of the Black Lotus organization are thrown in his path while the perpetrators make their escape.

From here on in, it’s time to start knocking heads, a skill at which fans of his films will recall Lee as being exceptionally gifted. As befits the digital incarnation of the man who had to slow down his attacks for his roles on TV (the film couldn’t keep up), Lee is a lightning quick brawler. You’ll find that you can bounce easily between locking on to a foe and moving freely using the left trigger; and depending on which mode you’re in, the selection of attacks at your disposal changes. In free roaming mode, for instance, you’ll often be able to make devastating “multiple” attacks which sweep a foot across the faces of three or four enemies at once, while locked on combat makes you much more adept at blocks, throws and so forth.

At first, only a tiny percentage of the moves included in Bruce Lee: Quest of the Dragon will be available. At the game’s start, Bruce is only a novice in the martial art he single-handedly developed, which makes his victory over the leader of the Black Lotus a confusing anomaly which we’ll choose to ignore for the sake of the story. As you tackle wave after wave of enemies, they’ll drop coins, power ups and bonuses that will aid you in your quest. Many of these bonuses are of the generic double damage or restore health variety, but the coins are stored in your inventory for use between level sections.

After each segment you’ll be taken to a menu that lets you spend these coins on Bruce’s abilities: upgrading his health, attack power and increasing his rank in Jeet Kune Do, which in turn opens up still more options. As you progress in rank, new moves become available, and coins must be spent to unlock them as well. This gives Bruce Lee: Quest of the Dragon an RPG-lite feel, and encourages players to handle their character with finesse and skill, since stylish and difficult attacks cause more coins to drop, thus opening more elaborate attacks and combos.

When fighting, you’ll use the regulation combo of punches, kicks, grabs, throws, blocks and mixtures involving the whole collection. Timing your moves and mixing them with the directional controls of the left analog stick will result in fighting moves similar to the mechanics that have driven brawlers since Street Fighter II. Lock on might seem a bit of a handicap to some, but Bruce still has a few tricks that even the odds, such as his signature no-look punch to the side or behind which effectively keeps the foes at bay.

While an arena mode has been included that lets you fight toe to toe with Boss characters, such as the requisite Shao-Lin masters and Afro bedecked nightclub owners, much of your time will be spent tackling the story mode, which is a strictly linear brawler that takes you from Lee’s home Dojo to the mean streets and just about everywhere in between.