CONVERSION CAPERS

We compare Imagine’s conversions of Yie Ar Kung-fu II

Commodore 64

this is the best conversion, and in our opinion tops the MSX version thanks to the speed of the game and the in-game music from Martin Galway. All of the stages and fighters are included, and there’s a neat high-score entry sequence.

Amstrad CPC

this looks better than the spectrum version, bar the chunky sprites, but plays equally slowly and poorly. Due to memory issues there are only two backdrops, with the cave and pier missing. stick to the superior CPC version of the original game.

BBC micro

Acorn expert Peter Johnson returned for the sequel and turned out another solid, highly colourful conversion. unlike the sluggish Z80 versions the speed here is excellent, and the only noticeable thing missing is the two-player versus mode.

ZX spectrum

the spectrum version of the original game was great, but this is a mess. while large, the sprites are poorly animated (and colourless). the sound is awful, too. You’d need the resolve of a grand master to persevere with this effort.

thomson mo5

we’d like to invite a guest to adjudge this one: the game’s coder, James Higgins. “I was pleased with it at the time, but it looks really awful now and the framerate is pretty appalling. It was not an especially memorable project to work on.”

Acorn electron

this is an admirable copy of the Beeb release. the number of on-screen colours has been reduced, and the sound is far more basic, but it plays just as well as its big brother version. this is one fighting game that Electron owners can be proud of.