The player controls Bruce Lee and must, among other opponents of Lee, defeat a sailor (at a disco in Hong Kong), a chef from a Chinese restaurant in San Francisco, and a martial artist who challenges him. These battles are references to the main battle scenes from the film. However, the game does not include valuable plot information from the film, as well as much of the romantic relationship between Bruce Lee and his future wife.
Players can use a set of strikes to defeat an opponent. Successful execution of the blow allows you to gain a sufficient amount of qi energy, which makes it possible to use special techniques. The game is known for its difficulty: only experienced players can get to the last levels and complete the game. The player has three options to continue the game in case of defeat, and if they are used up, the battle takes place with a practically invulnerable Ghost (the personification of Bruce's fear, which takes the form of an armored Japanese samurai). If he wins, the player can continue the game. The Ghost is also the final "boss" in the game.
Up to 3 players can participate in the game at the same time, who can play the game together or fight each other in battle mode. Additional players also control "clones" of Bruce Lee, which differ in the color of their pants.
The Atari Jaguar version contains much more detailed animations than the Super Nintendo and Genesis versions, although the game speed remains the same. As a result, the gameplay is smoother and the graphics are more impressive. However, the Jaguar version was released before the introduction of the Jaguar Teamtap and does not support multiplayer.