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A Bug's Life is a bootleg Mega Drive port of the game with the same name for the Game Boy Color published by Unite Lucky Technology in 2000. It was also then ported to the SNES in the same year and was published by DVS Electronic Co.

Overview

The controls remain mostly intact albeit with some changes. The berry throw and the run are now separate buttons instead of using a single button, being assigned to A and B respectively. You also jump with C. Flik also appears to move a lot smoother than he does in the original game. A lot of the other control mechanics such as when riding Dim or bouncing higher off the leaves remain the same.

The port only has four out of eight levels from the original, only retaining the first (named Ant Island in the port), second (Find The Hero), fifth (In The Dark Hole) and sixth level (Hang By a Thread). The bonus stage that occurs after the first level where you harvest all the grain is missing as well. The levels themselves remain mostly the same from the original. One notable removal from the original game is the falling berries. Because of this, Flik actually starts off with 20 berries when you start the game rather than zero like in the original. Hang By a Thread also features Hopper flying in a specific pattern several times in the level. They may have been added due to the fact it's the final level in the port (notably Hopper's sprite is based off his flying sprites in the original) and the ending still makes mention of him.

The graphics and sounds are higher quality than the original, mainly to reflect the better capabilities of the Mega Drive systems. Some graphics and sounds were even taken from the Playstation/N64/PC versions, such as the "Game Over" screen, the level start screen, the leaf health meter (although not a direct rip but it seems based on that idea), and the sound samples which are notably lower pitched. Flik also talks every time he defeats an enemy similar to the 3D coutner part. The background on the title screen is also taken from the Windows 95 wallpaper background. The music in the game however, doesn't seem to be from the original GBC game; the title screen theme is The City from the original movie, Find the Hero's theme is a rendition of the composition "Magnetic Rag" by Scott Joplin and Hang By a Thread's theme is the Outer Senshi theme of Sailor Moon.

SNES version

The controls are different, with A being the jump, B being the run and both X and Y letting you throw berries. Flik controls notably choppier than the Mega Drive version. While running, Flik has to accelerate to max speed while in the Mega Drive version, he runs at max speed immediately. He also tosses the berries slightly higher in the SNES version which makes it harder to hit certain enemies. In Hang By a Thread, you can move faster with Dim by holding A, which wasn't present in the original game.

The levels remain the same from the Mega Drive version. The only notable difference is that in the final level, Hopper flies in different patterns and his final appearance in the level has him chase you around.

The graphics remain the same, with some touch-ups on certain sprites. (This does lead to a weird error where the berry has a different style between when Flik is in the middle of throwing it and it's flying out) The sound engine was ripped from Bonkers like several other SNES ports done by the same developers. The SNES version does add a cutscene from the original GBC version for the final SNES version's level where Hopper discovers the bird is fake. The intro is also different, mainly just consisting of Flik flying on a dandelion seed repeatedly.

Other Differences

  • Flik's idle animation is different between the two ports. The SNES version is the same as the original GBC's idle animation, having him go between putting his hands on his hips and tapping his foot while looking at the viewer, randomly just staring at the viewer and then waving at them. The Mega Drive version only keeps the foot-tapping animation. The SNES version also adds sound effects while he's tapping his foot or waving.
  • Ending the level in the SNES and the original GBC version just cuts out to the next screen. The Mega Drive version has Flik waving at the opponent while exclaiming "Oh yeah!" before moving on.
  • Grasshoppers take two berries to take out instead of one hit in both ports.
  • The SNES version misses a grasshopper from the Tuck and Roll section in Find The Hero.
  • Rosie creates webs way faster in the Mega Drive version although this is due to the fact each Rosie appearance doesn't check to see if Rosie is already gone from the screen. (It's possible if you go fast enough, you can see two Rosie's on screen)
  • Hang By a Thread in the SNES version lacks projectiles being thrown from behind you. Flik's animation also doesn't change based on the direction you're holding.

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