Yes the Java problem only affects versions of LW 5 and in all versions of Windows including Windows 8. BTW Windows 8 is not packaged with Java.
The forum still has links to lots of LW 4 versions including 4.18. They can also be found hosted elsewhere.
I tried most gnutella programs out on Windows 8, only one giving problems was LW 5 with Java 7. (Though File_Girl's BearShare installer did not work but I repackaged it so it will work on Windows 8.)
And it seems LW 5 will only use the 32-bit Java 7, so the 32-bit Java needs to be installed last if 64-bit java is installed on the system.