Karateka is a 1984 beat'em up video game by Jordan Mechner, and was his first game created while attending Yale University. It was originally programmed for the Apple II, and was later ported to several other home computers and early gaming consoles. The game was published in North America by Brøderbund, and in Europe by Ariolasoft. The player controls an unnamed protagonist who is attempting to rescue his love interest, the Princess Mariko, from Akuma's castle fortress. The game exhibits a combination of a side-scrolling platform and fighting game elements. The player uses punches and kicks to defeat Akuma and his guards and make his way deeper into the fortress. The game, as with most at the time of development, lacked checkpoints or the ability to save the game, making it a challenge to complete in a single sitting. Karateka has been well-received, particularly for its realistic animations used for the game's characters. The game was considered a breakthrough success for Mechner, and would eventually result in his development of the Prince of Persia franchise. A high-definition remake, spearheaded by Mechner, was released as a downloadable title for the Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, with planned ports for the iOS and Wii U systems.
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Character
Earnest, grave, plot-driven and resolved.
- earnestironic
- gravecomic
- character-ledplot-driven
- resolvedopen-ended
- intimateepic
Who loves it, who doesn't
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Where do you stand?
Answer first; then see how everyone, and your circle, split.
“Is this Jordan Mechner's best work?”
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“Would Karateka hit harder if it came out today rather than in 1984?”
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About the game
- Platforms
- Atari 7800, Atari 8-bit, PC-9800 Series, Commodore C64/128/MAX, ZX Spectrum, Android, Atari ST/STE, iOS, DOS, Apple II, Family Computer, Amstrad CPC, MSX
- Developer
- Jordan Mechner
- Publisher
- Brøderbund Software, Dro Soft, Soft Pro International, Atari Corporation, DotEmu
- Released
- December 31, 1984
- Modes
- Single player
- Perspective
- Side view
IGDB rating 6.8/10 from 35 ratings.
Screenshots
Pairings
Companions we picked from the closest works, and how to take them.
Similar in taste
Closest on the same fourteen dimensions, from everything scored on Curator Co. Other media included when they land close.
Prince of Persia 198982% alikeBoth earnest, plot-driven, grave.
Sinistar 198374% alikeBoth plot-driven, earnest, grave.
Boulder Dash 198471% alikeBoth earnest, plot-driven, grave.
Both plot-driven, earnest, grave.
Art of Fighting 199271% alikeBoth earnest, grave, plot-driven.
Art of Fighting 2 199469% alikeBoth earnest, plot-driven, grave.
R-Type II 198968% alikeBoth earnest, grave, plot-driven.
Both plot-driven, grave, earnest.
Dragon Inn 196761% alikeFilm · Both earnest, grave, plot-driven; this one is more effortless.
Cliff Walkers 202158% alikeFilm · Both earnest, grave, plot-driven.
Often played with
Similar games per IGDB. Opening one adds it to Curator Co.
