Karateka (video game)

Karateka
Developer(s)Jordan Mechner
Liquid Entertainment (HD)
Publisher(s)
D3Publisher (HD)
Designer(s)Jordan Mechner
EngineUnreal Engine 3 (HD)
Platform(s)
HD remake
Release
December 1984
  • Apple II
    C64
    Atari 8-bit[4]
    Famicom[5]
    • JP: December 5, 1985
    Atari 7800[6]
    Atari ST[7]
    • NA: November 1988
    CPC, MSX, Spectrum[8][9][10]
    Xbox 360
    • WW: November 7, 2012
    Windows, PS3
    • WW: November 2012
    iOS
    • WW: December 2012
    Classic (Android, iOS)[11]
    • WW: May 16, 2013
Genre(s)Fighting, action
Mode(s)Single-player

Karateka is a 1984 martial arts action game for the Apple II by Jordan Mechner. It is his first published game and was created while he was attending Yale University. The game was published in North America by Broderbund and in Europe by Ariolasoft. Along with Karate Champ and Yie-Ar Kung Fu (both also released in 1984), Karateka is one of the earliest martial arts fighting games. It was inspired by Japanese culture (Ukiyo-e art, Akira Kurosawa films, and manga comics) and by early Disney animated films and silent pictures. An influential game of its era, it was one of the first to use cinematic storytelling and sound design, and rotoscoped animation.[12]

The player controls an unnamed protagonist attempting to rescue his love interest, Princess Mariko, from Akuma's castle fortress. The character walks and runs from left to right through a linear, side-scrolling level, dealing with attackers and obstacles, while moving deeper into the fortress. Each encounter with an enemy is one-on-one, as in a fighting game. Cinematic cuts show Mariko's situation and Akuma's actions before the player reaches them.

Karateka was ported to the Amstrad CPC, Atari 8-bit computers, Atari 7800, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, Nintendo Entertainment System, ZX Spectrum, MSX, and Game Boy. Mechner led a remake, released in 2012, for Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and iOS.

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference CE was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ "Karateka Release Information for Commodore 64 - GameFAQs". gamefaqs.com. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
  3. ^ "1985 Index" (PDF). Computer Entertainer. Vol. 4, no. 10. January 1986. p. 6.
  4. ^ "Atari 400 800 XL XE Karateka". Atari Mania. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
  5. ^ "Karateka Release Information for NES - GameFAQs". gamefaqs.com. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
  6. ^ "AtariAge - Region Key Explained". atariage.com. Archived from the original on March 31, 2017. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
  7. ^ "Karateka (Atari ST)". Retrieved August 4, 2022.
  8. ^ "Karateka Release Information for Amstrad CPC - GameFAQs". gamefaqs.com. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
  9. ^ "Karateka Release Information for MSX - GameFAQs". gamefaqs.com. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
  10. ^ "Karateka Release Information for Sinclair ZX81/Spectrum - GameFAQs". gamefaqs.com. Retrieved January 18, 2017.
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference karatekaclassicrelease was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ "The Making of Karateka redefined the video game remaster in 2023". Digital Trends. December 15, 2023. Retrieved April 3, 2024.