Karateka (video Game)

Karateka (video Game)

Karateka (Japanese: 空手家?, "practitioner of karate") is a 1984 beat'em up video game by Jordan Mechner, 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 beloved, the Princess Mariko, from Akuma's castle fortress. A combination of a side-scrolling platform and fighting game elements, the player faces Akuma and his guards, using punches and kicks to defeat his foes 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 in the realistic animations used for the game's characters. The game was considered a breakthrough success for Mechner, and would lead him towards the development of the Prince of Persia franchise. A high-definition remake, helmed 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.