First release date: December 31, 1984
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 - Nintendo Entertainment System - MSX
Genres/Themes: Fighting - Hack and slash/Beat 'em up - Action
Developers: Jordan Mechner
Publishers: Brøderbund Software, Dro Soft, Atari Corporation, Soft Pro International, DotEmu
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.
