Karateka
Video Archive
Karateka – Jordan Mechner’s First Published Game Before Prince of Persia | C64
️ Karateka (1985) – Commodore 64 Martial Arts Action Pioneer Released in 1985 by Broderbund and developed by Jordan Mechner, Karateka is a landmark martial arts action game that pushed the Commodore 64 far beyond expectations. It was Mechner’s first published title and laid the groundwork for ideas he would later refine in Prince of Persia. You control a lone martial artist on a side-scrolling quest to rescue Princess Mariko from the warlord Akuma. Combat unfolds in a deliberate, almost cinematic rhythm, requiring you to switch stances and time punches and kicks at different heights to defeat guards and avoid instant defeat. What truly set Karateka apart was its animation. Using rotoscoping techniques, Mechner captured realistic human movement, giving the game a fluidity and sense of weight rarely seen on home computers at the time.
Game Overview
About the Game
️ Karateka (1985) – Commodore 64 Martial Arts Action Pioneer Released in 1985 by Broderbund and developed by Jordan Mechner, Karateka is a landmark martial arts action game that pushed the Commodore 64 far beyond expectations. It was Mechner’s first published title and laid the groundwork for ideas he would later refine in Prince of Persia. You control a lone martial artist on a side-scrolling quest to rescue Princess Mariko from the warlord Akuma. Combat unfolds in a deliberate, almost cinematic rhythm, requiring you to switch stances and time punches and kicks at different heights to defeat guards and avoid instant defeat. What truly set Karateka apart was its animation. Using rotoscoping techniques, Mechner captured realistic human movement, giving the game a fluidity and sense of weight rarely seen on home computers at the time.
Game Manual
Magazine Reviews
Magazine Reviews
Magazine Reviews
Magazine Reviews · 7
Contemporary average 81% · range 60–100%
C&VG
Reviewed by Ariolasoft full-price release
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Commodore Horizons
Reviewed by Ariolasoft full-price release
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Commodore User
Reviewed by Chris Anderson. Brøderbund full-price release
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Home Computing Weekly
Reviewed by Ariolasoft full-price release
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Your Commodore
Reviewed by Eric Doyle. Ariolasoft full-price release
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Your Computer
Reviewed by Ariolasoft full-price release
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Zzap!64
Reviewed by Gary Penn & Julian Rignall. Brøderbund full-price release
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Game Music
Game Music
Original Cassette
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Verified C64 cassette releases linked to the Ultimate Tape Archive. CCG does not host or duplicate the tape files.
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