{ { Infobox video game
|title = Karateka
|image = Karateka Coverart.png
|developer = Jordan MechnerLiquid Entertainment (HD) |publisher = D3Publisher (HD) |designer = Jordan Mechner |platforms = HD remake |released = { { collapsible list|title=December 1984|titlestyle=font-weight:normal;background:transparent;text-align:left| Apple II C64 Atari 8-bit NES Atari 7800 Atari ST CPC, MSX, Spectrum Xbox 360 Windows, PS3 iOS Classic (Android, iOS) }} |genre = Fighting, action |modes = 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.
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 prior to the player reaching them.
Karateka was ported to the Amstrad CPC, Atari 8-bit family, Atari 7800, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, Nintendo Entertainment System, ZX Spectrum, MSX, and Game Boy. Mechner led a 2012 remake, released in 2012 for the Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, and iOS.
Gameplay
Karateka uses gameplay elements found in both side-scrolling 2D platformers and fighting games.
The unnamed hero ascends a mountain into Akuma's fortress to rescue Princess Mariko. As the player directs the hero into the fortress, various foes appear and attempt to stop him, one per screen. The hero enters a fighting stance to punch, kick, and dodge each enemy. The player's health and enemy health are shown by bars on the bottom of the screen, losing one notch for every hit taken. The player's health is recovered slowly outside of combat. The game is over when losing all health, requiring the player to start again.
In addition to human enemies, Akuma occasionally sends his trained hawk to attack the player, which can be deflected with well-timed punches or kicks. There are fatal environmental hazards, such as an open cliffside or a falling portcullis. Cutscenes include Akuma ordering his men to attack the player, and Mariko nervously awaiting her fate.
Eventually, the player will reach the final boss, Akuma, to rescue Mariko and leave the fortress together.
An Easter egg is present on the Apple II floppy disk release with Broderbund's blessing. Though claimed to be sold as a single-sided disk, the reverse side of the disk includes a full version of the game displayed upside-down. According to Mechner, this was done as a joke, causing naive users to call tech support and ask why the game is upside-down.
Development
Karateka was developed by Jordan Mechner while he was a student at Yale University as a side project between classes. Having learned computer programming using the Apple II, he had written a clone of Asteroids and a modified version he titled Deathbounce. He submitted Deathbounce to Broderbund. The company declined but sent him a copy of Choplifter, then one of its top selling games. He recognized from this game that he could pursue original game concepts instead of having to remake existing ones.
Mechner focused on a karate-themed game, influenced by the graphic features of Choplifter, his ongoing film studies and film clubs at Yale, and recent karate lessons. He drew inspiration from Japanese Ukiyo-e woodblock print art, and the cinematic works of Akira Kurosawa, early Disney animated films, and silent pictureswhich he said "convey such powerful emotion and atmosphere without a word being spoken". Combining cinematic techniques with game elements, he programmed some of the screen wipes from the film Seven Samurai. Mechner reflected that he did not consider the game as a "fighting game", but instead that of "a story-based game where the gameplay mechanic is fighting".
