Karateka cover art

Game entry

Karateka

1984 · Fighting, Beat 'em up · DOS, NES, Atari ST, Atari 7800, Atari 8-bit, Commodore 64, PC-98, iOS, Android, Apple II, ZX Spectrum, MSX, Amstrad CPC · Brøderbund Software

Karateka is ranked no. 1,950 among the best video games of all time by GameForever voters, with an ELO score of 1,507 and 54% of duels won. In its strongest family it holds position no. 6 out of 23 (1984).

World rank

no. 1,950

ELO score

1,507

Wins

54%

Duels played

81

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About Karateka

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.

ELO progression

Score moved from 1,500 to 1,507 ELO points over the last 215 days.

Head-to-head

Direct record on the most played match-ups.

In the same genre

All Fighting games →
  1. 52 Super Smash Bros. Ultimate2018 · Fighting 1,875
  2. 123 Street Fighter III: 3rd Strike1999 · Fighting 1,828
  3. 142 Super Smash Bros. Brawl2008 · Fighting 1,819
  4. 148 Street Fighter II1991 · Fighting 1,817
  5. 180 Guilty Gear: Strive2021 · Fighting 1,805

Keep exploring

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Around this spot

The games Karateka sits between in the world ranking.

  1. 1,947 Paper Mario: The Origami King 1,507
  2. 1,948 Bloons TD Battles 1,507
  3. 1,949 WarioWare, Inc.: Mega Microgame$! 1,507
  4. 1,950 Karateka 1,507
  5. 1,951 Dragon Ball Z: Sagas 1,507
  6. 1,952 Mario Strikers Charged 1,507
  7. 1,953 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 1,507

More games from Brøderbund Software

Released in 1984

The standing

Where Karateka ranks

The world rank mixes every family of games. Here is where Karateka stands in each of the ones it belongs to. Its best standing, all families considered: 6 out of 23 (1984).

Where Karateka ranks
Ranking Position Games competing
World ranking 1,950 5,110
Fighting 80 257
1980s 46 154
1984 6 23

The community

The debate

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