Karateka for DOS is a cinematic martial arts action game originally created by Jordan Mechner and ported to DOS in the mid-1980s. Players control a lone hero on a mission to rescue Princess Mariko from the evil warlord Akuma. The game features side-scrolling action, fluid rotoscoped animation, and simple but strategic one-on-one combat. With its blend of storytelling, timing-based gameplay, and atmospheric music, Karateka was a groundbreaking title for its time and a precursor to Mechner’s later hit, Prince of Persia.
1986
DOS
Brøderbund Software, Inc.
Retail
Each game uses different controls, most DOS games use the keyboard arrows. Some will use the mouse.
