Karateka

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.