The Making of Karateka
The Making of Karateka
Game
Game2012
Karateka
Developer Liquid Entertainment
From PRINCE OF PERSIA creator Jordan Mechner, the original side-scrolling karate classic comes to Steam with art by Jeff Matsuda (The Batman) and music by Grammy-winning composer Christopher Tin (CIVILIZATION IV). From the Steam store page
371 reactions from 4 sources (Steam reviews, Bluesky, Mastodon, Lemmy) · newest Nov 2, 2026 · last updated Nov 5, 2026 · How this works
Audience score
69
Fresh
132 positive · 60 negative
95% range 62–75%
| Source | + | − | = |
|---|---|---|---|
| Steam reviews | 132 | 60 | 0 |
| Bluesky * | 40 | 5 | 83 |
| Mastodon * | 4 | 0 | 23 |
| Lemmy * | 4 | 0 | 20 |
* shown, not counted in the score (label accuracy below our 85% bar or not yet audited).
Steam's own rating
Mixed
158 of 227 reviews positive (all languages, per Valve)
What players are saying
69% recommend · 135 yes, 62 no
Counted from the reviewers’ own thumbs up/down on the 197 English Steam reviews we collected, not by the AI. Valve’s all-language rating: Mostly Positive (283 of 396 positive).
Some reviewers criticize the repetitive gameplay and reliance on quick time events. [1][2][3] The game is very short, often completed in under an hour. [4][5][6]
Representative posts
- [1]
It’s a finicky thing trying to update a decades old game for a modern audience. On the one hand you’re presumably trying to preserve the essence of the original, but on the other times have changed and games that were once incredible are often astoundingly simple compared to what developers are now capable of. And so there’s a fine line to ride between recreating outdated mechanics and deviating so heavily that the …
- [2]
When the enemy pulls back to make a punch, you press the block key. Sometimes you need to press it two or three times. Then you press one of two attack keys (which one doesn't really matter) a few times. You repeat this until the enemy is dead, then walk forward on the bridge a little, meet another enemy and do it again. I'm not just telling you the best strategy - I'm telling the ONLY strategy. The game doesn't …
- [7]
From the creator of Prince of Persia, a fighter remade from early days of computing, 1984. Objective is to rescue the princess held captive by the evil warlord. You get three fighters though the ultimate objective is to not have to use numbers 2 and 3. The first fighter is weak and that's where the challenge lies. Upon his failure he is replaced by a stronger fighter. Upon his death he is replaced by an even …
- [4]
Karateka is a 2012 tribute to 1984 game of the same name, made for Apple II and Atari. The premise is simple: evil shogun imprisoned a girl and you need to save it by a series of honor melee fights one-on-one with shogun's minions. The game is really short, the run from the start to end takes for about 25-50 minutes usually. And if you want to compare the tribute with the original, well, it's 50/50%: some say the …
- [5]
So I am one who had karateka on the Apple II+ back in the 80's. It was fun and so when I saw the reboot I was intrigued. I bought it in the Summer sale (2015) and finally got around to playing it. It is very short, but has some replay value trying to do it without being hit and winning with the true love. Buy it on sale for $2-3 and you will enjoy it. 6/10
Summarised from 34 of the 344 public posts collected about this game; every point cites the posts behind it ([n] opens the post) and the split is counted from the posts’ own ratings. Updated Oct 13, 2026. How summaries are made
RottenBot@rottenbot · automated account
Players who liked Karateka talk about nostalgic tribute to the 1984 original; those who didn't talk about repetitive gameplay with little variation. Which matters more to you?
Reactions
60 of 371 · most liked firstNEW GAME ANNOUNCEMENT - PLEASE REPOST! So excited to FINALLY reveal "The Making Of Karateka," our next game at Digital Eclipse! Before Prince of Persia, Jordan Mechner created this 1984 Apple II masterpiece. Our new interactive documentary goes DEEP.
neutral · AI labelView post →I was lucky enough to play “The Making of Karateka” early. It’s incredible. This is how you preserve video game history. It’s an interactive documentary - including interviews, art, playable early prototypes, and different versions. Even if you don’t know Karateka, buy this.
positive · AI labelView post →Strange but true: If you inserted the original #Karateka Apple II disc upside down, you could play through the entire game that way. You can toggle this as a pause-menu option in The Making of Karateka -- it was too cool not to preserve. :)
neutral · AI labelView post →From the creator of Prince of Persia, a fighter remade from early days of computing, 1984. Objective is to rescue the princess held captive by the evil warlord. You get three fighters though the ultimate objective is to not have to use numbers 2 and 3. The first fighter is weak and that's where the challenge lies. Upon his failure he is replaced by a stronger fighter. Upon his death he is replaced by an even stronger fighter. The princess is happy to be freed but wants her true love, fighter 1…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →📀 ANNOUNCEMENT OF AN ANNOUNCEMENT 📀 Our next interactive documentary, game #002 in the Gold Master Series following The Making of Karateka, will be revealed during the @DayoftheDevs digital showcase next month! Grab tickets to the in-person event December 8 to MEET ME IN PERSON
neutral · AI labelView post →I think about The Making of Karateka a lot. I really wanna see a big game ACTUALLY do a full quality "Archival" re-release, providing the original, providing a remake or better graphics if they want, optional enhancements, old lost demos or thin slices like put a bunch of cool shit in it like that!!
positive · AI labelView post →Dan Amrich told me that multiple people at Gamescom said that The Making of Karateka was one of their favorite games. Now obviously, if The Making of Karateka is one of your favorite games, you're a huge nerd. But you're my kind of nerd, so thank you. www.digitaleclipse.com/games/karateka
neutral · AI labelView post →What was the first commercially sold game that involved a damsel in distress? Was it Karateka? Donkey Kong? Kung Fu Master? Trick question:
neutral · AI labelView post →A chat with Gary Carlston of Brøderbund. cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/47907489 > Brøderbund might not have been among the most productive game publishers in the eighties and nineties, but you could bet any game they did publish was of a high quality. The American company released games like Lode Runner, Choplifter, Karateka, Prince of Persia, Wings of Fury, SimCity, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego and Myst, and with gems like these they had a big influence on computer and…
neutral · AI labelView post →It’s a finicky thing trying to update a decades old game for a modern audience. On the one hand you’re presumably trying to preserve the essence of the original, but on the other times have changed and games that were once incredible are often astoundingly simple compared to what developers are now capable of. And so there’s a fine line to ride between recreating outdated mechanics and deviating so heavily that the result bears little resemblance to its forbearer. Karateka, and complete…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →"...this brilliant collection is one of the best games of 2024" -- Paste Much like Karateka, getting to tell Jeff Minter's story was a privilege we did not take lightly. Thanks to Paste for this recognition -- #10 best game of the year! www.pastemagazine.com/games/best-o...
neutral · AI labelView post →Thomas Blackshear II is known to gamers for his Karateka box art (1984), but before that he painted this cover art for a DC Comics Warlords graphic novel based on the Atari 2600 game
neutral · AI labelView post →Happy 40th anniversary to an incredibly influential game -- Jordan Mechner's Karateka! Will forever be proud to have been given the opportunity to reintroduce the world to this early masterpiece and explore what made it so special in last year's The Making of Karateka.
neutral · AI labelView post →Diary of a Middle Aged Karateka: Not too old to counter-kick your ass in kumite. I don't got speed, but I got timing and some footwork game. At least I'm not embarrassing myself.
neutral · AI labelView post →A chat with Gary Carlston of Brøderbund. Brøderbund might not have been among the most productive game publishers in the eighties and nineties, but you could bet any game they did publish was of a high quality. The American company released games like Lode Runner, Choplifter, Karateka, Prince of Persia, Wings of Fury, SimCity, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego and Myst, and with gems like these they had a big influence on computer and video games as a whole.
neutral · AI labelView post →I bought The Making of Karateka and you should too. It's one of the weirdest video game products ever, in the best possible way, a sort of interactive documentary done incredibly well, with the whole history of Karateka told through film, museum pieces, playable builds, ports, a remake. It's awesome
positive · AI labelView post →Karateka is a 2012 tribute to 1984 game of the same name, made for Apple II and Atari. The premise is simple: evil shogun imprisoned a girl and you need to save it by a series of honor melee fights one-on-one with shogun's minions. The game is really short, the run from the start to end takes for about 25-50 minutes usually. And if you want to compare the tribute with the original, well, it's 50/50%: some say the original is still top-notch and the remake is so-so, and some think that even…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Thanks! Glad you dug it.🙏 You can find my journal of making The Last Express (and also Karateka, the game I did before PoP) on my website, jordanmechner.com!
neutral · AI labelView post →The Making of Karateka is a finalist for the Innovation Award in this year's Game Developer Choice Awards! Wonderful to be recognized by our peers for this award. gamechoiceawards.com/recipients
neutral · AI labelView post →Thanks! Karateka was my first published game, at age 20. If you're interested in the story behind it (or just playing the best emulated versions), check out @digitaleclipse.bsky.social's amazing interactive documentary: www.jordanmechner.com/en/games-mov...
neutral · AI labelView post →If you put in the Apple II Karateka disc upside-down, the game plays upside-down. (Not really a bug: Brøderbund’s technical support line just enjoyed permanently shattering their customers’ comprehension of how computers work by saying “Well, did you try putting the disc in the other way?”)
neutral · AI labelView post →The artwork of Master Karateka used on the cover of the #GameBoy release in Japan as well as for advertising. Removed logos/text, adding missing bits, taking some liberties, and applying the usual upscale/clean/retouch process. No clue on the artist, any info let me know!
neutral · AI labelView post →Thanks to Paste Magazine for naming The Making of Karateka one of the best video games of 2023! "This playable documentary is a brilliant piece of work, and a must-play for Karateka fans and anybody interested in game design." www.pastemagazine.com/games/best-g...
neutral · AI labelView post →So I am one who had karateka on the Apple II+ back in the 80's. It was fun and so when I saw the reboot I was intrigued. I bought it in the Summer sale (2015) and finally got around to playing it. It is very short, but has some replay value trying to do it without being hit and winning with the true love. Buy it on sale for $2-3 and you will enjoy it. 6/10
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Block, block, block, hit, hit, hit, hit, hit. This whole game is that for 30 minutes. There is a little tune before the enemy attacks indicating what rythem you have to block in but annoyingly enemies either have delayed attacks or sometimes they just don't put them in at all. One nice gimmick is that when you lose you get thrown off a cliff and a new (slightly uglier) hero comes along to try and save the shallow mute Princess. However as the final boss is always the only one to take you out,…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →"I thought I'd forgotten her..." [three full pages from early in Jordan Mechner's "Templar" 2-part series]. Yes, *that* [Jordan Mechner](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jordan_Mechner)*. I just started his ["Templiers"](https://www.bedetheque.com/serie-41141-BD-Templiers.html) two-parter GN, and in the collected-edition preface, he explains that he's seen and read any number of historical fiction works, but he'd never come across anything outside of prose works that told the story of the…
neutral · AI labelView post →A chat with Gary Carlston of Brøderbund. cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/47907658 > cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ca/post/47907489 > > > Brøderbund might not have been among the most productive game publishers in the eighties and nineties, but you could bet any game they did publish was of a high quality. The American company released games like Lode Runner, Choplifter, Karateka, Prince of Persia, Wings of Fury, SimCity, Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego and Myst, and with…
neutral · AI labelView post →Combine DE's #Karateka research with @jmechner.bsky.social 's game-dev diary and you get The Making of Karateka: Journals 1982-1985, a fully illustrated edition of Jordan's classic book. It's only available in the Deluxe Edition of The Making of Karateka; preorders are underway! bit.ly/gmsphysical
neutral · AI labelView post →LRG3 2023 | Limited Run Saves E3 | Summer Games Showcase. Announcements: * Castlevania Advance Collection * Pre-orders open July 28th * Nintendo Switch, PS4, Xbox, Steam * Includes: * Castlevania Circle of the Moon * Castlevania Harmony of Dissonance * Castlevania Aria of Sorrow * Castlevania Dracula X * Rise of the Triad: Ludicrous Edition * Coming soon * Koumajou Remilia Scarlet Symphony * Nintendo Switch * Tiger Heli Toaplan Arcade Garage * Fall 2023 * Nintendo…
neutral · AI labelView post →You're one of three heroes who have set off to rescue a foxy chick. You get to use all three characters, one at a time, to beat the game. When one dies, the next one steps in to take his place right at the same spot. Health is sprinkled pretty generously throughout the game in the form of flowers. And even if you do die on the third character, you'll get a chance to exchange some of your points for an extra life with the last hero. Obviously, "mastery" of the game means beating it with fewer of…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →How Digital Eclipse Set the Standard for Preserving Video Game Classics with Their First Gold Master Series Title - The Making of Karateka.
neutral · AI labelView post →Might play some old games today, might check out this "Karateka" game that everyone's been raving about for the past 40 years. http://twitch.tv/jeffgerstmann
neutral · AI labelView post →Classic action game Karateka is being turned into a playable documentary. Last year, Digital Eclipse released Atari 50, a sprawling, interactive tour through Atari’s long history. I described it as “a cross between an interactive documentary and a virtual museum exhibition,” and it really set a new bar for retro game collections. Now, the studio is tackling another project: Karateka, the game Jordan Mechner made before the iconic Prince of Persia. Called The Making of Karateka, the new project…
neutral · AI labelView post →The Making of #Karateka will be released TOMORROW! Check out our livestream from earlier today to get a sneak preview of our interactive documentary game.
neutral · AI labelView post →Highly recommend The Making of Karateka by Digital Eclipse, a terrific watchable and playable documentary about the making of this incredible game.
positive · AI labelView post →Karateka is a classic you can find on various old school computer and consoles. it's offered a somewhat decent gameplay with very fluid animations. this remake is rather dissapointing , it's deviate way too much from the original. the fighting system now has you wait for the enemy to attack and press the block button in the same rythm then your enemy combos and once you've block all of your enemies attack you're then given a chance to do a combo of your own. the game doesn't give you any…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →When the enemy pulls back to make a punch, you press the block key. Sometimes you need to press it two or three times. Then you press one of two attack keys (which one doesn't really matter) a few times. You repeat this until the enemy is dead, then walk forward on the bridge a little, meet another enemy and do it again. I'm not just telling you the best strategy - I'm telling the ONLY strategy. The game doesn't even let you attack until after you've blocked first. You cannot move your…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I saw that @jmechner.bsky.social had posted about the anniversary for #Karateka - and I remembered reading a funny review about the game in a Japanese magazine. They didn't like that the enemy helmets were from the wrong era and that sorta broke the immersion. Can't remember the issue though... Ha
neutral · AI labelView post →Speedrunners, @jmechner.bsky.social has a #PrinceofPersia challenge for you with some nice prizes (including copies of our interactive documentary The Making of #Karateka!) theceplay.com/jordan-mechn...
neutral · AI labelView post →"The Making of Karateka proves the best way to tell gaming history is with a game, and the rest of the industry must follow its lead" - PC Gamer
neutral · AI labelView post →If you’re a dev or are interested in game dev I’d highly highly recommend you play/experience The Making of Karateka. It’s so interesting! Playing through all the in progress builds as well as the modern reimagined games was a lot of fun too. www.digitaleclipse.com/games/karateka
positive · AI labelView post →If you hate quick time events, turn and run because the game is 100% quick time events. --- If you can tolerate quick time events, you might pick this up for the nostalgia gimmick of this being a remake of Karateka. It's not a terrible game, but there's also not a lot to praise it for. First of all, it's short, really short. Unless you die a lot the game is over in about 30 to 40 minutes. There's some replay value if you are achievement grinding, but it will be the same game over again. The…
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →Making of Karateka is only 7 bucks right now on Steam and it’s an essential experience imo store.steampowered.com/app/1163060/...
positive · AI labelView post →Hi everyone, it's new article day 🥰 Seth Burn had a chance to talk with legendary game designer Jordan Mechner about his work on Karateka and Prince of Persia, his overall career, his work on his graphic memoir, and much more. It's a great read and we hope you enjoy it. #interview #gaming
neutral · AI labelView post →Power Player II. So, you kids like bootleg stuff, do ya? Boy, have I got a whopper for you. This is the "Power Player 2," a bootleg gaming device... *thing*... from China. Its humble purple shell belies a whole bunch of puzzle pieces that all fit together culminating specifically in what it is; a veritable rabbit hole of retro gaming trivia and a history lesson -- packaged as a warning from the past. And yes, apparently there was an original "Power Player," the OG. I've seen it on the…
neutral · AI labelView post →Was a lot of fun to join the DOS Game Club the other week to talk about... Karateka! (What else?) If you don't want to listen to the podcast, AT LEAST check out their beautiful website aesthetic... www.dosgameclub.com/karateka/
positive · AI labelView post →Classic action game Karateka is being turned into a playable documentary. > Developed by Digital Eclipse, the team behind the excellent Atari 50 collection.
neutral · AI labelView post →I went through the first chapter of this and what an excellent melding of game and documentary. I say this as someone with no prior interest in Karateka. The thought of this format being applied to a game I already have fondness for is incredibly appealing. More please! @digitaleclipse.bsky.social
positive · AI labelView post →Digital Eclipse's 'The Making Of Karateka' Launches On Switch After Other Consoles.
neutral · AI labelView post →"We really believe that to do a great service to these games would be to not simply take the game and say here, go play it, but to take the player on this journey." Here's @eurogamer.bsky.social interview about The Making of #Karateka with Chris Kohler & Mike Mika: www.eurogamer.net/the-making-o...
neutral · AI labelView post →I reviewed 'The Making of Karateka', an incredible game-as-museum-exhibition that serves as the prime example of how we should document and remember essential pieces of video game history. GET INTO IT. www.gameshub.com/news/reviews...
positive · AI labelView post →This game is like reels of instagram or snappy youtube clips---brief yet incredibly enjoyable, delivering a burst of instant delight. Funny thing is the game that at max lasts 30 minutes from start till finish still have the option to resume the game from a checkpoint. Every step you make in the game is actually a checkpoint, lol. After rescuing the princess, she's now my cherished wife, and all you wonderful folks are cordially invited to celebrate with us at the wedding. It's the ultimate…
positive · reviewer's own thumbsView post →New Game Boy Endings www.vgmuseum.com/end/gb Gremlins 2: The New Batch Kwirk Master Karateka Taiyou no Yuusha: Fighbird GB World Beach Volley: 1992 GB Cup
neutral · AI labelView post →Is The Making of #Karateka a retro reissue? Yes and no... In addition to 14 playables, this interactive documentary delivers historical artifacts, indie-dev insights & a touching story of family. It's out now for PC & consoles for $19.99 USD!
neutral · AI labelView post →While waiting for Karateka to download I was playing old fighting game ports to gameboy and was surprised to find one by Digital Eclipse. It is EXTREMELY bad. Like shockingly. Would love for someone to do a documentary on porting fighting games to handhelds 🙏🏼
negative · AI labelView post →Like vinyl LPs, 5.25" floppy disks had two sides. As curious Apple II gamers found out, inserting the #Karateka floppy upside-down would let you play the game upside-down! We've preserved this Easter egg in The Making of Karateka; toggle it on for a challenge. Wishlist Steam: bit.ly/karatekasteam
neutral · AI labelView post →If you would like to play one of the most BORING and WORTHLESS game ever made, try this one! It has nothing to do with the joystick killer C64 game. Seriously, I wish I could delete this ♥♥♥♥ from my library. It's so ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ GARBAGE. My first review in the new review system, hope you like it. :D:
negative · reviewer's own thumbsView post →I've been playing Llamasoft: The Jeff Minter Story, and it really proves how strong and vital Digital Eclipse's interactive doco format is. I was all in on Making of Karateka, but I love the game. I knew *nothing* about Minter, now I completely understand why he's so important.
positive · AI labelView post →Karateka (1985) Karateka is an influential game by Jordan Mechner, who would later create Prince of Persia. It was one of the first action games to feature a cinematic approach to in-game storytelling, and thanks to rotoscoping it had some of the most realistic character animations around. 1/3
neutral · AI labelView post →Prince of Persia (Broderbund, 1990) for DOS. I used to love playing Karateka for the Apple II, and Jordan Mechner followed up on the impressive animation/cinematics in that with PoP. I didn't feel the urge to grind a playthrough of the 12 levels, especially with the timer. youtu.be/jeyXWmSdyMU
positive · AI labelView post →
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