Here’s What the New Karateka Looks Like

Given how well the reboot of Prince of Persia turned out, Jordan Mechner has certainly earned the right to revisit his past works with fresh eyes, and we’ve been patiently waiting to see the new Karateka.

In a slightly underwhelming fashion, our first look at the new Karateka quietly comes courtesy of Xbox.com, where the game was recently given a database entry, and with it the first screen shots.

Based on the screens, it definitely seems like Karateka, and much more of a traditional take than the fundamental re-envisioning that occurred with Prince of Persia. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though.

Gallery

Do you kick a bird?

Have we reached a consensus regarding pronunciation?

This is actually gonna happen? Finally, Karae-Tika 2!

@august: You better.

The fucking bird is visible in the last screenshot, ghaaaa!

Reminds me of the early Virtua Fighter games. (that's a compliment).

Ka-rah-taykah

I'll wait for the Masters of Teras Kasi 2.

It sure has a visual style.

Loved this game way back when. Getting a Mulan vibe from these screen shots.

Hm. Looks mildly interesting. This game would be improved if it was actually Bushido Blade.

Here's hoping a Last Express remake is next in line.

Never played the original but this LOOKS super rad.

This is the proper pronunciation.

You're welcome.

Karah-Tay Jerry, Karah-Tay.

Carrot tickler.

So disappointed that it isn't being reimagined as a gritty modern wartime FPS where you just kick terrorist scum in the face Duke 3D style

Not feeling the style but can't make any other judgement before seeing it in action.

In other, remake related, news the footage from the Abe's Oddysee remake looks fantastic.

@Kevin_Cogneto said:

Here's hoping a Last Express remake is next in line.

God, yes! But actually I would rather have a sequel or spiritual sequel... Same structure, different place and different characters.

There shall be no bismirching the good name of Prince of Persia 08.

@CaLe: You mean Carrot-eeka?

looks like a game

@MarkWahlberg said:

looks like a game

@Dixego said:

@MarkWahlberg said:

looks like a game

Can I still walk off a cliff and kill myself?

@RYNO9881: Can I besmirch the name of the Epilogue DLC?

Don't you know about the bird?

Oh you mean Ke-ra-tea-ka?

Damn this better have 2D gameplay.

@betterboulder said:

@Dixego said:

@MarkWahlberg said:

looks like a game

"Karate? The Dane Cook of Martial Arts?"

@Coolarman said:

@betterboulder said:

@Dixego said:

@MarkWahlberg said:

look a like a man

No

I wish ryan davis would get off his high horse and take a listen to the pronunciation. Instead, his version of the word sounds like an awful karate erotica novel.

Mechner is going to back to the well!!!

@DocHaus said:

"Karate? The Dane Cook of Martial Arts?"

Spin Art: the True Martial Art

@RYNO9881 said:

There shall be no bismirching the good name of Prince of Persia 08.

I wait for the vain hope of a sequel to that, I need to know if Ormazd was a false god or not!

@RYNO9881 said:

There shall be no bismirching the good name of Prince of Persia 08.

What good name? That game bored me to death with its "rail" level-design.

"The Sands of Time" ... that was an excellent and worthy PoP game. Too bad the "edgy" and darker successors completely lacked the magical charm that game had.

That's a game-ass game right there.

this still doesn't get us any closer to knowing how it's pronounced.

@CptBedlam said:

@RYNO9881 said:

There shall be no bismirching the good name of Prince of Persia 08.

What good name? That game bored me to death with its "rail" level-design.

"The Sands of Time" ... that was an excellent and worthy PoP game. Too bad the "edgy" and darker successors completely lacked the magical charm that game had.

I'm a fan of PoP 08. I've no sense of what a PoP game really is and I don't much care. It was enjoyable comfort food gaming to me, and it still looks stellar even today. I know people knock it for being so easy but the traversal mechanics and the semi-open world gave it a great sense of exploration and that "magical charm" you mentioned.

My daughter loves Mulan.

@adam1808: I didn't get any sense of exploration from PoP 08. It rather felt like most of the game's levels were interconnected two-way-street rings.

I'll save everyone the trouble: THAT FUCKING BIRD!

Also, this looks terrible. Karateka was never meant to be cartoony, so the whole vibe is way off from the get-go. Maybe it'll actually do something interesting gameplay-wise, but I have my doubts.

@CptBedlam said:

@RYNO9881 said:

There shall be no bismirching the good name of Prince of Persia 08.

What good name? That game bored me to death with its "rail" level-design.

"The Sands of Time" ... that was an excellent and worthy PoP game. Too bad the "edgy" and darker successors completely lacked the magical charm that game had.

I completed POP08 and Sands of Time bored me with it's linear progression (one might call it "railroaded" if they wanted to be harsh) and puzzle rooms. Different strokes, yo. Just because you feel different doesn't mean you're wrong.

Is this game going to end with you defeating all the evil karate masters, building up your own dojo full of students, and then being forced to burn it all down in the end so you can score with some hot chick?

@Evercaptor: The levels of PoP08 were barely more than two-lane-rings, one lane for each direction.