Quick Look: Karateka

Is anyone else getting a bit of a Garshasp vibe from the character design? Specifically the 'stylized' caveman foreheads?

I actually find something about the art design compelling, even if it could use just a little more finish to it. But the gameplay looks like it would get stale after about ten minutes. Too bad, really. The animation looks good right up until, you know, they start fighting. Then it turns to shit.

Old style games could get away with some of this because they were punishingly difficult, but with all the difficulty crutches added to modern games, it's just not enough.

#TeamKaraTeeKah

Finally a win for big fat dudes.

Even though it's based off an early 80s pc game, still feels like they could have added some depth/story to the game to fill it out more. Seems that if Ryan beats it in about 20ish minutes & replaying it is not much different, I'd rather just play through Mark of the Ninja instead to feel like I'm getting more of my money's worth.

That game looks fairly Okay, but agreed that it doesn't really look like it's worth $10, if I'm to be honest.

More importantly: Hawks =/= Eagles, Eagles =/= Hawks

This looks like garbage.

So... Most epic eagle fight of 2012?

oh wow... was their target audience 5 year olds or something? no depth, no choices, no skill required, you can only go forward... well either 5 hear olds or the mentally challenged I guess...

Quick looks where they accidentally beat what they were trying to show off: never a good indicator.

This seems incredibly lazy. And the insane parts that made Karateka Karateka aren't there. Like running into a dude and insta-dying, the music, walk/kick sound effects... Eeh.

All of the people saying that this game is repetitive and boring just don't fucking get it. The original Karateka was the SHIT back when the Apple //e was the best computer on the market; that and Swashbuckler were the games that got me interested in computers when I was a little kid.

Yeah, the gameplay is repetitive, but that's only because they stayed true to what the gameplay was like back then. Even though the graphics are obviously a lot different, watching this quicklook brought up a twinge of nostalgia for me.

@zaglis: I agree with a lot of that, though other stuff like the harder guys with the funky masks, the eagle fights and fighting one guy at a time really brought back the original for me.

It would have been awesome if they had included a version of the original music.

Ryan and Vinny barely got me through watching this whole thing. Such a boring game. It's like Infinity Blade, but with all the features stripped away.

@TheHumanDove said:

Ryan and Vinny barely got me through watching this whole thing. Such a boring game. It's like Infinity Blade, but with all the features stripped away.

Hmmm, hadn't thought of that comparison; now that I think about it I can kinda see it.

Maybe the best story line in a game

Never played the original Karateka and I don't have any intention of playing this game either.

Also this is the Endurance Run for the year so hope you liked it!!

Vinny is an eagleologist,

Fuck, I almost lost it when VInny said "ARRRGGGGHH MY MOVEMBER MONEY".

This is actually my strategy in dating! Wait until the better looking guy is thrown off a cliff, and moooove right in.

Well I played the demo and thought it would be pretty easy and short. But I also liked the gameplay too. I'm with Ryan in that I didn't know if it's worth $10 but it still is kind of fun to play. I know it looks boring to watch but you should try playing it.

Looks okay for a $0.99 iPhone game.

Gah, I can't stand to hear them keep mispronouncing Karateka!

NOTHING STOPS THE KARETEKA ENDURANCE RUN!!

The most interesting part about this game I find, is the concept that defeat or game over means a whole other character you might never have seen otherwise steps in to pick up the trail. I really love that idea.

That pixelated man is pointing into my soul.

@laserbolts said:

This looks like garbage.

No, it really doesn't....

I would totally learn Kung Fu if I could practice it in beautiful locations like this in Japan!

@AlKusanagi said:

So I saw there's a "reimagined" Warlords now up on XBLA. There HAS to be a quicklook of this coming!

I'm pretty sure they did that. I think it came out a few months ago.

@SethPhotopoulos said:

@AlKusanagi said:

So I saw there's a "reimagined" Warlords now up on XBLA. There HAS to be a quicklook of this coming!

I'm pretty sure they did that. I think it came out a few months ago.

You're right, it came out last year actually, but was taken down off of XBLA for some reason and now they are re-releasing it.

Kara-teeka. I won't hear or accept anything else. Ever.

SPOILERS

Alwaysbetesting was on the leaderboard

It has a good look to it, but the fighting looks boring.

This looks really monotonous and boring.

Gut punching a hawk seems to be the best thing ever. I'm sold.

I love the polytron gamer icon *_*

This game has a great look, shame the combat is so dull.

"Better suitor"? This is like some princess Peach shit.

There's something that just feels wrong about taking away any challenge and instead replacing it with a mechanic where you're supposed to care who actually gets to the end. My guess is, most people won't.

Weird, that was like the whole game... pass

Gameplay-wise it looks like a phone game.

Oh, guess what! It IS a phone game... iOS and downloadables.

Kareteka: Come at me bro

This looks... mmmmm... what's the word... Brad, this looks Brad!

Kah-rah-tey-kah and even stressing. Not Ka-ra-teh-kuh. Not Ka-ra-TEE-ka.

Remember "La-Li-Lu-Le-Lo" from MGS2? Now you know how to pronounce Japanese words!

Ten dollars seems like a raw deal for a game that is this short and doesn't seem to have any depth. I would hope it has a hardcore difficulty that would keep true to the old game just for kicks, make beating that the only achievement in the game.

thanks for the endurance run guys

@freakin9 said:

There's something that just feels wrong about taking away any challenge and instead replacing it with a mechanic where you're supposed to care who actually gets to the end. My guess is, most people won't.

I think it's a little interesting since it basically removes the need for a difficulty setting. While I haven't played this new version of the game I'm assuming completing it with the first guy is obviously hard mode, and if you're not up to the task, medium guy will switch in and then the easy mode last. All seamlessly integrated and nicely backed up by story. I'd like to see similar mechanics in other games; dynamic difficulty system™ go!

Before I even hit play, I'm putting this out there: If you can't walk backwards off a cliff from the get go, I AM SHUTTING THIS TAB THE FUCK DOWN.

Edit: I'M OUT.

What a weird, weird game.