Karateka

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.

A Beat'Em Up that is the spiritual predecessor to the first Prince of Persia game, Karateka is a game originally developed for the Apple II system by Jordan Mechner, and employed rotoscoping technology for surprisingly realistic movements. Karateka puts you in the role of a heroic karate expert who must infiltrate the fortress of Akuma, who has kidnapped the lovely Princess Mariko. To do this, he must initially climb a mountain and get through the bodyguards who hold the entrance. Once inside the fortress, he must fight still more bodyguards and Akuma's eagle and pass the infamous death gate, before fighting Akuma himself.

An instant hit for creator Jordan Mechner and producer Broderbund, it was ported to a variety of platforms and was a well known game in the '80s. Its influence is seen in Prince of Persia, whose sprites look very similar. YTMND users might be familiar with an in-site meme featuring the titular hero dancing to MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This".

A remake lead by Mechner was released in 2013.

Tropes used in Karateka include: