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Karateka is a martial arts game designed by Jordan Mechner. It is designed to resemble classic martial arts films, including cinematic techniques such as cross-cutting.
Gameplay
You only have one life for the entire game. If you die you must start over from the beginning. After winning a battle, your maximum health level will usually decrease by one point and your enemy's maximum health level will increase by one point. Your health will always be restored to its current maximum after a battle, so it does not matter how much you are damaged during combat as long as you do not die.
Control
Controlling your fighter depends on which version you are playing. In all versions you have two stances: running and fighting. Being hit in the running stance is lethal, whether or not you are stationary. Once you enter fighting stance in a combat situation, you may not enter running stance again until your enemy is gone. In all versions, you have three punches or kicks, depending on if the joystick or D-pad is in an up, down, or neutral position.
Press the "punch" button while standing in the running stance and you will honorably bow to your opponent; if your opponent is also in this stance, he will bow back. This gesture serves no function other than your amusement.
Kicks have a longer range than punches, but punches are quicker. Kicks can be rapid-fired at most four times, after which your fighter must pause, but rapid one-two punches can continue indefinitely.
While in fighting stance, you have two kinds of movement: walking, and a slight, quick shuffle forward, which the game distinguishes by holding the joystick and tapping it.
Apple II controls
- Button 1: kick
- Button 2: punch
- Up: assume running stance; let go to assume fighting stance
- Up+Right: run; let go to assume fighting stance
Famicom controls
In the Famicom version, your stance will be held after releasing the corresponding button.
: kick
: punch
: assume running stance
: assume fighting stance
