The Making of Karateka PS5 Game

The creator of Prince of Persia, Jordan Mechner, created one of the best-selling games in 1984: Karateka.

In a new interactive documentary from Digital Eclipse, the story of how an Apple II created one of the most revolutionary and influential games of all time is presented. Discover how Karateka was created through an extensive archive of design documents, playful prototypes, and all-new video features.

Discover the pixel-perfect versions of the original Karateka game and a variety of unheard prototypes, with rich quality features like save anywhere, chapter selection, and director's commentary.

Karateka Remastered is a completely new version of the original game, with the latest content, commentary, achievements, and more. Deathbounce: Rebounded is a fast-paced and frenetic game based on an unofficial prototype by Jordan.

Discover how Karateka became one of the first games to include cinematic scenes, an original emotional soundtrack, rotoscoped animation, and a Hollywood love story, influencing decades of games that followed.

• The documentary presents the conception of Karateka, an action game based on battles, distinguished by a simple yet compelling story about a hero who must save a princess captured by a villain.
• The creative process behind the game is discussed, including the initial motivations and ideas that led to its development.
• Karateka is considered one of the first games to incorporate the fluid and revolutionary animation of its time. The karate-based combat mechanics and realistic animation had a significant impact on the industry.
• It explores how Jordan Mechner used motion techniques (using films of himself to create detailed animations), which was a rare innovation at the time.
• Details on how the game was made by a small team of developers, including the challenges and difficulties they encountered during production.
• The use of computing platforms of that era is discussed, and how the limited technologies of the time were applied to create visual effects and an engaging gaming experience.
• The game's characters, including the hero and the princess, are discussed in detail, offering a deeper understanding of the motivations behind their creation.