International Karate Longplay (C64) [50 FPS]

Developed by Archer MacLean and published in 1987 by System 3.

I have to admit that I never owned this on my real C64. It wasn't until C64 emulators became available on the PC that I tried this out. Surprisingly, it's still an incredibly playable game, with some spot-on controls, great combat and some great digitised sound effects. This game takes the Exploding Fist template and improves on it in every way.

Most people will probably remember IK+, which features a third CPU-controlled character, but this came out later.

The game involves point-based matches against your opponent, with each win advancing your level and improving your skill (belt) level. As your level increases, so does the skill of your opponent, with Black Belt being the toughest of all.

The combat is interspersed with bonus rounds that involve breaking a stack of bricks with your head, or dodging knives and spears for points.

The game has no ending, so I play through to Black Belt difficulty, up to level 27. The game just becomes a quest for points after that.
#retrogaming