"Stop! Judge… Red."

1984 was a good year for karate. Mr. Miyagi was teaching young Daniel-san how to wax-on, wax-off his way to victory, and arcade aficionados were getting their first glimpse of Karate Champ, developed by Data East. Instead of fighting high school punks, however, this was a no-nonsense tournament setting, complete with stone-faced judge.

Originally designed as a side-scrolling, single-player vs. computer experience, the premise was simple. The human controlled white player faced off against the computer controlled red adversary, all under the watchful eye of the scoring judge. Using a joystick, players could choose from a variety of fancy moves, everything from punches and kicks to flips and leg sweeps. The idea was to land a blow against your opponent and each type of attack had a specific point value assigned. Land something worth 100-500 points, and you were awarded a half-point. A more devastating blow in the 600-1000 point range was worth a full point. The first player to score two full points won the battle. Win two of three battles and the match was over. Then it was on to the next, more formidable opponent.

All of this was indeed fun, but something was painfully missing from the experience. Beating the computer was one thing, but what about the opportunity to mercilessly pummel you friends in human vs. human competition. To their credit, the makers of Karate Champ heeded the requests and completely redesigned the game so it could be played in two-player mode.  Not only that, but they also provided some new places to fight. No longer limited to the confines of the same old dojo, players could exchange blows in such exotic locales as an alley, wooden bridge, a boating dock, or aboard a cruise ship (sort of the anti-Love Boat.) Also, the stakes were higher – you weren’t just competing at a tournament, this was about winning the love of a beautiful girl, eager to christen you her hero. The scoring judge still stood emotionless, awarding points for the most effective strikes. And to break up the various competitions, there were also the occasional bonus rounds, where opponents were forced to duck flying objects, break numerous boards, or survive a charging bull. All in a day’s work for a Karate Champ.

Despite the fact that the arcade industry as a whole was facing a major slump, Karate Champ was one of the few success stories, striking a chord with gamers, who in turn, struck each other with reckless abandon, hoping to win the girl, as well as bragging rights. Mr. Miyagi must have been proud.