MaximRecoil Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 I bought an Atari 7800 in '87 (I was 12 years old) and Karateka was one of the games I bought at the same time because the screenshot in the Sears catalog looked cool (I had never played or even heard of the computer versions of this game). I was hoping it would be like Karate Champ which I had been good at in the arcade. I was disappointed in the game play but I played it anyway. It turned out that my best friend at the time had a lot of experience with this game even though he hated it. He couldn't get past the green suited 5th guy which we referred to as "The Green Beret". We figured that he was probably the last guy and wondered if anyone had ever beaten the game or if it was even possible to beat. Well I beat Karateka the other night about 17 years after I first played it. I can beat the game every time now. If I ever see my best friend from 7th grade again I will let him know although he always tended to start yelling and swearing at the mere mention of the word "Karateka", lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christophero Sly Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 Congratulations on beating 7800 Karateka! I've beaten it several times on the Apple II. I've never beaten it on the 7800. I can't work with the joystick controls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oesii Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 Same here, I've been beating it for 20 years on my Atari computers but I still can't get the hang of it on the 7800. Congrats! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cousin Vinnie Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 I beat it twice and felt like I should write a guide for it since all the online guides at the time that said they were for the 7800's version was actually for the computer version. If you have any suggestions for my guide man, email me: Karateka Guide URL: http://www.flipsiderunner.com/7800/kc.html email: bffunkrevival@comcast.net Thanks, Vin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christophero Sly Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 Wait a minute... you don't rescue the princess in the 7800 version? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaximRecoil Posted December 13, 2004 Author Share Posted December 13, 2004 I beat it twice and felt like I should write a guide for it since all the online guides at the time that said they were for the 7800's version was actually for the computer version. If you have any suggestions for my guide man, email me: Your guide is a riot. Great writing and very accurate. I don't have any suggestions beyond what you have already put in there other than there is a specific pattern to Akuma which you can use to beat him every time without fail. Well, it has worked for me about 10 times in a row now so I assume it is "without fail". Next time I play I'll see if I can take note of the exact procedure although it may be hard to put into words. Wait a minute... you don't rescue the princess in the 7800 version? You rescue the princess but it is just part of the automated ending after you beat the last guy "Akuma". It shows you embracing the princess and the screen is flashing. It last for like 10 or 15 seconds and then there is a single credit screen before the game resets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaximRecoil Posted December 13, 2004 Author Share Posted December 13, 2004 OK, it goes like this: As soon as the match starts walk in toward Akuma until you are at "footsie position" (as you call it, lol). When you get there immediately do a full string of high kicks which will hit Akuma's arm as he is trying to punch you, lol. Don't worry about the bird at this point, let him get you. By the time Akuma backs off and the bird is gone you will have 1 arrow of energy left. Stay put and let Akuma kick and punch at the air until you see the bird reappear. When you see the bird, immediately walk toward Akuma again until you are right up against him (the next level of closeness past "footsie postion" which I will call "Head Striking Distance" or HSD). Start doing the high kicks to the head. Don't worry about the bird going behind you and coming back. As long as you were walking forward as it first passed you will be fine. You will get in quite a few hits but Akuma will figure he still has quite an advantage and will walk toward you even though he is just spinning his wheels because he is already as close to you as he can get. This allows you to get in another series of kicks to his head as he is walking in place rather than fighting. Then he changes his mind and backs off. Hit him with a series of straight punches as he is walking backwards instead of fighting, lol. The bird will be on its way out at this point so walk forward again until you are at HSD and do a series of high kicks to his head. As soon as you finish the series of 5 kicks; walk forward (Akuma will also be trying to walk forward at this point, lol) because the bird will be almost at your head. Just keep walking forward even after the bird is gone because Akuma will decide it is time to back off. Keep chasing him until you are once again at HSD and kick to the head until he goes down (you won't see the bird again). You will have 2 arrows of energy left every time at this point if you follow that exactly and the brick strip on the ground will be just visible on the right side of the screen. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaximRecoil Posted December 13, 2004 Author Share Posted December 13, 2004 I made an MPEG video that illustrates the pattern better than words. Also, I found a way to have a little more life left at the end (pause a moment before stepping into your final position). See attachment: karateka.zip Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cousin Vinnie Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 That's how you do it! Excellent video! Care if I host it and your hints on my site? If so, how do you want to be credited? CV Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaximRecoil Posted December 13, 2004 Author Share Posted December 13, 2004 That's how you do it! Excellent video! Care if I host it and your hints on my site? If so, how do you want to be credited? CV No problem. Just credit me as MaximRecoil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Propane13 Posted December 13, 2004 Share Posted December 13, 2004 I wouldn't have ever believed it if I hadn't seen that video... I am shocked. -John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaximRecoil Posted March 24, 2012 Author Share Posted March 24, 2012 (edited) I made this thread over 7 years ago. At the time, I didn't have the actual Karateka cartridge, so I could only play on an emulator. I bought a Karateka cartridge soon after I made this thread because I wanted to beat the game on the real hardware, but I only had a pair of worn out Pro-Line joysticks for my 7800 that barely worked, and were painful to use with this game. I'd always intended to modify a NES gamepad to work with the 7800, but I never got around to it, and I forgot about Karateka. While searching through my old posts here the other day, I came across this thread. I saw that my old video I'd made is still attached, so I downloaded it and watched it. This reminded me that I still need to beat Karateka for real. So I dusted off the old Atari 7800 and Karateka cartridge, and tried to play with a Sega Genesis controller. Unfortunately that doesn't work, because Karateka is a 2-button game. So I tried the Pro-Line joystick (I'd forgotten how miserable those are), which was hopeless. So I looked for a tutorial for the NES-to-7800 gamepad mod and a little while later I had a decent controller for my 7800. So just a few minutes ago, I beat Karateka on the real hardware for the first time ever. It is harder than on the emulator I was using years ago (MESS 0.74b if I remember right) because Akuma and his bird don't always follow the same pattern like on the emulator. So it took several tries but I did it. I paused it and then videotaped the ending: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RUEViE-zMrI Edited March 24, 2012 by MaximRecoil 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
telengard Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 (edited) I made this thread over 7 years ago. At the time, I didn't have the actual Karateka cartridge, so I could only play on an emulator. I bought a Karateka cartridge soon after I made this thread because I wanted to beat the game on the real hardware, but I only had a pair of worn out Pro-Line joysticks for my 7800 that barely worked, and were painful to use with this game. I'd always intended to modify a NES gamepad to work with the 7800, but I never got around to it, and I forgot about Karateka. While searching through my old posts here the other day, I came across this thread. I saw that my old video I'd made is still attached, so I downloaded it and watched it. This reminded me that I still need to beat Karateka for real. So I dusted off the old Atari 7800 and Karateka cartridge, and tried to play with a Sega Genesis controller. Unfortunately that doesn't work, because Karateka is a 2-button game. So I tried the Pro-Line joystick (I'd forgotten how miserable those are), which was hopeless. So I looked for a tutorial for the NES-to-7800 gamepad mod and a little while later I had a decent controller for my 7800. So just a few minutes ago, I beat Karateka on the real hardware for the first time ever. It is harder than on the emulator I was using years ago (MESS 0.74b if I remember right) because Akuma and his bird don't always follow the same pattern like on the emulator. So it took several tries but I did it. I paused it and then videotaped the ending: Nice, so had you been "spoiled" on the ending so you knew how to handle it? Someday I'd like to play through this version. I finished it on my old Apple ][ way back when. ~telengard Edited March 24, 2012 by telengard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DracIsBack Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 Wow - thanks for sharing. If I didn't see it with my own two eyes, I would never have believed that anyone beat that game outside of IBID INC. It's really amazing how many corners those programmers cut. Game elements like the doors, gates etc are gone. Same with the number of guards you face based upon how quickly you move. Even the ending doesn't have the 'show respect or else' factor. Throw in the needlessly simple graphics and the awful controls and wow, was that ever a cluster-F(*& conversion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaximRecoil Posted March 24, 2012 Author Share Posted March 24, 2012 (edited) Nice, so had you been "spoiled" on the ending so you knew how to handle it? In a way I suppose. When I was a kid in the late '80s, I really wanted to know what happened if you beat the game, which I found out 7 years ago when I figured out how to beat it on an emulator. But beating it on an emulator just isn't the same thing, so it was still awesome to beat the game on the real hardware today. Wow - thanks for sharing. If I didn't see it with my own two eyes, I would never have believed that anyone beat that game outside of IBID INC. I wondered for years if it was even possible to beat this game. It's really amazing how many corners those programmers cut. Game elements like the doors, gates etc are gone. Same with the number of guards you face based upon how quickly you move. Even the ending doesn't have the 'show respect or else' factor. Throw in the needlessly simple graphics and the awful controls and wow, was that ever a cluster-F(*& conversion. Yeah, the worst thing about this game is the godawful controls. There is a lag of about a second or two between your joystick input and something happening on screen, and your kicks and punches come in bursts of 5, and then your man takes a break to catch his breath I guess, before he'll do another 5. The walking is horrible too because of the semi automated nature of it with not much user control over where you stop. Strangely, it is an addicting game for me though, despite it being so annoying. I played it countless times as a kid, determined to beat it (which I never did back then of course), even though my hands would ache from those miserable Pro-Line joysticks (and this game amplifies the effects of those joysticks because of having to constantly hold buttons in and the joystick in certain positions). In any event, I beat it again a few minutes ago, and this time I was ready with my camera. Here is the entire last fight: http://youtu.be/ODktLc-rM04 Edited March 24, 2012 by MaximRecoil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinks Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 With the slow controls its IMO a terrible game..BUT due to the lack of fighting games on the 7800 you are forced to play it.. I thought it was another impossible mission game until now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jinks Posted March 24, 2012 Share Posted March 24, 2012 With the slow controls its IMO a terrible game..BUT due to the lack of fighting games on the 7800 you are forced to play it.. I thought it was another impossible mission game until now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DracIsBack Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 With the slow controls its IMO a terrible game..BUT due to the lack of fighting games on the 7800 you are forced to play it.. I thought it was another impossible mission game until now. The selection is limited, but even with the warts of the other fighters (Double Dragon, Ninja Golf, Kung Fu Master), this one is by far the worst for me. Impossible Mission was at least fixed so that the killer bug is gone ... and is a solid game, IMO. Karateka, however, hasn't had its controls fixed. Incidentally, this very game was also my first experience with the dreaded "sales droid" at K Mart ... telling me that this is 'the best the 7800 can do', and that 'all Super Games are that slow because of the time it takes to switch between memory banks'. Then he went into an explanation that the game was limited because the 7800 only had "32K of RAM" compared to "64K on the XEGS" and "128K on the NES". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H.E.R.O. Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Well, I beat it on Commodore 64. I forgot to bow to the princess and she kicked me in the balls. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GroovyBee Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 Incidentally, this very game was also my first experience with the dreaded "sales droid" at K Mart ... telling me that this is 'the best the 7800 can do', and that 'all Super Games are that slow because of the time it takes to switch between memory banks'. Then he went into an explanation that the game was limited because the 7800 only had "32K of RAM" compared to "64K on the XEGS" and "128K on the NES". Heretic! That is gospel truth from the K-Mart man . I've played this game once since I got my 7800. I'd fix the controls if I wasn't so traumatised by that experience. Kudos to anybody that can put up with the controls and beat the game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emehr Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 @MaximRecoil: Major kudos for finishing 7800 Karateka. I made an adapter so I can use Sega Genesis controllers on my 2-button 7800 games and haven't used my Prolines since. Still, Karateka is a game that gets me every time. I've made it to the green guy and probably the last guy on one or two occasions but that's it. Now that I've seen the ending, I'm not so sure I want to go through the trouble! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Propane13 Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 So, wait-- what happens if you finish Akuma, and then don't run onto the last screen? Is there a "bad ending"? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Classic Pac Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 I was never able to beat that, and I totally agree the controls are terrible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rybags Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 The controls suck regardless of system. I "beat" the game and got the same kicking from the Princess (and therefore lost) on the 800XL. I don't think I ever loaded the game again after that. In the context of it's time of release it was an OK to good game. But compared to later fighting games on most of the legacy systems concerned, it's utter crap. The only reason I don't shitcan the game publicly in utter contempt is that Jordan Mechner created it, and went on to much bigger/better things. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bakasama Posted March 25, 2012 Share Posted March 25, 2012 I was wondering if any of you guys ever played the original Street Fighter. That game too had some pretty horrible controls . Now for fighting games that the 7800 can do, I would say Yie Ar Kung Fu. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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