International Karate +
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| International Karate + | |
|---|---|
 A screenshot of the Commodore 64 version of International Karate + |
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| Developer(s) | System 3 |
| Publisher(s) | System 3 (Europe), Epyx (USA) |
| Designer(s) | Archer MacLean |
| Platform(s) | Atari ST, Amiga, Amiga CD32, Commodore 64, Game Boy Advance, Virtual Console |
| Release date(s) | 1987 Virtual Console (C64) NA TBA 2009 EU July 25, 2008 |
| Genre(s) | Versus fighting game |
| Mode(s) | Singleplayer, Two player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: E10+ PEGI: 12+ |
| Input methods | Joystick |
International Karate +, often abbreviated as IK+, is a karate fighting video game published in 1987 by System 3 for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and Amstrad CPC.
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[edit] Gameplay
In the game, three karateka fight against each other on a beach, trying to be the first to score six points. After every two rounds, there is a bonus game which is either deflecting bouncing balls or kicking away bombs. The C64 version of the game only has the ball bouncing bonus game, and not the bomb bonus game. The game can be played by one or two human players, at least one fighter is always controlled by the computer. Unlike its predecessor, International Karate, there is only one backdrop. However, different parts of the backdrop can be recoloured to several different themes by the players using specific keystrokes.
[edit] History
Archer Maclean did most of the work on developing the game, and the music was written by Rob Hubbard. Music for Amiga version was arranged by Dave Lowe. In August 2005, the music from International Karate was performed at the third Symphonic Game Music Concert in Leipzig, Germany.
The game enjoyed a large following in Europe during the late 80's and even into the early 90's, though it was nowhere near as popular in North America (though it still garnered a cult following).
[edit] Ports and remakes
16-bit conversions of this game were later released for the Atari ST, Amiga and Amiga CD32. And a International Karate Deluxe game (AKA IK++) was ready but unreleased for the Atari ST and Amiga in 1987/8[1]
In 2002, following the retro-gaming trend, Ignition released IK+ for the Game Boy Advance in Europe and North America, which remained faithful to the 16-bit iterations. A PlayStation version was also released, retitled Chop 'n Drop in North America.
The game was released on the Virtual Console in Europe on July 25, 2008 and is scheduled for a future release in North America.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ In the chair with ... Archer Maclean. Retrogamer Magazine, issue 63 (2009).
