International Karate
Screenshot of the Atari ST version
Developer(s)	System 3
Publisher(s)	System 3 (Europe), Epyx (USA)
Designer(s)	Archer MacLean
Release date(s)	1986
Genre(s)	Versus fighting game
Mode(s)	Single player, Two player
Platform(s)	Amstrad CPC, Atari 8-bit, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, MSX, ZX Spectrum, Game Boy Color, Game Boy Advance
Input	Joystick

International Karate is a 1986 karate computer game for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC and Atari 8-bit family of computers. It was first published by System 3 in Europe, and then in the United States of America by Epyx as World Karate Championship. A version of this game was later released for the Atari ST and the PC (utilizing 4-color CGA graphics). In 2000, a Game Boy Color version known as International Karate 2000 was released, with several enhancements, and another version based on it was released in 2001 for the Game Boy Advance, as International Karate Advanced. In 2004 it would be "re-released" as a title on the C64 Direct-to-TV. The game was programmed by Archer MacLean, and the music was by Rob Hubbard. Image File history File links screenshot Atari ST International Karate, made myself. ... A video game developer is a software developer (a business or an individual) that creates video games. ... A System 3 punch card. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... A System 3 punch card. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... Epyx, Inc. ... A game designer is a person who designs games. ... Archer MacLean is a British computer games programmer. ... 1986 (MCMLXXXVI) was a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Video games are generally categorized into genres. ... This article describes fighting games in which opponents face off in a battle. ... In computer games and video games, single-player refers to the variant of a particular game where input from only one player is expected throughout the course of the gaming session. ... Multiplayer is a mode of play for computer and video games in which multiple people can play the same game at the same time. ... The Amstrad CPC was a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad during the 1980s and early 1990s. ... An Atari 800XL, one of the most popular machines in the series. ... The Atari 520ST Atari 1040STF with SC1224 color monitor The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was commercially popular from 1985 to the early 1990s. ... The Commodore 64 is the best-selling single personal computer model of all time. ... Microsofts disk operating system, MS-DOS, was Microsofts implementation of DOS, which was the first popular operating system for the IBM PC, and until recently, was widely used on the PC compatible platform. ... Sony MSX 1, Model HitBit-10-P MSX was the name of a standardized home computer architecture in the 1980s. ... The ZX Spectrum is a home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd. ... The Game Boy Color (also referred to as GBC) is Nintendos successor to the Game Boy and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan and in November of 1998 in the United States. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Joystick elements: 1. ... see also: 1985 in games, 1987 in games Games Released or Invented in 1986 Blood Bowl Federation and Empire GURPS Samurai Swords Game awards given in 1986 Spiel des Jahres: Top Secret Spies (German title is ) - Wolfgang Kramer, Ravensburger See also 1986 in video gaming Categories: | ... Karate ) ( ) or karate-dō ) is a martial art that developed from a synthesis of indigenous Ryukyuan fighting methods and Chinese kempo [1]. Karate originally meant Tang hand, i. ... A computer game is a game composed of a computer-controlled virtual universe that players interact with in order to achieve a defined goal or set of goals. ... The ZX Spectrum is a home computer released in the United Kingdom in 1982 by Sinclair Research Ltd. ... The Commodore 64 is the best-selling single personal computer model of all time. ... The Amstrad CPC was a series of 8-bit home computers produced by Amstrad during the 1980s and early 1990s. ... An Atari 800XL, one of the most popular machines in the series. ... A System 3 punch card. ... World map showing the location of Europe. ... Epyx, Inc. ... The Atari 520ST Atari 1040STF with SC1224 color monitor The Atari ST is a home/personal computer that was commercially popular from 1985 to the early 1990s. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... CGA may stand for: Certified General Accountant Color Graphics Adapter This is a disambiguation page — a navigational aid which lists other pages that might otherwise share the same title. ... The Game Boy Color (also referred to as GBC) is Nintendos successor to the Game Boy and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan and in November of 1998 in the United States. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... The C64 Direct-to-TV, called C64DTV for short, is a single-chip implementation of the Commodore 64 computer, contained in a joystick with 30 built-in games. ... Archer MacLean is a British computer games programmer. ... Rob Hubbard (born 1956?, Kingston upon Hull, England) is a music composer best known for his composition of computer game theme music, especially for microcomputers of the 1980s such as the Commodore 64. ...

International Karate and World Karate Championship are identical except for the difference in game speed - the latter is tuned for the American NTSC television system. The references in this article would be clearer with a different and/or consistent style of citation, footnoting or external linking. ...

A sequel to this game called International Karate + was released a year later. A screenshot of the Commodore 64 version of International Karate + International Karate +, often abbreviated as IK+, is a karate computer game published in 1987 by System 3 for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and Amstrad CPC. Conversions of this game were later released for the Atari ST, Amiga and Amiga... see also: 1986 in games, 1988 in games Game awards given in 1987 Spiel des Jahres: Auf Achse - Wolfgang Kramer, F.X. Schmid See also 1987 in video gaming Categories: Game stubs | 1987 ...

Gameplay

The core game is a two-dimensional, one-on-one, versus fighting game. Players take on the roles of martial artists competing in a kumite tournament. Rather than wearing down an opponent's health, the goal is instead to score single solid hits. After each hit, combat stops and both combatants are returned to their starting positions. Depending on how well players hit their opponent, they score either a half-point or a full point. Matches can be quite brief, as only two full points are required to win, and a point can be quickly scored just seconds after a round begins. This article describes fighting games in which opponents face off in a battle. ... Kumite (組手) means sparring, and is one of the three main sections of karate training, along with kata and kihon. ...

In single player mode, successive opponents increase in difficulty from novice white belts to master black belts. Play continues as long as the player continues to win matches. Between fights, bonus mini-games focusing on rhythm and timing appear, including one in which the player must break a number of stacked boards using only his or her head. This does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

As in newer games in the genre, starting specifically with Street Fighter, the fights take place against a variety of backdrops (8 in total) representing different locations in the world. Street Fighter ) is a 1987 arcade game developed by Capcom. ...

Controls

The title utilizes the standard one-button joystick, allowing players to execute a variety of karate techniques. Each of the non-movement maneuvers has a different score value awarded if it connects. The scores listed below are for half-point hits; these are doubled for full point hits. Thus, the maximum in a round would be 2,500 points (one full point, one half-point, second full point). The available techniques are as follows: Karate ) ( ) or karate-dō ) is a martial art that developed from a synthesis of indigenous Ryukyuan fighting methods and Chinese kempo [1]. Karate originally meant Tang hand, i. ...

Without pressing the button

• Up: Short hop (0--does not hit).
• Up-Forward: Face punch (400).
• Forward: Walk (0).
• Down-Forward: High kick (400).
• Down: Sweep (200).
• Down-Back: Gut punch (200).
• Back: Walk (0).
• Up-Back: Turn-around face punch (400, turns player around).

While pressing the button

• Up: Jump Kick (500).
• Up-Forward: Forward flip (0--does not hit, jumps higher than the hop).
• Forward: Side kick (100).
• Down-Forward: Shin kick (100).
• Down: Turn-around gut punch (200, turns player around).
• Down-Back: Turn-around shin kick (100, turns player around).
• Back: Roundhouse kick (500).
• Up-Back: Backward flip (0--does not hit, jumps higher than the hop).

Unlike many modern fighting games, players do not turn around if the opponent gets behind them. Instead, only the three turn-around maneuvers allow one to change direction, with differing associated strike ranges (short for the shin kick, medium for the punch, and long for the gut punch).

Lawsuit

Video game publisher Data East sued System 3 and Epyx for publishing World Karate Championship, and by extension, International Karate, which was pretty much identical to its arcade game, Karate Champ. International Karate used the same coloured fighters, and had the same points system. Initially Data East won the lawsuit, so the game was pulled from retailers shelves, but the decision was appealed to a higher court, who reversed the decision, stating that while the game was similar, it was not identical, and that one game company can not monopolize one entire sport. As a result, Melbourne House did not sue System 3 nor Epyx, as the game The Way of the Exploding Fist is also very similar to both of these games. Data East (データイースト dēta īsuto) was a Japanese video game company, also known as DECO (Data East Corporation, データイースト株式会社 dēta īsuto kabushikigaisha). ... Karate Champ (original title: 空手道 Karate Dô, The Way of Karate) is a 1984 arcade game developed by Technos Japan Corporation for Data East. ... Melbourne House is a game development studio owned by Atari and based in Melbourne, Australia. ... The Way of the Exploding Fist is a fighting game for the Amstrad CPC, ZX Spectrum, BBC Micro, Acorn Electron, Commodore 64 and Commodore 16. ...

Trivia

• Music from International Karate was performed live by a full orchestra at the third Symphonic Game Music Concert in 2005. The event took place in Leipzig, Germany.

The annual European Symphonic Game Music Concert-series (also called GC Concerts) started in 2003 (08 / 20). ... 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...   [] (Sorbian/Lusatian: Lipsk) is the largest city in the federal state of Saxony in Germany with a population of over 504,000. ...

See also

• International Karate +
• Karate Champ

A screenshot of the Commodore 64 version of International Karate + International Karate +, often abbreviated as IK+, is a karate computer game published in 1987 by System 3 for the ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 and Amstrad CPC. Conversions of this game were later released for the Atari ST, Amiga and Amiga... Karate Champ (original title: 空手道 Karate Dô, The Way of Karate) is a 1984 arcade game developed by Technos Japan Corporation for Data East. ...

External links

• International Karate at MobyGames
• International Karate at World of Spectrum