Back in the 80s, gaming was much, much simpler. We didn’t worry about 50GB first-day updates; we didn’t sweat connecting with friends on a server on a Friday night; and we didn’t fret about who would acquire who for billions of dollars. Nope, we just turned on the old Apple II and got into games like Jordan Mechner’s Karateka.

The story behind the game plays out like a cheesy kung-fu film. A woman is kidnapped by an evil overlord, and a lone warrior steps up to stop him, defeating his foes one-by-one – if he can last that long.

The game has seen translation after translation over the years, but with The Making of Karateka, Digital Eclipse allows it to hit full stride. Like its Atari 50 before it, it pays loving tribute to a classic with a number of variations and materials to learn more about the game.

If you weren’t a fan of Karateka to begin with, this might be a hard lesson to endure. But purists of old-school gaming and appreciators of stuff like this will welcome The Making of Karateka with open arms. In fact, the more games we get of this kind, the better. I can totally see Digital Eclipse doing something with Prince of Persia.

Into the Gold Master Series

With The Making of Karateka, Digital Eclipse delves into the content of the game. For its $20 price tag, you get several different versions, including ones with improved movement so that it doesn’t feel like such a slog to get through your rescue mission. (Of course, the original is here if that’s exactly what you want.)

But there’s more than just the game. There’s also a ton of content to dig into, including behind-the-scenes videos, running commentary with Digital president Mike Mira, materials and interviews with Mechner himself, and so much more. There’s also a look at the unpublished game Deathbounce, and a number of materials surrounding Karateka II.

As for the game itself, it remains timeless. Granted, its pacing won’t be for everyone – Karateka is a game about patience and figuring out each opponent – but it’s very cool nevertheless. And the abundant extras make it feel like a virtual museum exhibit that you’ll want to explore.

Hopefully this is the start of things to come with Digital’s Gold Master Series. Again, Prince of Persia would be a terrific candidate, though it’d also be great to see what the team does with, say, Miner 2049er. Guess time will tell. In the meantime, this is an outstanding start, well structured and reasonably priced.

A Savvy Looking Package

Along with gameplay that stays true to the original games and a terrific interactive set-up, The Making of Karateka also won us over with its interface. You can find things easily in the menus, including the games that are available for play (well-emulated, of course) and all sorts of interviews and docs. That said, the video resolution can be a bit stunted at times, particularly with some of Mechner’s older works. Still, there’s a bunch of great content to look at here.

Besides the games and awesome extras, Karateka also has winning audio. The interviews are clear and concise and easy to hear; the in-game audio for each of the playable titles is nothing short of excellent; and the sound effects are a treat, especially when you nail a bird in the face with a well-timed kick. (Trust me, it’s fun.)

Overall, Digital Eclipse provided the same level of polish here that it did for Atari 50. Just let these guys handle all the classics, as they’ve been doing for so well in the past.

School’s In Session

How much you accept The Making of Karateka really depends on if you enjoy the original game or not. If you’ve never heard of it, this is a wondrous history lesson to introduce you; but if it never interested you, this may not sway you that much, considering how slow the initial game was at one point in time.

That said, I still highly recommend it. Digital Eclipse did a sweet job here paying tribute to the legend, and covers nearly every aspect of its timeline, right down to some of the best versions you can get your hands on. It really is a welcome virtual museum that deserves your time and devotion.

Remember, the more we show appreciation for titles like this, the more we’ll get. It’s a win win.

GAMERHUB RATING: 4 1/2 (out of 5) JOYSTICKS

(Thanks to Digital Eclipse for providing us with a review code!)