The original Karate Kid trilogy of films holds a special place in my heart. I was only a child when I saw the first film, but I was enamoured with the relationship Danny and Mr. Miyagi built and Danny’s resilience to overcome the challenges in his way. This followed suit in the sequels, and they are a set of films that I like to rewatch from time to time. Bolt on the recent success of the Netflix series “Cobra Kai,” a video game was surely to come at some point, and it has arrived in The Karate Kid: Street Rumble.
The game is a 2D pixel beat ’em up, in the same vein as Scott Pilgrim and Streets of Rage. It follows the trilogy of films by turning the most iconic moments and scenarios from each film into stages, which are introduced with static cartoons. All the major characters are present and are recognisable in the games nice pixel art, and all are accompanied by good animations that fit in well within the karate kid world. This area was one I was most impressed with, and it felt like this was what most of the team’s effort went on, as there was a good level of detail to all the characters and enemy sprites. They all had their own little sway when they stood still, and their fighting animations were fun to see. This level of attention followed in the stages as well, with all the background scenery looking bright and correct for the decade it was based in. I did enjoy seeing these well-created busy scenes, and I appreciated the little touches like people just gathering for a chat on the street or it feeling grimy and dirty in a built-up area.
When you start the game, you have the choice of four playable characters: Danny, Mr. Miyagi, Ali Mills, and Kumikoi. This roster doesn’t grow at all, which was a slight disappointment, as I would have jumped at the chance to fight as John Kresse or Jonny Lawrence. Each character has their own signature move, which can be charged to inflict a powerful move that covers a large area. Otherwise they all fight in the same way with the same strength, which was a disappointment as the developers could have implemented some strategic thinking if they all had their own strengths and weaknesses.
As you battle through the twelve stages, you’ll come up against an array of enemies who’re out to stop you in any way possible. I say array lightly, as the enemy models are used over and over with the same weapons and the same move sets. Their movement was a bit off too; they seemed lethargic, not in any rush to get fighting, with me going to them mostly. I had many occasions where they just stood there, seemingly waking up once I’d finished the crowd I was fighting against. You may think to yourself that they were programmed to wait, but they were standing in the middle of the screen, so they were clearly part of the current batch of fighters. This all just meant that the fighting eventually became very repetitive and boring. I quickly picked up on the patterns of the enemies, so by the end of the game I was just going through the motions, groaning at having to fight the same enemy over and over again. It’s a real shame that some more thought hadn’t gone into the variation, as when I think back to Streets of Rage 4 and the range of enemies and movements, The Karate Kid pales in comparison. Also, unlike any other side-scrolling beat-em-up game, you can’t pick up the weapons that enemies drop when they are defeated. It took me aback slightly, as it’s just the norm, right? Maybe the developers thought it would be a bad look for the characters, and to a point it probably would look weird seeing Mr. Miyagi whacking people with a wrench or baseball bat, but this is a beat-em-up!
One strange inclusion is the shield gauge that lives just under your health bar. This gauge will fill up every time you hit an enemy and soak up damage to protect your health. What I found happening was that I was constantly refilling this gauge, so my health rarely got touched. This fed into my boredom as there was hardly any challenge, and I found I could mostly soak up any damage and just button-mash my way to victory. Not very satisfying, I must say. The challenge does ramp up in the higher difficulty levels, but you will still face the same issues of repetitiveness and boredom. The mini games that are scattered through the campaign did relieve some of this, and they were one of the highlights of the game. Each was based on the different training methods that Mr. Miyagi used with Danny in the film, which was a really nice touch. In the games, you are pitted against Mr. Miyagi, and you earn points for every successful move. The person with the highest points is deemed the winner. Certain achievements are based on scoring certain amounts in these games, which added some challenge and extra enjoyment.
Other features of the game include letter grading, which you receive at the end of each stage, health pickups in the shape of bonsai trees or sushi, and a soundtrack that includes some catchy tunes. Once the game is completed, you will unlock some extra modes to extend the game’s life, including a boss rush mode, arcade mode, and the chance to replay all the mini games. Some thoughtful additions, especially the chance to revisit the mini games, but I have no inclination to visit the boss rush mode at all thanks to the weak combat, thank you very much.
Dot Emu’s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles showed the way for licenced beat em ups, and it’s one of the reasons that got me excited for The Karate Kid. I held faith that this could be just as much fun, but all it did was make me feel like I was playing a licenced game from the ‘90s. There is some promise held in here with its visuals, sound design, and mini games, but with the lacklustre combat and enemy designs, it just felt flat and frustrating that this could have been much more than it became. All I can say is if you have a craving for a 2D side scrolling beat ’em up, then go and play Streets of Rage 4 or Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredders Revenge, and let’s all pray that Danny, Jonny, and the rest of the gang will have their moment to shine in the near future.
Release Date: September 20th, 2024
Platforms: PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S & Nintendo Switch
Price: £34.99
Version Tested: PC (via Steam Deck)
Many thanks to the publisher for the review copy.
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