Let me preface this review with a big statement, this 4.5/5 is not for Karateka. As a game, its something that's absolutely aged and not altogether for the best, it has clunky elements, unfair elements and some bits that flat out don't work anymore.
But this review isn't for Karateka, its for this package as a whole and this is absolutely one of the best and more comprehensive re-releases of any retro title and then some. Digital Eclipse before released the incredibly solid Atari 50 and have used that as a base for this to an expert degree, providing all sorts of content to browse through, listen to and play.
We have a wealth of letters, back and forths between the creator Jordan Mechner and Brøderbund following his start in the industry. There's photos, detailed design documents, proof of concepts, Super-8 footage and breakdowns of marketing and legacy. Its such a joy to dig through and uncover so much. The breakdown of the rotoscoped graphics and the ability to view every piece together, from footage, to sketch, to early spritework and final spritework is something awe inspiring to behold.
As for the game itself, not only do we have what's known as the 'Holy Trinity' of the ports (the Apple II original, the C64 port and the Atari 800 port) but we also have several prototype versions, a brand new remaster made by Digital Eclipse themselves and also a heap of formerly unreleased titles that Jordan Mechner (lead developer) made based off the back of a request for a Asteroids clone which would later become known as Deathbounce... Which also has a remaster/remake present too.
And when you think that they couldn't have put in enough, we also get the ability to watch a playalong for any of these games, the ability to dip in and begin playing from any point in these longplays but also the ability to listen to a full audio commentary within Karateka itself.
Its a collection that's just full of so much respect and love for the original game that you cant help but absolutely love it for what it is. I am absolutely looking forward to seeing what's next in what is hopefully a long lasting series of games and what will hopefully stand as Gaming's take on the Criterion Collection in regards to keeping game preservation and documentation alive.
But this review isn't for Karateka, its for this package as a whole and this is absolutely one of the best and more comprehensive re-releases of any retro title and then some. Digital Eclipse before released the incredibly solid Atari 50 and have used that as a base for this to an expert degree, providing all sorts of content to browse through, listen to and play.
We have a wealth of letters, back and forths between the creator Jordan Mechner and Brøderbund following his start in the industry. There's photos, detailed design documents, proof of concepts, Super-8 footage and breakdowns of marketing and legacy. Its such a joy to dig through and uncover so much. The breakdown of the rotoscoped graphics and the ability to view every piece together, from footage, to sketch, to early spritework and final spritework is something awe inspiring to behold.
As for the game itself, not only do we have what's known as the 'Holy Trinity' of the ports (the Apple II original, the C64 port and the Atari 800 port) but we also have several prototype versions, a brand new remaster made by Digital Eclipse themselves and also a heap of formerly unreleased titles that Jordan Mechner (lead developer) made based off the back of a request for a Asteroids clone which would later become known as Deathbounce... Which also has a remaster/remake present too.
And when you think that they couldn't have put in enough, we also get the ability to watch a playalong for any of these games, the ability to dip in and begin playing from any point in these longplays but also the ability to listen to a full audio commentary within Karateka itself.
Its a collection that's just full of so much respect and love for the original game that you cant help but absolutely love it for what it is. I am absolutely looking forward to seeing what's next in what is hopefully a long lasting series of games and what will hopefully stand as Gaming's take on the Criterion Collection in regards to keeping game preservation and documentation alive.