The Karate Kid (NES) Playthrough

A playthrough of LJN's 1987 license-based action game for the NES, The Karate Kid.

The game begins with Daniel competing in the All Valley Karate Tournament from the end of the first movie in a format that mirrors mid-80s 1v1 fighting games.

After he wins the competition, the focus shifts to the second movie's plot as Daniel heads to Okinawa where he has to fight through waves of Sato's men and defeat Chozen. The third stage sees him fighting through more baddies during a typhoon, and the fourth and final stage takes place in the old ruins where Chozen is holding Kumiko hostage.

You can collect special moves by playing the special bonus stages peppered throughout the platforming stages. The number of crane kicks and drum punches Daniel wins in these side games is determined by how many flies he can catch with chopsticks, how many blocks of ice he can break with his with hand, or how many times he can successfully dodge a swinging hammer.

Unfortunately, it doesn't play nearly as well as Irem's classics. The movement is stiff and awkward, the collision detection is unforgiving, and if you get pinned between two enemies, you get juggled back and forth as your lifebar drains.

The haphazard stage design also leaves a lot to be desired. It's often difficult to figure out what parts of the background can be stood on, and sometimes you'll fall through platforms for no discernable reason. The endlessly respawning enemies like to stand in places where you can't hit them, and random objects constantly fly across the screen to hit you at the worst possible times.

Getting to the end of stages three and four often feel as much a product of luck as they do skill. Sometimes you'll sail through without any issues whatsoever. Other times you'll want to throw the controller after the enemies have bounced you into a pit for the umpteenth time. It's all incredibly inconsistent and more than a bit frustrating.

The graphics are reasonably nice, the music is fine, and I appreciate its attempt to follow the film, but The Karate Kid really isn't much fun to play. I remember borrowing it from a friend as a kid, and while I didn't hate it, it was the sort of game that only got played once I'd exhausted everything else on the shelf. That's pretty much the same way I feel about it now.

Unlike Jaws, Atlus handled the development of The Karate Kid themselves, and their inexperience shows. They eventually earned themselves a reputation for making high quality games, but in 1987, they still had a long way to go.
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No cheats were used during the recording of this video.

[eddied]

As a kid I loved this game . The opening music always got me hyped lol

[robbiestockman]

I'll never forget the scene in "The Karate Kid Part II" during the typhoon when Daniel slaughters every bird in sight! What a great film!

[scottkamps]

Two interesting notes:
1. The ice block challenge uses your current health as the power meter. So if you showed up with barely any health(I came in with two bars once), you won't break any blocks, period.
2. If you fail to catch any flies in the chopstick catch challenge, a fly will land on Daniel's nose. Was an amusing moment during a frustrating time.

[artoabraham]

I was addicted to this game. I used to wake up early and finish this game before class. Thanks for bringing back those great memories.

[ToroBullOne]

Ahh yes, the iconic final battle between Daniel and Chozen.... on Mars. I remember that.

[ghostlover]

In the 1980s and 1990s, purchasing a new Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) or Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) game was a unique and memorable experience. The physical game box, still wrapped in its original packaging, held a tangible sense of excitement and anticipation. This tactile experience, now largely replaced by digital downloads, is fondly remembered by many gamers.

[feiwong]

The 9ft referee is the spotlight in the tournament, what a monster.

[rjcupid]

“Man who catch fly with chopstick, accomplish anything.”

“Man who beat LJN NES games also accomplish anything.”

- Mr. Miyagi

[az_esteemed]

Classic LJN and enemies tossing themselves into the drink. Never gets old.

[jdk]

Can anyone honestly tell me there was anything better than gathering at someone's house on a snow day to play nintendo for hours on end?

[dragonfireny]

There's a typhoon going on, and Daniel is stopping every 50 feet or so, to play mini games!
Focus Daniel. The flies aren't important right now

[asteroido]

One of the best games i play!
Good times...
I remember the birds and woods flying with the strong wind at second stage. Watch this make my day better.

[VahanNisanian]

AVGN: It's like coming out of a brutal fight, being the winner, but achieving nothing for all your troubles, just a bunch of bloody bruises and broken bones. It's just not worth it. And so began the AVGN's 15-year quest to review all LJN games, which came to an end last Christmas.

[NintendoComplete]

The Karate Kid feels like a busted version of Kung Fu. Poor LaRusso just can't catch a break, can he?

[jenshub]

Bought this game with my own money as a kid. I was so excited. Loved using the NES Max controller for it. Good times.

[JDjade]

The only thing I miss from these Karate Kid NES playthroughs is when Daniel fails to break even one ice block on the Ice Block Break.

[evanhanley]

I actually enjoyed playing this game. It was decent for the time. Loved the music, how faithful it is to the movies and the graphics. Hated the last level though. Took so many tries.

[daltonlm]

This game is so much nostalgic for me, cose it was the third cartridge that i had in my early like as a kid gamer. First Super Mario, of course, second Ye Ar Kung Fu and Karate Kid was the third. And man, since i used to play it daily, i was quite good on it, even in the minigames. I wasnt only good, i used to play beautifully it. Every pice of background brings me a feel of nostalgia hard to explain.

[sammysoul]

I haven’t played this since around 1990. Unfortunately I never completed the game. Brings back so many memories 💙

[spiritchild]

Great game back in the day. Really captured the magic of Karate Kid 2. The graphics are what they are. You had to use your imagination back then.