Classic ’80s flick The Karate Kid is getting a pixel art beat ’em-up in development for PC, PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch. It’s scheduled for release on September 20th.
Following the story of the movie, it’ll let you play as Daniel Russo, Mr. Miyagi, Kumiko, or Ali Mills across 12 stages of 1-4 player action.
“Relive the adventures of The Karate Kid while facing the challenges put forth by Cobra Kai and other foes. The game follows the narrative of the original trilogy, allowing you to experience the highs and lows of The Karate Kid journey.” reads the official press release.
“Master the art of karate with an intuitive and responsive combat system. Execute powerful combos, perform signature moves like the crane kick, and defend against the enemy dojo’s relentless attacks. Each level presents new challenges and enemies inspired by the films’ memorable characters.”
Based on the trailer, it looks quite good. If it’s even half as good as some of the recent beat ’em-ups like the excellent Streets of Rage 4 or the shell-tastic TMNT: Shredder’s Revenge then it’ll be well worth playing.
Unfortunately, the game’s developer doesn’t inspire much hope. Street Rumble is being created by GameMill Entertainment whose reputation is….er, a bit pants, to put it politely. They’ve put out such treasures as the truly dreadful Skull Island: Rise of Kong. In fairness though, Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues was a beat ’em-up they published in 2020 that did okay, garnering a so-so 67 on Opencritic. I also reviewed their Nickleodeon All-Star Brawl 2 and it was reasonably fun, so perhaps it’s worth being cautiously optimistic.
Wax on, wax off.