International Karate + 1987

Released: October 1987
Genres: Fighting · Hack and slash/Beat 'em up
Platforms: Amiga CD32 · Commodore C64/128/MAX · ZX Spectrum · Wii · Atari ST/STE · Amiga · PlayStation · Game Boy Advance · Amstrad CPC
Developer: System 3 Software
More info: IGDB

Where to buy

In a collection: The Last Ninja Collection + Bonus Games

Steam Nintendo
Physical: Search on Amazon

Affiliate links: GOG, Fanatical, Green Man Gaming, ININ Games and Amazon

Is it still worth playing?

Three karateka fight each other on a beach and the first to score six points wins. It is a fighting game, stylized as IK+, written by Archer Maclean and released in 1987 for the Commodore 64, Amstrad CPC and ZX Spectrum. After every two rounds a bonus game has the player either deflect bouncing balls or kick away bombs, though the Commodore 64 version has only the ball game. One or two humans can play, and at least one fighter is always controlled by the computer. There is only one backdrop, but its parts can be recolored to several themes with keystrokes. In some versions background antics include a Pac-Man, a spider descending and a U-boat's periscope in the harbor. A three-way fight with a clear score to chase is an easy thing to share, and it still is.