The Karate Kid
Macchio Man Daniel-San Savage
James Browne
04.27.03
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Version 1.0
I do not forsee any revisions
Copyright 2003 James Browne
Used with permission
[email protected]
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The Karate Kid Info-
System: NES
Publisher: LJN
Release Date: 1987
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Table of Contents:
I. Introduction
II. Story
III. Controls
A) Title Screen
B) Game Menu
C) In Game
IV. Game Modes
A) One Player
B) Two Player
C) One-On-One
V. Items
A) Crane Kick
B) Life Boosters
1) Monkey
2) Child
3) Mr. Miyagi
C) Typhoon Child
D) Checkpoints
VI. Enemies
A) Student
B) Ninja
C) Spear Ninja
D) Flying Items
1) Stick
2) Bird
3) Pot
4) Boulder
5) Small Rock
6) Cabbage
E) Chozen
VII. Statistics
A) Crane Kicks
B) Drum Punches
C) Chances
D) Life Meter
E) Score
VIII. Bonus Levels
A) Chopstick Fly Catch
B) Ice Block Break
C) Swinging Hammer
D) Bonuses
IX. Walkthrough
A) The Karate Tournament
1) First Round
2) Quarter Final Round
3) Semi Final Round
4) Final Round
B) Daniel-San In Okinawa
C) The Typhoon Strikes
D) The Last Battle With Chozen
X. Glitch
XI. Notes
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I. Introduction
I remember when this crap came out many years ago and I was so excited to
try it. Karate Kid was probably my favorite movie, having seen it in the
theatre several times years before, and I just couldn't wait to play as
Daniel-San overcoming obstacles, picking up wisdom from my father figure,
and kicking some serious patootie. What I ended up with was a couple of
scene adaptations and the same enemy on all four stages (that's right - four)
who looked suprisingly like me without the headband.
You play as Daniel-San, Miyagi protege, through the tournament, then through
Okinawa. So basically, the end of the first movie through the second, without
the girl, drama, or story. But, along the way, you collect bonus points by
catching flies in chopsticks, dodging swinging hammers, and breaking ice
blocks.
As far as graphics, they're OK. But the pallete swapping obviously takes away
from the appeal. There is one enemy. On stage four, he carries a spear thing.
That's it. If you're going to put bosses in a game, don't make it the same
boss at the end of every level. Super Mario Bros. barely got away with that
one. But, as annoying as it is, it doesn't look awful.
Music you ask? Two songs - one for the stages, one for the bonus levels.
Distorted clips fill the gaps. We've heard repeating songs in many games
(Zelda springs to mind) but none that make you so irritated and restless.
The gameplay in The Karate Kid is just aboslutely terrible. Using the special
attacks can be executed only by standing still, which gives you virtually no
edge over the enemy. Jumping either left or right is difficult, and if you
bump into an enemy or obstacle, it knocks you back about thirty feet. Getting
caught between two villians almost certainly leads to your doom, and on top
of it all, there's no way to jump down from a platform once you're on top!
The third level is insane with all the stuff flying at you and your character
being constantly pushed back, and with only four levels and absolute
predictability, this shouldn't have taken the hour it took me to beat.
No Miyagi to guide your path, no girl to win, and we don't know who Chozen
is or why you need to beat him stupid. And why can't we use the crane kick
or drum punch as often as we want to? No substance, no glory, no challenge
(apart from a few nuisances). If I want a mindless game, I'll play Taboo.
You might pick it up again to see if you can beat it, but you won't play for
long.
Yet another crappy movie to video game translation from LJN to try to rake
in a profit before the craze of the movie dies down. Bang out a game in three
weeks and don't make too many of them. Let's just say it didn't heighten my
spirits as much as the movie did.
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II. Story
As mentioned in the introduction, there is none. We don't have any clue who
Chozen is, where Mr. Miyagi is, or why we're going through this. It's clear
this one didn't take too long to produce before the luster of the movie died
down. The following is the only story you'll ever receive for The Karate Kid
NES game and it's found only in the manual (and the internet):
Think you can handle a real Martial Arts challenge? Then how about guiding
DANIEL SAN through the series of hazzards, obstacles and challenges that
stand in his path? But don't think that just being able to fight will get
you through. This time its not enough to just punch, kick, and jump...this
time your total Martial Arts training will be put to the test. Your
discipline and inner control could be what saves your life. You must prove
that you are capable of thinking, reasoning, and reacting. Catching a fly
with your chopsticks, or splitting blocks of ice with your bare hand is just
as important as fighting face to face with your enemy.
This challenge will take you to the Karate Tournament in L.A., the back roads
of Okinawa and many strange areas beyond. Always keep your mind clear and
remember all that you've been taught and maybe...just maybe... you'll make it.
Well that clears everything up - the story, the girl, the enemy. I've been
stuck in the bathroom, freaked out with nothing to read, and had more
interesting toothpaste stories to tell. And, 15 years ago, someone at LJN at
some point pitched the toothpaste ingredient game to the committee, but
they rejected it until a movie came out about it. They were masters at
bastardizing movies, but they had a million dollars. I could have had a
million dollars, but I was only 10 in 1987. But, and as much as the sweater
and Edward James Olmos face creeped me out, I could have come up with a
better Nightmare on Elm Street video game.
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III. Controls
A) Title Screen
Start - Jump to game menu
B) Game Menu
Up/Down/Select - Scroll game options
Start - Choose game
C) In Game
Left/Right - Move Daniel-San left/right
Up - Jump
Down - Crouch
A - Punch
B - Kick
Up + A - Jump and punch
Up + B - Jump and kick
Down + A - Crouch and punch
Down + B - Sweep Kick
A - Drum Punch (Special power needed)
B - Crane Kick (Special power needed)
A/B - Close chopsticks (During Chopstick Fly Catch bonus stage)
A/B - Dodge swinging hammer (During Swinging Hammer bonus stage)
A/B - Break ice blocks (During Ice Block Break bonus stage)
Start - Pause
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IV. Game Modes
A) One Player
One player moves Daniel-San through the four levels of The Karate Kid.
B) Two Player
Two players alternate turns playing the four stages.
C) One-On-One
Two players battle each other, one playing as Daniel-San and player two
controls the game's boss enemy, Chozen. Chozen has the same moves but
inflicts more damage than Daniel-San.
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V. Items
A) Crane Kick
A crane kick, represented by a letter "C" may appear when enemies are hit.
It will add one crane kick to your inventory and replenish your life two bars.
B) Life Boosters
1) Monkey
The Monkey refills your life by eight bars.
2) Child
The child refills your life by eight bars.
3) Mr. Miyagi
Mr. Miyagi refills your life bars completely.
C) Typhoon Child
The child at the top of the ladder on stage three must be collected to finish
the level.
D) Checkpoints
If Daniel-San is defeated on stages stages two through four, he may begin the
level at a certain point in the middle of the stage rather than at the
beginning. Not exactly items, these checkpoints are received as you progress
through the levels.
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VI. Enemies
A) Student
Stage one is a Karate Tournament divided into four different levels, during
which time you will fight other competetors with different skill levels.
Students are worth 2000 points and fight just like Daniel-San.
B) Ninja
Ninjas wear orange for levels two and three, and an off-white gi for level
four. During levels two and three they can receive one hit of damage and two
hits in level four. Ninjas fight like your character and are worth 200 points.
C) Spear Ninja
During level four, some ninjas will carry spears and have yellow outfits.
First, Daniel-San must knock the weapon away by hitting the enemy, thereby
turning him into a normal ninja with the off-white suit, able to sustain one
more hit of damage. Spear ninjas are worth 500 points.
D) Flying Items
Flying items do not inflict damage to Daniel-San, but they will knock him
back or forward quite a distance if they connect. Each item if destroyed is
worth 100 points.
1) Stick
The stick appears on level three and flies through the air straight from
left to right.
2) Bird
The bird flies in a circular pattern from left to right on level three.
3) Pot
During stages two and three, pots may be thrown in any area with potted
plants around from behind the scenes.
4) Boulder
In level four, "The Last Battle With Chozen," Boulders may roll from
off-screen either left to right or vice versa. In order to destroy them,
Daniel-San can kick or punch them, or jump directly on top of them.
5) Small Rock
During stage four, in an area with a rock patch, small rocks will be thrown
from behind like the potted plants or cabbages.
6) Cabbage
Cabbages appear during stages two and three in the midst of a cabbage patch,
and are thrown like the potted plants on the same stages.
E) Chozen
Chozen fights Daniel-San at the end of stages two, three, and four. He moves
and attacks just like Daniel-San. On stage two, he has eight life bars, and
on stages three and four, he holds sixteen. He rewards Daniel-San with 2000
points for defeating him and winning the battle on stage four completes the
game.
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VII. Statistics
A) Crane Kicks
You begin the game with four crane kicks and they are executed by pressing
the B button alone. As in the movie, Daniel-San will jump in the air and kick
his opponent twice. More crane kicks may appear when enemies are damaged, and
they may also be rewarded during the bonus stages. The number of crane kicks
you may use is displayed in the upper right hand corner of the game screen,
represented by the letter "C."
B) Drum Punches
Drum punches are performed like the crane kicks, only using the A button.
Like the second movie, your character will spin, inflicting powerful damage
on his opponents. Drum punches are only received from the bonus stages. The
number of drum punches to which Daniel-San has access are next to the crane
kicks in the upper right portion of the screen, represented by the letter "D."
C) Chances
Chances, or lives, are the number of times Daniel-San may be defeated before
the game is over. You begin the game with three chances, but an extra one is
rewarded every 20,000 points.
D) Life Meter
The upper left corner displays Daniel-San's energy. He begins each stage with
16 bars of life and some is taken away every time he receives damage. When
Daniel-San's life meter reaches zero, he dies and must begin the stage again
from the last checkpoint.
E) Score
The number of points your character has received is displayed in the upper
right corner of the screen, above your crane kick and drum punch count.
During the game menu screen, the highest score of any player since the game
has been turned on is shown.
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VIII. Bonus Levels
A) Chopstick Fly Catch
Six flies buzz around in a circular motion. Repeatedly press A when one is
near your chopsticks to catch it. You will hear a beep indicating you have
caught it and you can move onto another. Their movements are predictable and
you should concentrate on one at a time. Hope to get the chopstick fly catch
bonus every time you go into a room. It's certainly the easiest to master
and, in just a few tries, you'll get the maximum bonus every time.
B) Ice Block Break
Watch the upper left corner where your character's energy level is. A moment
after you enter the screen, it will start to rise fast and lower again.
Unfortunately, the peak varies each time and you won't always have the
opportunity to break all six blocks. No matter how high it goes, get a good
feel for the maximum power you can get out of it by watching it go up and
down a few times and hit A or B at the top to break as many blocks as you
can. Note: If you don't break any, a fly buzzes down and lands on your nose.
It's supposed to be cute. It isn't.
C) Swinging Hammer
This is definitely the most difficult bonus level. Face the hammer when it
falls toward you. Press either button to drum punch and you will spin around
to dodge it (don't worry - it doesn't actually use up your collected drum
punches). When you spin, turn to face the hammer coming in the opposite
direction. Again, press a button to dodge it again. Do this up to six times.
If you get hit, you'll fall into the water and your bonus will be over. You
can jump and clear the hammer as it comes at you, but it won't count towards
your bonus. The hammer only swings six times.
D) Bonuses
Your rewards for the bonus levels are for the number of blocks you break,
flies you catch, or hammers you dodge. It is the same for all three.
0 - no bonus
1 - no bonus
2 - no bonus
3 - 1000 points, 1 drum punch, 1 crane kick
4 - 2000 points, 2 drum punches, 1 crane kick
5 - 3000 points, 3 drum punches, 2 crane kicks
6 - 5000 points, 4 drum punches, 3 crane kicks
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IX. Walkthrough
A) Karate Tournament
1) First Round
Grey Student - 8 Life Bars
You begin the game with four crane kicks, and they're too hard to hold on
to, so just wait for him to come to you and kick him twice. The crane kick
will execute automatically, and two shots will do it.
2) Quarter Final Round
Yellow Student - 10 Life Bars
With two crane kicks left, use the same technique as the first round. After
you kick him twice, he might have a smidgen left, so just wait for him to
come at you and kick him one more time.
3) Semi Final Round
Blue Student - 12 Life Bars
It should take about six kicks to finish this guy off. If you're noticing
the pattern, you're pretty sharp. Wait for him to approach you, kick him
back, and repeat. Get your 2000 points and proceed to the final round.
4) Final Round
Dark Blue Student - 14 LIfe Bars
See above. Pretty much a no-brainer, just kick all of these guys and they
keep coming at you. It makes you wonder how they ended up in this tournament.
After this guy, you'll be sporting 8000 points, well on your way to a free
guy, and ready to start level two - where you get to move.
B) Daniel-San In Okinawa
You begin in front of a few palm trees and a little hut thingie, obviously
the type of hut thingies that people from Okinawa live in to drink their tea
and catch flies in their chopsticks. You are facing right with an adamant
look on your face, so proceed in this direction. In just a few steps, you
should run into a ninja style karate boy who looks suprisingly like you
without the headband. Possibly, you'll run into two. Get used to this look,
as he is just about the only enemy you'll see for the next two stages.
There are others, but they hide behind bridges and throw pots at Daniel-San.
The kick is about the only move you'll use for the next two stages. Don't try
to hang onto your crane kicks, as it's too difficult to advance on an enemy
and kick at the same time. Whenever you see one of these little guys coming,
hold your ground and kick away.
Every once in a while, you will be trapped between two enemies. This is where
you'll use your drum punches. They will knock you back and forth and beat
you to death. Take a breath, count to one, and hit the A button alone, as
in don't try to hold left or right. This will activate the drum punch, and
you might get both of them. Make sure, however, that you're facing right
when you hit it so you get the guy who is in your path, not behind you.
A bit of a flaw is the maximum two enemies per screen. If you can time it
right, while on the highest point of a screen, it's possible to get two
enemies behind you and make them follow you for a while, and sometimes to
the end. If you pull this off, it's better than two free "chances" and 16
crane kicks, so skip all the bonus rooms until they drop into the water or
get stopped by an empass and jump around like idiots.
Okinawa is a straight forward, so to speak, sort of level, and you'll want
to execute the two-enemies-behind-you method right away, but hit a couple
of bonus rooms until you get there.
Proceed right until you're on a bridge. Enemies will be coming in both
directions, and this might be a good place to build up your points, while
simultaneously learning the skill of taking out the chop suey ninja masters.
Every one you kill gives you 200 points, so for every 100 you take out,
that's a free life. I wouldn't spend too much time here, but if you get
lucky here, you'll end up with two behind you. If that happens, move along
until you hit the water.
Moving right, in a minute, you'll run into some more paper wall hut houses
with a walkway in front of them. As a result of poor planning and programming,
once you jump up to that walkway, you cannot decend, and the same is true
for all the platforms throughout the game. You need to find the end or a
hole to get down. And, unlike the true karate master knows, having the higher
ground is really terrible when it comes to fighting in The Karate Kid. It is
much better to be underneath the enemy and kick upward.
It would seem that using the sweep kick would give you an advantage over an
enemy beneath you, but it's harder to pull off than the swinging hammer
bonus stage, so if you're above an enemy on a platform, you had better just
back off until he jumps up to equal footing.
A ways to the right, you'll see an entrance to the hut, which might
magically transport you to a bridge with a swinging hammer, or you might
simply meet the owner, put your hands together, bow, and eat some flies.
These rooms are everywhere for the next three stages and you will have one
of three tasks to master: The ice block break, the swinging hammer, or the
chopstick fly catch. See the "Bonus Levels" section for a full description
of maximizing your potential in the bonus levels.
After you finish your bonus, you'll automatically exit the room, and to the
right you'll see some more indigenous palm trees and the common Okinawa
cabbage patch. Somebody is back there throwing these things at you, so watch
your step. They don't take off any damage when the hit you, but they will
knock you back for miles, so kick them if you can for 100 points, but get
out of there as fast as possible.
Up and down some steps, you'll come to a little pit in the ground with some
water. Make sure there are no enemies around you and jump over it. Yes, it
will kill you if you fall.
A few steps later, you'll find another hut entrance, so get in it when you
can. Complete the bonus and exit. In a second, you'll see another entrance
that looks exactly the same as the last. And as a funny trick, it's not. But
in just a second there is another one. Go on in and do another bonus stage.
When completed, go down to the right and watch for falling karate champions.
In a second, you'll come to yet another entrance. April fools - it's another
fake.
Halfway there. There is a bit of a ledge in front of the not-a-door, so catch
your breath here and get ready to have an enemy behind you and one in front
of you for the next few meters. If it doesn't happen, you're pretty lucky.
Just keep moving right and get to the next bonus stage quick. You're also
going through another cabbage patch, so be real careful. You will eventually
come to an extremely large opening to a bonus stage, so go get some more
crane kicks.
Upon exiting, to the right you'll see what looks like another entrance to a
bonus, but isn't, and beyond that a small area with wicker woodworking and
potted plants. Yeah, those plants get thrown at you, but in the center MIGHT
be one of three things: A monkey, little girl, or Mr. Miyagi. These all
replenish your life bars in different increments.
After you have maybe collected your bonus life, move to the right and enter
the obvious door, the last one on this level. To the right there is are some
wall scrolls with "I tried to imitate Japanese writing and failed" and some
highly organized sickles. Wipe out the last couple of ninjas and then you
will meet Chozen, who is just a ninja who takes more than one hit and wears
a brown gi.
Like the first student in the tournament, he only has 8 bars of life and two
crane kicks take him out, but even if you've depleted your source of magical
crane kicks, just stand your ground and kick him when he approaches. The
technique doesn't need to be flawless, and he goes down like a ton of bricks.
Defeat Chozen for 2000 bonus points and some musical fanfare. You're onto
the real challenge - stage three.
C) The Typhoon Strikes
Every Okinawan child knows when the weekly typhoon hits, watch out for
sticks, birds, and ninjas. The white streaks flying at you represent the
75 mph southwestern winds and if you stand still, it will push you back.
But your hair will always be perfect with that headband and black belts
have developed cold proofing skills to allow them to wear a tank top, even
in freezing rain.
Jump onto the moldy bricks to the right and move along. Avoid the debris if
you can, but don't waste too much time trying to hit it. Sometimes it's
better to take it and roll with it (like Steve Winwood) and get on with the
level. Worry about the flying terrors when you get to the water, but until
then, get onto the first bonus level. With all the stuff in the air, it's
basically impossible to get two enemies behind you for too long, so don't
even bother trying.
Your first bonus stage is across the bridge, and at the end of the walkway
you come to. Cross your chopsticks and win some crane kicks.
Moving to the right, it looks like the game has glitched up with unfitting
wicker patterns, stones, and bricks, with one of the life bonuses in the
middle. The problems with making a game in three months show.
You'll see a hut to the right and in front of that are top and bottom
walkways. You'll probably fall to the bottom if you try to stay in the sky
anyway, so get to the bottom, jump the pit, avoid falling dragon clan lords,
and skip the "not really a bonus room" at the end.
Cross the log bridge and climb the steps to the palm trees. Chill here for
a second until there are two guys beneath you to the right. When you've got
them trapped, jump over them, run to the right, grab a life bonus if it's
there, and get in that room. To the immediate right after this bonus stage
is another one, so go in there, get hit by the swinging hammer on the first
try, and exit.
Up the steps, you'll see an annoying cabbage patch, which is the most amount
of stuff flying at you the human brain can handle. Once through, go up the
one-two-three wooden step thingies and go in the bonus room on the top. It's
difficult going up these with the ninjas so time it right. Back off until
you've cleared the way.
Now you're halfway there and at the most annoying part of any game ever
created for the NES. Beneath you will be some Mexican-jumping-karate-champs,
small platforms, and lots of water. This carries on for a minute, so time
everything perfectly. Try to stay on top for as long as possible, but if you
drop to the bottom, keep moving and don't try to get back up. Kick flying
sticks when you can so as not to get knocked back into the water. Crouch when
you need to stand still and catch your breath. And once you have fallen to
the bottom, and you will fall to the bottom, keep away from holes in the top
platforms where enemies can get the drop on you. Maintain your patience and
sigh with relief when you get to that bonus stage. After that, it's not quite
over yet, but in just a couple of jumps you'll come to some steps getting you
out of there. Here, it's real easy to get knocked back into the water by
decending greaser looking orange jumpsuits, but kick high and power through
it.
You're safe when you get to the top, so go a bit to the right, and in the
midst of the bamboo mess, there is a secret bonus stage. After this, climb
to the top and avoid flying pots in addition to everything else. Then avoid
flying cabbage patch kids, and go to the bottom to meet Chozen again.
You'll see a ladder, made in Japan, with a bell and a crying child, who
doesn't seem to be too affected by the typhoon. In a second, Chozen will
come out with a whopping 16 points of life. That means you need to kick him
a whole eight times before you wipe him out.
If you don't want to deal with this level of difficulty, you can simply jump
up the rungs and rescue the girl, but you'll never know if you're the true
Karate Kid until you kick that brown suited guy eight times in the face.
Plus, you get another 2000 points. Rescuing the child actually ends the
level, so upon dispensing the gangstar, grab her and proceed to the final
level.
D) The Last Fight Against Chozen
To prepare for the last fight against chozen, you deck yourself out in the
red karate gear, complete with matching headband. In this purple clouded,
rocky area of Japan, there are no cabbages or potted plants, but offscreen
bad guys roll boulders at you for fun. And, they hide behind rock patches
and throw them at you. And to boot, the ninjas have changed into a creamy
color top with black pants, but nobody wears any shoes. They now take two
hits to defeat and reward you with the same 200 points. Sometimes, they carry
spiky spears, which can be annoying, but one drum punch will knock it away.
These baddies are worth a big 500 points and fabulous prizes. This is
certainly an easy stage, however, to get two enemies behind you and simply
run to the end.
To the right a bit, you'll see a pot on the ground with a hidden bonus stage.
Don't enter it, rather stand at the highest point and wait. If someone comes
behind you, wipe him out. When there are two angry, anxious, jumping ninjas
below, jump far to the right and let them follow you for as long as possible.
Down the mountain, you'll see what looks like a bonus area. Even if it was,
you'd skip it, as having these two guys at a distance behind you is a
blessing. You can jump on boulders for 100 points ala Mario and mischevious
mushrooms, but don't get hit by them. You need to keep these two guys away
from you.
Up and down three times, then up, then down, then up a bit higher, and so on,
you will eventually come to a bonus stage. Skip it and move right.
Halfway there, keep those chumps behind you. You'll go up another mountain
and then come to a long straight path. Stay on top and keep on truckin'.
With luck, they won't fall into the only hole in the floor, but don't give
these guys too much credit. They will.
It doesn't matter too much, because shortly after this, you're at the end.
You'll know, because all Japanese gang lords with pompadors are protected
by fat puppy statues. The cubes in the water beneath are important as well
for chakra balance, which is why he is just as difficult to take out as the
last round - with an equal number of 16 life bars.
Stand here for a second to watch the ninjas jump at you into the water. It's
really kinda funny. When the time is right, jump to the platform. There's a
girl sitting there, who might be Chozen's girl or might be your girl. You're
not really sure, as nobody has really told you yet exactly why you're
putting your life on the line.
You cannot be knocked off the platform, so just kick away. Use the drums
if you have any leftover. The game's over after this and you don't even get
a second quest with the return of Chozen.
Miyagi says something uplifting and winks, then "The End." That's all there
is to it.
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X. Glitch
Suprisingly, I only found one in the entire game. I guess when a game is
this awful, poor brain-power and programming are glitchy enough. When in two
player mode, after player one dies, player two begins the game with an extra
life.
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XI. Notes
The Karate Kid is the third of my walkthroughs, the first of which was a
tiny Zelda first quest start-up walkthrough, as of yet unpublished, and the
second is a complete game description for Rygar, which can be found on
www.gamefaqs.com. In the future, I intend to move onto other original NES
games like Section Z, and I am currently working on a project for Trojan.
