Slashman wrote on Feb 18, 2012, 20:20:

Ant wrote on Feb 18, 2012, 19:19:

Slashman wrote on Feb 18, 2012, 18:32:
*sigh*

I had forgotten the original box art. It actually still pisses me off!

This is in feudal Japan and the warlord is Japanese...but the princess and the hero are both blondes.

Jordan said it in Wired's interview:

“Honestly, I would do it with an Asian cast ... The reason the characters had white hair in the Apple II original is because it was the only color that would stand out against the black background. It didn’t really make sense to have blondes in 16th-century Japan...”

It was a design problem so I guess the cover artist did based on that computers' limitations.

That's a convenient answer, but the problem is that the facial features of the hero and princess aren't oriental either. If they had even slightly Japanese looking features with the blonde hair I could forgive it...plenty of Japanese men and women dye their hair...you still won't mistake them for caucasians when you see them. The warlord on the box art had oriental features

zirik wrote on Feb 18, 2012, 16:06:
first played karateka on a monochrome apple computer and later in color on the commodore 64. have lots of fond memories playing that game. hardest part for me was learning how to get past the spiked gate that drops inside the castle. later learned you can trip it first then run into it or walk past at the right moment as it draws up. i hope the remake doesnt turn it into a button mashing affair.

Snapdad wrote on Feb 18, 2012, 23:09:

No, it went the same direction, it just loaded upside-down.

Yaogun wrote on Feb 18, 2012, 22:30:

Snapdad wrote on Feb 18, 2012, 17:29:
If I flip my xbox over, will the game load upside-down?

You mean backwards? That was the one of the best easter eggs ever.

Snapdad wrote on Feb 18, 2012, 17:29:
If I flip my xbox over, will the game load upside-down?

Ant wrote on Feb 18, 2012, 19:19:

Slashman wrote on Feb 18, 2012, 18:32:
*sigh*

I had forgotten the original box art. It actually still pisses me off!

This is in feudal Japan and the warlord is Japanese...but the princess and the hero are both blondes.

Jordan said it in Wired's interview:

“Honestly, I would do it with an Asian cast ... The reason the characters had white hair in the Apple II original is because it was the only color that would stand out against the black background. It didn’t really make sense to have blondes in 16th-century Japan...”

It was a design problem so I guess the cover artist did based on that computers' limitations.

Ant wrote on Feb 18, 2012, 19:19:

Slashman wrote on Feb 18, 2012, 18:32:
*sigh*

I had forgotten the original box art. It actually still pisses me off!

This is in feudal Japan and the warlord is Japanese...but the princess and the hero are both blondes.

Jordan said it in Wired's interview:

“Honestly, I would do it with an Asian cast ... The reason the characters had white hair in the Apple II original is because it was the only color that would stand out against the black background. It didn’t really make sense to have blondes in 16th-century Japan...”

It was a design problem so I guess the cover artist did based on that computers' limitations.

Slashman wrote on Feb 18, 2012, 18:32:
*sigh*

I had forgotten the original box art. It actually still pisses me off!

This is in feudal Japan and the warlord is Japanese...but the princess and the hero are both blondes.

zirik wrote on Feb 18, 2012, 16:21:
forgot to mention that the box art on karateka looked like a movie poster. i wish i had kept my copy. anyone still have one in pristine condition? care to scan and upload it for all of us old timers?

Slashman wrote on Feb 18, 2012, 14:40:
Man I remember playing this on the Commodore 64 way back in the day. Had a real blast with it. I'd love to see it remade. Of course there is no mention of a PC version...which pisses me off.