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International Karate
/ System 3
1986
Screenshots: « play/stop »
The game
International Karate is a simulation game where one or two people can compete
against each other or play the computer. Depending on your level of skill, you
will fly around the world to eight different international locations. You will
also have to compete in two special rounds dodging various weapons and smashing
a stack of tiles with your head.
At all stages of the game, you will be watched over by a wise old judge who will
make decisions and instruct you accordingly. As you fight your way up through
the various levels, you will be awarded a belt colour, and high achievers can
enter their initials into the Hall of Fame. As well as the fights sounds, competitors
can listen to the oriental background music.
Players don't have to read all the rules below as they can be learnt very easily
just by playing the game straight away.
Game controls
Rearmost joystick port for while jacketed player in one player game. Frontmost
joystick port for red jacketed player.
F1: Begin a one player game against the computer.
F3: Begin a two player game, with the winner fighting the computer.
F5: Disable/enable the sound effects.
F7: Disable/enable the background music.
There's other keys to perhaps change game speed or maybe...
Joystick movements
Only the joystick is used to play the game. The best to use are the ones with
a firm tactile feel to them such as the original Atari joysticks. The large wobbly
ones are less manageable since they move to far and give little feel as to when
their switches have made contact. Auto-fire joysticks are of no use.
Each of the eight positions of the joystick gives a different type of move, and
pressing the button gives another eight moves. However, some moves end up with
your man facing the other direction. When this happens, all the move positions
will be mirrored from left to right.
Controlling your man
| Without button pressed |
| Up: |
Jump |
| Up/Right: |
Front junge punch |
| Right: |
Walk forward |
| Right/Down: |
Chest kick |
| Down: |
Foot sweep |
| Down/Left: |
Crouch punch |
| Left: |
Walk backwards |
| Left/Up: |
Back lunge punch |
| Â |
 |
| With button pressed |
| Up: |
Flying kick |
| Up/Right: |
Front somersault |
| Right: |
Front kick |
| Right/Down: |
Front side kick |
| Down: |
Back crouch punch |
| Down/Left: |
Back side kick |
| Left: |
Roundhouse |
| Left/Up: |
Back somersault |
Holding and cancelling your move
When making an attacking move, you must hold the joystick in position until your
man has made the attack. If your release the joystick before this happens, then
your man will return to the standing stance position. However, if you continue
holding the joystick, your man will stay in the attacking move until you select
another move or release the joystick.
Quick move changes
It is possible to make moves in quick succession without the man pausing in between.
This is done by selecting your first move and holding it until the attack has
occurred, and then quickly selecting your next move before your man has a chance
to return to the standing position. This allows you to do, say, two or three somersaults
to get out of trouble.
Blocking moves
It is possible to block stomach and head attacks made by your opponent. To do
this, you select the walk backwards move, then if you get attacked at close range,
your man will go into a block move for the duration of the attack. It is not possible
to block chin kicks and footsweeps. The only way of evading them is to jump out
of the way or attack back with a flying kick or whatever.
Game object
Whether you have won a two player game or have started on a one player game, you
will eventually end up fighting the computer. It is then your task to fight on
for as long as possible. As your score builds up you are awarded one of six belt
colours, with the highest being black belt. Then at the end of the game, you have
the chance of entering your initials, score and belt colour in the Hall of Fame.
One player game
To start a one player game, you need to press the F1 button. In this game you
play the white man fighting the computer controlled red man. The game consists
of a cycle of three bouts of fighting followed by either a weapons stage or a
smashing tiles stage. (The level you are on is shown to the right of the time,
in the middle.) But the game ends as soon as the computer beats you in a bout.
Each bout lasts 30 seconds, during which you must beat the computer. For each
successful hit you make, the judge will decide how good the move was, and award
you a half point or a full point. You also get a score depending on the complexity
and accuracy of the move.
The first man to score two or more whole points within the 30 seconds, wins that
bout and receives a score bonus for the remaining time on the clock. If time runs
out, the winner of the bout is the person with the most points, or if equal, it
is then the person who has scored the most in the round, or if equal, the judge
decides on who made the best attempt. If you have not done anything, the game
will reset to demo mode. The game ends when the computer beats you and if your
score is good enough, you enter the Hall of Fame.
Two player game
You select the two player game by pressing the F3 button. In this game mode, you
and a friend battle it out over the best of three bouts with the winner going
on to fight the computer in a one player game. The game consists of up to three
60 second fighting bouts with either a weapons or tiles stage in between each
bout. The scoring is different to the one player game. Instead you will see a
line of six white and six red points symbols representing a Tug-of-War. Every
time someone knocks down their opponent, they win a point and the middle of the
line moves up one accordingly. If someone's colours reach their opponents end
of the Tug-of-War line before time runs out, then they win that round and get
a score bonus. You also get a score for each hit, but the amount depends on how
many seconds from the start it took. The quicker you are, the more you score.
There is also another line of three blue dots above the Tug-of-War display. This
lights up in white or red to show who has won the preceding bouts. The first person
to win two bouts, wins the two player game and enters the one player game against
the computer. Depending on how big your score is, you can enter the one player
game up to level three. If a player can win two bouts in a row, they are awarded
a 5,000 score bonus as will as winning the two player game. If at the end of a
bout, both players have equal points on the Tug-of-War display, then the scores
for that bout are used, and if these are equal, a draw is declared.
Smashing tiles stage
This is one of the special stages where you can build up your score depending
on how quick your reactions are. On entry to this stage, you will see your man
standing in front on a stack of ten grey tiles separated by bricks. The judge
will tell you to get ready for his signal to go, and then a few seconds later
will shout GO! Then as quick as possible, make any move with the joystick and
you will smash your head down on to the tiles. For each tile smashed, you get
100 added to your score, and if you break all of then, you get a 2,000 score bonus.
Weapons stage
This is another special stage where you must dodge a fixed sequence of stars,
spears and swords that cross the screen. As soon as one touches you, you are knocked
out. For each weapon dodged you score 100 and score 2,000 bonus if you survive
the whole stage.
Scoring
When fighting in bouts, you are awarded full score for a full point hit, and half
the score for a half point hit. The actual score for the various attack moves
are as follows:
| Move |
Full point hit |
Half point hit |
| Front lunge punch |
800 |
400 |
| Reverse lunge punch |
800 |
400 |
| Front stomach punch |
800 |
400 |
| Reverse stomach punch |
800 |
400 |
| Front chin kick |
200 |
100 |
| Reverse chin kick |
200 |
100 |
| Flying kick |
1,000 |
500 |
| Roundhouse kick |
1,000 |
500 |
| Stomach kick |
200 |
100 |
| Face kick |
800 |
400 |
| Footsweep kick |
400 |
200 |
Hall of fame
At the end of a one player game, you can enter your initials in the Hall of Fame
if your score is high enough. The letters are selected by moving the joystick
left to right, and are entered by pressing the button.
» Back
to the game
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