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Video game development is a work of art, and games like Karate Kid: Street Rumble are a true testament to this claim. Why is that? You may wonder. Well, the answer is quite simple. From the very beginning of video game history, developers tried to improve everything related to this medium, from the graphics, sounds, better voice acting, and generally everything to make games more realistic and lifelike.
And then suddenly, a video game surfaces that uses everything from the beginnings of the gaming era: pixelated graphics, the same old digitalised music, clumsy side-scrolling controls and we all love it. If that isn't art, I really don't know what is.
Of course, Karate Kid: Street Rumble is hardly the first game to adopt this approach, but I can say I will always be fascinated by games that look and feel like the first games we played a lot of years ago. Maybe it is nostalgia, maybe something else, but the fact remains: those games hold a certain charm, and we will never get enough of them.
Karate Kid: Street Rumble is a game that will transport you to some romantic and nostalgic years when gaming was as simple as pushing a couple of buttons, moving around, and accumulating loads of frustration and fun. If you crave something like that, then you're in the right place.
For everyone who knows a lot about Karate Kid lore and who watched all those movies and read the comics, this game will not bring something groundbreaking story-wise, because the story is quite simple and follows all those premises seen in the movies.
The story is told through several comic book-like cutscenes you'll meet at the beginning of the story mod. Those will introduce the story premise to you, which is nothing special and never seen before, to be honest, in fact, almost every movie about Karate Kid shares the same plot: a new kid in high school, bullies, sustaining from using karate skills because it's part of the karate school codex; well, you know the rest.
The story is very simple and will be used only to connect the dots between the different stages inside the story mode. The story mode features 18 levels or stages, and after each stage, you'll get another piece of the story all the way to the end.
Apart from the story mode, the game features several other modes, including minigames, boss rush, endless mode, and arcade mod. Each of those modes is unlocked once you finish the main story and give the game some additional content and challenges.
Mini-games are special levels within the story mode in which you play against one of the bot players. Those minigames require you to, for example, catch more flies than your opponent, stay on the pole longer than him, or be better at training sessions. The mechanics behind the minigames are mostly hitting the button at required times and solving some quick time sequences. These are a welcomed change of pace from the levels packed with action and can serve as a breather.
Boss rush mode is just that—fights against bosses one after another until you defeat all of them. Given that the game has four difficulty levels, the boss battles can be tackled on different difficulties, which can be a very challenging experience.
Endless mode will test your strength and how long you can survive against hordes of opponents that spawn endlessly, while arcade mode works pretty much the same; only the stages and types of enemies can be selected along with various difficulty settings.
Karate Kid: Street Rumble is a 2D side-scrolling beat 'em up game, with gameplay and mechanics reminiscent of classic side-scrolling fighters that dominated the gaming scene over 30 years ago.
When it comes to the fighting mechanics, Karate Kid: Street Rumble has quite a sophisticated fighting system. If you choose to play the game on a lower difficulty, the entire game can be finished by mushing the attack button with no problem, but if you decide to feel a bit more challenged, then you'll have to use everything this fighting system has to offer.
You'll be using classic light and heavy attacks which can be pressed in special order to form special combo attacks. Each attack fills a special metre, and once that metre is full, you'll be able to use a signature attack. However, this metre is also drained as you take damage, so you'll need to be careful not to get hit if you want to use more of the signature moves.
Apart from those attacks, you'll be able to use jump kicks, all sorts of grabs and beat-up attacks, and generally everything you can expect from one very sophisticated beat em-up game; everything you need is here.
Once a level starts, enemies will appear on the screen and you'll move from left to right to meet them and fight them. Apart from moving from left to right, you'll be able to move your character up and down as well, and this is where the game shows its greatest weakness.
Enemies will appear on the different lines or layers of the given level, and you won't be able to hit an enemy if you do not stand in the exact line where he stands; if you position your player just a millimetre upper or lower, you'll be hitting empty air. This can be so frustrating that, on several occasions, I was ready to quit the game because the level of annoyance was immeasurable.
At the end of each level, and sometimes even mid-level, a boss will appear and you'll have to fight it. The bosses are really nothing special and not even once I had to use any special strategy to beat them. The only difference was that the bosses had more health and distinct health bars, nothing more than that.
As you beat enemies and complete stages, you get experience points and gain levels. Every new level adds something special to your character like an additional focus segment, more signature moves, and more. The higher the level, the more powerful your character becomes, and the best thing is that you do not have to worry about spending those points; they are automatically unlocked as you gain levels.
Speaking of characters, you can choose several of them, and each character has different signature moves and different attacks, so each level can be completed with all the characters. the characters you can play with are the original Karate Kid characters like Daniel Larusso, Ali Mills, Kumiko, Mr. Miyagi, and more. As you progress through the story the new characters and the new variations of the same characters unlock.
Visually, Karate Kid: Street Rumble feels like it took a 30-year nap and woke up in the present day. The characters and environments feature pixelated artwork, while the HUD and all text and animations are rendered in high resolution. This blend of pixelated art and crisp visuals creates an interesting mix of modern and retro styles, giving the game a unique charm.
Despite its nostalgic looks, I believe the level design of Karate Kid: Street Rumble falls short. While each level is set in a different location—ranging from streets, arcades, and dojos to natural settings or parking lots—the overall structure feels repetitive. Although the environments change, the levels themselves lack variety and end up feeling quite similar. No matter where you are, it always feels like you're in the same place.
Given its graphic settings, the game is not demanding and can run smoothly on lower-end machines. The PC version I played performed flawlessly, maintaining stable framerates with no crashes or stuttering issues.
Regarding sounds, the game uses old electronic "gamy" music used in the first video games, and apart from pixelated graphics, those sounds, especially the soundtrack, will hit you so hard that they will launch you back in time at the very beginning of the video game era. The music that plays in the background while you beat the hoards of baddies is phenomenal and probably one of the best parts of this game.
The other sounds like those authentic karate hits and screams are made well as well, so everything in this game works to wake up the nostalgic feeling inside of you, along with the sounds that elevate this feeling even on a bigger level.
Conclusion
If you are an older gamer who remembers the beginnings of the video game era, then Karate Kid: Street Rumble will evoke a nostalgic feeling inside of you for this feeling only, I guarantee you, you'll love this game.
However, if nostalgia doesn’t hold much appeal for you and you’re not someone who values classic games for their own sake, you might not find Karate Kid: Street Ruble that appealing.
The Good
Nostalgic pixelated art style- Complex and sophisticated fighting system
- Brilliant soundtrack and sound effects
- Different characters with unique signature moves and attacks
The Bad
Repetitive level design with little variation- Frustrating enemy positioning system
- Bosses lack depth and strategic challenge
