The story of an unassuming underdog rising through the karate ranks because of a sensible old master who teaches him to fight comically villainous bullies seems perfect for a video game, but there’s never been a superb The Karate Kid game. Several developers have given it the old college try through the years, but to no avail.
Although I’d like to say that I’ve been dreaming of the day that I’d get my hands on a superb Karate Kid game, I just didn’t think it could occur. Then The Karate Kid: Street Rumble, Odaclick Game Studio’s a 2D retro beat ‘em up, was revealed, and a sliver of hope grew slowly but surely in my heart like a bonsai tree.
If there was any genre that would finally give The Karate Kid a probability for something half playable, it’s a classic arcade brawler within the vein of Turtles in Time. Street Rumble doesn’t get near that legendary status (almost nothing could best Turtles, in spite of everything), nevertheless it does stand firmly with one leg raised as the very best Karate Kid game of all-time… even when that’s not saying much.
A Cliffnotes Retelling Of The Karate Kid Trilogy
Street Rumble very loosely recounts the events of the unique Karate Kid trilogy, with 4 playable characters, Daniel, Ally, Miyagi, and Kumiko, fighting from the primary All-Valley Tournament all of the option to the abandoned Cobra Kai dojo where they’re tormented by everyone’s favourite harasser of kids, Terry Silver.
Kumiko and Ally are interesting picks for playable characters that add some variety, but I’m disenchanted that Johnny Lawrence isn’t a secret unlockable fighter.
The in-game visuals and detailed sprites do a pleasant job representing the characters and world of Karate Kid, with many of the locations and events you’d expect to see, just like the Halloween dance from the primary movie, getting their probability to shine within the highlight. The characters specifically are a highlight, with each having some charming animations that capture their spirit perfectly even with the constraints of pixelated graphics.
Even though it was a pleasant surprise to see all three movies represented in Street Rumble, it’s hardly the very best adaptation of the movies, with slideshow cutscenes telling a cliffnotes version of the events that seems like it’d only be understood by individuals who already know what’s happening. I didn’t expect much of a retelling from a retro beat ‘em up, nevertheless it doesn’t doesn’t do the general low-cost feeling to its presentation any favours.
Street Rumble’s levels are surprisingly lengthy too, with each stage taking around 10 minutes and feeling somewhat too long within the tooth.
Satisfying 2D Brawling With A Few Twists
Street Rumble’s visuals are nice enough and fit well with the ‘80s nostalgia, even in the event that they don’t go further beyond that. That goes for the gameplay too – when you’ve ever played a side-scrolling beat ‘em up before, you then’ll know exactly what to anticipate here. Each character has a mix of sunshine attacks, heavy attacks, throws, and special moves which are functionally the identical as each other, but have unique animations to make them stand out a bit.
A lot of the mechanics in Street Rumble aren’t anything recent, but they’re adequately satisfying, especially with what number of enemies you face and wipe the ground with during each level. It tries and adds a bit more depth too by having unlockable moves and stat bonuses as you utilize each character more and level them up. Think Shredder’s Revenge but more simplistic, which is just about Street Rumble in a half (nut) shell.
The one other way that Danny’s retro retelling separates itself from other beat ‘em ups is with the way it handles special moves, that are referred to as signature attacks. As you fight and defeat enemies, you’ll replenish a bar that might be used to unleash powerful near-insta-kill abilities which are different for every character. That part’s pretty standard, but Street Rumble mixes it up a bit by making that very same meter a shield for players that depletes when hit.
This creates a pleasant risk versus reward system. Do you utilize up your special moves each time the bar is charged to simply take out enemies, or do you play it protected by holding off on crane kicks and giving yourself a bit more leeway against the more powerful brutes and managers?
Street Rumble Is Decent, But Doesn’t Go Much Further Than That
Like all the pieces else in Street Rumble, it’s not groundbreaking, nevertheless it does show that there’s been some thought and energy into doing something different. That very same effort might be seen in the assorted minigames which are dotted throughout the campaign, which riff on scenes within the movie like catching flies and practising your kicks on a beachside stump.
Street Rumble does have just a few unique chase levels, but they don’t really change up the gameplay and still just have you ever fighting a bunch of dudes.
While Street Rumble does try its best to have an identity, those attempts don’t do all that much to make it stand out. At the top of the day, it’s a reasonably generic side-scrolling retro brawler with a good Karate Kid coat of paint, and it doesn’t must do way more than that to technically be the very best around.
Still, even when Street Rumble doesn’t do much to face out from the group, it’s a good brawler in its own right and price trying out for fans of The Karate Kid. It’s not going to win on the All-Valley Tournament, but no less than it put up more of a fight than Cobra Kai: Dojo’s Rising.
