Get ready to battle in the world’s first two player fighter- Karate Champ!

Hey Arcaders!

Are you prepared to show off your fighting skills? If so, get ready to fight in Karate Champ!

Karate Champ, known in Japan as Karate Dō (空手道, “The Way of the Empty Hand“), is a 1984 arcade fighting game developed by Technōs Japan for Data East. Karate Champ started and popularized the one-on-one fighting genre. A variety of moves can be performed using the dual-joystick controls using a best-of-three matches format like later fighting games.

An updated version that allows two players the option to compete against each other was released in 1984 under the title Karate Champ — Player vs Player (対戦空手道 美少女青春編, Taisen Karate Dō: Bishōjo Seishun Hen, “The Competitive Way of the Empty Hand: Pretty Maiden Edition”), featuring a multiplayer mode and more varied gameplay- it was the version we got in the U.S. It was released for the arcades shortly after the original during the same year, also published by Data East. This version was released internationally as Karate Champ (the original single-player version was exclusive to Japan), and would serve as the basis for the home ports of Karate Champ… and started the competitive fighter game – almost ten years before the Street Fighter II craze. And in 1984- you bet this machine had ROWS of quarters running across the header (for you young folks- we would put quarters across a header or bezel to indicate who played the champ of the last game, next.)

Let’s take a look how intricate the controls for this game (amazing for 1984!) It seems hard enough, but play it a few times- it becomes second nature.

This was the first real Data east cabinet I ever saw- simple but effective.

Let’s compare the two arcade games- first the single player version from Japan-

…Now the two player competitive version we got in the U.S.

There wasn’t a lot of home ports in the day- the NES port is BAD.

I liked a unique take on Karate Champ on the Atari 8 bit- Chop Suey. It’s awesome.

Karate Champ hasn’t been forgotten by modern players- in 2019, Arcade 1up came out with a Karate Champ cabinet- just before the Burgertime cab. I has the same selection- but Karate Champ is front and center!

MyArcade also has a mini cab- sadly it plays the NES port.

It can also be played on modern consoles via the Arcade Archives – no relation.

So- have you ever played Karate Champ? Did you ever get the Karate Champ title- and in the U.S. version, win the affection of all the lady fair? This is a game I still enjoy a few rounds!

Let me know in the comments!

Keep Playin’ Like It’s 1981!