LJN games have a really bad reputation. This is largely thanks to the Angry Video Game Nerd’s videos spreading like wildfire, but regardless of his hyperbole, LJN’s logo does show up on an awful lot of subpar games (except Jaws, which is a great game and I will die on that hill). The Karate Kid is indeed one of those subpar games, but in all honesty, it’s not nearly as bad as you might think. 

What’s kind of surprising about this game is that while it’s called The Karate Kid, it’s almost entirely about The Karate Kid Part II. There’s a minute or two worth of the All Valley tournament at the beginning of the game, but after that, it’s all about beating up dudes in Okinawa, surviving a typhoon, and fighting Chozen. Which is weird because I can’t shake the feeling there was a much more interesting game to be made based on the first movie. Imagine a bike chase level, or fighting against Johnny on the beach, or running away from the Cobra Kai goons during the Halloween dance! What we got instead, though, isn’t all that bad. 

It makes the cardinal error of having jump mapped to up on the D-pad instead of a button press. This was obviously done because they wanted both punches and kicks available, but Double Dragon’s imperfect “both buttons to jump” solution is WAY better than this mess. Up to jump works in fighting games, and that’s about it. 

Anyway, you take control of Daniel on the mean streets of Okinawa, fighting an infinite number of generic karate dudes while entering doors containing mini games based on classic Karate Kid scenes like the chopstick fly catch, ice break, and hammer dodge. They’re kind of fun, and add a nice amount of variety to the festivities. 

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As you play, you can pick up a number of icons that give you a limited number of Crane Kicks and Drum Punches, just like in the movies! They’re both just beefed up versions of your regular punches and kicks, but as the challenge ramps up, you’ll be glad you have them on hand. 

One major shortcoming would have to be the game’s length. It consists of four stages, but that’s being awfully generous. The first stage is the All Valley tournament, which isn’t much of a stage at all. Stage 2 and 3 are almost identical, with stage 3 effectively just stage 2 but during a typhoon. This game is short, which isn’t the end of the world, but it does make the entire experience feel just a tad underbaked. 

The action works well enough, if a little on the frustrating side thanks to some truly annoying damage bounce back, but it’s a manageable game when you put a little time into it. 

So, is it worth playing? I say yes, especially if you’re a fan of The Karate Kid universe. It’s certainly a better time than trying to watch the dreadful animated series. The visuals aren’t anything too fancy, but it isn’t an ugly game, and the soundtrack is genuinely pretty solid. As far as NES movie tie-in games go, you could do worse.