Review: The Making of Karateka

destructoid.com:

Selling 1984’s Karateka on its own today might be a difficult proposition. It was an extremely influential game, and it’s still very entertaining to play today, but it was a pioneer on ground that has since become well-trodden. Typically, this sort of game that was important but largely superseded would be found in one of any number of game collections. But The Making of Karateka is not that.

Sure, you don’t just get Karateka. You also get a number of ports, prototypes, a full remaster, and a remastered prototype. But the focus is clearly on the marquee title.

However, using context created through behind-the-scenes videos, documents, and other material, Digital Eclipse has elevated this one game to an almost indispensable level. I’m used to playing games for nothing more than to expand my historical perspective. However, I usually have to supplement it with external research. The Making of Karateka is the first classic remaster that wraps up everything I love about retro gaming into a single package.

The Making of Karateka (PC [Reviewed], Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, PS4, PS5, Switch)
Developer: Digital Eclipse
Publisher: Digital Eclipse
Released: August 29, 2023, TBA (Switch)
MSRP: $19.99

If you’re just hoping for a modern port of Jordan Mechner’s 1984 Apple II game, you’re getting (and paying for) a lot more than you’re expecting. The Making of Karateka is more of an interactive documentary. Atari 50: The Anniversary Celebration had much the same makeup (in fact, the UI is largely identical). However, with that game, you at least got a collection of classic Atari games alongside the documentary content. They just weren’t quite as in-depth.

With The Making of Karateka, it goes into all the details. There are interviews