The Karate Kid: Street Rumble Review

Developer: Odaclick Game Studio

Initial release date: September 20, 2024

Genre: Fighting game

Platforms: Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X and Series S

Publisher: GameMill Entertainment

Thirty years later, John G. Avildsen’s feel-good martial arts take on the sports drama framework that served him so well with Rocky remains current. Cobra Kai, a surprise smash revival, has reignited interest in the Karate Kid world, reviving Ralph Macchio’s career and bringing William Zabka back from indie film obscurity. Cobra Kai did an incredible job of reviving a series that had gotten progressively worse with each installment, fleshing out even minor characters and rearranging the plot arcs of others in refreshing and inventive ways.

Videogame tie-ins have been a mixed bag. The Karate Kid: Street Rumble is the third title and second belt scroller in recent memory based on the beloved franchise, following the half-decent Cobra Kai game from 2020. The follow-up was negatively received. Can the new one live up to the franchise’s legacy? The answer, however, is not exactly.

The Karate Kid: Street Rumble appears to be a promising film in many respects. The box art visuals depict a fantastic anime take on Daniel-san and co., and the in-game graphics are stunning pixel art masterpieces that are similar in execution to those in the superb Shredder’s Revenge. However, the analogies with that one come to an end here. You can choose from four characters: Daniel LaRusso, Ali Mills, Kumiko, and, of course, Mr Miyagi. It is then a normal scrolling beat ’em up in which you utilize standard and heavy attacks, charged specials, and dodges to defeat a barrage of adversaries across stages that incorporate plotlines from the first three films in the series.

There are no weapons to collect, simply power-ups that gradually level up your character in the only allusion to light-RPG mechanics. There are numerous enemy varieties, and they can appear in large numbers on screen at times. You’ll fight well-known villains from many films, as well as multiple versions of Johnny, including the legendary Halloween costume variant, Kreese and Terry Silver. The trouble is that the whole game is, for the most part, really simple, thanks to the inclusion of a perplexingly strong jumping special move that practically renders your characters invulnerable during its execution. It’s similar to the original Double Dragon game, which you could complete just by using the elbow strike. Each strike with this jumping attack charges your special attack gauge, making the entire process repetitious and nearly without any challenge. The only time you are tested is when you face some of the boss characters, some of them have difficult-to-avoid special attacks that you simply cannot avoid. This aspect makes some of the challenge conditions appear quite difficult to meet.

Each stage requires you to fulfill three tasks, which are typically the same: hit an aerial assault fifteen times, use a grab attack ten times, and, in some cases, complete the level without taking damage. Another issue with attempting to achieve these special circumstances is that the grab attack is underpowered, requiring a lot of strikes to knock out even the weakest enemy grunts, making defeating fifteen adversaries with grab attacks a tedious effort. Add in some inconsistent hit boxes, floaty jumps, a lack of actual oomph to the attacks, and the fact that the characters almost always feel like they’re skating on ice, and you’ve got a rather ordinary take on the genre.

I breezed through the game with no real challenge, but some of the stages are rather long, which is always a concern with this type of game. Then, somewhat late in the game, two absolutely insane boss henchmen appear out of nowhere, capable of wiping you out with a couple of hits. By this point, I had effortlessly defeated Kreese, Snake, Johnny, Sato, and a slew of other renowned badasses, only to be completely destroyed by two gigantic nonentities.

To its credit, the pixel art characters are generally excellent. The primary characters are readily recognized, and some of them are right on, especially the scary Kreese and Chozen. There is some artistic license on display, which I loved, and you can suspend your disbelief while witnessing Mr Miyagi, an ostensibly peaceful self-defense advocate, absolutely beat the snot out of hundreds of foes. The level designs are also visually appealing, with several destructible items. The brilliance of the in-game imagery contrasts with the bizarre sequences that bookend the action, which appear to have been pulled from a whole different game and feature unrecognizable characters.

The action is broken up by some surprisingly well-executed minigames, most of which are QTE-based and revolve around story motifs such as catching flies with chopsticks. But they are insufficient to enhance The Karate Kid: Street Rumble. If you’re looking for a new game in the genre, there’s something here for you, but there are better options available, making this one difficult to suggest.

Review Overview

Gameplay: 78%

Controls: 80%

Aesthetics: 76%

Content: 74%

Accessibility: 81%

Value: 75%

Overall: 77%

A NOSTALGIC FIGHTING EXPERIENCE WITH A MODERN KICK!

Summary:

“The Karate Kid: Street Rumble” combines classic beat-’em-up action with the spirit of the original Karate Kid series, resulting in a retro-inspired adventure packed with punches, kicks, and recognizable faces. The gameplay, albeit simple, gives enjoyable brawler action and a rewarding challenge, though it occasionally lacks diversity. Controls are snappy, allowing for effortless combo execution and graceful motions. The images maintain a retro vibe with brilliant colors and pixel-art characters, yet they may appear outmoded. Overall, it’s a fun throwback for fans of the franchise and beat-’em-ups.