The Making of Karateka

An interactive documentary about Karateka that lets you explore its creation through archives and timelines, and includes playable original versions, prototypes, and remastered games.

Prince of Persia creator Jordan Mechner was a college student when he created Karateka, one of the biggest-selling games of 1984. This interactive documentary tells the story of how a teenager with an Apple II made an influential game.

It includes an archive of design documents, playable prototypes, and new video features, along with interactive timelines that can be explored at your own pace. The original games are presented in pixel-perfect form with quality-of-life features such as save anywhere, rewind, chapter select, and director’s commentary.

Also included are Karateka Remastered, with cut content, commentary, achievements, and more, and Deathbounce: Rebounded, a twin-stick shooter based on Jordan’s unpublished prototype. The package also highlights the game’s cinematic scenes, original soundtrack, rotoscoped animation, and Hollywood-style love story.