Forget 3D fighters with amazing graphics; we're going retro today. Revolutionary Concepts, the same team that brought you the laser-disc classic Cobra Command, has released an iPhone version of the fighting game that popularized the genre, Karate Champ.
Karate Champ has had a significant influence on many of the fighting games that are still popular today. It was even named as one of IGN's top 10 most influential games of all-time, and now you get to play it on your iPhone or iPod touch.
Revolutionary Concepts' version of Karate Champ for the iPhone looks and plays just like the original. In the game you control one of two fighters using only two on-screen joysticks, one for movement and one for attacks. The idea is to knock your opponent out using a variety of attacks and combos before the timer runs out. If you don't, the player with the most points wins.
Karate Champ is playable against the AI across 12 environments with all of the original bonus rounds available as well. It can also be played it in portrait or landscape mode, depending on your control preference.
The developers have included some extra features that add to the experience without ripping out the game's 1984 roots. Karate Champ also features two-player multiplayer over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, the ability to change the cabinet theme, a super large character option, and the ability to toggle old school scanlines on and off.
All in all, old school gamers should have no problem dropping $1.99 on Karate Champ. It's a faithful recreation of the original with a handful of extra bells and whistles that will keep you coming back for more.
