International Karate / IK+

Two karate fighters facing off against backdrops of exotic scenery, perfectly timed kicks and strikes – International Karate and its sequel IK+ rank among the very best the fighting genre offered on the 8-bit. Fluid animation and precise controls made them the benchmark against which all the competition was measured.

At the heart of the gameplay lies precise timing and knowledge of the moves. Every successful hit is scored with points and a bout is won over two hits per round, so it isn't about mindless button-mashing but a duel of reflexes and anticipating your opponent. This purity and fairness of the controls was exactly why players fell in love with the game – winning or losing was always deservedly in your own hands.

The pinnacle of the series is IK+ (International Karate +), which added a third fighter to the arena – a fight between three karateka at once was something the competition of the time didn't offer, and it pushed the dynamics of combat to a new level. On top of that, the game kept its famous animation smoothness, which made the characters' movements feel unusually natural.

Behind the game stands author Archer Maclean, one of the legendary figures of the British gaming scene of the eighties, and publisher System 3. International Karate was released in the mid-eighties and won great acclaim across platforms, and IK+ then cemented that reputation even further and is to this day considered one of the best fighting games of its generation.

Thanks to the combination of technical sophistication, finely tuned gameplay and timeless design, IK/IK+ earned a place in the hall of fame of retro games. For many players it is the peak of the fighting genre on 8-bit machines and a title well worth knowing.

Why play: A top-tier fighting game with fluid animation and precise controls – in IK+ form with an unforgettable three-way karate duel.