Is Karateka on Steam?

No. Karateka is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.

When did Karateka release?

Karateka was first released on December 31, 1984.

Karateka

Dec 31, 1984FightingHack and slash/Beat 'em upAtari 7800Atari 8-bitPC-9800 SeriesCommodore C64/128/MAXZX Spectrum

Karateka — frequently asked questions

Is Karateka on Steam?: No. Karateka is not distributed on Steam, so there is no Steam Charts or SteamDB player count for it. Its live popularity is tracked here via Twitch viewership instead.
What platforms is Karateka on?: Karateka is available on Atari 7800, Atari 8-bit, PC-9800 Series, Commodore C64/128/MAX, ZX Spectrum, Android, Atari ST/STE, iOS, DOS, Apple II, Family Computer, Amstrad CPC, MSX, Game Boy, Commodore 64.
When did Karateka release?: Karateka was first released on December 31, 1984.

About Karateka

Karateka is a 1984 beat'em up video game by Jordan Mechner, and was his first game created while attending Yale University. It was originally programmed for the Apple II, and was later ported to several other home computers and early gaming consoles. The game was published in North America by Brøderbund, and in Europe by Ariolasoft. The player controls an unnamed protagonist who is attempting to rescue his love interest, the Princess Mariko, from Akuma's castle fortress. The game exhibits a combination of a side-scrolling platform and fighting game elements. The player uses punches and kicks to defeat Akuma and his guards and make his way deeper into the fortress. The game, as with most at the time of development, lacked checkpoints or the ability to save the game, making it a challenge to complete in a single sitting. Karateka has been well-received, particularly for its realistic animations used for the game's characters. The game was considered a breakthrough success for Mechner, and would eventually result in his development of the Prince of Persia franchise. A high-definition remake, spearheaded by Mechner, was released as a downloadable title for the Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, with planned ports for the iOS and Wii U systems.

Summary via IGDB.

Game details

Platforms: Atari 7800, Atari 8-bit, PC-9800 Series, Commodore C64/128/MAX, ZX Spectrum, Android, Atari ST/STE, iOS, DOS, Apple II, Family Computer, Amstrad CPC, MSX, Game Boy, Commodore 64
Developer: Jordan Mechner
Publisher: Brøderbund Software
Game modes: Single player
Themes: Action

Details via IGDB.

Reception

IGDB rating

68/100

from 35 ratings

Every version compared

Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release

Platform	Year	Loose	Complete	Sealed	Period reviews
Atari 7800	1987	$9	$24	$27	Graphics ★★½ · Play-Action ★½

Also released on: Atari 8-bit · PC-9800 Series · Commodore C64/128/MAX · ZX Spectrum · Android · Atari ST/STE · iOS · DOS · Apple II · Family Computer · Amstrad CPC · MSX · Game Boy · Commodore 64. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.

Collector value & authenticity

Atari 7800 · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-19

Loose

Complete

$24

Sealed

$27

How often it sells

Loose: about once a week
Complete: about 2 times a month
Sealed: about once a month

Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-19.

Price over time

Loose
Complete

A loose copy sold for about $0.94 in Jan 2010, $6.82 five years ago, and $8.99 as of Oct 2026.

Show as table

Month	Loose	Complete
Jan 2010	$0.94	—
Jan 2011	$0.81	—
Jan 2012	$1.10	—
Jan 2013	$1.85	—
Jan 2014	$3.99	$7.99
Jan 2015	$3.50	$10.50
Jan 2016	$4.99	$6.05
Jan 2017	$4.89	$7.99
Jan 2018	$5.25	$10.56
Jan 2019	$4.26	$8.02
Jan 2020	$6.82	$13.17
Jan 2021	$7.50	$13.53
Jan 2022	$7.26	$13.54
Jan 2023	$6.07	$19.55
Jan 2024	$12.99	$19.99
Jan 2025	$12.11	$25
Jan 2026	$10.00	$24
Oct 2026	$8.99	$24

Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.

Documented sales

158,485 US copies invoiced by Atari 1987–1989

By year: 1987 77,399 · 1988 77,564 · 1989 3,522. Ranked 8 of the 39 Atari 7800 cartridges in Atari's internal reports. These count cartridges shipped to US stores, less returns, not copies sold to players.

Source: Atari Corporation's internal 7800 software sales reports (1986–1990)

Release record

Territory	Label	Catalog #	MSRP	Rarity
North America Atari	Color	CX7822	$25.00 (approx.)	Common+

North America: Price new: Computer Entertainer's review (November 1987).

Source: Catalog numbers, label types, rarity, controllers and player counts: AtariAge 7800 software database

Region: NA+EU
Released: 1987
Controller: Pro-Line Joystick
Players: 1
Authenticity: Low

Not in Atari 50 — other compilations and reissues are not tracked hereLow counterfeit risk

Atari 7800 prices, all games & how to spot a fake

A rough conversion of Jordan Mechner's computer game that Computer Entertainer called botched, and a cheap cartridge to match.

Ibid, Inc. made the 7800 Karateka, and Atari Corporation published it in 1987 as one of its first 'super games' licensed from computer titles. Atari's spring 1987 announcement named it among the first games to ship, though the cartridge came later in the year.

Computer Entertainer's review was harsh. The magazine said the 7800 version had lost the beauty of the original: tinny music, a downplayed story, and stiff fighting that was nearly unmanageable, especially keeping the fighter in his stance. It did not recommend it. Computer and Video Games rated it more kindly in 1989, but it is hard to call this the best way to meet the game.

What the press said at the time

Computer Entertainer Vol. 6 No. 8

November 1987

Graphics ★★½ · Play-Action ★½

“As translated for the Atari 7800, the beauty of KARATEKA has been lost. The music has become tinny, the story has been down-played, and the martial arts action in the game itself has become stiff and nearly unmanageable.”
— Computer Entertainer, November 1987

Computer Entertainer rated graphics first and play action second, from four symbols (excellent) to one (poor) — diamonds through early 1987, stars after — comparing each game only with other games for the same system.

How the Atari 7800 version differs

Computer Entertainer said the 7800 port lost the original's beauty: the music became tinny, the story was played down, and the martial arts action turned stiff and hard to manage.

Also on other platforms

Game Boy · Commodore 64 · Atari 8-bit

Commodore 64	Veda Cook
Atari 8-bit	Veda Cook

Game Boy. The Game Boy port, titled Master Karateka in Asia, added an experience system.

Worth knowing

From the 7800 manual. Difficulty is set with the console's left difficulty switch (left = easier, right = harder).
From the 7800 manual. Pause button supported.

Before you buy

Low risk and fairly common. The cart has the Atari color label and CX 7822 number. Pro-Line joystick, one player. Buy it as a cheap curiosity or to complete a set, not as the definitive Karateka. The box and manual carry much of a complete copy's value.