Best of the Best: Championship Karate

Best of the Best: Championship Karate is a rather unusual fighting game for the NES. Released in 1992 and developed by Loriciels, it takes a more technical approach to martial arts than many of the faster arcade-style fighters on the system. Instead of simply jumping into a match and throwing punches, the game asks you to build your fighter, practice different techniques, and gradually work your way toward the world championship.

One of the game's most interesting features is its move system. You can choose from as many as 55 different attacks and organize the moves you want to use during a fight. This gives the game a surprisingly strategic side, since different attacks work better depending on your distance and position relative to your opponent. Learning which techniques to use, rather than simply repeating the same attack, becomes an important part of making progress.

Training is another major part of the experience. Before taking on tougher opponents, you can spend time at the gym improving your fighter's abilities. Speed, strength, and other attributes can be developed through training exercises, giving you a reason to prepare before stepping into the ring. As the competition becomes tougher, returning to training can make the difference between winning and getting knocked out.

The actual matches are presented from a side view, with both fighters relying on punches, kicks, blocks, and defensive techniques. The animation is surprisingly smooth for an NES game, even though the small character sprites and relatively plain presentation can make the action feel less impressive than its underlying combat system.

Best of the Best: Championship Karate is definitely not a traditional button-mashing fighter. Its deliberate pace and technical approach may take some getting used to, but players willing to learn its mechanics will find a much deeper martial arts experience than its modest presentation initially suggests.