Daniel LaRusso
The playable karate student who travels to Okinawa and faces the game's combat and training challenges.
Documented for this version
Arrow LeftArrow Right | Move left or right |
|---|---|
Arrow Up | Jump or move upward where supported by the stage |
A | Punch |
B | Kick |
Controls use the NES directional pad and face buttons.
No reliable platform-specific button combination is documented here.
How it plays
The game uses a side-scrolling perspective. Daniel advances through stages, defeats hostile fighters, avoids environmental hazards, and reaches the end of each area. Movement is controlled with the directional pad, while separate buttons perform punches and kicks.
The adventure includes ordinary combat sections and training or challenge sequences based on martial-arts techniques. Success depends on learning enemy timing, choosing the appropriate attack, and preserving Daniel's limited opportunities to continue. The structure is linear, with progression through a small set of themed stages rather than an open map or character-selection system.
Plan your run
Use short attacks instead of repeatedly holding one direction and attacking. Watch enemy spacing, because Daniel can be punished while recovering from a missed strike.
Jump over hazards when attacking is unsafe, and learn the rhythm of each stage before spending continues. In training sections, prioritize the required movement or technique rather than rushing forward.
Meet the cast
The playable karate student who travels to Okinawa and faces the game's combat and training challenges.
Daniel's mentor, associated with the training and guidance central to the film adaptation.
A rival from The Karate Kid Part II who is represented as an antagonist in the game's Okinawa setting.
Before you begin
Keep enemies at the edge of Daniel's attack range.
Avoid committing to a kick when an opponent is already close.
Use the stage layout to separate groups of enemies.
The Karate Kid is a side-scrolling action game developed by Atlus and published by LJN for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1987. It adapts events and characters associated with The Karate Kid Part II, placing Daniel LaRusso in a series of martial-arts challenges in Okinawa. The game combines platforming, enemy combat, obstacle avoidance, and short training-style events rather than presenting a conventional tournament simulation. Players guide Daniel through compact stages, using punches, kicks, jumps, and defensive movement against opponents and hazards. Its film license gave it recognizable appeal, but contemporary reception was mixed because of stiff controls, repetitive encounters, and uneven difficulty. It remains a notable NES licensed action title, especially for its attempt to turn the movie's training and combat themes into a straightforward home-console game.
Catalog entry maintained by EmuGamers Editorial Team
Community discussion
What are players saying? 0