Karateka was Jordan Mechner's first big game—before Prince of Persia—and you can tell it's rough around the edges, but there's something weirdly charming about it. You play as this karate guy (no name, just vibes) trying to rescue Princess Mariko from Akuma, who's basically the most generic evil warlord ever. The controls are stiff, and the fighting feels like you're punching through molasses, but the rotoscoped animations were mind-blowing for the time.

You start off walking through these sparse, moody backgrounds—castle gates, caves, that kind of thing—and every few steps, some enemy pops up for a one-on-one fight. No health bars, just a stance system where you block high or low. Mess up, and your guy crumples in this hilariously dramatic death animation. The music? Just a single ominous drumbeat that somehow makes everything more intense.

It's short, frustrating, and definitely not balanced by modern standards, but there's a weird satisfaction in finally nailing the timing after getting wrecked five times in a row. Just don't punch the princess at the end—trust me.