The Karate Kid: Street Rumble
OpenCritic Rating
Top Critic Average
Critics Recommend
Critic Reviews for The Karate Kid: Street Rumble
For those who enjoy the Karate Kid movies and Cobra Kai TV series, there's fun to be had with this. It's simple but fairly effective, looks really nice, and has a few minigames to break up the action. Its combat can be an enjoyable economy of building gauges and pounding out super attacks amidst tap combos - but it tends to simmer rather than cook. The boss battles (with mostly Johnny Lawrence) are a little too placid for our liking, although the set-ups are pretty cool, especially when you find yourself in familiar movie territory. On the whole, it's nice to rumble with hordes of high school bullies, but once it's finished there's not a great deal to encourage repeat plays except the local multiplayer. Wax on, wax off, it's up to you.
If you're desperate for a new game in the genre, The Karate Kid: Street Rumble has something, but there are better examples available.
Cobra Kai saved Karate Kid from drifting into irrelevance, plunging Daniel LaRusso and company into modern cultural consciousness. Sadly, there's nothing about The Karate Kid: Street Rumble that will save it from fading into obscurity. And based on the apathetic fisticuffs the game offers, that's probably a good thing.
The Karate Kid: Street Rumble isn't the best example of the side-scrolling beat 'em up genre but it's a welcome one nonetheless. There are some issues that detract from the fun a little, but on the whole this an entertaining adventure, especially when played with others, and there are plenty of modes and light RPG elements to add longevity.
The Karate Kid: Street Rumble plays exactly how people who don't like Beat 'Em Ups would describe the genre. It's bare bones, doesn't do anything original, and gets repetitive very quickly. As a fan product, the game covers the films well, has enough fan-favorite characters, and is somewhat carried by a fun art direction and a fantastic soundtrack. If you love the Karate Kid franchise I would suggest picking this up on a deep sale.
Karate Kid: Street Rumble is a solid attempt at entering into the genre with a property that works well here. While it doesn’t add to the genre, and could be priced a tad too high, Street Rumble is exactly what it appears to be, a fun beat’em up brawler built around a movie property that many hold in high regard.
Choose the fighter, roam the streets and beat the tar out of everyone who crosses your path—that's pretty much The Karate Kid: Sreet Rumble in a nutshell.
The Karate Kid: Street Rumble is a labor of love, filled with charm and clearly loads of passion. Experiencing the original three titles in pixel form is a joy for any fan, either new or old. Each of the four characters is fun to play as, with a variety of skills and moves to utilize. However, the lack of an online mode and the disappointing use of animated cutscenes hold it back from being something even greater.
