The Maritime Nerd The Karate Kid: Street Rumble Review

Following the success of Cobra Kai, which continued the Karate Kid saga decades after the events of The Karate Kid Part III, and the recent resurgence of classic beat ’em ups such as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind, Odaclick Game Studio delivers The Karate Kid: Street Rumble. The game serves as a tribute not only to The Karate Kid films, but also to the side-scrolling beat ’em ups many longtime gamers grew up with, including Double Dragon, Streets of Rage, and Final Fight. As expected, Street Rumble fully embraces the classic side-scrolling beat ’em up formula. At the start of the game, players can choose from four playable characters: Daniel LaRusso, the main protagonist of the films; Mr. Miyagi, Daniel’s sensei; Ali Mills, Daniel’s love interest from the first movie; and Kumiko, his love interest from the second film. Each character features a unique set of karate moves that allows players to fight their way through storylines inspired by the first three Karate Kid movies. Combat is intentionally simple and accessible. Square is used for light attacks, while Triangle performs heavy attacks, and these can be chained together to create powerful combos. For example, pressing Square three times followed by Triangle triggers a tornado kick. As enemies are defeated, players build focus bars, which can be unleashed to perform devastating super moves capable of clearing surrounding enemies. These moves are particularly useful during crowded encounters, while breaking down gates, or during boss fights. As players progress, characters level up, unlocking new abilities, additional focus bars, or extra lives. I completed two playthroughs—one with Daniel and one with Mr. Miyagi—and interestingly, Daniel proved to be the stronger character overall. While one might expect Mr. Miyagi to be the most powerful given his role as Daniel’s mentor, Daniel ultimately felt more effective in combat. It’s not a major issue, but it is worth noting. The game features a total of 18 levels, offering a mix of traditional side-scrolling beat ’em up stages, timed challenges, and mini-games inspired directly by moments from the films. These include familiar activities such as catching flies with chopsticks, practicing the crane kick, striking a wooden dummy, and dodging swings. Outside of these diversions, the core gameplay revolves around moving from one end of a level to the other, defeating waves of enemies, and facing a boss at the end of each stage. Each level is based on recognizable locations from the first three films, and fans of the franchise will immediately recognize these set pieces. Boss encounters are also drawn from the movies, featuring both major and minor characters. As expected in the genre, players can pick up items that restore health or replenish focus. While the levels are well-designed, I would have liked to see content expanded to include Cobra Kai, especially since the game released after the series concluded. That addition would have been a welcome enhancement. Each stage also includes optional objectives, such as defeating enemies using specific attack types like grabs, heavy attacks, aerial moves, or special abilities. While these objectives add some replay value, they become repetitive, as the same challenges reappear every two or three levels. Unfortunately, the game’s overall difficulty is quite low. Even on the hardest setting, I was able to complete most levels without losing a single life, losing only one life throughout my entire playthrough. Performance is graded at the end of each level, but the lack of challenge diminishes the impact of these rankings. There are also minor differences from the films in terms of storytelling. For example, in the opening scene where Daniel is unloading items from his car, Ali appears instead of Freddie. These small changes do not negatively affect the experience, but they are noticeable for longtime fans. I was fortunate enough to purchase the game on sale for $13, and at that price, it feels fair. At full price, however, The Karate Kid: Street Rumble is difficult to recommend. The game is undeniably fun and packed with nostalgia, evoking memories of playing similar titles on the NES and Sega Genesis while reliving the Karate Kid story in an interactive format. That said, I wish the developers had expanded the content to include Cobra Kai and increased the overall challenge. The Karate Kid: Street Rumble is a game you can easily pick up, play through in just over an hour, and walk away satisfied. My recommendation is to wait for a sale, as it is not worth the full asking price—but it remains an enjoyable experience for fans of the franchise and classic beat ’em ups. Final Score: 7/10