The Making of Karateka

Journals 1982 - 1985

ePub, 121 pages

English language

4 stars (3 reviews)

In 1982 — the era of Apple II and Commodore 64 — 17-year-old college freshman and aspiring game designer Jordan Mechner began keeping a private journal. This first volume is a candid account of the personal, creative and technical struggles that led to his breakthrough success with Karateka, which topped bestseller charts in 1985, and planted the seeds of his next game, Prince of Persia.

2 editions

reviewed The Making of Karateka by Jordan Mechner (Mechner Journals, #01)

Fascinating insights into the creation of this charming game

4 stars

A fascinating insight into the creation of this charming game. I would never have suspected that so much planning went into the game (as, when it came out, there were similarly complex games on the market), which only makes it even better. It was also quite interesting to see how insecure Mechner is about the whole creation process, and his own position in the gaming industry. The fact that he has published his journal so openly is certainly something to be grateful for!

avatar for peter_hall

rated it

5 stars

Subjects

  • game development
  • software development

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