Dyllon Albert

Graphically it doesn’t look like much, and some of the original voice cast didn’t make it in the game. That being said the people they have voicing those characters did a great job, and this was clearly made with love despite the budget. The gameplay is challenging, but fair. It feels satisfying to learn, the feedback for every hit has oomph to it, and it quickly becomes addictive to play. Every character has their own unique combos, specials, animations, etc. Every move you can perform was taken directly from either the show or the movies (Johnny and Daniel) respectively. Even their fighting stances were taken directly out of the show. There is so much to unpack and enjoy with this title. The game requires to be beaten twice for the full ending, but even a single play can take as long as 6-7 hours. So if you opt for the full finish, it’s offering a very fair amount of time indulge yourself. The upgrade system is simple to understand, but it does feel significant to boost your dojo and each individual character, or even just focusing on a few if you have a favourite. Every character feels unique, they all have strengths and weaknesses based on their style of gameplay, and understanding the nuances of every fighter alongside the games AI patterns is astoundingly fun. The music is sadly lacklustre, and the environments can feel bland even despite the variety, again likely due to budget. However for all the game has to give, it’s well worth the purchase. The story is well written albeit a bit simple and predictable, but it captures the show extremely well. This feels like a love letter to the 80’s and 90’s era of beat ‘Em up games, as well as to the Karate Kid series. If you’re a fan of the show or the genre of game, you’d be doing yourself an injustice to pass this up.