# Karateka Classic — user reviews

> 163 indexed App Store user reviews of Karateka Classic by DotEmu, rated 4.30/5 from 88 ratings.

- Source: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/karateka-classic/id636777828/reviews
- App overview in markdown: https://appshunter.io/ios/app/karateka-classic/id636777828.md
- Rating breakdown: 5★ 64 · 4★ 7 · 3★ 4 · 2★ 2 · 1★ 11

## What do users think of Karateka Classic?

Overall sentiment: positive

**Pros**

- 👍 Faithful recreation of the classic Apple II game
- 🎮 Responsive and intuitive controls
- 🕹️ Authentic retro feel with monochrome display options
- 💰 Affordable price point

**Cons**

- 🐛 Compatibility issues with newer iOS versions
- 🔍 Lack of visual updates or modern enhancements
- 🕹️ Difficulty may be too high for some new players

**Commonly reported bugs**

- Black screen or missing graphics on certain devices
- Rewind function not working as expected
- Sound issues or loss of audio

**Most requested features**

- Support for external keyboards and controllers
- Leaderboards and competitive features
- Difficulty options or accessibility settings

## Newest reviews (10 of 163)

### 4/5 — A Request for the Developers

*2025-04-16*

As a lifelong devoted "Karateka" who started playoing this game in the 1980s on my beloved Apple ii computer and is still happily playing it on this app today, I have one request to REALLY bring the total 1980s classic experience back. Developers, could you provide Bluetooth keyboard and Bluetooth game controller functionality? It would be truly "authentic" if the user could play Karateka on an iPad or iPhone without having the massive online touchscreen keypad obscuring the scenery.

### 3/5 — So good! Would be great with keyboard or joystick.

*2024-02-15*

So good! Would be great with keyboard or joystick.

### 4/5 — 시스템내부에 아직 미흡한점이 있긴한데

*2022-06-26*

어릴때 패미컴 하던 시절이 떠오르네

### 3/5 — please update

*2021-11-15*

The screen does not appear in version 15.1. Please update.

### 4/5 — Not working on my iPhone SE 2

*2021-10-27*

My 2-year-old boy really loves the game but not working on my iPhone SE 2nd Gen with iOS 15.0.2. We can see a Yin and Yang ball, but the screen is black other than the control buttons after the ball disappears. We can see the game options but it does nothing even if we change settings. The app version is v1.10.2325. I hope it is fixed.

### 1/5 — Doesn’t work

*2021-10-23*

Blank screen with sound. I can see the control and loading icon. But no graphics whatsoever.

### 1/5 — Funktioniert nicht IOS 15

*2021-10-21*

Funktioniert weder auf IPad noch IPhone IOS 15

### 1/5 — Not working for IOS 15

*2021-10-10, version 1.10*

This is not working after the latest OS update. Please update the App.

### 1/5 — iOS 15 troubles

*2021-09-30, version 1.10*

Black screen on my iPhone 12 Pro Max . iOS 15. The game is not working. Please fix the problem

### 1/5 — Niveaux ???

*2020-02-25*

Très fidèle au jeu original mais... après dix victoires consécutives je ne passe toujours pas de niveau ou de boss. C’est normal ???

## Most critical reviews (10 lowest-rated)

### 1/5 — Не работает

*2021-12-20*

I phone XR приложение работает некорректно. Есть звук, отображается управление персонажем, но нет изображения. Пожалуйста, исправьте.

### 1/5 — Black Screen

*2021-12-19, version 1.10*

I have only a black screen on my iPad Air 2020. The only thing “working” is the sound. Please fix it.

### 1/5 — Laeuft nicht mehr auf meinem iphone

*2021-12-16*

Gekauft und leider geht es nicht mehr, ansonsten war es ein gutes Spiel 🤬

### 1/5 — Impossible de jouer…

*2021-12-06*

… sur iPhone 15.1 ou iPad Air récent…
Impossible d’ouvrir le jeu… à part la musique et les commandes… rien !!
Direct poubelle

### 1/5 — Doesn’t display anything on either iOS or macOS on M1

*2021-12-02, version 1.10*

Unfortunately I didn’t know this existed until 9 years after it came out (I was an 80’s teen), but now am disappointed that the graphics are just black :/ Please have a look and update, devs!

### 1/5 — ゲーム画面が真っ黒、、有料ですよ

*2021-11-26*

iPhone13pro maxです。

コントロールするボタンは出ますが、画面が真っ黒
これは放置されてるんですかね？

記事になっていて懐かしいと思い買いましたが、ゲーム出来ません。

### 1/5 — 画面が真っ暗

*2021-11-25*

ゲームすら出来ない。
早急にアップデートをお願いします。
てかお金払って何も出来ないってありえんわ。
結局返金も出来ないんだろ？
詐欺ですやん。

### 1/5 — what is wrong with my screen I can’t see anything

*2021-11-17, version 1.10*

why is this happening to my screen?

### 1/5 — Doesn’t work on iPhone 13 pro max 😩

*2021-11-09, version 1.10*

I couldn’t believe that this game existed again!!! So excited!!! Mwa mwa mwaaaaa!!!! All I got was a black screen!

### 1/5 — Black screen

*2021-11-07*

I get a blank screen, only showing the action buttons, no characters or background. Please fix .

## Most praised reviews (10 highest-rated)

### 5/5 — Yes. The hero’s story perfectly ported(!).

*2026-07-17*

A minty-fresh time capsule for the nostalgic geriatric (me) 
…oh, and young armchair archaeologists who wanna know what we were doing between dinosaurs and today.

Very funny to have the game pause between scenes and hear the floppy disc drive whirling. It kind’a plays to the whole childish, giddy enjoyment. 
(Yet very frustrating back in the day. Right?! High five!)

I remember I couldn’t afford buying computer games but …my friend buying this game when it was new and after hours of taking trillions (* estimation) turns in frustration…to win we teamed up where one of us controlled the character’s movement and the other controlled the punching and kicking. 

Our focus as a team was intense and we learned to communicate and anticipate what we wanted from each other. It surprised us both how quickly we won with that strategy. 3-4 attempts to find out that woman packs a punch!
(5th attempt felt like we landed Apollo 11 on the moon. And lived to tell the tale)

Much like children today across cultures and continents playing in teams online. 

My goodness…there seems to be a bigger picture here…
Nah, probably not.

The Mechner family gave us a gift with brilliantly blended elegant minimalism, sharp style, action and cinematic storytelling complete with a dramatic musical score. 

A father, son and daughter collaboration. Mom traditionally provided Hungry Man(tm) TV Dinners*.
(* look that up dear youn archaeologists.)

Yes, the game’s theme is an old fashioned, outdated trope. 

But so too is the child in me who enjoys the ol’ school games every now and then to stoke up some memories of people and things that can’t happen again.

I hope you 1) enjoyed my review and 2) didn’t actually read this far. Apologies.
🤪blabber-blabber!

ENJOY! 
(*the game and your life)

10/10 (the game)
??/10 (…life…)

🏁

### 5/5 — Apple II forever

*2025-03-01*

Merci d’avoir adapté le légendaire Karatéka de mon Apple IIe d’enfance sur iPhone. Maintenant qu’on peut lancer les apps iPhone sur Mac, ce serait top d’avoir la possibilité d’y jouer aussi  au clavier car la avec la souris on peut taper ou avancer mais pas les 2 en même temps

### 5/5 — Karateka!!

*2024-10-23*

Wow. 🤩 

Highly recommend revisiting this classic. 

Just began reading Mechner’s “Replay : Memoir of an uprooted family”. Came back to review and replay.

### 5/5 — Awesome Tribute To A Classic

*2023-01-11*

This was a very faithful remake of the classic Apple II game. It even included the sound of an old floppy disk drive as it loaded the game! That’s a sound I haven’t heard for a very long time.

   In case you’re not old enough to have played the game before, be sure to try taking a fighting stance as you approach the princess. Also, at the very beginning of the game, try moving to the left instead of the right to see what happens.

   The only part of the original game that can’t be duplicated now was the easter egg that resulted if you put the program disk in upside down. The game would load, but the screen was flipped. The fights took place upside down at the top of the screen.

   Thanks to the developer for making it possible to relive playing a great old game.

### 5/5 — ㊗️iOS15.1対応ヤッター

*2021-12-23*

thank you DOTEMU

### 5/5 — Por favor ¡optimicen para iOS 15

*2021-12-12, version 1.10*

Excellent game, is just a work of art, but you need to optimize to iOS 15.0.1, please do it!

### 5/5 — 30 лет спустя😅

*2021-10-09*

Играл в нее в начале 90ых на компьютере ЕС-1840! С пятидюймовой дискеты.  Бомба:) ⭐️

### 5/5 — Needs update for iOS 15

*2021-10-01*

Was working great on iOS 14.8. No longer works on iOS 15.0. It loads, I can hear sounds, but screen is mostly just black. Please update, thank you!

### 5/5 — Please update for ios15

*2021-09-29*

All worked well up to ios 14. Please update app to be compatible for ios 15. Thank you!

### 5/5 — ありがとう！

*2021-02-22*

カラテカの原作をやれるのは嬉しいです！
ファミコン版しかやった事なくて

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*Data collected daily from the US App Store and indexed by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/). User reviews are verbatim App Store reviews. Ratings, prices and chart positions refresh continuously; this snapshot is from 2026-08-06.*