The Making of Karateka

The Making of Karateka feels like a huge step in documenting the history of video games. There have been plenty of titles that have packed in making of details, but I can’t really name another that has gone to this much effort of establishing context for the games it’s spotlighting. Aside from Atari 50, I mean. Digital Eclipse has put together a masterful formula that speaks to retro explorers such as myself, and this is the perfect test of it. It’s absolute gold, and I can’t wait to see what they dive into next.

The Making of Karateka is the culmination of Digital Eclipse's work over the years in creating a replicable and engaging model of interactive documentary. It succeeds in elevating its subject, revealing even its most hidden aspects, all without being pedantic. It engages while it informs and revolutionizes the way the game is experienced, also introducing innovations that further enrich the experience, such as prototypes and remasterings. The formula of Digital Eclipse seems to be the absolute best for telling the history of video games, intense in its entirety and in the uniqueness of individual titles, because it finally allows giving dimension to classics, beyond all the possible discussions that have arisen over the years about them.

The Making of Karateka is a step forward for game’s preservation and interactive documentaries. Digital Eclipse has given us an inkling to what might turn into a new age of storytelling, adding up to far more than just a remaster. Combining remade videogames, interviews, and original documents, this offering is a masterclass in how to incorporate an audience into a narrative.