Game Designer Jordan Mechner, Creator of Prince of Persia and Karateka, Returns to His Indie Roots

Jordan Mechner Confirms Remake of Karateka in Development

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Feb 15, 2012, 09:30 ET

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 15, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, via his personal website jordanmechner.com, celebrated game designer Jordan Mechner confirmed that he will revisit feudal Japan with a remake of his 80s blockbuster Karateka, downloadable later this year on XBOX 360® and Playstation3™.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20120215/LA53783)

Mechner developed Karateka in his dorm room at Yale. Published by Broderbund in 1984 for the Apple II, Karateka was one of the gaming world's first blockbusters. As home computing was just taking form, Karateka hooked gamers with simple, addictive 2D fighting mechanics that incorporated cinematic storytelling through fluid, lifelike animation.

For the first time since the making of Ubisoft's bestseller Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time™, Mechner is taking an active role in the day-to-day game development process as Karateka's Creative Director. Like Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, the new Karateka is a remake that reinvents Mechner's classic gameplay for this generation.

"Making the original Karateka was a labor of love. To have so many people embrace it and share the impact that game had on them has been incredibly fulfilling," Mechner said. "In remaking Karateka, I want to honor the original with a compact, pick-up-and-play game that is fluid, atmospheric and beautiful."

Karateka will be available for PSN and XBLA in 2012.

About Jordan Mechner

Jordan Mechner is a video game designer, author, screenwriter and filmmaker, best known as the creator of the Prince of Persia franchise. His games include the 1980s classics Karateka and Prince of Persia, The Last Express (1997), and Ubisoft's award-winning 2003 Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. Over 17 million Prince of Persia games have been sold worldwide. In 2010, Jordan became the first game creator to adapt his own work as a feature film screenwriter with Disney's Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. It is the highest-grossing video game-based movie to date. Jordan's graphic novels include Solomon's Thieves and Prince of Persia: Before the Sandstorm. He wrote and directed Chavez Ravine: A Los Angeles Story, awarded Best Short Documentary of 2003 by the IDA and short-listed for Academy Award nomination. He published his game development journals as a book, The Making of Prince of Persia. Follow @jmechner.