game
icon
title Karate Champ (US)
set name kchamp
manufacturer Data East USA
year 1984
genre Fighter (hof)
category Fighter / Versus (hof)
driver status good
driver source kchamp.c
snapshots MW: in game / CT: in game | title | artwork / Mr. Do: artwork ( 1 ) / Dany69: artwork / EJ: in game / PS: in game | title | scores
zoom
rating

69.3% after 87 votes
 
clones Karate Champ (US VS version)
Karate Dou (Japan)
Taisen Karate Dou (Japan VS version)
display
colour emulation good
palette 256
display type raster
orientation vertical
resolution 224x256
frequency 60.000000Hz
sound
sound emulation good
channels mono
controls
players 2
nplayers 2P alt
controls double 4 way joystick
buttons 0
coin slots 2
hardware
cpu Z80 @ 3MHz
cpu Z80 @ 3MHz
audio AY-3-8910A @ 1.5MHz
audio AY-3-8910A @ 1.5MHz
audio DAC
data
version added .034b04
last change(s) none since version .53
roms
name size crc set flags sha1
b014.bin  8192  0000d1a0  kchamp    0c584096825e1d3cc718e0bda1abb897a7f4d2df 
b015.bin  8192  03fae67e  kchamp    3b6a30f39f5ad512415e3b8ba6e07f3118e28d9e 
b016.bin  8192  3b6e1d08  kchamp    ecf7d2b0f31f04c0be7d5a1f450b9c95d9f54d80 
b017.bin  8192  c1848d1a  kchamp    eb5f85d88e170e864d0cd4c372be2a193935caa2 
b018.bin  8192  b824abc7  kchamp    4a30fec025150e889600a78497700155e743c99e 
b019.bin  8192  3b487a46  kchamp    7837e480fd4648e0d3f792b79fa0019e063abdc6 
b026.bin  8192  999ed2c7  kchamp    f01e4ee81f8f7b0d1cf001d3ec01a9210f8109b4 
b025.bin  8192  33171e07  kchamp    55ee74c9f1d86ec13d92ea0d1b700bbe24b79def 
b024.bin  8192  910b48b9  kchamp    c6a2f8266ff1f14b462b92d47a4a86542df77cdd 
b023.bin  8192  47f66aac  kchamp    484802cfbff7c5f51dd97cb3b2321e137b03481c 
b022.bin  8192  5928e749  kchamp    a4dbd6f2a6a7aa9597875dfd781e55b0fb14d49b 
b021.bin  8192  ca17e3ba  kchamp    91a3ccd6045dcef5f3293d669fe5a4df59cd954b 
b020.bin  8192  ada4f2cd  kchamp    15a4ed7497cb6c06f523ebe38bc4eb6dbcd09549 
b000.bin  8192  a4fa98a1  kchamp    33b9a1a56d72ffa5f4e16b69e6e19af5a2882b2c 
b001.bin  8192  fea09f7c  kchamp    174fc8022c455438538e6a3b67c7effc857ae634 
b013.bin  8192  eaad4168  kchamp    f31b05ffb86677157f3a44cdcf0f9a729e0ab259 
b004.bin  8192  10a47e2d  kchamp    97fe2de3ce2b8dc017dceffce494be18695708d2 
b012.bin  8192  b4842ea9  kchamp    471475f65edbd292b9162ad50e5cb0c7144845b0 
b003.bin  8192  8cd166a5  kchamp    4b623c4c0025d75b3ed9746f8b6730bf3e65d85a 
b011.bin  8192  4cbd3aa3  kchamp    a9a683dcc4f52b18450659a20434a4d2a7b411d9 
b002.bin  8192  6be342a6  kchamp    0b8ac7ef7c6a6464fbc027a9fd17fa7ce1ffd962 
b007.bin  8192  cb91d16b  kchamp    bf32a03e7882b74280b29fa004429b77ad52e5ee 
b010.bin  8192  489c9c04  kchamp    d920ef4f03e1b2e871df0cb2d672689c89febe96 
b006.bin  8192  7346db8a  kchamp    d2b2c1700ae0ff9c614a9981a3da3d69879e9f25 
b009.bin  8192  b78714fc  kchamp    4df7f15c37d56a9d66d0049aad65b32063e5c29a 
b005.bin  8192  b2557102  kchamp    ec4285029fc3ee1ad0adb05f363b234c67f8903d 
b008.bin  8192  c85aba0e  kchamp    4be21b38623c2a8ae7f1e7397fb002e4cb9e4614 
br27  256  f683c54a  kchamp    92893990456b92f04a2be98b8e9626e97b7a2562 
br26  256  3ddbb6c4  kchamp    0eca5594d6812bc79f8b78f83fe003877d20c973 
br25  256  ba4a5651  kchamp    77e81bd64ab59a7466d20eabdff4be241e963c52 
cabinet art
cabinet kchamp.png
marquee kchamp.png
control panel kchamp.png
flyer kchamp.png
PCB kchamp.png
additional information
info 0.34b4 [Ernesto Corvi]

0.34b2 [Ernesto Corvi]

Bugs:
  • karatevs, kchamp, kchampvs: Sound bug - no sound effect plays when first credit is input (works for subsequent credits). Tafoid: Clone set karatedo does give sound for the first credit as opposed to the other 3 sets that do not. Shifty (ID 01130)
  • kchampvs, karatevs: Tested with 0.115 and as far back as .37b15 (first windows release). Boot the game and let the demonstration progress to the screen where the two fighters trade kicks and punches but do not hit each other. You'll notice the BGM continues to play fine while there are regular sound effects, but there is a very noticable pause only when there is a speech effect used. You can hear more of the tune (longer into it) when you do not have speech effects in the demo (try kchamp and karatedo). kchampvs0115gre Tafoid
WIP:
  • 0.123u1: Zsolt Vasvari removed color tables from Karate Champ. Added resnet.c color computations where appropriate.
  • 0.36b12: Changed Z80 CPU2 clock speed to 3MHz and the 2x AY-8910 to 1.5MHz.
  • 0.36b9: Takahiro Nogi added clone Karate Dou (Japan). Karate Champ (US VS version) and Taisen Karate Dou (Japan VS version) are now clones of Karate Champ (US). Renamed (karatedo) to (karatevs). Changed Z80 CPU2 clock speed to 3.5MHz and the 2x AY-8910 to 1MHz. Added dipswitches 'Difficulty' and 'Cabinet'.
  • 11th November 1999: Takahiro Nogi added another Karate Champ romset.
  • 0.34b8: Changed description of clone 'Karate Champ (VS Version - Japanese)' to 'Taisen Karate Dou (VS version)'.
  • 0.34b4: Ernesto Corvi added Karate Champ (Data East 1984).
  • 0.34b3: Ernesto Corvi fixed speech in Karate Champ. Changed description of clone 'Taisen Karate Dou' to 'Karate Champ (JAP version)'.
  • 0.34b2: Ernesto Corvi added Karate Champ (VS version) (Data East 1984) and clone 'Taisen Karate Dou'.
Recommended Games (Asian Fighting):

Samurai

Sasuke vs. Commander

Chinese Hero

Karate Champ

Kung-Fu Master

Kung Fu (PlayChoice-10)

Kung-Fu Taikun

The Legend of Kage

Ninja Kid / Ninjakun Majou no Bouken

Ninja-Kid II

Vs. Ninja Jajamaru Kun

Syusse Oozumou

Chanbara

Ikki

Kicker

Lady Master of Kungfu

Nunchackun

Onna Sansirou

Samurai Nihon-ichi

Sega Ninja

Shanghai Kid

Yie Ar Kung-Fu

Kid Niki - Radical Ninja

KiKi KaiKai

Mr. Goemon

Garyo Retsuden

Kodure Ookami

Ninja Mission (Arcadia)

The Ninja Warriors

Tiger Road

China Gate

Kabuki-Z

Kageki

Kuri Kinton

The Masters of Kin

Mirai Ninja

Ninja Spirit

Reikai Doushi

Takeda Shingen

Mystic Defender (Mega-Tech)

Ninja Combat (NeoGeo)

The Ninja Kids

Ken-Go

The Karate Tournament

Mazin Wars / Mazin Saga (Mega Play)

Mystic Warriors

The History of Martial Arts

Samurai Shodown (NeoGeo)

Samurai Shodown II (NeoGeo)

Samurai Shodown III (NeoGeo)

Samurai Shodown IV (NeoGeo)

Samurai Shodown V (NeoGeo)

Samurai Shodown V Specia (NeoGeo)

Samurai Shodown: Warrior's Rage

Shadow Force

Battle K-Road

Dragon Master

Tekken

Tekken 2

Tekken 3

Tekken Tag Tournament

Zunzunkyou No Yabou

Battle Arena Toshinden 2

The Legend of Silkroad

Romset: 217 kb / 30 files / 107 zip
history Karate Champ (c) 1984 Data East.


A seminal 1-on-1 fighting game set over the course of a karate tournament, Karate Champ was the first game of its type and would influence every game of the fighting genre that followed. Karate Champ's control system utilised a somewhat awkward dual joystick control system, with simulataneous joystick manipulation required to execute even the simplest of kicks.


- TECHNICAL -


Main CPU : Z80 (@ 3 Mhz)

Sound CPU : Z80 (@ 3 Mhz)

Sound Chips : (2x) AY8910 (@ 1.5 Mhz), DAC


Screen orientation : Vertical

Video resolution : 224 x 256 pixels

Screen refresh : 60.00 Hz

Palette colors : 256


Players : 2

Control : Double 4-way joysticks


- TRIVIA -


Released in September 1984.


This is where an entire genre began; the 1-on-1 fighting game. The list of titles Karate Champ would go on to inspire is near-endless - needless to say, without this game, "Street Fighter", and countless others like it, might never have happened. The only description that can truly do this game justice is seminal.


George Weller holds the official record for this game with 239,900 points on March 2, 2002.


A Karate Champ machine was shown at the 2003 classic arcade games show 'California Extreme' in San Jose, California.


The versus version (See 'Update' section for more info) of the game can be seen in the film "Bloodsport" (1988).


This game is known in Japan as "Karate Dou", the Vs version is known in Japan as "Taisen Karate Dou - Seishun Bishoujo Hen".


- UPDATES -


The US 'Versus' (2-player) version shipped one month later in October 1984. The Versus version, however, differs slightly from its single-player sibling. There is a greater variation in backgrounds, for example, with a variety of outdoor locations as opposed to the standard Martial Art dojos of the earlier version. The sound effects also seem to be a little 'sharper', with the speech, in particular, much improved.


- PORTS -


* Consoles :

Nintendo Famicom (1986)

Nintendo Famicom Disk (1986)


* Computers :

Tandy Color Computer (1985, "Karate")

Commodore C64 (1985)

Commodore Amiga (1987)

Apple II


- SOURCES -


Game's rom.

Machine's picture.



Edit this entry at Arcade-History.com: http://www.arcade-history.com/?n=karate-champ&page=detail&id=1260&o=2
resource links view in MAWS
view in CAESAR
view high score and replay at MARP
view in Progetto EMMA (Italian)
view in arcade-history.com
view in GameFAQs
view in KLOV
view in KLOV
view in The Arcade Flyer Archive
view in The Arcade Flyer Archive
view in The Arcade Flyer Archive
view in VGMuseum Gamepics
cheats
cheats
code comments
000000A2:C167:00000099:FFFFFFFF  Infinite Time
60000000:0000:00000000:00000000 
00000000:C91A:00000000:FFFFFFFF  Stop White/PL1 Winning
00000001:C91A:00000001:FFFFFFFF  One hit to win Now! PL1
00010001:C91B:00000001:FFFFFFFF  One hit to win Now! PL1 (2/2)
00000001:C91A:00000000:FFFFFFFF  Set PL1 Points to 0 Now!
00010001:C91B:00000000:FFFFFFFF  Set PL1 Points to 0 Now! (2/2)
60000000:0000:00000000:00000000 
00000000:C91C:00000000:FFFFFFFF  Stop Red/PL2 Winning
00000001:C91C:00000001:FFFFFFFF  One hit to win Now! PL2
00010001:C91D:00000001:FFFFFFFF  One hit to win Now! PL2 (2/2)
00000001:C91C:00000000:FFFFFFFF  Set PL2 Points to 0 Now!
00010001:C91D:00000000:FFFFFFFF  Set PL2 Points to 0 Now! (2/2)
2004-2008 MAWS all copyrights belong to their respective owners