International Karate Deluxe was well on the way from multiplex and sprite master Archer Maclean back in the day. The third instalment in the series had a 2-3 screen background to provide more space for the area of combat. Also even more computer-players could be on the screen than IK+
The game also would allow you to collect up fighting moves, and define which ones you would use for any section of the game. You would be able to reassign moves as well on the joystick and create your own mappings.
This was meant as a revamp of the classic beat-em-up. Since the excitement of the C64GS around it’s release stages, many companies dreamed up games with techniques never thought that would work on tape or disk, and that would be perfect for Cart. IK Deluxe was one of them, and the enhancements must have been something to be worthy of a cart release, seeing that IK+ was a single load anyway.
After the flop of the GS, many of the planned games were stopped and only a few carried on producing carts. System 3 wasn’t one of them unfortunately, and only got a few of their games on cartridge.
Well, the game was infact started back in 1987/88 and was for the ST and Amiga platforms. For reasons not yet known, the game was not complete – though Archer believes he still has something of it somewhere. Retro Gamer printed a moves list as well!
So what of the C64GS edition? Well, Archer suggests that nothing was started on a C64GS edition (as seen in the Retro Gamer interview) – meaning that the press must have got hold of merely a rumor and nothing more. Maybe System 3 were being hopeful too?
As a result, unless someone else was doing a conversion themselves – this was nothing more than vapourware sadly!
Case closed!
Contributions: Jazzcat, Ross Sillifant
Mention of IK Deluxe came from the flyer inside some System 3 games, especially the cart versions of LN Remix and Myth. Lists it alongside Deadlock and Myth 2.
Cheers Mat!
:-) I would’nt worry Frank, i read it many months ago when i was a subscriber to RG Mag.
Promptly put info somewhere in my brain and…promptly forgot all about it…
It was only because i was going through last of my RG mags (everything either been given away or gone to recycling, only specific articles saved) that i stumbled across it by chance and thought bally’ell, best get this info to GTW, pronto.
In Retro Gamer Magazine’s ‘In The Chair With:Archer Maclean (you ask the questions section), Archer was asked about IK++ and confirms game was NOT developed for C64GS, but the Atari ST/Commodore Amiga instead and was done in about 1987/8.
It basically allowed the fighter to collect fighting moves, define which ones would be in use for any section of the game.
Game also had a bigger scene than IK+ had etc.
Archer said he had an ST version of it running ‘somewhere’ plus a screen grab of the move assignment screen.
But it’s one to cross off the Lost C64 list and move to Lost ST/Amiga lists instead :-)
Cheers Ross, updated – and I had forgot all about the interview where he mentioned the ST/Amiga addition. Not sure why I didn’t update the write up!