Best of the Best: Championship Karate vs Champion Kendo
Side-by-side comparison of features, pricing, ratings, and alternatives.
Best of the Best: Championship Karate is a retro fighting game that puts players in a linear championship tournament focused on kick‑boxing techniques. Developed by Loriciels and Futura, the title delivers fast‑paced, two‑player bouts with simple controls and sprite‑based graphics. Released in November 1992, the game offers a single‑player campaign where you climb the ranks against increasingly skilled opponents, as well as head‑to‑head multiplayer matches that capture the spirit of early 90s arcade martial‑arts competition.
Champion Kendo is a straightforward kendou simulation that captures the spirit of traditional Japanese swordplay. Developed and published by Sega Enterprises, it was released exclusively in Japan for the SG-1000 and MSX in late 1986. The game features split-screen multiplayer, allowing two players to duel head‑to‑head, and offers simple controls that make it easy to pick up yet challenging to master. Its minimalist graphics and authentic sound effects evoke the era of early home gaming.
- Straightforward controls suitable for beginners
- Authentic kick‑boxing focus differentiates it from other fighters
- Two‑player mode encourages local competition
- Retro graphics evoke classic arcade feel
- Simple, easy-to-learn controls
- Authentic split-screen multiplayer
- Faithful retro aesthetic
- Accurate representation of kendo basics
- Limited move variety compared to modern fighters
- Only available on PC (DOS), no modern ports
- Audio and visual fidelity are dated
- Limited to SG-1000 and MSX hardware
- Only released in Japan
- Very basic feature set by modern standards
