QS stands for “Quickshot”, a series of short form review/preview/opinion articles.
I have a secret to confess: I’m actually a huge fan of Cobra Kai.
Oh, wait. That’s not a secret? I suppose you’re right.
Anyway, back in early 2021 (Season three had just dropped), I discovered Cobra Kai, and was desperate to consume as much supplemental material for the franchise that I could. I watched all of the show, finally decided to sit down and watch the original Karate Kid movies, watched behind-the-scenes features and blooper reels from the show, and even read the four-issue comic that details Johnny’s history leading up to the events of the first movie.
Imagine my surprise, then, when I discover that an entire video game actually exists. Released in late 2020, it’s called “Cobra Kai: The Karate Kid Saga Continues”, and it’s designed as a non-canonical sidescrolling beat-em-up game. It’s available on most systems, and for a fairly cheap price. How could I resist?
This game is a tale of two halves. On the one half, we have a game that tries its best to be fun (and almost surprisingly strategic) to play. It is a game that is bursting at the seams with Cobra Kai fanservice and references to the show, and several of the OG voice actors lent their talents to this game. It is simple joy to be able to play as your favorite characters beating up goons and tearing up the valley with an all-out karate war. The show’s composers (Leo Birenberg and Zach Robinson) return to compose a wholly original soundtrack that perfectly evokes the same feeling as the show.
On the other hand, the game is stuffed to the brim with punishing level design and frustrating enemies and bosses. This is a bit of a problem in a game where 90% of the gameplay involves playing levels and battling baddies. From the lowliest grunt to the toughest final boss, every enemy can whip out an unblockable super-armor attack at a moment’s notice (unless they are stunned in your own combo). With several enemies running around on screen at once, this gets ridiculous fast.
See, each level grades you on your ability to rack up high combos and refrain from taking damage. Getting hit, even from the weakest attack, breaks your combo completely, and you only get significant rewards for a level if you keep those high combos. This means that the simplest mistake is extremely punishing, and doubly so because of how many enemies are on screen at once and how many can be an absolute pain in the butt to deal with in the best of times.
This is compounded by the fact that this game is, in no way, a walk in the park, especially in the later levels. It can be extremely easy to slip up and watch a gaggle of goons knock your character around in an unescapable combo until you’re on death’s door. Replenishing health with food is sporadic, and the only way to revive defeated allies is with a high combo score…which, again, I already addressed the difficulty of maintaining. Suffice to say, playing this game is an exercise in patience.
Still, it is fun, even when I have my problems with it. It could just be because I’m such a huge fan of the show, but I just can’t help but mostly overlook this game’s flaws and see it for the simple fun beat-em-up that it is.
Or, to tell you the truth, it could also be due to the fact that I primarily play as Tory, who genuinely may be the best character in the game. So many of her personal skills cover all of her weaknesses, like a wild forward kick, a lunging back kick, or a giant AOE punching explosion. Unlike other characters who struggle with crowd control, Tory excels in this regard, which is a godsend in a game with such a big influx of troublesome enemies.
Whatever the reason, if you’re a fan of Cobra Kai, I recommend trying this game out. I think you’ll have some fun with it.
7.5/10
The Contrarian Corner 