I just finished reading The Making of Karateka: Journals 1982-1985 by Jordan Mechner. Mechner who is probably most well known for his game Prince of Persia, began his publishing career with Karateka. These journals tell his story in a unique and genuine way. At just 17, he is pushing himself to get into the video game industry by writing computer games on his Apple II.
I really loved this book. It was a great insight into the programming culture of the early 1980’s and what the video game landscape looked like. I have met so many people who got into programming because of video games and it is interesting to see how that played out for Mechner.
I never played Karateka but I was a big Prince of Persia fan which prompted me to pick up both this book and its sequel, The Making of Prince of Persia.
The Making of Karateka is definitely a great read and inspiring. There were so many things that impressed me. I loved how even at a young age, Mechner was focused on chasing after his dream of creating a great game. That he was able to focus on it for as long as he did. That he didn’t flunk all his classes! That a 17 year old would even commit to writing journals like this.
It gave me a lot to think about.
As all good books do.