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28 Apr 2026
posted by System 3
London, UK, 26 June 2026 – This month marks the 40th anniversary of a defining moment in System 3 history: the company’s landmark partnership with EPYX in the United States, which took International Karate, also known simply as IK, across the Atlantic and saw it released in America later in 1986 under the title World Championship Karate.
For System 3, the EPYX agreement was the company’s third major US deal and a major breakthrough for British and European video game publishing. The first had been the licensing of various titles from Tronnix. The second was System 3’s global deal with Activision, covering first-option rights in America and Japan, alongside European and Australian distribution rights structured in the style of a record-label agreement. Then came EPYX.
The partnership gave International Karate, or IK as it became widely known to fans, the platform to reach a major US audience. Retitled World Championship Karate for the American market, the game went on to achieve two historic firsts for European video games.
Later in 1986, following its US release, World Championship Karate became the first European game to reach number one on Billboard in the United States. In June 1986, at the Chicago CES, International Karate also became the first European game to receive a CES Showcase Award for innovation.
Originally designed and produced by System 3 founder Mark Cale in 1984, International Karate was developed with contributions from a number of talented teams and individuals, including Andromeda, LT Software and Archer MacLean. That collaborative development process helped shape one of System 3’s most important early titles.
At a time when the games business was dominated by American and Japanese companies, these achievements were extraordinary. They proved that a game created in Europe could not only break into the US market, but lead it.
The success of International Karate was built on simplicity, precision and competitive skill. Its one-on-one martial arts action, sharp presentation, memorable music and accessible controls helped make it one of the defining fighting game series of the 1980s home computer era.
The EPYX partnership became a major milestone for System 3. It showed that the company was not simply licensing or distributing software, but creating original intellectual property with genuine international appeal. It also helped establish System 3 as one of the earliest British publishers with a truly global outlook.
Forty years later, International Karate remains one of System 3’s most celebrated titles and a landmark in European video game history. Together with its celebrated sequel, IK+, the game has truly stood the test of time. Both titles remain iconic examples of pure gameplay, competitive design and enduring 1980s arcade-style brilliance.
That continuity remains central to System 3 today. Forty years after the EPYX partnership, Mark Cale remains the owner of System 3, with the company continuing to preserve, publish and develop its catalogue for new generations of players.
Players can experience International Karate today as part of The Last Ninja Collection + Bonus Games, available now on Nintendo Switch and PC. The collection includes The Last Ninja, Last Ninja 2, Last Ninja 3, Ninja Remix, International Karate, IK+ and Bangkok Knights.
For long-time fans, it is a chance to return to one of System 3’s defining classics. For new players, it is an opportunity to discover why International Karate became such an important part of video game history.
