(by Rick Marshal digitaltrends.com 1-26-12)
Pat Morita's iconic character from The Karate Kid returns in upcoming PS Vita fighting game.
The Karate Kid actor Pat Morita may have died in 2005, but his character in the hit movie franchise will make a return this March in Reality Fighters for the PlayStation Vita.
Over at the official PlayStation Blog, the announcement of Mr. Miyagi’s return was accompanied by a few screenshots of the character and some details about the role he’ll play in the game.
“We specifically chose Mr. Miyagi for several reasons. Firstly, we needed someone who was a true fighting master who could easily take on the best fighters from around the world, but was also wise, and capable of teaching the player,” explained Mitsuo Hirakawa of SCE XDev Studio. “Plus we had to consider the tongue-in-cheek nature of the game; some of our fight styles include ballet and break dance, as well as some unusual weapons like a toilet plunger. We needed someone who was tough, but also had a softer, more humorous side.”
Daniel-san’s Karate Kid mentor will serve as both instructor and playable character in the game, and be voiced by accomplished Call of Duty and Metal Gear Solid voice actor Jim Ward. Players will not only be able to unlock Miyagi himself, but also his handyman uniform and family headband.
“Before we decided on Mr. Miyagi, we shortlisted various characters such as Jackie Chan, Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris, Jet Li and even Mike Myers,” added Hirakawa. “It became clear that Mr. Miyagi ticked all the boxes for us in terms of a true master who has a humorous side. The Karate Kid movie being a worldwide hit and a film that we were all huge fans of also helped a little.”
Reality Fighters will hit shelves March 13 for the PS Vita.
