Karate Man Returns!

Karate Man Returns! (かえってきた カラテ家), simply called Karateka (カラテ家) in Rhythm Tengoku, is the first Rhythm Game in Rhythm Tengoku and the first game to appear in the Rhythm Heaven Series. It returns as the 33rd minigame in Rhythm Heaven Megamix, as the long variant of Karate Man. In Rhythm Tengoku, the arrange variant Karateka 2 is unlocked later on.

Gameplay
This minigame features Karate Joe, who practices karate by punching objects that fly from off-screen. To do so, the player must hit the A button to the rhythm. The following objects appear and needed to be punched off-screen:
 * Pot
 * Rock
 * Soccer Ball
 * Light Bulb (only in Rhythm Tengoku)
 * Bomb (only in Rhythm Tengoku)
 * Cooking Pot (only in Rhythm Heaven Megamix)

A Flow gauge is located on the left and acts as an ability meter, responding to the player's success. Unless the gauge is at three bars or more, Karate Joe cannot punch rocks or bombs; attempting to do so will result in a miss. In Rhythm Heaven Megamix, the game is slightly altered for consistency with later versions, most notably the removal of the Flow gauge entierly.

Button Mode

 * A: Punch

Simple Tap Mode

 * Tap: Punch

Timing Notes

 * Hit: Karate Joe will punch the object off-screen. In Rhythm Tengoku, the Flow gauge will increase by one.
 * Barely: Karate Joe will wince as the object lands on the ground just in front of him. The Flow gauge will decrease by one. A barely counts as a miss.
 * Miss: Karate Joe will gasp as the object flies past him. The Flow gauge will deplete completely. If punching a rock or a bomb in Rhythm Tengoku when the Flow gauge is not high enough, Karate Joe will gasp as the object falls to the ground and his fist will turn red in pain.

Lyrics
Hey! Baby! How's it going? This beat is non stop. Hey! Baby! Listen to my phrase. I can give you the sense of rhythm. Oh, Yeah.

Hey! Baby! How's it going? This beat is non stop. Hey! Baby! Listen to my phrase. I can give you the sense of rhythm. Awake, baby! Trust me!

This beat is non stop! New groove in your soul. Oh, Yeah! This beat! You are growing up well. Hey, Baby! Hold on to your ambition. Hey! Oh, Yeah!

Skill Star
In Rhythm Heaven Megamix, the Skill Star can be obtained by perfectly hitting the rock that appears at the end of the minigame.

Karateka TempoUpExtra1.png
Karateka TempoUpExtra1.png (カラテ家 TempoUpExtra1.png) is a variation of this game and the first in the Extra stage in the arcade version of Rhythm Tengoku. In this variant, Karate Joe wears boxing gloves and black pants. The gameplay is the same, but the tempo is sped up, with a new arrangement of the song.

Karateka 2P
The game also appears in the two-player mode mode in the arcade version of Rhythm Tengoku where it is referred to as Karateka 2P (カラテ家 2P). It plays the same as the normal version, but has a split screen display to accommodate the second player. However, the Flow gauge remains off screen, unable to be seen by either player.

Karateka 2P TempoUpExtra1.png
Karateka  also appears in the 2P mode of Rhythm Tengoku (Arcade) where it is referred to as Karateka 2P TempoUpExtra1.png (カラテ家 2P TempoUpExtra1.png). The same changes as Karateka 2P apply here.

Trivia

 * Karate Man has become rather well-known for being the first ever rhythm game in the Rhythm Heaven Series. This has allowed it to make it into the next three games in the series, with new mechanics.
 * This game also has the most variations across the entire series.
 * The name Karate Joe may be a reference to Knuckle Joe from the Kirby series. Both use their fists and feet (see Karate Man Kicks!), their first names are fighting-related and they end with "Joe".
 * This is the first game in the Rhythm Heaven Series to include vocals. Interestingly, the game's lyrics are given as part of the Rhythm Poem Collection rather than its own lyrics card. Its name is given as "Karate Rhythm".
 * Additionally, this and Big Rock Finish are the only games in the entire series to use its practice music as part of the actual game.
 * The audio gasp for missing the object in Rhythm Tengoku may override the thrown object cue. This may cause problems if trying to play the stage without looking at the screen.