Archon (1983)
Genres:Strategy, Tactical
Themes:Action, Fantasy
Game modes:Single player, Multiplayer
Story:Archon: The Light and the Dark was a game developed by Free Fall Associates which loosely modeled the game of Chess, with a number of additions to the gameplay. It was programmed by Anne Westfall, and released originally for Atari 8-bit computers in 1983. It was quickly ported to a number of different systems, and was well-received.Show more
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The original is still the best, especially against a friend. I didn't realize until much later that the color of the square you were on affected that character's health and strength, so I learned to play regardless of the advantage/disadvantage the square gave me, which I think helped my skill in the long run. It was also one of the first games with dynamic AI in the 1-player game. Each time you won an arena battle, the computer played a little better. Each time you lost, it played a little worse. It was fun to deliberately lose about 7-10 fights in a row and then challenge the sorceress with your lowly knight and win.
My brother and I used to play Archon on C-64 all the time. The chess-like element made the game strategically interesting, but it was the battles between the playing pieces that made it awesome. Reaction time was just as important as strategy. With my brother and I both being super-competitive, boy did it become stressful in those one on one battles, especially when your big, powerful dragon was getting bashed up by one of those miserable little knights and you couldn't seem to do a thing about it! Or, as my brother used to call them much to my amusement, the "S" (dragon) and the "stabber" (knight). A little goblin clubbing a phoenix on the head then bolting away as fast as he could before he got immolated, and then coming back to time his run for another attack, was similar fun. The elation you would feel at one of those underdog victories was amazing and both victor and vanquished would cry out for completely opposite reasons. Archon was definitely best played with friends, as that's what made it hilarious. The nostalgia of those battles still makes me smile 40 years later. I'd love to see this classic game return on the pc.
I did not have a pc growing up in the 80's, but I had a friend who did. I can remember SO MANY nights spent over at his house playing this against him, and while I imagine the gameplay is a bit outdated (and unbalanced!) nowadays this would be awesome to play against my kids (well, maybe grandkids).
For the longest time this was my only game....I grew to really enjoy playing it. The sounds still live on in my head lol. Favorite thing was taking out the big guys with just the pawns (knights and goblins) plus if you were good at the battles you trashed your opponents strategy. I since played and collect many games like this like 'wrath unleashed' or 'the unholy war' and other versions of this one but this one still remains a favorites.
I first played this probably on an Apple II PC at my cousin's place - I was blown away by the idea of battle chess, and the combat between the chess pieces gladiatorial style. Loved the graphics and the sound effects. Drew my own fan-fic comic based on the characters in the game.
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