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archon.rvw
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2022-08-26
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Haynes 43213
Comments on some software:
ARCHON (Electronic Arts)
A lot of favorable comments have
been published about this chess-like
game and it deserves all of them!
From the moment the classy, heroic
theme music begins, the player expects
a treat. This expectation is rein-
forced when the dancing letters in the
ARCHON title become armed knights and
goblins and walk off to opposing sides
of the screen. The title screen then
gives way to the ARCHON board and the
characters march in from alternating
sides. THE LIGHT SIDE: Wizard, Uni-
corn (2), Djinni, Phoenix, Valkyrie
(2), Archer (2), Golem (2), and Knight
(7); THE DARK SIDE: Sorceress, Dragon,
Shapeshifter, Basilisk (2), Troll (2)
Manticore (2), Banshee (2) and Goblin
(7). Although the ARCHON board looks
superficially like a chess board; and
each piece, as in chess, moves in a
unique way; and stategy plays a very
critical role in determining the ulti-
mate victor - this game will not leave
arcade die-hards wondering where the
action is.
The switch is this: in chess your
opponent lands on a square that you
occupy and - pow - you've had it! Your
piece on that square is history. Not
so in ARCHON. When you use the joy-
stick to move one of your men to a
square inhabited by "the enemy", the
prompt "Do you challenge this foe?"
appears at the bottom of the screen.
Push the joystick button to discover
the BIG difference between chess and
ARCHON.
The square expands to fill the
whole screen and the opponents (two
live players or one against the com-
puter) square off in a battle to the
death using their unique weapons (in-
cluding clubs, swords, arrows, rocks,
fiery breath, energy bolts and magic
spells). Lifelines up each side of
the screen (left for the light side
warrior and right for the dark) show
by their diminishing height who has
sustained the most wounds and is thus
closest to annihilation. The lifeline
will vary with the character involved
and with the color of the square on
which the battle occurs. The light
side players are more powerful on the
lighter squares, the dark on the dark-
er. To make matters more difficult,
some of the squares shift back and
forth as the game progresses.
The point of ARCHON is to either
completely obliterate the opposing
army or to inhabit all five "power
points" on the 9X9 board (one in the
middle, and one at the center square
of each of the four sides).
I haven't really begun to scratch
the surface of the complexity of this
game. It's rewarding to play on any
level, and although considerably
elaborate strategies are possible, a
first time player can be battling
away in just a few minutes.
This game comes on disk only and
sells for about $30-$35. It is well
worth it and is a game that will not
gather dust after a few playings.
>This is Alan at Loadstar. Does any-
one out there know where a guy can
gets his hands on this game?? I sure
would appreciate some help in
locating it!! QQQQQQQQQQ
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