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Battle Chess
Cover art showing the red queen killing a blue knight
Developer(s)Interplay Productions
Silicon & Synapse(C64)[1]
Publisher(s)Interplay Productions
Producer(s)Brian Fargo
Designer(s)Michael Quarles
Jayesh J. Patel
Troy P. Worrell
Artist(s)Todd J. Camasta
Bruce Schlickbernd
Platform(s)Amiga, 3DO, Acorn Archimedes, Amiga CD32, Amiga CDTV, Apple IIGS, Apple IIe, Atari ST, C64, MS-DOS, FM Towns, NES, Mac OS, NEC PC-9801, X68000, Windows
Release1988-1994
Genre(s)Chess
Mode(s)Single player, Multiplayer

Battle Chess is a computer game version of chess in which the chess pieces come to life and battle one another when capturing. It was originally developed and released by Interplay Entertainment for the Amiga in 1988 and subsequently on many other systems, including 3DO Interactive Multiplayer, Acorn Archimedes, Amiga CD32, Amiga CDTV, Apple IIGS, Apple IIe, Atari ST, Commodore 64, MS-DOS, FM Towns, NES, Mac OS, NEC PC-9801, X68000 and Microsoft Windows. In 1991, Battle Chess Enhanced was released by Interplay for the PC, featuring improved VGA graphics and a symphonic musical score that played from the CD-ROM.

Autoplay When autoplay is enabled, a suggested video will automatically play next. Up next [FULL VERSION] Magnus Carlsen Blind & Timed Chess Simul at the Sohn Conference in NYC - Duration: 27:59. The most challenging game on Earth comes to life in Battle Chess. An entire medieval world at war is reflected on the checkered field. Everyone who's ever had.

Battle Chess was critically acclaimed and commercially successful, resulting in two official follow-ups as well as several inspired games. Its remake, Battle Chess: Game of Kings, was released on Steam on March 16, 2014.

  • 5Legacy

Gameplay[edit]

Battle Chess follows the same rules as traditional chess; the battles always play out so that the capturing piece defeats its target. Since there are six types of pieces for each color, and a king cannot capture a king, there are 35 battle animations.[2] The rook, for example, turns into a rock monster and kills a pawn by smashing his head. There are some pop-culture homages; the knight versus knight animation references the black knight fight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail , and the king versus bishop fight pastiches the short battle between Indiana Jones and a swordsman in Raiders of the Lost Ark.

The game can be also played in a 2D version with no animations, and the Amiga CDTV version features a fully voiced introduction describing the movements of the pieces for the benefit of beginners. Digitized sound is utilized in the DOS version for all battle sound effects and is played through the PC speaker, without the need for a sound card, using a technique akin to RealSound.

Battle Chess could be played against a human opponent (by hotseat, or by null modem or over a local area network in some ports) or against the computer's artificial intelligence (AI).[2] The game has an opening library from over 30,000 moves (which were not available for the Commodore 64 and Apple II versions).

Development[edit]

Battle chess

Battle Chess was the first title developed and published by Interplay Entertainment themselves after ending their relationship with Electronic Arts, besides Neuromancer. The game was featured in the 1992 film Knight Moves about a chess grandmaster who is accused of several murders.[3]Battle Chess producer and Interplay's founder Brian Fargo expressed his fondness for the game in a 2006 interview, although he added that he did not think there would be much of an audience for it today.[4]

An apocryphal story of the development was the invention of 'The Duck' (an example of Parkinson's law of triviality): The producers of the game were known to demand changes to the game, presumably to make their mark on the finished product. To this end, one animator added a small duck around the queen piece, but made sure that the sprite would be easily removable. Come review, the producers, predictably, okayed everything but asked for the duck to be removed.[5]

Release[edit]

An Atari Jaguar CD port of Battle Chess was originally in development by Krisalis Software and planned to be published by Interplay in June/July 1994, but it was never released for unknown reasons, despite kept being advertised in 1995.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17]

Reception[edit]

Reception
Review scores
PublicationScore
CVG84%[18]
Dragon[19]
(CD)[20]
EGM6.2/10 (3DO)[21]
Amiga User International9/10[22]
Commodore User85%[23]
ST/Amiga Format84%[24]

Battle Chess sold 250,000 copies by February 1993.[25]Format kertas cadangan.

The Amiga version received favourable reviews from magazines due to its comical battle sequences which were advanced (for the time) in terms of graphics, animation and sound. German game magazine ASM, however, criticized the weak chess AI.[26] In a review of the 3DO version, Mike Weigand of Electronic Gaming Monthly stated, 'If you are a chess fan, then you may want to check this title out.'[21]

In 1994 Computer Gaming World said of the remake, Battle Chess Enhanced, that 'Better artwork, smoother animations, and a much stronger chess algorithm than its disk predecessors make the CD version a good buy'.[27]

Interplay won 'Best Graphics Achievement In A Non-Graphics Product' from Software Publishers Association (later renamed to Software and Information Industry Association) for Battle Chess.[28] In 1994 Computer Gaming World added it to the magazine's Hall of Fame honoring those games rated highly over time by readers, describing Battle Chess as 'a showcase product for the first level of multimedia standards'.[29] In 1996 the magazine ranked it as the 106th best game of all time for its 'funny, elaborate animated sequences and spectacular special effects.'[30]

Legacy[edit]

Sequels[edit]

A sequel titled Battle Chess II: Chinese Chess was released in 1991, based on xiangqi, commonly known as 'Chinese chess'. The next year's Battle Chess 4000 spoofed science fiction movies and television series (such as a battle sequence involving the monolith from 2001: A Space Odyssey) and used a clay animation art style similar to ClayFighter.

On December 28, 2015, Brian Fargo revealed that he had started working on a second sequel of the game titled Battle Chess 3 in the late 1990s but the game was cancelled. He also released a footage of the prototype of the game.[31][32]

Inspired games[edit]

Battle Chess also inspired a number of video game clones,[29] such as Star Wars Chess, Terminator 2: Judgment Day - Chess Wars,[33] and National Lampoon's Chess Maniac 5 Billion and 1. Another clone, War Chess was released by XS Games for the PlayStation 2 in 2005,[34] and was later ported to the PC by Big Fish Games and released online.[35]

One similar game, titled Battle vs. Chess, was developed by TopWare Interactive for 'just about every platform'.[36] However, Interplay filed and won an injunction for trademark infringement in 2010 and TopWare was prevented from releasing Battle vs Chess in the United States.[37]The District Court of California came into session and given that after two years of litigation, TopWare Interactive discharged their lawyer, resulting in Interplay winning the case by default.[38] Topware rereleased the game with the title of Check vs. Mate.

Remake[edit]

The remake Battle Chess: Game of Kings was released by Interplay on Steam in 2014. However, as commonly noted by purchasers on the webpage's feedback page, this sequel seems to have a history of experiencing many inconveniencing bug issues throughout all stages of its development and updates. In addition to this, much of the program fails to live up to the Interplay Battle Chess franchise's name in advanced chess logic; the program's ability to play chess is hardly at the level of its predecessors (Battle Chess 1988 and 1992-3).

Furthermore, to many of the veteran purchaser's mixed reactions, Game of Kings has switched the color code for black and white pieces, assigning the 'Blue Kingdom' as the white pieces and the 'Red Kingdom' as the black; breaking the long-held Battle Chess tradition of red being the white pieces and dark blue being the black.

Battle Chess

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References[edit]

  1. ^'A Decade of Blizzard'. IGN. 2001-02-01. Archived from the original on 2018-09-08. Retrieved 2008-07-07. Commodore 64 Battle Chess, Windows Battle Chess, Amiga Battle Chess II, Amiga Lord of the Rings, and Windows Shanghai were some of our early projects.
  2. ^ abSt. Andre, Ken (Feb 1989). 'Low Blows and Other Winning Moves'. Computer Gaming World. p. 27.
  3. ^Knight MovesArchived 2011-07-18 at the Wayback Machine Chess in the Cinema
  4. ^'inXile Entertainment Update - News and Siteseeing'. Archived from the original on 2007-02-10. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
  5. ^'New Programming Jargon'. codinghorror.com. Archived from the original on 2015-06-02. Retrieved 2014-08-26.
  6. ^'News - Jaguar bares its claws - Complete Atari Jaguar thirdparty release schedule'. Edge. No. 5. Future plc. February 1994. pp. 10–11.
  7. ^Quartermann (February 1994). 'Quartermann's Q-Letter Gossip For EGM Subscribers Only!'. Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 55. EGM Media, LLC. p. 33.
  8. ^'ProNews: Atari Announces Jaguar Licenses'. GamePro. No. 55. IDG. February 1994. p. 186.
  9. ^'News - Update - Around the corner.. - Expected Release Dates'. ST Format. No. 56. Future plc. March 1994. p. 48. Archived from the original on 2016-07-19. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
  10. ^'News - Update - New Jaguar Development System Released - Expected Release Dates'. ST Format. No. 57. Future plc. April 1994. p. 50. Archived from the original on 2016-07-19. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
  11. ^'Warpzone - Demnächst für Eure Konsolen'. Video Games (in German). No. 30. Future-Verlag. May 1994. p. 79. Archived from the original on 2018-08-04. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
  12. ^Hackett, Tina (June 1994). 'Action Feature - The Jaguar: ready to pounce!'. Atari ST User. No. 101. Europress. pp. 68–71. Archived from the original on 2018-09-27. Retrieved 2019-04-03.
  13. ^'Special - Release Schedule ECTS-Messe'. Mega Fun (in German). No. 21. CT Computec Verlag GmbH & Co. KG. June 1994. p. 16. Archived from the original on 2018-09-12. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
  14. ^'Update Games News - Atari ooze confidence at ECTS - Jaguar Developers'. ST Format. No. 59. Future plc. June 1994. pp. 56–57. Archived from the original on 2018-09-27. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
  15. ^'Warpzone - Jaguar - Angekündigte Jaguar-Spiele'. Video Games (in German). No. 32. Future-Verlag. July 1994. p. 32. Archived from the original on 2018-08-04. Retrieved 2018-10-29.
  16. ^'News - Jaguar Plugs into the CD revolution - Jaguar CD games in development'. Edge. No. 20. May 1995. pp. 14–15.
  17. ^'Breaking - Jaguar Plugs into the CD revolution - Jaguar CD games in development'. Next Generation. No. 6. Imagine Media. June 1995. pp. 18–19.
  18. ^Battle Chess review from Computer + Video Games 87 (Jan 1989) - Amiga Magazine Rack
  19. ^Lesser, Hartley; Lesser, Patricia; Lesser, Kirk (April 1989). 'The Role of Computers'. Dragon (144): 60–68.
  20. ^Lesser, Hartley; Lesser, Patricia; Lesser, Kirk (April 1993). 'The Role of Computers'. Dragon (192): 57–63.
  21. ^ ab'Review Crew: Battle Chess'. Electronic Gaming Monthly. No. 54. Sendai Publishing. January 1994. p. 48.
  22. ^Battle Chess review from AUI Vol 2 No 12 (Dec 1988) - Amiga Magazine Rack
  23. ^Battle Chess review from Commodore User (Nov 1988) - Amiga Magazine Rack
  24. ^Battle Chess review from ST Amiga Format 6 (Dec 1988) - Amiga Magazine Rack
  25. ^Staff (February 1993). 'Letters from Paradise'. Computer Gaming World (103): 154, 156.
  26. ^'DIE Kult Seite über die alten Spiele-Magazine und Retro-Games!'. Kultboy.com. Archived from the original on 2013-01-19. Retrieved 2012-07-06.
  27. ^'Invasion Of The Data Stashers'. Computer Gaming World. April 1994. pp. 20–42. Archived from the original on 2017-11-11. Retrieved 2017-11-10.
  28. ^'Battle Chess - Cover Art'. MobyGames. Archived from the original on 2013-12-02. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
  29. ^ ab'Induction Ceremony!'. Computer Gaming World Hall of Fame. Computer Gaming World. April 1994. p. 181. Archived from the original on 2017-11-11. Retrieved 2017-11-10.
  30. ^'150 Best Games of All Time'. Computer Gaming World. November 1996. pp. 64–80. Archived from the original on 2016-04-08. Retrieved 25 March 2016.
  31. ^Andy Chalk (December 28, 2015). 'Brian Fargo reveals Battle Chess 3 prototype 'fight' video'. PC Gamer. Archived from the original on 2016-01-01. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
  32. ^Bengt Lemne (December 29, 2015). 'Brian Fargo reveals Battle Chess 3 prototype'. Gamereactor. Archived from the original on 2016-02-04. Retrieved December 29, 2015.
  33. ^Kee, Jay (March 1994). 'Darth Vader vs. The Terminator'. Computer Gaming World. pp. 90–94. Archived from the original on 2017-11-10. Retrieved 2017-11-10.
  34. ^'War Chess Release Information for PlayStation 2'. GameFAQs. 2005-01-01. Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
  35. ^'War Chess Game Download for PC'. Big Fish Games. Archived from the original on 2013-09-20. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
  36. ^McElroy, Griffin (2010-05-27). 'Battle vs. Chess coming this Fall to just about every platform'. Joystiq. Archived from the original on 2013-06-16. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
  37. ^'Interplay wins injunction against Topware's Battle vs Chess game'. News.bigdownload.com. 2010-12-25. Archived from the original on 2012-03-07. Retrieved 2013-09-04.
  38. ^'Interplay Wins over TopWare in 'Battle vs. Chess' Affair - Bright Side Of News*'. Brightsideofnews.com. 2012-02-13. Retrieved 2013-09-04.

Play Battle Chess Free Download

External links[edit]

  • Battle Chess at MobyGames
  • 'Battle Chess'. TV Tropes.
  • Battle Chess can be played for free in the browser at the Internet Archive
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