Author: Levi Buchanan | 
If you remember the Commodore 64, chances are good you have fond memories of Archon. One of Electronic Arts' very first published games, Archon was an action riff on chess that starred mythological creatures from across the spectrum. Two sides -- light and dark -- square off in a battle for control of a checkerboard of white and black spaces. Victory comes either when one army is completely annulated or one faction controls all five power points on the board. It was a smash hit 25 years ago and maintains a sizeable fan base.
With the blessing of the original developers, Freefall Associates, React Games has resurrected Archon for the iPhone. This is a faithful remake of the classic. Save for updated visuals and audio (love the crunchy take on the memorable theme), nothing has been changed. All of the original pieces -- from banshees to basilisks -- are back and they use the same attacks. The ebb and flow of light and dark on the board remains so strategy-oriented players can wisely choose their strikes. All of the magic spells each team's king-like character (wizard and sorceress) are the same, too. You can still summon elementals, heal wounded monsters, imprison foes for a few turns, and more. Seriously, if you played Archon during the Reagan Era, you will be pleasantly surprised with React's decision to leave well enough alone.
Of course, the big question is whether or not the control is any good. The action scenes that erupt when two pieces clash on a square require good controls. Archon players know the value of the diagonal shot. Archon offers two schemes: virtual d-pad and tilt. Don't bother with tilt -- it's pointless. The virtual d-pad is far superior, but even then it is not exactly as pin-point as an Archon purist will demand. Sometimes I would get stuck on a rock or blow a shot due to fumbling with the virtual pad. Save for some sort of attachment, I'm not sure what more React could do with touch-screen controls. It works well, but I know that for some it just will not work well enough.
Yep, that's Archon alright.
Archon has multiple difficulty levels. The easy setting is a cakewalk. I was smashing unicorns with lowly goblins. Definitely boost the difficulty to get a little bit of a challenge. Archon currently only has one game mode: single-player classic. There is plenty of room in the select menu for additional game types in future updates. I hope those are filled in soon, especially with some sort of multiplayer. Playing classic Archon versus a friend remains one of the greatest videogame experiences I've ever had.
The new look is fine. It doesn't radically change much. The monsters are still the same, just more detailed. I wish the Archon included the retro look of the original, though. (And if I got to pick, I'd go with the C64 skin over the Atari.) Levi Buchanan
With the blessing of the original developers, Freefall Associates, React Games has resurrected Archon for the iPhone. This is a faithful remake of the classic. Save for updated visuals and audio (love the crunchy take on the memorable theme), nothing has been changed. All of the original pieces -- from banshees to basilisks -- are back and they use the same attacks. The ebb and flow of light and dark on the board remains so strategy-oriented players can wisely choose their strikes. All of the magic spells each team's king-like character (wizard and sorceress) are the same, too. You can still summon elementals, heal wounded monsters, imprison foes for a few turns, and more. Seriously, if you played Archon during the Reagan Era, you will be pleasantly surprised with React's decision to leave well enough alone.
Of course, the big question is whether or not the control is any good. The action scenes that erupt when two pieces clash on a square require good controls. Archon players know the value of the diagonal shot. Archon offers two schemes: virtual d-pad and tilt. Don't bother with tilt -- it's pointless. The virtual d-pad is far superior, but even then it is not exactly as pin-point as an Archon purist will demand. Sometimes I would get stuck on a rock or blow a shot due to fumbling with the virtual pad. Save for some sort of attachment, I'm not sure what more React could do with touch-screen controls. It works well, but I know that for some it just will not work well enough.
Yep, that's Archon alright.
Archon has multiple difficulty levels. The easy setting is a cakewalk. I was smashing unicorns with lowly goblins. Definitely boost the difficulty to get a little bit of a challenge. Archon currently only has one game mode: single-player classic. There is plenty of room in the select menu for additional game types in future updates. I hope those are filled in soon, especially with some sort of multiplayer. Playing classic Archon versus a friend remains one of the greatest videogame experiences I've ever had.
The new look is fine. It doesn't radically change much. The monsters are still the same, just more detailed. I wish the Archon included the retro look of the original, though. (And if I got to pick, I'd go with the C64 skin over the Atari.) Levi Buchanan