Archon: Classic
Strategy/Board Game/Retro
Steam Link

You either grew up playing Archon or you didn't, and I certainly did, which meant that this game was a delightful nostalgia fest. Unlike many other remakes of retro games, Archon: Classic is pretty much the an exact copy original game under the hood; it's just got a shiny new coat of paint and a modern remix of the theme song (which is awesome by the way). I think there are options to let you play with new mechanics, but I just dove right into the oldschool mode and was not disappointed.

archon1.jpg

(this is the only screenshot you get because, as with some previous games, this game hates screenshots and they didn't work most of the time.)

For the unfortunate among you who haven't played the original classic game, this is a board game that looks superficially similar to chess, but the similarities end there. Basically you fight for your right to own a square: every time you land on a square that is already occupied, the game switches to an arcade-style battle. Different game pieces have different abilities and some are considerably more powerful than others, but don't be fooled: if you're careful and know what you're doing, you can make a longshot matchup work for you.

There are also spells to cast (in limited numbers) that allow you to summon elementals to fight for you, revive a piece of your choice, teleport across the board, and so forth.

C64_Archon.png

(have a screenshot from the original amazing game in all its C64 glory)

You win by occupying all the power points on the board (five particular marked spaces), which is easier said than done because each team starts out with their most powerful piece parked in one of those slots, and that slot is always advantageous to that team (as the game goes on different spaces on the board grant bonuses to a different factions).

If it sounds complicated, it's because it both is and isn't at the same time. It's easy to learn and a delight to play - this is one classic that has certainly held up, and the retro sound effects (which I think were lifted right from the original game) and the option to play it with the old-school graphics is just icing on the cake for nostalgia-hounds like myself.

THE VERDICT:
  • 10 out of freaking 10
  • Faithful remake of one of the best gems of the early 80s
  • FUN
  • If you liked the original, you should get this
  • If you haven't played the original I still recommend it
  • Come see what all the fuss is about
  • ~retro~