Home of the Underdogs
About News FAQs Contact HOTU GoogleGroup Music Manuals
Category Applications Action Adventure Education Interactive Fiction Puzzle Role Playing Games Simulation Special Sport Strategy War




Support the EFF
Welcome How you can help
Browse Games
Welcome Random Pick
Welcome By Company
  Welcome By Theme  
Welcome By Alphabet
Welcome By Year
Welcome Title Search
Welcome Company Search
Welcome Designer Search
Recommended
Welcome Freeware Titles
Welcome Collections
Welcome Discord
Welcome Twitter
Welcome Facebook
Welcome File Format Guide
Welcome Help: Non PC Games
Welcome Help: Win Games
Welcome Help: DOS Games
Welcome Recommended Links
Site History Site History
Legacy Legacy
Link to Us Link to Us
Credits Thanks & Credits
Abandonware Ring

Abandoned Places

dungeoncrawlers.org

Creative Commons License


Game #1785
Hall of Belated Fame Inductee  Archon Ultra    View all Top Dogs in this genre
Strategy   Tabletop strategy

Rating: 8.7 (556 votes)

Archon Ultra box cover

Archon Ultra screenshot
Archon Ultra is a significantly enhanced version of the original classic Archon by Electronic Arts. In it, two-players battle each other in a game that resembles chess in visual appearance, but with many RPG-style features and the requirement of reflexes thrown in.

The gameplay itself, like Archon's, is similar to chess in many ways. A board with alternating black and white squares is set up in on which both sides (light and dark) take turns moving a single piece. Each piece has a certain number of squares into which it can be moved, and some pieces can fly over others instead of being forced to walk around them. Unlike chess, the pieces on the light and dark sides are completely separate from each other. The pieces on the light side represent "good" creatures (e.g. Phoenixes, Djinnis and the "good and noble" Wizard) while the dark side employs evil beings (e.g. Dragons, Shapeshifters, Goblins, and of course the "evil and deceitful" Sorceress). When a piece from one side lands on a square occupied by a piece from the opposing side, they both will enter a large arena and fight. An interesting variation (which was present in the original Archon) is that some of the colors on the game board will change color slowly, alternating between white and black as the game progresses. If a battle is fought on a black square, a dark and fire-pervaded landscape will serve as the arena, and the evil character will automatically be granted extra hit points. If a conflict ensues on a white square, the battleground will be a peaceful and serene forest, where the good character will enjoy the same advantage.

In addition to more gameplay options than the original, and excellent VGA graphics, Archon Ultra also offers modem play that is very smooth even at 2400 baud. It is a shame that SSI did not convert Archon II into a PC version and include it with Archon Ultra, but that's a minor point considering all the significant enhancements present here. While Archon Ultra is more of an evolution rather than the revolution that its predecessor was, it manages to retain all of the elements that made Archon a masterpiece, and improve on them. Two thumbs up!

Reviewed by: Underdogs
Designer: Jon Freeman & Paul Reiche III
Developer: Free Fall Associates
Publisher: Strategic Simulations Inc. (SSI)
Year: 1994
Software Copyright: Free Fall Associates
Theme: Unique, Fantasy
Multiplayer:  
System Requirements: DOS
Where to get it:
Related Links:  
Links:    
If you like this game, try: Archon, Dark Legions, Cavewars

© 1998 - 2024 Home of the Underdogs
Portions are copyrighted by their respective owners. All rights reserved. Please read our privacy policy.