Archon Ultra is what happens when you smash chess into an arcade cabinet and call it a day. This updated version of the original Archon throws in jazzed-up graphics and faster gameplay, but keeps the core idea: when pieces meet, they fight. Literally. On a battlefield. Think Wizard’s Chess, but instead of CGI knights, you’ve got pixelated blobs with attitude. Strategy meets reflexes in a game that’s somehow cerebral and chaotic. It’s not quite ultra, but it’s certainly archon-y.
In watching an inept Squake attempt to play this Archon version, I've noticed something common with RTS games: the shooter at the lower end of the screen has a reach advantage over the target above them. This is demonstrated in the video by the Shapeshifter vs Unicorn combat. Another example would be in playing Command-&-Conquer: a GDI Guard Tower would shred a NOD Artillery unit, but when the Artillery piece is positioned south of the GDI Guard Tower, the gun extends just beyond the square the Artillery occupies, giving it an advantage of reach.
Yes, I am a fan of the original Archon, and I found Squake's demonstration (at the time of this comment) an embarrassment. I've never seen such a poor demonstration of game play.
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