Archon 1983

Is it still worth playing?

Light and dark armies meet on a board of alternating black and white squares in this 1983 strategy and action game, Archon: The Light and the Dark. When one piece lands on a square held by an opposing piece, the two are placed in a full-screen combat arena and fight in an action style, with the players controlling the combatants. A stronger piece usually wins, but not always, and a fight can leave both pieces eliminated. Pieces differ in movement, lifespan and weapon, and a piece's health is boosted when it lands on a square of its own color. A win comes from occupying five power points, eliminating all opposing pieces or eliminating all but one imprisoned piece. A board game decided by arcade fights is the idea at its heart, and it is still intact.