
Star Wars Chess
Released: 1994
Systems: Sega CD
The Basics
Sega CD cover.
Star Wars Chess is... you guessed it... chess with Star Wars characters. Each traditional chess piece (king, rook, pawn, and so on) is represented by a character from the Star Wars movies. In addition, when one piece captures another, you are treated to a small battle animation.
The Details
Star Wars chess board.
If you don't know how to play chess, don't expect Star Wars Chess to teach you. If you press the A button, you will receive a hint on where to move, but other than that, the game does not offer a tutorial mode. The instruction manual, however, does have basic descriptions of each piece and its movements.
The chess pieces are represented as follows:
Kings - Luke Skywalker and Emperor Palpatine
Queens - Princess Leia and Darth Vader
Bishops - C-3PO and Boba Fett
Chewbacca sets Boba Fett on fire.
Knights - Chewbacca and Tusken raider
Rooks - Yoda and AT-ST
Pawns - R2-D2 and stormtrooper
If you get tired of playing with Star Wars characters, you can switch to a 2D mode with traditional pieces.
The Verdict
R2-D2 gives Darth Vader a shock.
When it comes down to it, chess is chess, no matter what the pieces look like or what fancy animation accompanies it. But chess fans and Star Wars fans alike will probably be turned off by the awkward perspective of the chess board and the long Sega CD load times that bog down gameplay. The animations themselves are rather violent and sort of creepy, but if you turn them off, all you are left with is a slow, bare-bones computer chess game. A good alternative is to turn off the game altogether.
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