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Platform: Gameboy Advance Genre: Strategy Publisher: Titus Software Developer: Titus Software ESRB: E (Everyone) Released: Q2 2002 Support AE! Buy Games Here:
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Virtual KasparovScore: 7.5 / 10 |
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Pros: - Artificial
intelligence presents tough challenge
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Cons: - Subpar visuals
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"I quite honestly don’t know if there are enough GBA owners who are clamoring for a chess title. We’ll see how it pans out, but let me reiterate that this is a quality chess game that’s worth purchasing if you have a strong interest in chess, whether you are a novice player, expert or somewhere in-between."
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There
have been only a few chess games to pop up as video game or PC titles.
Battle Chess and Archon are the only ones that come to mind that had any
kind of sales success, and they focused on actual combat between
animated chess pieces during moves to appeal to the average frenzied
action-addicted gamer. But that isn’t typical to chess and its more
deliberate and intellectually provoking gameplay. And game developers
have seemed reluctant to delve into a new chess title project because
chess games fit into the quite small puzzle game niche that contains
titles like Tetris and Bust-A-Move. That is until now, with the release
of Titus Interactive Studio’s newest Game Boy Advance entry, Virtual
Kasparov (VK).
Titus
Interactive Studio’s selling pitch is that this is a not just a chess
title, but a battle game too. By including a story mode, the developers
are trying to convince today’s gaming public that chess is just like
Street Fighter or Tekken: guiding a character through a story battling
it out in arenas (the chess board in this case) against a large number
of opponents. It’s an interesting attempt to attract purchasers to be
sure, but don’t be fooled. While it’s true that chess is indeed a
battle of intellects, comparing this game to Street Fighter or Tekken is
laughable. The story mode merely adds a pinch of spice to the game of
chess. You must go through 31 opponents to claim the title of the
ultimate Grandmaster, achieved if you can defeat the 20 different
personalities, five masters, five Grandmasters, and the game’s
namesake, the world’s greatest chess player alive, Russian legend Gary
Kasparov. The story mode takes place on a map of the world, with each
demographic area getting six progressively more difficult opponents,
each who has their own personality and playing style until the only one
left to defeat is Kasparov. If you just want a straightforward chess
experience and are new to chess, try out the tutorial mode, which will
teach you how to play the game effectively. There are approximately 50
lessons in the tutorial, including chess strategy and tactics, the rules
of the game, and expert analysis that are valuable lessons needed to
pick up the nuances of the deceivingly easy game of chess.
The
game’s greatest asset and what saves it from mediocrity is its
unbelievably tough artificial intelligence. Your chess know-how will be
tested severely and if you give VK some thorough playing sessions, you
actually will improve your chess smarts. The A.I. is THAT good. (It
makes up for the lackluster visual and audio elements of the game.) VK
is tough, even for those who have a sound chess background, but
ultimately becomes rewarding if you are able to get past the
Grandmasters and Kasparov. While playing against the CPU is a formidable
task in itself, if you attain mastery over the game’s A.I. there is
the option to play against a human opponent either on a single GBA or
two linked systems with the Game Link cable. Visually,
there’s not much to VK. You get some plain-looking boards and pieces,
although there are differently designed boards to choose from. The only
place where there is any other kind of graphical presentation is the
cartoonish appearance of the personalities that fill the story mode.
They’re average to a fault and don’t utilize the GBA’s rendering
capability to anywhere near its fullest, but again this is a chess game,
where the gameplay is more important than the visuals. It’s one of
those rare titles that doesn’t rely on stunning graphics to be well
received by gamers. There
is the option to use a 3D board, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Although
it looks better, the board is tilted at such an angle as to make it
difficult and frustrating to move your pieces and figure out an
effective winning strategy. You’re much better off sticking to the
normal board layout to enjoy VK’s gameplay. Sound and music aren’t
even part of the equation in rating VK, unless you include the very
helpful beeping sound that indicates you are making a move that will
place your king in jeopardy of defeat. It’s a great heads-up that
helps you establish a better understanding of the intricate nature of
avoiding a loss and developing winning chess moves. Titus
claims that VK is “the battle game that actually makes you smarter.”
It may not make you intellectually brighter, but if nothing else, VK
will actually improve your chess-playing IQ. It definitely improved
mine. This is a title that belongs in a tight gaming niche and fans of
quality puzzle games that provide a daunting challenge may want to check
VK out. But it isn’t for everyone, and Titus is taking a noble risk
with VK. Releasing puzzle
games usually translates into smaller sales than more popular and
mainstream genres like sports and first-person shooters. I quite
honestly don’t know if there are enough GBA owners who are clamoring
for a chess title. We’ll see how it pans out, but let me reiterate
that this is a quality chess game that’s worth purchasing if you have
a strong interest in chess, whether you are a novice player, expert or
somewhere in-between.
(May 18, 2002)
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