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Archon technical data
Name | Archon |
System | NES |
Year | 1989 |
Developer | Free Fall Associates |
Genre | Strategy |
Archon is an action-strategy hybrid game developed by Free Fall Associates and published by Electronic Arts for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1989. The game is set in a fantasy world where two opposing forces, the Light and the Dark, battle for control of a magical realm. The player takes control of either side and must use strategy and quick reflexes to defeat their opponents.
The game consists of several different levels which are divided into two parts: the Overworld and the Duel Arena. In the Overworld, players move their pieces around a chessboard-like grid while attempting to capture their opponent’s pieces or reach certain objectives. When two pieces come into contact with each other, they enter into a magical duel which takes place in the Duel Arena. Here, players take direct control of their piece and can use various spells or physical attacks to defeat their opponent.
Archon was one of the first video games to combine strategy with action elements in this way and has been highly praised for its innovative design. It also featured beautiful graphics and sound effects which helped bring its fantasy world to life. In addition, it had a wide variety of characters to choose from including dragons, wizards, knights, unicorns, goblins, trolls and more.
The game was met with positive reviews upon its release and is still fondly remembered by fans today as one of the best games on the NES platform. Its unique blend of strategy and action elements have also been credited with inspiring later titles such as Shining Force (1992) and Fire Emblem (1990).
Despite its success however, Archon has not seen any major re-releases over the years due to licensing issues between Electronic Arts and Free Fall Associates. There have been ports created for modern platforms such as iOS but these versions lack some features from the original game due to hardware limitations. Nevertheless, Archon remains an influential title that helped shape modern gaming culture by combining exciting action sequences with strategic elements like no other before it.