Overall Rating: 2.5/5 Stars
Software Toolworks was a video game developer that believed that cartridges could be used for more than mere fun. They had a hand in some of the quirkiest, most unique titles on the 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) console, including Orb 3-D, The Miracle Piano Teaching System, and later pitching in with Mario Is Missing.
Among their distinctive exploits was a dip in the pond of video boards games with their production of The Chessmaster, released in early 1990. This was a game that placed its mighty boot upon the throats of Archon and Battle Chess and inquired, “Are we here to play chess, gentlemen, or fool around with combat animations?” Clearly, this was not a chess simulation to be messed with.
Gameplay
This review will not bother going into the actual rules and instructions for playing chess, but such knowledge is required to enjoy Chessmaster, as it is a no-frills, all-features chess board game simulator. Its instruction manual does not even go into how to play chess, but does mention that moves such as castling and en passant are legal and enabled in The Chessmaster; along with, impressively, not only being able to promote a pawn to a queen but limiting the amount of queens on the table in board set-up mode based on the number of pawns off the table available.
Beyond the basic “chess game” gameplay, though, Chessmaster certainly holds a number of notable distinctions, boasting as many chess-simulation features as the coders could possibly pack into the 8-bit cartridge. First of all, it offers the options to either play against the computer, two humans playing against each other, or have two computer players playing each other. When a human being plays the CPU, though, is where the breadth of settings really shines.
Perhaps most remarkably, there are sixteen different difficulty settings. The first two are designed for beginner players. The next thirteen are determined by the amount of time the computer allows itself to think before deciding on a move. The options screen even provides the ratio, such as difficulty 8 meaning that the artificial intelligence will conduct 30 moves every 60 minutes, allowing itself roughly 2 minutes to think per move. Beyond that, there is an expansive board set-up mode, allowing the player to place him or herself in any position possible; the option to switch sides at any point, including at the very beginning to determine color played; “deep thinking” toggle, determining whether the computer will think on the player’s time or not think while the player is moving; takeback/replay mode, where moves can be returned and the entire game can be reset to a previous state; learning mode, in which the computer displays all possible moves per piece selected; showing board coordinates; forcing the computer to show how the player can reach checkmate in a certain number of moves; or an interesting option to enter the “war room” view, showing a smaller view of the board, accompanied by readings of each player’s previous three moves, what the computer is thinking as its best move, a hint for the player as to what the computer believes the best available move to be, and the pieces captured so far. Wow. This is a full-fledged chess simulator, able to provide the player with whatever experience desired on the 8×8 board.
Graphics
Really, this is a chess simulation, so it would hardly be fair to expect eyeball-burstingly awesome visuals. That being said, the view of the board is clear, the animation as the hand cursor moves the pieces is smooth, and the screen options are legible. The text color choices are a little odd, though, and the game does experience a little slowdown at certain points, such as switching views. This is not a video game meant to impress the eyes. The Chessmaster cares only to impress the mind.
Sound
There is a little ditty to begin the game, and opposing short chimes when each player makes their move; but, otherwise, there is little to be found in the realm of music and effects in The Chessmaster. The Chessmaster cares not for silly jingles and clashing swords.
Originality
Okay, it is chess, so how original can it be? It was not even the only chess game on the NES, but it was certainly the most fully fleshed out simulation available. However, and this is important: No matter how good of a simulation it is, it is still only simulating chess, a mere board game. Even if the simulation of chess is of amazing quality, consider placing a video board game alongside the other titles in the NES pantheon: How does a chess game compare to the groundbreaking side-scrolling platformer majesty of Super Mario Bros.? How does the move-by-move action on a grid compare to the pulse-pounding, adrenaline-pumping action of Contra? How does its engrossing appeal compare to the story arcs behind Final Fantasy and Startropics? How does its puzzling aspect compare to the color-coded masterwork of Dr. Mario or the mind-bending perfection of Tetris? Can its strategy overtake that of going through Mega Man? Can its visceral impact outweigh the hard-hitting beat-‘em-up style of Double Dragon or Battletoads? Perhaps it is a dream program for a chess fan, but the cold truth is this: Even as a perfect board game simulation, it cannot be rated as an above-average NES video game. Since it is better than an awful game, though, it can at least hit the midline of two and a half stars out of five for an impressive programming feat and a serviceable simulation of a popular board game.