Star Wars Chess

Sega console exclusive

Star Wars Chess is a chess game where the pieces are characters from the Star Wars universe. When pieces are taken, an animated battle is shown, much like in Battle Chess.

Released: 1993
Platforms: MS-DOS Sega CD Windows
Genres: Chess Computer chess Strategy
Developers: The Software Toolworks
Publishers: The Software Toolworks Mindscape
Series: Star Wars
Perspective: First person
Themes: Science fiction Party
Country: United States

About

Star Wars Chess is a 1993 chess video game developed by The Software Toolworks, based on the Star Wars film franchise and published by Mindscape for MS-DOS, Sega CD, and Windows 3.x. A 3DO version was planned but never released.

Keywords

chess
based on - movie
artificial intelligence
grid-based movement
licensed game
anthropomorphism
stormtrooper
chessboard

Media

The articlegameplay, story, development, reception

Gameplay

The game uses characters from the films in lieu of normal chess pieces, and a short animated battle takes place when a piece is taken, much like in the similar game Battle Chess (which itself was inspired by the holographic chess game shown in Star Wars. All 72 animated capture sequences were produced and directed by Kevin Coffey, assisted by a team of animators, who recollected on his personal website: “ as in real life, sometimes the good guys won and sometimes they lost. It was all in good fun, however.”

Reception

Computer Gaming World concluded that T2 Chess Wars and Star Wars Chess "are examples of marketing at its best (or worst, depending on your point of view)".

Mega Magazine giving Star Wars Chess a 60 percent rating stating "The chances are that if you take your chess at all seriously, you wouldn't really enjoy this."