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Tiny Diggers – An iPad Construction Truck Game for Kids Age 2-5

February 20, 2012 – 12:39 pm | 3 Comments

Tiny Diggers has just been released on the iPad and soon the Mac computer. Here’s the details on this fun, educational game from TouchTilt Games.
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Home » Nintendo DS, Retro

Archon returns to your demesne.

Submitted by on February 10, 2007 – 10:30 pm4 Comments

chesspieceface.pngMost of my experience with Archon was on the Commodore 64, but it was bit more accessible on the NES. Free Fall developed, and EA published, back when everyone loved EA. Those were simpler times.

Archon’s coming back though, it seems. A company called Myriad Interactive has announced that they’ll be licensing the brand from Free Fall games, in order to publish new games under the Mercury Games (Crazy Frog Racer, CFR2, CFR-DS) label. Think about this now. What if there were a new Archon? A real Archon III, not that stupid “Exciter” fake bullcrap we all went “WTF” at?

For those who missed it for any of a million reasons you could have, Archon was basically chess, with mythological creatures and such for playing pieces. There was a light side and a dark. Just like in chess, you had a range for each piece to move every turn, but taking a space that was occupied did not mean you got to live. You would fight the occupant of the space in one-on-one combat in a full screen of largely open space, and to the victor went the square.

You had one “light” side with unicorns and a wizard and such, and a “dark” side with basilisks and a sorceress, things like that. Ah, memories. The phoenix. The dragon. The freaking shapeshifter who fought as whatever it was up against. This was real quality entertainment.

Archon II was a bit more complex, with elemental areas and adepts, or mages, that could summon minions to occupy spaces in a big area. If not as good, it was even better than the classic.

I can imagine a killer modernized Archon with the original mechanics and sweet 3D graphics and stylus control on oh, any old console that uses a stylus. What do you think? I think any company that made Crazy Frog Racer is worth a look!

That sound? It’s me weeping.

Via IGN.

  • http://www.farbot.com/ Paul

    There’s a PS3 game allegedly in development that looked like Archon but with a card-based battle system. That’s a much better idea for something that cries out for online play than direct who-hit-the-button-first arguments when it’s down to two melee fighters.

    Remember when the knight and goblin would fight? And how the goblin would disappear as his club lashed out, so he effectively became his club and then winked back into view? Oh the technical challenges they overcame just to do that.

    Yeah I remember just a little too much about that game.

  • Bill

    Archon was pretty much my favorite game of all as a kid. I played this endlessly against my brother. I’ve heard VC is going to mine the C64 so hopefully it’ll show up on my Wii. New version? BRING IT ON!!!

  • http://donnysnow.com Donny

    Hi guys,

    If you like Archon, perhaps you’ll like the project I’m working on. The only reason I made Awakening Sun in the first place was because I really felt Archon has so much potential, and just needed an update for today’s market. I talked to Mr. Freeman in the past and am glad he’s going to make it himself, if I understand what I’m reading.
    Awakening Sun is inspired by the original Archon, and is not looking to be in competition with the original. Awakening Sun is a whole world in its own.
    You can see it as an extra treat for you Archon fans.

    (This is a mac optimized site.)
    Here’s the address:

    donnysnow.com

  • Stephen

    Be aware that the site mentioned in the previous comment is NSFW. Thanks for pointing your project out to us, Donny.