React bringing EA classic Archon to iPhone, make M.U.L.E. next?
As Raph Koster noted in December, there are good things afoot for fans of Electronic Arts' classic C64/8-bit computer chess-like board/strategy game Archon, with a resurgence planned for PC, consoles (likely Xbox Live Arcade), and now, React! Games has announced, a new version planned for the iPhone.
React says the game won't be a simple port of the original computer version, but will include wifi multiplayer, worldwide leaderboards, selectable AI difficulty, and "an additional surprise game mode" for its single player game, and hints at further accelerometer functionality.
The dev hasn't shown off any full-screen mockups of the iPhone game in action apart from a title screen (the above image is from a 2003 PC mockup, and from the developer's blog, it appears work has only really been underway since the start of the new year), but the site's gallery shows some promising work done in converting all of its game-piece characters into full 3D.
Now, if anyone else is willing to snatch up long-forgotten classic EA designs, no matter what anyone says, I do think a console/portable/iPhone re-up of Dani Bunten's landmark multiplayer game M.U.L.E., particularly one using Niklas Jansson's ridiculously well done concept art, would be an instant contender for game of the year.
REACT! GAMES ANNOUNCES ARCHON FOR THE IPHONE [Archon Classic]
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edgore
#1 – 9:57 PM January 27, 2009
I would give extra munny to be able to play Seven Cities of Gold on a handheld computer that resembles an iPhone.
claud9999
#2 – 5:27 AM January 28, 2009
#1: YES, please for the love of god someone do an *accurate* re-make of M.U.L.E. and 7 Cities. Don't try to make it "better", or at least let us turn off the betterness.
savetherobot
#3 – 8:13 AM January 28, 2009
Be curious to see how Archon's blend of tactics and skill hold up. I remember getting creamed by it many times on the Apple //c.
But Edgore, I agree, Seven Cities of Gold would be a sure winner. I remember staying up at slumber parties playing that game. We didn't understand the rules: we would just march through village after village killing absolutely everybody just by walking into them. That was the point, right?
claud9999
#4 – 5:23 AM January 29, 2009
#3: "we would just march through village after village killing absolutely everybody just by walking into them. That was the point, right?"
Oh, you missed out on the "make friends with the natives, hang out, give them cheap beads, grow your hair long, have sex with their papooses, smoke peyote and hallucinogenics" part of the game.
That's part of what made 7 Cities amazing, you could take a number of paths to success, even take varying paths with different tribes of natives (although I seem to remember if you wiped out one tribe, other tribes would be more hostile so harder to switch tactics.)
And the hours of exploration, and starvation...