LEGO Chess

Description:

Looking for a fun way to teach your kids the game of chess? Have a hankering to learn the game? Well, now is your chance to learn all the moves, tips and tricks of chess with a new twist--LEGO pieces!

Chess is more fun than ever with the cute LEGO pirates, cowboys and Indians as your playing pieces. If you've never played before or if you're a little rusty, there is a basic tutorial offered for beginners, along with a more advanced tutorial and even a strategy guide! The tutorials demonstrate every rule on an interactive playing board and allow players to practice each piece's particular moves. When you're ready to play a real game, you're presented with a choice of a 'quick game' or a 'story game'. The story game offers 2 stories to play, a western and pirate one. Basically, each story is a series of animated sequences interspersed with chess games; if you defeat your opponent, you can advance in the story. The quick game jumps right to a game, where players can choose from traditional, pirate or western themes, plus choose a playing board (choice of boards is limited to how far the story game has advanced, the farther the story, the more boards are offered). Fun animations whenever a piece is captured add to the enjoyment of the game.

Features:

• LEGO pieces
• Beginner tutorial
• Advanced strategies
• Story or regular game play
• Difficulty settings
• Internet play
• LEGO king mini-set!

Technical Aspects

The minimum processor speed was P166, and I only have a P100 (hear that, Santa?). The game ran very slowly but was just bearable, that is, except for the mouse! It jumped around and dragged horribly, which made it difficult to play. I believed this to be due to my slow processor speed, so I installed the game on a P300MHZ laptop. The gameplay was a little faster, plus the graphics were crisper. However, the cursor was still dragging, so I called Tech Support. They informed me that the cursor movement had nothing to do with the processor speed, that it was designed that way and you had to move the mouse slowly.

Editor's Note A few months after I reviewed this game, I purchased a new computer, a P450 with a 3D graphics card. What a difference! The mouse was much smoother moving, so in my opinion the mouse dragging experienced previously had everything to do with the processor speed. The animations were faster, and the 3D graphics were wonderful! The colors were very clear, and the LEGO pieces looked real! In light of this, I would say that the minimum system requirements were very optimistic, and that a fast computer is better for optimum enjoyment.

Another Editor's NoteIt has come to our attention that LEGO Chess has a " known DVD conflict", according to LEGO Media Technical Support.

Report and Conclusions:

Still, the above objections aside, this is a great way to learn a fun game of skill and logic, and the entire family will enjoy playing!