A beautiful… educational… cross-platform chess experience
for beginners & experts alike.
What can I say about this game? Well… it’s chess (obviously)
with the perfect title, “Pure Chess”. I've never given it (being… chess) the
time of day because I didn't understand it… and never invested the time to
understand it, until now.
The tutorial is awesome in this game, and explains the ins
and outs for each piece on the board, as well as other terms for moves, in addition
to do’s and don’ts to avoid certain outcomes. This was a very smart thing to
include in the game, or else beginners (like me) wouldn't understand what moves
are wise or not and how effective a piece is.
This game delivers chess in a great package that gives you the
option to just jump in and challenge the computer in 10 difficulty types… if
and when you don't wish to play against another person in offline turn-by-turn
matches.
• Monkey
• Novice
• Apprentice
• Thinker
• Challenger
• Expert
• Scholar
• Wizard
• Master
• Grand Master
These various difficulty settings should set you up with enough
practice to take on some online opponents with turn-by-turn play (after you've
set up an account of course, but that allows for cross platform competition).
Does the cross-platform really standout in this game? Yes... as
far as having more people to play with (because it doesn't identify who is
challenging you based on the platform they’re using), and I am glad that the developer took this route (because that doesn't matter). You're able to not only play with fellow 3DS owners, but also Nintendo Wii U owners, etc.
You have 6 game-slots available for offline matches, and 6 for
online matches (which also has online leaderboards)… so if you want to challenge multiple people or the AI at 6
various difficulty levels, the choice is yours.
I like the music in this game; it’s laid back and fits a game of
this pace… well (to me). There is a mixture of Classical, Jazz, Nature, and
Chill. I’m not exactly familiar with a genre being called “Chill” and not even “Nature”
to be honest… but I understand, and like some other games… if you don’t care
for a certain genre or any of them, you can simply turn them off.
One thing I'd add to this game is an online turn notification, so that the button is lit up in green to represent that it’s... your turn. That would remove the need to go in and check to see if it’s your turn or not, which would also keep online competition going steadily versus games being on standby (for who knows how long) because someone forgot.
Something that needs to be fixed (possibly) is the freezing issue
that occurs when you close the 3DS (which makes it go to standby mode). If you
are like me and at times you play a little of a game here and there due to a
busy schedule… or you simply have to do something that requires your attention
but you want to pick up where you left off, you don’t want to have to restart
your system because it froze. I’ve contacted the developer about this and hope
that they try to fix this as soon as possible (I’ve been exiting out of the
game before closing my 3DS), but I have tested this multiple times and more
often than not it would freeze.
Note: It doesn't get in the way of gameplay while
playing because the game doesn't crash during that time; just keep this in mind
though if you want to continue your match at a later time since it may not work
from standby. Exiting the match is allowed, just hit “Start” then “Save and
quit” to continue later, and then just go back to your main 3DS home screen
until this problem is patched.
The chess board, pieces, and scenery (though a bit on the blurred
side) are a nice combination that may pull someone in just to enjoy what they've done with this 3DS version visually. I found myself seldom looking at the top screen but I would force myself to make a move and then look up to see it in
action.
The Pure Store has some nice Chess sets in it too, some with just
the pieces only, some with a different background included.
The ones they currently have available are:
 |
| Forest Game Pack | $2.69 |
 |
| Park Game Pack | $2.69 |
 |
| Temple Game Pack | $2.69 |
 |
| Easter Island Chess Set | $1.65 |
 |
| Battalion Chess Set | $1.65 |
 |
| Halloween Chess Set | $1.65 (I really like this set.) |
It would've been cool if these were added in for free as unlockables…
but it doesn't subtract from the experience.
The game also has a chess challenges mode that consists of bonus games and tournaments.
• Bonus games present you with various match scenarios that
challenge you to complete a match in 1 checkmate, while others challenge you to
checkmate in 2 - 5 moves to successfully win a checkmate (for a total of 100
challenges).
• Tournament on the other hand... challenges you to take on the AI
in 3 different tournaments (Beginners, Challengers, Masters) and also adds an
additional element because they have leaderboards for each tournament allowing
you to challenge others from around the world to complete these tournaments in
the fastest times possible (which also lists times completed).
If you've decided to click on that gold icon after any match to
save replay data, you will be able to save it in "My Profile", which
has 50 available slots to record plenty of wins (that replay move by move).
In profile, you will also find your "Stats", and it
looks pretty extensive to me... because it records for AI matches in addition
to the others, your total moves, captured pieces, checks, wins, loses, etc. So
anyone that's into that sort of stuff... should be pleased (I guess), because
they appear to take the experience they offer… quite seriously. Some may wonder where the progression is in this type of game, but the progression is in your stats and improving your rankings, so keep that in mind if you like games that allow you to move forward (because it may appear as if you're just playing matches, so don't forget about that factor).
Price wise… it’s in a range that I think works (because it’s an
extensive experience with lots to offer as far as competition is concerned),
but I feel that it would appeal a lot more to beginners at $4.99 for the sake
of them giving it a chance. I will say though that if someone likes Chess or
wants to get into it, it’s a very nice purchase and gives you the chance to
enjoy it more often than you would traditionally… keeping in mind that
traditionally you’d have to go seek someone to challenge in person (though that’s
not a bad thing) whereas this game delivers challengers from around the world.
Thumbs up to the developer, I always like when a developer targets
authenticity in a game they want to turn into a close to realistic
experience... and they hit the mark. Overall, it’s a very nice experience that
taught me how to understand Chess, and now I’m more likely to jump into a match
here and there. I haven't loss against the PC yet, but you won't find me
entering into any local or national competitions any time soon... (seriously though) this game does give you a great tool to prepare for such things. :p
Fun factor: 4
Visually: 5
Replay value: 5
Price: 4
Visually: 5
Replay value: 5
Price: 4
"4.5 / 5 Mushrooms"
You can get more on the game here:
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