TapCritic – Honest iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch App Reviews

I played chess in High School. I got beat a lot. But whenever I challenged my high-and-mighty opponent to a game of checkers, they always rued the day.

But I always respected the game. The amount of strategy needed. The strict rules. The funny little guys that looked like penises. And I have been a casual player for quite a while.

The menus are subtly animated and well laid out.

Chess Pro, by 99 Games, is the first iPhone OS chess game I have reviewed. As far as I know, there are no free Chess games available for the platform (that is, none that have a “vs. computer mode” or aren’t widely panned on the iTunes App Store), so you have to spring for one of the pay versions. Chess Pro–which shouldn’t be confused with tChess Pro–costs $3.99. There is also a Chess Lite version from the same developer for $.99.

Everyone reading this knows how cheap I am. This is the first app I ever played with that cost more than $.99. So, the big question: Is it worth it?

You’ll have to read on to find out! (Insert maniacal laugh here.)

[Video review by HAL9000.]

The 2D board is great for new players.

When the app opens, you see that there is that extra little touch given to the interface. Buttons make “bloop” sounds, and screen transitions are animated in a simple way. Play with the options, and you will see a number of ways to play the game.

First, you can toggle between three different themes…Wood, Metallic, and 2D. These are all well-designed and look great, giving different feels to the game. 2D is great for users who need clear indications of the pieces (read: old people), and the cold metallic look is great for unfeeling people who take the game very seriously. I prefer the wooden theme as it makes me feel like I’m sitting by a fire enjoying hot chocolate, but not really.

Difficulty levels can be toggled between Easy, Medium, and Hard. As a casual chess player, I can’t attest to whether the Hard mode is difficult for esteemed players, but it sure kicked my ass. Medium, for me, seems a fair match-up. Easy gets kind of silly, to be honest, with the computer sacrificing pieces for seemingly no reason at all. But for the beginning player, it’s a great way to learn without getting discouraged. And remember, in all modes there is a “hint” button to help along new (and not so new) players, as well as an “undo” button that is great for analyzing your own mistakes.

You can practically smell the pipe smoke and inflated ego.

(Note: According to most reviews, the app does a good job at challenging good players. However, in the realm of chess masters, these games live and die by the AI.  I’d suggest doing some research before committing to an app.)

Chess Pro also has a 2-player mode to challenge friends. A cool feature they have added is the “rotating board” which automatically rotates the board for the correct player so we don’t have to keep flipping my phone every 30 seconds. It’s a nice feature, but I wish you could turn it off. The other day a buddy of mine was kicking my ass in a coffee shop and, sitting across the table from each other and using the phone like a “real” board, we found ourselves having to rotate the phone after each turn. Great feature, just wish it could be turned on and off.

Interacting with the board is fun and easy. Every once in a while, there will be lag and I will select the wrong square, but it’s an expected and minor annoyance.

Interacting with the pieces is simple and fun.

But the coolest, most amazingest feature and the reason this chess game kicks all other chess games’ asses are the other two chess variations include in Chess Pro: Suicide and Loser. They are variations on the same theme. The goal in both is to lose. That is, you must let all your pieces die before the other player. Like checkers, if there is a piece in jeopardy your move to take it is forced. This is a wildly addictive way to play the game, and kept me awake for hours the first night I discovered it. There is also a nice explanation of gameplay you can look at to get up-to-speed with these non-traditional modes.

In addition, you can save up to five games and come back to them later. This is a very nice feature, especially if you like playing long, drawn out games with buddies over a number of days.

So, I ask again, is it worth the money? I’d have to say yes…if you are a chess lover. The app is very well designed with no major flaws I can find (and I’ve looked).

One suggestion for future developments: a wifi or internet challenge mode? I think that would be the tits.

You can buy Chess Pro HERE.

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