Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I've owned several of the Excalibur chess sets. The Squire, Saber III, and now the Ivan the Conquerer.
They do not all play identically. The Squire has a VERY slow and limited computer, but it still performs quite well when you increase the difficulty setting a few levels. Saber III was quite good, but the electronics broke down after a couple of years. The Squire, which is now over 5 years old, is still going strong.
Ivan regularly beats me even on its easiest mode! The size of the board is perfect for the kids to be able to play on, and I LOVE the little digital screen that shows you where all the pieces are (excellent in case they get knocked off the board or you get confused about the move it wants to make, which can happen when you are SO SURE you know what it's going to do and are wrong...)
The game talks to the player, saying things like "A warrior would not make a move like that!", or "I will CRUSH you!". If you take a while to move, the board gets impatient and emits a tick-tock sound as if to say "hurry up". When you push the button to move the knights, you hear the clop-clop of hooves, the rooks sound like seige machines being rolled out, and when you move your Queen it has a funny "Aaaaah!" sound like "watch out, here comes the QUEEN yo!" If you try to take back a move, it says accusingly "CHEATER!" then "Taking back black's move" or "Taking back white's move". It's funny and the kids like that.
When you beat it, it concedes defeat by saying something like; "Well, I guess you won that one!" as if it resents being beaten!
I've found that the BEST way to get my kids into the game is for the three of us to play as a team against the computer. I ask them to suggest moves, then we talk about each suggestion, the strengths and weaknesses of the move, and then vote on the best move. This way, they don't feel disappointed or discouraged that Dad keeps beating them.
On the down side:
I find the magnetic board does not hold the pieces very well, so it's not as good as Saber III in that regard.
I wish you could plug in headphones for silent playing.
In general, for the price, it is very good, a lot of fun, worth every penny.
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XC5549BK93ABL Features: -Ivan the conqueror is Excalibur's popular chess-playing barbarian. -Ivan can use his 500-word vocabulary in commanding tones-or to be your powerful and patient mentor. -100 levels of play. -Play with or without pieces using Ivan's unique LCD display. -Excellent challenge for the most advanced players. -90 days parts and labor warranty.
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