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| | Publisher: MacPlay  Genre: Board & Card | | Mac OS X: Any Version Mac OS Classic: Mac OS 8.6
CPU: G3 RAM: 64 MB Hard Disk: 50 MB Graphics: 800x600 |
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Graphics Decent graphics, that appear a bit better to me than the Apple chess game (particularly when played in a window). However, there are not many Appearance options, 2D Staunton Black and White, 3D Modern (metallic appearance), and Rosewood Staunton.In full screen mode, the text and graphics seem a bit fuzzy to me. When playing in a window, the text and overall graphics are sharper. You can not control the size of the window. According to the shareware utility Memory Usage Getter, KC uses about 30-40 percent of CPU resources and about 40 MB RAM on my machine while playing it in a window. It also has a "Hide" feature that will permit full use of the desktop for other purposes, so the game is still available for when you finally figured out your next move. Sound Music is limited to when setting a game up; there is no music during the game. This is absurd in my opinion. Then again, the music is forgettable, and I disabled it early on. There are sound effects that play during games, which are adequate to alert you to when a move has been made.
Value Considering the game is only about $20, and you get Internet and Palm capability, I think KC is offering a reasonable value for the money. Conclusion I would really like to see a more feature-rich Mac chess game for OS X than this product provides. Considering that the box says "Learn and improve play using hints from Gary Kasparov," it should have included at least a PDF on chess rules and play, instead of relying totally on the Hints feature. However, if you are looking for a chess game with more features than the Apple program, such as Internet and/or Palm capabilty, then this program is worth considering.
Pros:
• Reasonable price
• Simple interface
• Decent graphics
• Internet play
• Palm version included
• Modest system requirements.
Cons: • Poor documentation
• Anemic music feature
• Limited appearance options
• Modest learning capabilities
Game tested on: • iMac G4, 1 GHz, 768 MB RAM
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