History VideoGame / BattleChess

* ArtificialStupidity: As mentioned in the main blurb, the AI isn't the sharpest to ever appear in the chess game. It's arguably worse in the NES port, where it's so adamant on never losing any pieces that putting so much as an enemy pawn in position to be captured will cause the CPU to lock up while it tries to think of a way out of the predicament.

** Same for a King attacking a Knight -- the Knight catches the CartoonBomb the King bats at him, blinks at the player, then looks down when he realizes the fuse is burning out. [[StuffBlowingUp Kaboom]].

* DropTheHammer: Rooks in ''Game of Kings'' carry a giant warhammer into battle.

** The King. While every other piece sticks to a general technique they'll use - the Pawn's spear and Bishop's crozier, the Rook's sheer brute force (he turns into a rock monster to move and attack), the Knight's sword and shield and the Queen's magic - the King has a unique weapon for each piece he attacks: A hidden flail in his sceptre to take down Pawns, magic shrinking powder to remove Rooks, seduction of the Queen before [[WouldHitAGirl clubbing her out]], [[StuffBlowingUp bombs]] to dispatch Knights, and [[CoolGuns freakin' guns]] to take out Bishops.

It had sequels: ''Battle Chess 4000'', which is normal chess but [[RecycledInSpace with sci-fi characters used as chess pieces]], and ''Battle Chess II: [[TabletopGame/{{Xiangqi}} Chinese Chess]]'', based on [[ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin the Chinese Chess board game]]. A remake, ''Battle Chess: Game of Kings'' was released on UsefulNotes/{{Steam}} in 2015.

* HenpeckedHusband: In the [[UsefulNotes/ThreeDOInteractiveMultiplayer 3DO]] tutorial, the King makes a joke about the Queen nagging him and never letting him get any peace. The joke is he says that during his explanation of a chess strategy: While the King ''can'' capture a Queen, in practical terms he can never get close enough to threaten her. But the Queen can constantly harass him around the board.

* ShockinglyExpensiveBill: In the event that a Pawn takes the King, the Pawn withdraws a tax statement and shows it to the King, who's eyes go wide, clutches at his chest, [[HollywoodHeartAttack and promptly dies from a heart-attack]].

* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: In ''Game of Kings'', the Bishop’s weapon is a magic crosier with a butt spike leading to this commonly being used both by then and against them (if their opponent takes their weapon). Similarly both the Knights and the Pawns swords can be used for this.

* AuthorityEqualsAsskicking: The King, who has no problems going toe to toe with much younger and stronger characters. ''Game of Kings'' also gives him a much more muscular build than the original game.

* BladeOnAStick:
** The Bishop's main weapon is a retractable blade built into his crosier.
** Pawns carry spears as well.