I'm sure I've dated myself with the enthusiasm in that headline. Not to mention the actual title "Archon", which is older than many of you reading this post. Back in 1983, this was the first inkling of the genius that would become Toys for Bob, the developers who gave us the Star Control games* and the last best Archon remake, Unholy War**.

In Archon, you took turns moving pieces around a chess board. But instead of the attacker simply knocking the defender's piece off the board, you then fought a real-time action battle between two dramatically different creatures. This was the beginning of the wonderful and sadly underpopulated genre of "weird things beating up on each other". From Archon, you can trace a line through Star Control, past Unholy War, right through the heart of Sacrifice, and directly into my favorite game this year, Brutal Legend.

Anyway, there's a reason I'm burbling on about a quarter-century-old game. A little indie studio called React! (punctuation theirs) is officially remaking Archon. And not reimagining it as some sort of modern day fighting game, like Lucasarts did in 2004 with Wrath Unleashed. Instead, they seem to be updating the graphics, but keeping the basic 2D gameplay intact.

They released it for the iPhone already, but, I mean, come on. The iPhone? Who plays videogames on an iPhone? But now they've got a version for the PC in the works, and if you pre-order it for $15, you can start playing the beta immediately.

* Both of them! Contrary to popular belief, there is no Star Control III.

** Have I ever told you that among my prized possessions is a copy of Unholy War signed by Fred Ford and Paul Reiche III? If you want to come over, I'll let you look at it. But, like the Mona Lisa, you're not allowed to touch it or come within six feet of it. Also, no flash photography please.