Archon

As a kid, I remember enjoying Archon quite a bit, and I was somewhat looking forward to it. I was also kind of worried, because I also remember really enjoying New Kids on the Block as a child and we all see where that one went.
Archon takes your basic chess game, ups the stakes with each piece having a much more open range of movement, then adds a battle system when one piece tries to take another piece. Like Christians getting tossed to the lions, the poor piece battle to the death for your amusement. You should really be ashamed.
In an interesting twist, however, the pieces are stronger or weaker depending on the colour square they're standing on. This adds a little bit of strategy as to when and where you send your knight into battle, otherwise he'll die, leaving behind his sick wife and 12 hungry daughters who will have to turn to a life of prostitution to put food on the table. You bastard. How could you do that?