Chess Maniac 5 Billion and One

Chess Maniac 5 Billion and 1 is not so much a conversion of the age-old traditional board game of chess as it is a lesson in popular culture. It was sponsored by National Lampoon, above and beyond famous for their comic books and hit movies, several of which starred Chevy Chase. The game Chess Maniac 5 Billion and 1 is not based on any movie, but is rather a tongue in cheek poke at the board game, following National Lampoon’s offbeat style of humor.

It was released in the early nineties when the National Lampoon idea was past its prime. Micropose Software release of this obnoxiously funny game may have done better in an earlier era.
The computer will likely call the player names. Also, when any piece is removed from the board by capture from an opponent, the user will see a live-action cut scene, and it is funny, again breaking the stereotypical chess concentration. The pieces are most unconventional as well. The pieces are dressed as different characters, such as belly dancers, despite having same moving bonuses and hindrances as regular chess pieces in a conventional game. These players move like the characters they are dressed as, again adding humor to Chess Maniac 5 Billion and 1.
This is a great game for the very serious chess user. While it does feature several difficulty levels, none of them are much of a match for an avid chess player. The game relies on humor as its strength, and the challenge of play a very distant second. People looking for a stimulating game of chess are going to want to look for it elsewhere. I highly recommend it to everyone! You’ll be satisfied.