Reviewed 5/16/06
This is my most recent acquisition as of 5/15/06. Let me start off by stating that I really like this touch sensory game !. It is very handsomely designed and the pieces look very good for such a small board. Like all the products in the NOVAG line, it has multiple levels of difficulty. Officially, it gets an 1880 Elo rating. Of all the NOVAG computers I have, this one has the easiest beginner levels. At it's lowest level, even I look like Alexander the Great. This is in contrast to the Sapphire and Obsidian models which have more difficult "beginner" levels.
I find that the portable games with actual pieces and not touch screens are more enjoyable for playing an actual game. The downside is they are not as practical or as fast for setting up positions as their touch screen PDA style counterparts. Nevertheless, it is this charm and "playability" which is why I believe this style will still persevere. It naturally draws comparison to the Mephisto Expert travel (M.E.T.) chess game in my collection. It is a weaker progam than the expert travel, but then at my level it doesn't matter a whole heck of a lot. As far as styling, in my opinion it's simplicity gives it an aesthetic edge over the M.E.T. Note the picture of the OPAL plus pieces compared to the M..E.T.'s With the Opal Plus, the bishops and pawns are easily distinguishable. Not so with the M.E.T . In fact, all of the pieces of the Opal plus are considerably taller than the pawns which makes a rapid visual identification possible. The king has a cross and the knights are nicely detailed for such a diminutive set.
I also find that looking at the peg style board of the M.E.T is not as pleasant as looking at the board of the Opal plus. However, the pegs do serve their purpose well in keeping the pieces stuck to their squares and makes for easier play. The one drawback of a senory board this small is that the other pieces tend to get knocked around somewhat when trying to move. To avoid this knock around, most of the time I touch the square with my pinky tip instead of using the actual piece. Not to fret though if you do happen to knock a piece or two. It's very easy to use the verify function to check the pieces positions. There is also a built in drawer for piece storage, located in the back. The only thing I wish they included were extra queens and maybe a couple extra pawns like SAITEK does for the M.E.T. I will say that I emailed NOVAG to inquire about purchasing an extra set of pieces and was delighted to have them send me a new set at no cost ! But you can't play in the dark you say ?? Ah Ha ! By opening the drawer slightly it makes it easy to attach a clip style booklight for in bed enjoyment. (What else would you be doing in bed anyway ??) In any case, I give the Opal Plus a big thumbs up.
The Opal plus is a nice little set !
For sizing purposes, I placed it next to my Ron Santo Baseball, (Please don't email me about how the Cubs are doing this season :( )
The pieces are nicely detailed for such a small set.
The Peg style Expert travel pieces next to their Opal Plus counterparts
The "heavy" black pieces
With a booklight clipped to the drawer you're all set for some night chess !!
Here it is next to the Mephisto Expert Travel Chess. They both have the same size squares ! The M.E.T. has a larger footprint.
And here it is next to it's big brother the Novag Obsidian (actually I believe it's big brother is the Carnelian as far as programming goes...)