Animated "Chinese Chess" for MS-DOS where mostly-humanoid characters make legal moves, often turn into other creatures upon attack, but always destroy their opponent in an interesting and/or entertaining manner.
From the Game Box:
"Cannons thunder, chariots race over grassy fields, and dragons hurl fireballs at opposing forces in the latest animated strategy game from Interplay Productions. Battle Chess II: Chinese Chess (TM), an ancient cousin to western chess, features stunning graphics, realistic sound effects, and more humorous animation than the original Battle Chess (TM). Watch as dragons toast hapless knights, counsellors flatten pawns with enormous mallets hidden in their robes, and cannons merrily blast away at opponents cowering behind other pieces.
With Battle Chess II: Chinese Chess, chess is no longer an abstract mental exercise. It is an entertainment that will prove the words of the famous Oriental Philosopher/Chef Kung Pao who said "War is fun!
Some of the many features included in Battle Chess II: Chinese Chess are:
A Strong Chinese Chess algorithm
2D & 3D viewing modes
Recommends best move
Multiple levels of difficulty
Play by Modem
Take back and replay moves
Show legal moves"