The first game in the Ultima series was initially released for the Apple II in 1981 by California Pacific Computer and was later completely re-coded and re-named as “Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness” for a re-release through Origin Systems. The 1987 MS-DOS re-code – shown here – is still available to buy as part of an Ultima 1+2+3 package on GOG.com (at the time of writing).
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Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness, Commodore 64
Although the first Ultima game was an Apple II original, the Commodore 64 version of this early RPG is arguably the best-known. Re-made and released in 1986, the C64 version of Ultima [one] features colourful graphics and absorbing gameplay that is pretty much identical to the Apple II remake.
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Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness, Apple II
This first game in Richard Garriott‘s Ultima series was initially released for the Apple II in 1981 by California Pacific Computer and was originally called just “Ultima“. It was later re-named as “Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness” when it was re-made and re-released by Origin Systems in 1986. This 1986 re-code features improved graphics and gameplay, with a number of significant changes made to bring the game up-to-date with market conditions in the mid 1980s, and that is the version I’m featuring here. If you want to see the original 1981 version (and an explanation of how to play the game), click here.
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Ultima, Atari 8-Bit
Released in 1983 by Sierra On-Line, Ultima on the Atari 8-bit is more archaic and frustrating than the original Apple II version. And it looks pretty awful too, with a real lack of colour – especially in towns where the game is in monochrome unless you play on a machine (and monitor) that supports “artifacting“. In artifacting mode the dungeon and town graphics look similar to Apple II graphics, but they don’t really take advantage of the Atari‘s superior graphics capabilities.
Ultima, Apple II
The original 1981 Apple II version of Richard Garriott‘s Ultima was the first version of Ultima ever released. It was published by California Pacific Computer and is a stripped-down version of the more widespread re-release version put out by Origin Systems in 1986 (which can be seen here).
Rastan, ZX Spectrum
This ZX Spectrum conversion of the 1987 scrolling hack and slash arcade game from Taito was developed by Icon Design and published by Imagine Software in 1988. And it’s not bad, but it’s not great either.
Rastan, Arcade
Rastan – also known as “Rastan Saga” in Japan – is a scrolling hack and slash arcade game developed and manufactured by Taito in 1987. It features a barbarian warrior who must embark on a quest to slay an evil dragon.
MediEvil 2, PlayStation
MediEvil 2 is the sequel to the classic PS1 game, MediEvil, and is the return of the skeleton warrior, Sir Daniel Fortesque. The game is this time set in Victorian England where Sir Dan must combat monsters and animated skeletons, resurrected by a meddling sorcerer who is trying to resurrect Zarok, the bad guy from the first game. Gameplay is mostly identical to MediEvil [one], but with a few tweaks here and there. MediEvil 2 was first published in 2000 and was developed by many of the same people who made the first game, at SCE Cambridge Studio in England.
MediEvil, PlayStation
MediEvil is a classic hack-and-slash action game developed by SCE Cambridge Studio and published by Sony in 1998. In it you play as the resurrected skeleton of Sir Daniel Fortesque, in the kingdom of Gallowmere, who has been inadvertently brought back from his eternal sleep to once again fight the evil sorcerer Zarok (voiced by the late Paul Darrow). As shown in the humorous introductory sequence, Sir Dan’s initial attempt at thwarting Zarok fell flat on its face and this is his shot at redemption.
SonSon, Arcade
SonSon is a scrolling platform shooter created by Capcom and distributed into arcades in 1984. It is loosely based on the Chinese “Monkey King” story from the novel Journey to the West. SonSon can be played single-player, or two player simultaneous co-op.
The King of Grabs 