Tag Archives: magic

Apple II, Origin Systems

Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness, Apple II

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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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Atari 8-bit, Sierra On-line

Ultima, Atari 8-Bit

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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.

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Apple II, California Pacific Computer

Ultima, Apple II

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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).

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Amusement Vision, Atlus, Game Boy Advance, Sega

Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon, Game Boy Advance

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Shining Force: Resurrection of the Dark Dragon is a 2004 handheld remake of the Megadrive/Genesis game Shining Force: The Legacy of Great Intention. It features an expanded plot, three new playable characters, three new battles and various other tweaks to the gameplay.

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Hudson Soft, PC Engine

Neutopia II, PC Engine

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Developed by Hudson Soft and released for the PC Engine in Japan in 1991, and for the TurboGrafx-16 in North America in 1992, Neutopia II is the sequel to the first Neutopia and is another reasonably high quality, but easy-to-play, Zelda clone.

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Hudson Soft, PC Engine

Neutopia, PC Engine

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Neutopia is a Zelda-like action adventure game developed by Hudson Soft and published for the PC Engine in Japan in 1989, and for the TurboGrafx-16 in North America in 1990. The game takes places in the land of Neutopia, where the evil demon Dirth has captured Princess Aurora and stolen eight medallions that are needed to maintain peace throughout the land. Your job – as the protagonist Jazeta – is to rescue the princess, retrieve the medallions, and defeat Dirth; saving Neutopia and its people.

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PlayStation, SCE Cambridge Studio, Sony

MediEvil 2, PlayStation

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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.

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Megadrive/Genesis, Sega, Sega AM7

World of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, Megadrive/Genesis

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World of Illusion starring Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck was developed and published by Sega, exclusively for the Megadrive/Genesis in 1992. It’s a platform game where players can play single-player as either Mickey Mouse or Donald Duck, or can play cooperatively together while sharing a set pool of lives. Other Disney characters, such as Minnie Mouse, Daisy Duck, Goofy, and Huey, Dewey and Louie also make appearances.

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EA Redwood Shores, Electronic Arts, GameCube

The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age, GameCube

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The Lord of the Rings: The Third Age is a turn-based level-grinder, developed by EA Redwood Shores and published by Electronic Arts in 2004, loosely-based on the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings trilogy of films. It is NOT based on J.R.R. Tolkien‘s famous novel, because the rights for the book were held by Vivendi Universal Games at the time, although Electronic Arts did hold the rights to make video game adaptations of the New Line Cinema films. Which is a little confusing, but the plot in this game is a non-canonical story that runs parallel to the narrative of the films. Anything from the novels not specifically mentioned or depicted in the films could not be represented in this game.

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Enix, Quintet, Super Nintendo, Ubisoft

ActRaiser 2, Super Nintendo

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ActRaiser 2 is the sequel to the classic Super Nintendo game, ActRaiser, and was once again developed by Quintet and published by Enix (Ubisoft in Europe), coming out this time in 1993.

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