Tag Archives: spiders

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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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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PlayStation, SCE Cambridge Studio, Sony

MediEvil, PlayStation

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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.

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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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Maxis, MS-DOS, PC

Sim Ant, PC

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Initially released for PC MS-DOS in 1991, Sim Ant (aka SimAnt) is a video game that simulates the life of an ant colony. It’s a game that has fascinated me since I first played it, in the same way that watching a real ant nest – or documentaries about ants – fascinates me.

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Llamasoft, Salamander Software, ZX Spectrum

Metagalactic Llamas: Battle at the Edge of Time, ZX Spectrum

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Ported by Chris Clark of Salamander Software and first published in 1984, Metagalactic Llamas: Battle at the Edge of Time is a straightforward conversion of the VIC-20 original, but with a couple of tweaks here and there.

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Commodore 64, Llamasoft

Metagalactic Llamas: Battle at the Edge of Time, Commodore 64

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The 1984 Commodore 64 version of Metagalactic Llamas: Battle at the Edge of Time was converted by Aaron Liddiment for Llamasoft and is pretty much the same as the classic VIC-20 original, except with better graphics and arguably better sound.

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