Hardcoregaming101: Might and Magic, Ultima retrospectives

[Elwro]

Tags: Ultima VII: The Black Gate

<p>There are two very interesting pieces about the <a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/mightandmagic/mightandmagic.htm">Might and Magic series</a> and about <a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/ultima/ultima.htm">Ultima</a> (well, this one has only the first half published) at <a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net">Hardcoregaming101</a>. There is quite a lot of info provided and lots of great comparison screenshots protraying the games on various platforms.</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>A bit about Ultima I:</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Much later in 1994, AppleIIGS programmer Bill (today Rebecca) Heineman, who had previously served as lead developer of Interplay's The Bard's Tale III and programmed the Apple IIGS port of Eric Chahi's Out of This World, reassembled the Out of This World team to create a new definitive version of Ultima I with completely redrawn, high-resolution graphics and modern sound. This version was released by Vitesse Inc., and is the most technically superior version of the game. However, it is now extremely rare due to the distributor going out of business shortly after release. Very little information about this version of the game is available. It seems to have been available as a paid download from the company Shareware Solutions II for a while in recent years, but the store is currently unavailable due to the death of the proprietor, so the status of the AppleIIGS version is in limbo. <strong>As of writing, Paris-based programmers Brutal Deluxe Software are working on making this superior version of the game available again.</strong></p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">&nbsp;</p>
<p>I found it surprising that the M&amp;M V <a href="http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/mightandmagic/mightandmagic3.htm">graphics</a> really did age well in comparison to the later games... oh, and about that game:</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">Once the player gets into the meat of the game, it becomes clear that while the mechanics are the same, there are some subtle differences in its composition. In particular, the game is much more puzzle-heavy and the story takes a place in the spotlight. Several dungeons require the player to solve puzzles to get through them, including a dungeon literally modeled after a crossword puzzle. Essentially, the game is designed for people who played Might and Magic IV, and are already accustomed to the mechanics of the game, so the designers can now play with the formula. An example of this is in the first major dungeon, where the player can unwittingly release an enemy known as "Barkman", which is far more difficult than Xeen was in the previous game. To a starting player he would be an impossible threat. To someone importing normally-leveld characters from the former game he would still be very tough, and only to someone who power-leveled (or min-maxed) Clouds, he would be a more reasonable challenge.</p>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;">&nbsp;</p>
<p>This is one of the things that prevents me from playing some older titles I missed. Yes, I know it's "hardcore gaming", but I don't want to be punished without a reason...</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>Spotted at: <a href="http://gamebanshee.com/news/105520-a-history-of-ultima.html">Game Banshee</a></p>

 

[Admiral jimbob]

Barkman isn't that hard, just soften him up from across the room before he reaches you. It's also pretty obvious that you're doing something you shouldn't and that you should be preparing to battle the guardian spirit you're specifically warned about. Writer is a wimp.

 

[Crooked Bee]

including a dungeon literally modeled after a crossword puzzle

Shame on them, ripping off Dark Heart of Uukrul like that.

 

[SCO]

HDC gaming is a ok review site, but it is absolutely infested by consoletards in the forums.

Proof, check their recent "The 1000 Top Video Game Music Tracks Of All Time" poll:

http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/vgm/bestvgm2011.htm

 

[octavius]

Heh, they complained about there not being enough random encounters in MM1. :D

 

[SCO]

I'm more interested in this new article from them:

http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/quepas ... aperro.htm

There is no computer in the history of anything more obscure than that the El Conquistador Especial 124. Released in mid-1984 in Spain and only sold for a period of a few weeks in of June, it was developed and used specifically by a small contingent of farmers called themselves "Los Senores Grandes de Espana" ("The Great Overlords of Spain") who wished to secede from the country and declare war on Sweden. The origin and reasoning of this grudge has eluded the few historians that have ever tried to sort it all out, but the movement died out fairly quickly as the members either got bored or died of incest.

In spite of its bizarre origins, it's a relatively powerful computer, with quite a bit fancier graphical capabilities than the Commodore 64, Apple II or Atari 8-bit lines. Despite its name, it actually has 128k of RAM, but from the minute it's turned on to the minute it's turned off, 4k is devoted to repeating the phrase "Muerte a Los Suecos" ("Death to the Swedish") over and over. To say that it is the most racist computer in existance would be an understatement.

Fascinating. But possibly a fraud.

Edit: yep.

THIS:
http://hg101.kontek.net/splaters/splaters.htm

Though, is real.

 

[Jaesun]

 

[rpgcodexusername]

 

[Korgan]

They're hypocritical as shit. Eww.

 

[Bruticis]

Captain Johne
Captain Johne is a pirate and powerful wizard, who is (through accident) responsible for setting in motion the events of Ultima V, and by manner of atonement, joins you as a companion. Reforming his thieving ways, Johne eventually settles down in Britannia to become a linguist, aiding the Avatar on his quest to stop the Gargoyles from destroying Britannia in Ultima VI. Johne is based on Origin employee John Miles, lead programmer of Ultima V and author of the most successful piece of middleware in the history of gaming, the Miles Sound System.

Interesting, I had no idea about the Miles Sound System connection.

 

[sgc_meltdown]

as with any game retrospective site it is best to ignore any editorialising and focus on articles about areas you know less about

like finding out if I missed a side scrolling brawler somewhere

 

[mondblut]

The PCEngine MM1 looks very pretty. Why the fucking japs get all the best things while shitting into the rest of the world with their jrpg filth? Are they actually trolling us or those proper RPGs meticulously ported in japanistan are lost on them?

 

[Luzur]

I'm more interested in this new article from them:

http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/quepas ... aperro.htm

There is no computer in the history of anything more obscure than that the El Conquistador Especial 124. Released in mid-1984 in Spain and only sold for a period of a few weeks in of June, it was developed and used specifically by a small contingent of farmers called themselves "Los Senores Grandes de Espana" ("The Great Overlords of Spain") who wished to secede from the country and declare war on Sweden. The origin and reasoning of this grudge has eluded the few historians that have ever tried to sort it all out, but the movement died out fairly quickly as the members either got bored or died of incest.

In spite of its bizarre origins, it's a relatively powerful computer, with quite a bit fancier graphical capabilities than the Commodore 64, Apple II or Atari 8-bit lines. Despite its name, it actually has 128k of RAM, but from the minute it's turned on to the minute it's turned off, 4k is devoted to repeating the phrase "Muerte a Los Suecos" ("Death to the Swedish") over and over. To say that it is the most racist computer in existance would be an understatement.

Fascinating. But possibly a fraud.

Edit: yep.

THIS:
http://hg101.kontek.net/splaters/splaters.htm

Though, is real.

LOLWAT

 

[Kawaii Theurgist]

HDC gaming is a ok review site, but it is absolutely infested by consoletards in the forums.

Proof, check their recent "The 1000 Top Video Game Music Tracks Of All Time" poll:

http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/vgm/bestvgm2011.htm

Westernfags be damned, it's an awesome list. It has everything it has to have: Castlevania, Umineko, SMT, Silent Hill, CAVE stuffies, Touhou, Granado Espada, etc. The thingies it should have but doesn't are mostly from obscure games that few people in the west knows about, like Rusty or Folklore or Hellsinker, but even then any list that has Intersect Thunderbolt, which is awesome but as obscure as you can get, is made of win.

And the abundance of Doujin games is total .

 

[MMXI]

Intersect Thunderbolt

You have a terrible taste in music!

 

[SCO]

HDC gaming is a ok review site, but it is absolutely infested by consoletards in the forums.

Proof, check their recent "The 1000 Top Video Game Music Tracks Of All Time" poll:

http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/vgm/bestvgm2011.htm

Westernfags be damned, it's an awesome list. It has everything it has to have: Castlevania, Umineko, SMT, Silent Hill, CAVE stuffies, Touhou, Granado Espada, etc. The thingies it should have but doesn't are mostly from obscure games that few people in the west knows about, like Rusty or Folklore or Hellsinker, but even then any list that has Intersect Thunderbolt, which is awesome but as obscure as you can get, is made of win.

And the abundance of Doujin games is total .

No.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GX4nNoqJCdA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MPKV2wnCz5c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ol4xchvI9xI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-lLYa96C3Q
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=301Pxln7KDw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHQZNNajxOk

vade retro satan of shitty music

 

[Mortmal]

I dont remember might and magic being punishlingly hard, a pleasant dungeon crawl where you can save anywhere anytime, nothing overwhelming really.

 

[La charmante sorcière]

@ SCO

Were you trying to put me to sleep back here? If so, GJ.



@ MMXI

Regardless of your opinion on it's perceived qualities as music it goes wonderfully with the gameplay and the situation in which it plays as you can see here, which is the entire role of videogame music. Mood establishing pieces sound ridiculous on all such games, leaving Guwange aside.

Though raging deicide is still king.

 

[Mortmal]

I wonder to who belong that new alt to.. no , not a clue at all

 

[La charmante sorcière]

I wonder to who belong that new alt to.. no , not a clue at all

It isn't really an alt given everyone knows it is I.

 

[DaveO]

I felt that the article and comparison screenshots were nice. The writer does have familiarity with both series which is often more than you can ask for on retrospective articles.

 

[Elwro]

I'm wondering whether the possible Ultima I rerelease will be worth it. Why not create something original?

 

[Gragt]

La charmante sorcière …

 

[La charmante sorcière]

Le petit furet ...

 

[Humanity has risen!]

Pas encore elle...

That 1000VGM tracks poll is a complete embarrassment, it shows that it's GameFaqs-caliber people who came up with it. Exactly the kind of crowd that would be fascinated by obscure pornographic japanese games infested with lolis. There should be another poll but only connoisseurs should be allowed to vote in it.

Also I remember often finding it really hard to trigger random encounters in MM1, I think he's at least right on this one. Or is the rate lesser when you're inside the cities?

The NES version is really bad as well. Really slow, and the menus are a chore to use. The only positive is the addition of an automap.