Music #20

Ultima V.

1988.

This song is from the Apple II. Surprisingly, there aren’t too many videos on Ultima V on Youtube (there are many more on IV, VI, VII, etc.).

Here is the beginning of Commodore 128. The sound is obviously messed up in this version or I would have used it. I don’t remember it sounding like that.

Check out this beautiful box-art. Ahh, the era of the Jewel Box!

Ultima V is argued as the height of the Ultima series. It is certainly the height of the hardcore games. Grand Theft Auto has nothing on this game.

In this game, you can go anywhere, do anything. Every NPC has a schedule. Depending on the time, you can catch them in bed and follow them as they go about their lives. Unlike most games, there is no good vs. evil style. You don’t really know who is evil.

Check out the ad. It totally sounds like how ‘hardcore gaming’ is advertised today in how they advertise the ‘sophistication’. Ultimas, since V, just got simpler and simpler. This is how I know the ultimate trend of gaming is towards less sophistication, not more. The hardcore were being disrupted even back in 1988. I remember.

Click the picture for the full image!

Some more music:

That is from the melee.

The immortal “Stones”!

Greyson’s Tune

Dream of Lady Nan

And this is why I say games are in the content business as the content will transcend the game entirely and can be remade into something new. Check out what some regular joes did with making Ultima V in the Dungeon Siege engine. I still need to play this, looks incredible (especially when you realize how vast Ultima V is):

Ahh, Ultima V: Lazarus. Free Dungeon Siege mod.