The Ultimate Wizardry Archives
by Interplay Productions
Our Price: $139.94
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Buy Used: from $100.00 (click here)
Category: Video Games
See more product details and other editions
Product Summary
Brand: InterplayFormat: CD-ROM
Platform: Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me
Model: C95-895-0
Publisher: Interplay Productions
Accessories:
Video Game Reviews of The Ultimate Wizardry Archives
Customer Review: A loyal fan...
Summary: 5 Stars
First let me start with saying I'm quite partial to this series. I remember being in highschool when I first saw this available for purchase at a local store. I snatched it up immediately remembering the Nintendo version my mother had bought for my brother and I. Yes, the graphics aren't as good as Nintendo's released version. The first game is literally a maze under a castle made up of nothing but walls of white squares. *BUT* it also includes content I didn't remember seeing in the nintendo version with multiple keys and statues you can find to explore every level. 10 years later I -still- enjoy the mapping of the dungeons. I have later games for PS2 (which put a great unique twist on moving around, combat, and party members), and the last PC release.
So yes, while this game is definately older, and graphics leave something to be desired, it is a MUST for all dungeon fans - and for anyone who gets a kick out of mapping things out as they are explored. Each game in the series gets better graphics and unique additions to game play. You can take characters from one finished game onto the next, or start over with a new party.
Description of The Ultimate Wizardry Archives
Unless you really, really love either the Wizardry series or role-playing games in general, this package likely isn't for you. If, however, you don't mind configuring cantankerous old games or staring for hours at antique graphics, The Ultimate Wizardry Archives represents one of the best overall gaming values ever assembled in one box.For the uninitiated, the Wizardry series began in 1978 with the release of Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord, and that game, along with the six sequels that followed, is included in this collection. All of the games are presented in their original format, meaning the first four use simple text and stick figures to represent the entire gaming universe. Dungeons in the first few games consist of straight white lines bounding pure black walls.
Only purists and game collectors will appreciate the first five titles in the series, but nearly anyone who enjoys crawling through dungeons hacking up monsters should like Bane of the Cosmic Forge and Crusaders of the Dark Savant (along with its enhanced version, Wizardry Gold). The graphics in these games are vastly improved over those in their predecessors (though of course surpassed by modern games), and the keyboard interface of the older games was exchanged for an easy-to-use mouse interface. Just looking at the evolution of the series is a treat, as it shows how much computers and games have changed in 10 years, but the real pleasure comes from the addictive hack-and-slash gameplay this series has been delivering for over two decades. --T. Byrl Baker
Pros:
- A great way to see just how far game technology has come
- Wizardry fans can finally fill all the gaps in their collections
- Will provide hundreds of hours of entertainment--if you can take the graphics and interfaces of the older titles
- Older DOS-based games won't appeal to the average gamer
- Some of these titles don't run well on modern systems
The Ultimate Wizardry Archives brings together the Wizardry series of role-playing games all in one box. The entire collection is represented--from Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord through to Wizardry Gold, the latest in the series. It's a definite must for any RPG veterans, and a great place to begin for novices! It boasts months of game play, making it an ideal addition to every gamer's collection! The world of Wizardry is truly magical. It allows your computer to open a portal to a world far removed from today's high-tech living. There, brave warriors do battle with evil wizards and fearsome monsters for riches beyond compare. It is a place where careful planning and strategy are more important than mere reflexes. You create and command a party of valiant adventurers, who will doubtlessly be memorialized in the songs of heroes for years hence. Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord. The legend that started it all! Track down the evil wizard Werdna in his fortress labyrinth to retrieve a fabled amulet. Go where even the Mad Overlord himself fears to tread. Wizardry 2: Knight Of Diamonds. The legendary armor of the "Knight of Diamonds" has been lost! The treacherous Davalpus has slain the royal family and blasted the Staff of Gnilda and its rightful heir, Alavik, from this world. Without the protective powers of the staff, the city will surely perish. Wizardry 3: Legacy of Llylgamyn. Tidal waves, volcanoes, and earthquakes are destroying the city. Every day, the pestilence sweeping the country is getting worse. You must retrieve the Orb of Arithin to find the cause of these catastrophes. The orb is held by one of the five children of the World Serpent: the dragon L'Kbreth. Take up your skills, seek out the dragon, and win from her the powerful orb. Wizardry 4: Return Of Werdna. After his defeat years ago, in the place where Werdna lost the amulet, the evil wizard now struggles to find a way out of his own maze. You are Werdna and your worst nightmare has come true. All the obstacles, traps, and deadly creatures you set up to protect your treasure and to prevent people from getting into your 10-level dungeon are now there only to keep you from leaving it. Wizardry 5: Heart of the Maelstrom. Llylgamyn is in danger once again. Disasters worse than ever before are being inflicted by a magical vortex. The very fabric of reality itself is unraveling into chaos. It holds prisoner the Gatekeeper, whose responsibility it is to watch and preserve the balance between the planes of magic and the natural world. Do you have the heart to challenge the Heart of the Maelstrom? Wizardry 6: Bane of the Cosmic Forge. The Cosmic Forge is a magical pen with the unique power to weave written words into the cosmic fabric, making these words come true. Unfortunately, the pen has fallen into the wrong hands, and evil forces have abused it for years, scripting horrors that no man has ever imagined. The king and his queen disappeared a long time ago with the Cosmic Forge. But now that you have arrived, all that is about to change. Wizardry 7: Crusaders of the Dark Savant. When the Cosmic Forge was stolen, a previously undiscovered planet was unveiled and recognized as Lost Guardia. The legendary planet of the scientific genius Phoonzang was the secret resting place of the Astral Dominae, the world's only known record of Phoonzang's final and greatest discovery. Race to find the Astral Dominae, for he who finds it shall have the power of life itself. Wizardry Gold. The award-winning and classic epic, Wizardry 7: Crusaders of the Dark Savant,is now totally re-engineered and includes full speech; new cinematic sequences; new sound and music; and an entire suite of add-ons, tools, and utilities.
Role-Playing Games
Computer and Video Games
Bestsellers in Role-Playing Games
World of WarcraftBlizzard Entertainment; Blizzard Entertainment; Release date: 2004-11-23; Macintosh; Video Games
Best price: $14.00
Price in other shops:
World Of Warcraft Expansion: Burning CrusadeBlizzard Entertainment; Blizzard Entertainment; Release date: 2007-01-16; Windows 2000; Video Games
Price in other shops:
World of Warcraft 60 Day Pre-Paid Time CardBlizzard Entertainment; Blizzard Entertainment; Release date: 2004-11-29; Windows XP; Video Games
Best price: $23.07
Price in other shops:
Warhammer Online: Age of Reckoning Collector's EditionElectronic Arts; Electronic Arts; Release date: 2008-09-16; Windows Vista; Video Games
Best price: $79.99
Fallout 3 Collector's EditionBethesda; Bethesda; Release date: 2008-10-28; Windows XP; Video Games
Best price: $69.99
Fallout 3: Amazon.com Exclusive Survival EditionBethesda; Bethesda; Release date: 2008-10-28; Windows XP; Video Games
Best price: $119.99
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Collector's EditionBlizzard Entertainment; Blizzard; Release date: 2008-11-13; Mac OS X; Video Games
Price in other shops:
World of Warcraft BattlechestBlizzard Entertainment; Blizzard Entertainment; Release date: 2007-10-02; Windows XP; Video Games
Best price: $30.00
Price in other shops:
Fallout 3Bethesda; Bethesda Softworks; Release date: 2008-10-28; Windows Vista; Video Games
Best price: $49.99
World of Warcraft: Wrath of the Lich King Expansion PackBlizzard Entertainment; Blizzard Entertainment; Release date: 2008-11-13; Windows Vista; Video Games
Best price: $39.79
Price in other shops:
Similar Video and PC Games
WizardsRelease date: 2004-05-25; DVD
Best price: $6.97
Price in other shops:
Dr. Strangelove or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (Special Edition)Sony; Release date: 2001-02-27; DVD
Best price: $6.32
Price in other shops:
Star Trek Voyager - The Complete Seasons 1-7MULGREW,KATE; Release date: 2004-12-21; DVD
Best price: $286.97
Price in other shops:
![Patton [Blu-ray] Image](/images/Patton-Blu-ray-B00158K0S8-X.jpg)
Patton [Blu-ray]TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX HOME ENT; Release date: 2008-06-03; DVD
Best price: $22.30
Price in other shops:
Forgotten Realms Archives: Silver EditionInterplay; Interplay; Windows 98; Video Games
Best price: $59.98