17 replies to this topic

[Tempest]

Anyone else remember this series? I can remember playing the hell out of the first three on my Apple IIe years and years ago (I think Wiz III had just come out). After that I got caught up in things like Ultima and never knew they made more until I saw a picture of the collection in a book. Apperently they made eight of them in total (the last one came out in 2001). Now I'm itching to try them out again. Does anyone know if they have trouble running on a modern PC? Are there speed issues? If I had the original disks I'd just fire up my PCjr, but I have no way of copying things to a 5.25 disk.

Did they ever make these for the Atari? I'd think not otherwise I probably would have heard about them. Looks like it was just PC and Apple.

Tempest

[Christophero Sly]

I played the first three on my Apple II, and I consider them classics. I didn't follow the series after those three, so, unfortunately, I don't know anything about series' life on the PC.

[Paul Slocum]

There's a NES version of Wizardry which I played a lot two years ago. It's the same except you can't cheat by yanking the disk when you die.

-paul

[oesii]

There's seems to be a good SNES version of the first three games. You can read about it here:

http://www.the-under...ame.php?id=3384

and download it too

[rpmxxipt]

Actually, if you poke around in that SNES review, you can get redirected to the following site, which appears to have live downloads (or at least functional links) to all of the old Apple //e Wizardry games in zipped disk image form as well as a corresponding emulator.

http://www.lava.net/...y/wizardry.html

And click the bar "A Critical Hit" to the left to get to the download page.

[cimerians]

You will want "The Ultimate Wizardry Archives" for the PC released in 1998.

It works fine on my XP system and comes with all the manuals and hintbooks in PDF form.

Read about it here:
http://www.mobygames...et/gameId,1367/

That website also has some links so you can bidbuy it.

[rpmxxipt]

Now that looks kick-ass! 2.6 out of 5 on the Mobyscore huh? Sheesh!

I thought there might have been some retrospective released. After all this Wizardry talk, I might be interested in snagging a copy off of eBay myself.

rpm

[cimerians]

Its reaalllllllly outdated.

I have a hard time playing it right now cause its just so old. The first Wizardy was released around 1980 or 81 if I recall so expect a lot of black and white and shades of magenta graphics.

I have NOT tried Wizardry VII yet from this collection and I have a funny feeling their might be problems with that one as it featured sound and as we all know, no DOS game sounds work in XP.

Unless you successfully use VDMsound or something like that...

(Wizardry 8 for the PS2 was awesome. I had a great time playing it. It was definitely old-school RPG fun. But thats for another thread...)

[rpmxxipt]

I don't think graphics are the point with Wizardry.. I had Wizardry 1 way back when for the Apple //e.. the graphics were really secondary to who could make better dungeon maps, me or my dad.

This isn't to say that I'd be willing to go back and scratch around with a pad of graph paper, but you have to admit the level of commitment was a lot higher back then (and well, you'd be LOST without your maps, too.)

rpm

[cimerians]

Yup, graph paper, pencil and a notepad for notes.

I had a big notebook filled with what every personcreature said in the old Ultima games when I used to play them on the C64

[Albert]

Ahh, yes, I remember Wizardry. However, I never got into it much because back then I didn't have an Apple II to play it on (although I got to watch friends playing it). I ended up spending a lot of time playing the Ultima games (and other titles that were released for the Atari 8-bit computers) instead. I also never explored the later PC versions, although part of me has always been curious and wanted to go and play the entire series from start to finish.. I may need to pick up that complete collection someday.

..Al

[Tempest]

Quote

(Wizardry 8 for the PS2 was awesome

They made Wiz 8 for the PS2? That wasn't that Forsaken Lands game was it?

Tempest

[tyranthraxus]

I never played much Wizardry. I was more into Might & Magic and the
AD&D games. But a friend of the time raved about Wizardry 6 and 7
so I think the series held its ground as it went on. As I've heard the
early games aren't so great being mainly dungeon mapping and
creature killing and little plot or questing. I would just emulate them
on the Apple or Commodore. The later versions might have some
fan solutions online. There is a hack to get the later Ultimas working
on XP.

[cimerians]

Quote

They made Wiz 8 for the PS2? That wasn't that Forsaken Lands game was it?  

Your right. Its not really 8, its the Forsaken Lands, but to me it might as well be. I highly recommend the game. Its a refreshing breather from the more common console RPG's out there. It was definitely worth the money, though it did have a few faults here and there. (Its HARD just like the old ones) Each levelmaze is pretty much a deathtrap.

Speaking of old ones, the old Wizardry games were near impossible to finish, I have not met anyone who's claimed that throne. Although the archives do come with the cluebooks and each level is mapped for you so it should be easier these days.

Other games I finished which Tyranthraxus mentioned:
Might & Magic 1
Ultima's 1-5 and 7 and 9
AD&D Pool of Radiance
Curse of the Azure Bonds
Secret of the Silver Blades
and all the Dragonlance games except for Dark Queen of Krynn.

I never finished the Eye of the Beholder games, though I hear they were great games too.

[AtariDude]

I do remember playing Wizardy 7 and I enjoyed the game. I understand that the first few series of Wizardy were popular on the PC but were mostly CGA at best. It is a shame that Sir Tech was not able to survive but then a lot of those early computer companies did not make it until today.

I am curious as to how Wizardy 8 finished. I know how Ultima ended (at least the single player versions - not interested in the multi-player version).

[dougy76]

cimerians said:

Other games I finished which Tyranthraxus mentioned:
Might & Magic 1
Ultima's 1-5 and 7 and 9
AD&D Pool of Radiance
Curse of the Azure Bonds
Secret of the Silver Blades
and all the Dragonlance games except for Dark Queen of Krynn.

I never finished the Eye of the Beholder games, though I hear they were great games too.

I finished the first Eye of the Beholder game. It was awesome. Never played the sequels. Those AD&D games you mentioned were really cool. The one Dragonlance game that I really liked was Champions of Krynn.

[cimerians]

Quote

I am curious as to how Wizardy 8 finished

I have the PS2 version which I finished a while back. It is not Wizardry 8 like the PC version. The ending was great and you could continue the adventure again with the same charactersequipment.

Quote

Champions of Krynn

It was great. I remember how exciting it was when you first ran into Caramon or Tanis.

[Hydian]

I played all of those back in the day, along with a bunch of SSI role players and some other odd games. I finished quite a few of them, though I don't remember actually finishing any of the wizardry games in particular. They were lots of fun, but age has taken it's toll on them.