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The Ultimate Wizardry Archives | 
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| From: Interplay Productions
Category: Video Games
Buy New: $145.00
New (3) Used (5) from $109.89
Avg. Customer Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 16551
Format: Cd-rom
Platforms: Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows 95
ESRB: Everyone
Media: CD-ROM
Age: 5 - 20 years
Operating System: Windows 95
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.1
Dimensions (in): 10 x 8 x 2
Model: C95-895-0
UPC: 040421002702
EAN: 0040421002702
ASIN: B00001QEP9
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Review
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
Cons: - Older DOS-based games won't appeal to the average gamer
- Some of these titles don't run well on modern systems
Amazon.com Product Description
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.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
 A loyal fan... November 18, 2007
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.
ULTIMATE WIZARDRY PC GAME February 16, 2007
0 out of 2 found this review helpful
PLAYED THIS WHEN IT FIRST CAM OUT 20 YEARS AGO.
NOW I HAVE THE SERIES AND THEY ARE MORE ENJOYMENT ANYTIME I PLAY
A true gem, intended for fans of the series January 19, 2007
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The Ultimate Wizardry Archives, here on out referred to as UWA, is a collection of Wizardry titles 1-7. Wizardry Gold is also included, but is basically Wizardry 7 with enhanced graphics, 16-bit sound, etc which is designed to run in a windows environment.
Most of the games included are copies of the original disk images, so you get the exact same program that existed back in the 80s in some cases. There is also a utility included that can be used to slow down your computer if the games run to fast (which is often needed).
The real gem here (and also the main reason I purchased UWA) is the inclusion of Wizardry IV: The Return of Werdna. This title is not only considered by classic gamers to be the most difficult RPG ever created, but a working original copy of the software is extremely rare. As a matter of fact, the title is so rare that when the project was considered and advertised as "in development", it came to the attention of both Sir-Tech and Interplay that they did not have a hard copy of Wizardry IV available. Screenshots were listed with the exception of one for Wizardry IV, and it was asked that fans which had an original working copy contact the company.
Luckily, a fan sold an original copy to the publisher so that it could be included in UWA, shortly before deadline. The PC-98 version is a little less rare, but it's in Japanese and of course only works on the very uncommon (at least here in the US) PC-98 computer.
In any case, this is a niche collection that will probably only appeal to fans of the original series. If you've not played Wizardry games before, and don't have particular loyalty to the series, save your money because you won't be impressed. For the fans of the series however, this collection is a godsend.
revolutionary! July 17, 2004
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
Some players to whom graphics is all important should not bother with this game, with extremely few exceptions, every wall in this game looks the exact same. that can lead to some confusion so the automap feature which was included in wizardry gold was a huge bonus. the neat thing about wiz 7 (the greatest rpg of all time) is that your maps become more detailed as your character's skill in mapping goes up.
these are the most extensive rpg titles ever created. to this day none (well maybe one or two) titles offer the extensiveness of character development offered by wiz 6 and 7. there are plenty of races to choose from, and plenty of proffesions to enter, in the end it offers immense replay value as each party of 6 characters can be compromised of any proffesion you choose. you may choose from fighters, samurai, ninjas, monks, thieves, bards, valkyries, lords, rangers, bishops, alchemists, mages, priests and psionics. each race has different strengths and weaknesses and is more inclined to enter certain proffesions than others. each proffesion also has a plethora of skills to learn, from four classes,weaponry, physical, academic, and personal.
combat is unique, you assign commands to all your party members and then start the round. it requires you to have a strategic mind to be succesful... should i Slow this group and Blinding Flash this one, or the other way around? the spells as well are quite numerous, i beleive there are a total of 96. each spell can have up to six power levels (seven in wiz 7) allowing you to tailor the spell for what size or strength monster you are fighting.
the storyline is nothing short of amazing and highly engrossing, and completely non-linear. it is possible to 'lose' at the grand finale of the game, its also possible to semi-lose or semi-win. i beleive there are 5 endings. if you play through wiz 6 you can import your party into wiz 7 and get a special beggening and i beleive three special endings.
a great feature of the game is that there is no level limit for your characters, even in higher levels the game is still challenging. monsters do not simply get more hp and lower armor class as you go up in levels, they actually get smarter and some may have more special abilities to counter your party's. combat is beautifully balanced out so that it is not too tough, but certainly not too easy! even towards the end there are plenty of extremely (but not impossible) battles to be had. another of the game's challenges is the acquisition of equipment. you EARN better equipment, for some it may be discouraging how hard it may be to get better equipment but others realize that it is beautifully balanced with how powerful your spellcasters become. when you find a treasure chest it usually contains well earned items, though only after disarming a tricky trap. this is where your thief/ninja/bard comes in. as they gain skill in skuldgerry they make it easier to ID components of traps.
the monsters are extremely numerous, i've played the game since its original release and still haven't encountered all.
the game does have flaws however, though none which marr the gameply much if any. one of the main flaws is that in wiz 6 every wall in the game looked the exact same, even if you were in the middle of a swamp or a castle. this makes it easy to get lost so the strategy guide complete with detailed maps (included in the game) is a MUST have. wiz 7 made a leap by including different wall tiles for different environments. yes, every town looks the exact same but at least trees are actually trees now! the only environmental effect in the game is night/day cycles but don't despair, if something happens or if there is anything out of the ordinary on a wall the game will tell you.
the combat realism of the game may upset some, especially when their level 1 fighter is averaging six misses per hit or when their level five mage attempts a seventh level fireball that backfires and incinerates the party. your characters build up their skill levels through practice and level ups (levels are hard earned and precious!)therefore don't expect combat to be a walk through the park. in your very first fight your mage may very well run out of magic and pick up his stick to start beating some froggy plants senseless.
character creation may very well be a very frustrating for even experienced rpg'ers. you must select a sex and race and then the computer generates a random number of bonus points with wich to boost your initial stats (strength, speed, dexterity, vitality, intelligence, piety, and charisma). if the bonus points don't allow your character to raise his stats to the minimum entrance requirements for a class, your outta luck, try again. you want that felpurr samurai or faerie ninja? hope you got patience...
wizardry is an extremely well balanced and must play game for true rpg'ers. it provides hours and hours and hours of gameplay (just a single title!). the world you are free to explore from day one is immense and offers quite a few surprises which are not included in the game's strategy guide! from a tyrannosaurus rex to hidden treasure, there is plenty to discover. so polish off your breastplate, oil your boots, fork up 30 bucks and get out there and explore!
 They can do better June 27, 2002
5 out of 19 found this review helpful
I'm one of those people who grew up playing the original Wizardry (Proving Ground of the Mad Overlord) and wanted to have to same thing on my IBM computer. I was really disappointed because the graphics were worse than the old apple version, i can't figure out how they could do that but they did. Overall it was more difficult to use and just didn't have the same mystique that the original apple version possessed. The CD i bought didn't come with any instructions or anything so i didn't figure out how to play the other game so i can't comment there. I wouldn't go looking for this disc unless you liked the entire series. Fortunate for me i still have a working Apple II GS so i can play the original Wizardry.
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