Ultima Underworld Logos & Box Stickers

Posted on May 11, 2012 by Pix

In the interests of tidying away another folder of Origin oddments, I’ve a handful more items from the collection today. You may have already seen Paul Barnett’s coveted Ultima I logo on Youtube. My nearest equivalent are two proofs for the Ultima Underworld II logo as used on the box cover. I’m guessing that the older of the two wasn’t supposed to be quite so dark which would explain the second version a week later:-

Also, in the same folder are some unused stickers which in theory would have adorned Ultima Underworld boxes around 1992. The curious thing about these is that the words are the same but the design is nothing like the ones I’ve seen on boxes:-

I got some good news looking at the site stats today. After a falling out some weeks back, Google and my blog have patched things up and the site is now back up the search rankings again. I don’t expect to be top of the lists or anything but until a couple of days back I wasn’t even making the front page on a search for “pixs origin adventures”. Since being given the Google cold shoulder, site traffic had halved and search referrals dropped tenfold and it’s not before time that this got sorted out. I’m guessing the problem was all the Wing Commander 4 posts for the GOG release being classed as spamming so I’ll know not to do that again.

On the subject of GOG, I have to give a quick mention to the Quest For Glory series which was released on there for $9.99 yesterday. This is one of those series that is still on my list to finish but I love the first two games and they are worth the money on their own. I’m not so keen on QFG3 which has always been the stumbling block when I’ve attempted a play through. I’ve still not started on any of the Legend games having been sidetracked by Machinarium and Botanicula so maybe now is the time to give QFG another go.

PC Format Origin Collector's Series

Posted on May 8, 2012 by Pix

This is a 32 page pullout from the September 1994 PC Format. It’s the first entry in their collector’s series which featured companies like Microprose, Lucasarts & Gremlin. Since it’s on here, it goes without saying that this first volume is entirely on Origin:-

It includes a brief history of the company, interviews with Richard Garriott and Chris Roberts, previews of coming games (with Warren Spector interviews) and a look back at the Ultima and Wing Commander series. There is so much misinformation in the Ultima history that it beggars belief but there is plenty of good content in here otherwise. According to the Ultima 8 article, at this time Garriott saw the Avatar as being separated from the human plane and more of a supernatural being in Ultima 9 and already had an Ultima 10 plot ready to go.

Privateer / Ultima Underworld 2 Previews – PC Format

Posted on March 24, 2012 by Pix

One last scan before I get started on FM Towns Ultima 3. This article is from the January 1993 PC Format:-

Privateer was originally going to use Strike Commander’s realspace engine and run in SVGA but ultimately reverted to using an updated Wing Commander engine and VGA only, presumably shortly after this preview was written.

Ultima Underworld 2 Review – PC Format

Posted on March 20, 2012 by Pix

This second set of scans from the March 1993 PC Format are a review of one of my all-time favourites Ultima Underworld 2. It gets an appropriately glowing reception here getting the magazines highest ever score at the time.

I’ve also included a full-page advert from the same magazine. This advert more or less matches the front of the promo sheet listed in the Ultima Collector’s Guide with some minor changes such as a different screenshot, the use of the UK distribution address and the replacement of the Origin logo for EA’s.

Ultima Underworld 2 Review – PC Zone

Posted on October 10, 2011 by Pix

This is a review of Ultima Underworld 2 from Issue 1 of PC Zone (April 1993). It’s irreverent even by PC Zone standards and includes a playthrough of the Scintilus Academy + a run down on the “soap opera” in Lord British’s castle.