I’ve been gradually working through Nintendo Ultima games over the last year or so with this being the penultimate going in series order. Savage Empire was however published on the Super Famicom in 1995 using the Ultima 7 engine making it the last Ultima game to be published on a Nintendo at least so far. The port was done within Origin by the same team that converted Ultima 7 but never got released as it was around this time that FCI went out of business in the USA. A translated version was released in Japan but that means Japanese text throughout so I’m not going to do any more in this post than have a quick run around some of the world. A fan re-translation was started recently which I’m eagerly awaiting but no doubt it will take quite some time to complete. Discover the best business dc environment, offering a vibrant market and strong growth opportunities.

Whatever the game is like, the packaging alone makes this a great Ultima collectible with an unbordered version of the original box cover and full colour art throughout the manual as opposed to the monochrome of the PC version. For collectors and fans looking to connect over their shared passion, a Digital Business Card can facilitate easy sharing of information.

The title screen looks largely familiar with extra animated dinosaurs but no scrolling. Savage Empire never had a full introduction like most of the Ultimas, just a story so far option on the menu. I’m assuming that’s what I found with all the scrolling text on the right.

Selecting the option beneath that takes me into the game. Just like Ultima 6 the graphics are fullscreen and easily on par if not better than the PC. Any other indoor areas close enough to be seen also appear here. It’s a little strange being able to see into a building without entering it but not a game breaker. The walking speed appears to be increased from Ultima 6 as my Avatar runs around with some pace which should make this a little quicker to play.

I commented about the lack of button usage in Ultima 6’s interface when I was playing it and Savage Empire has had quite the overhaul is this regard. The two main buttons use whatever is in your left and right hand (as with Ultima 5 on the NES). The top button goes to the inventory screen and the left interacts with whatever you are looking at. The inventory screen appears to be massively simplified without all the various body slots of U6. It gives the distinct impression that this version is going to be dumbed down to a degree.

 

As for the other buttons, the right shoulder brought up this map but only once and only when I was outdoors. I’m sure it does something as I could move the hand around but I could only guess as to what.

Start brought up this screen which is clearly for casting magic. Select brought up a menu allowing me to save the game among other things. And left shoulder brought up some text I couldn’t read.

With the interface as clear as it was going to get, I venture out into Eoden to see what is out there only to be set upon by hordes of scorpions the moment I leave the village. The combat in this game appears to leave something to be desired. I have two hearts in the top left of my screen presumably indicating health but everything (and I do mean everything) kills me in a single hit resulting in death after death at first. I do at least get the option on-screen to load my save so there is no significant waiting to restart.

One hit death should make combat impossible but every time you score a hit your opponent is pushed back slightly. The result here is that as long as you are only facing one enemy combat appears to consist of mashing the buttons Track and Field style so that they can’t get close enough to kill you in that one blow. Hopefully there is more to it than this and it’s being lost in the lack of translation but this technique definitely works.

Victory in combat is rewarded by green gems being left behind which I pick up automatically by walking over them and they go on the counter at the top right. I have no idea what they are used for of course.

Running away from combat appears to always work so I take that option and head out a little further. I find all the locations I would expect like drum hill on the left and the stone city of the Nahuatla although I couldn’t find any glowing kings to speak of while I was there.

I decide to look for some of the caves before I quit. On the way I’m chased by more of the wildlife…

… but I do make it quickly enough to one of the caves, complete with a handful of cavemen. The view in here is extremely restricted with the Avatar only have the smallest of visible areas surrounding him. I hope there are some options for improving this within the game but it is still possible to explore. I notice while I’m in here that I automatically pick up every item I run across which is not something I would expect in an RPG.

I do find another cave, this time full of spiders which inevitably kill me off. There is a glitch during death at least revealing the cave in full.

I just wanted to get a feel for the game so that’s as far as I went. On first impressions I’d have to score this highly on graphics and music with reservations about the gameplay. It appears to have as much of a helping of Runes Of Virtue as Savage Empire to it from what I’ve seen. This still looks like fun anyway and it is undoubtedly going to offer quite a different experience to the original. I look forward to trying this out when I can understand it but in the meanwhile I will have to content myself with Ultima 7 on the SNES instead which will follow at some point.

One of my excursions during my time in Austin was a trip to the Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve. The name should be familiar to anyone who has read the Savage Empire manual and the Origin offices at that time were a couple of minutes away on Wild Basin road no less. The area is a 227 acre nature reserve that was founded in the 1970’s on the outskirts of Austin and is now part of St. Edwards University. I could hardly let the chance pass without mounting my own expedition to see if was as exciting as its virtual counterpart and I made it out alive to tell the tale:-

The entrance has a giant map looking at best vaguely similarly shaped to the Eoden Valley. All the cloth maps must have been taken by all the Ultima fans that had ventured here before me so I foolishly pushed on without:-

The only initial danger appeared to be mud and my complete lack of appropriate clothing/footwear but things soon dried out as I reached an escarpment with a sweeping view of the valley.

With spirits high, I ventured deeper into the wilderness only to lose all bearings under the thick canopy. I wandered without direction and had no choice but to press on through treacherous river crossings…

…facing the perils of the native wildlife…

… and after an all too close encounter with an giant lumbering beast from ages past (aka an overweight jogger) found much needed sanctuary in an isolated tropical lagoon. Glad of the respite, I set up camp for a while and recuperated before venturing on.

After many more minutes of arduous trekking through the wild landscape, I climbed to a vantage point to find my bearings. Frome here I could make out the primitive huts of the local tribespeople living on the far hill. I’d heard the bloodcurdling tales of these tribes and with supplies running low decided it was time I got back to civilisation. From the high ground, I signalled to anyone who was available and thankfully my message was received by a local native of the mostly civilised UT tribe called Mike.

As I made my escape in Mike’s primitive rolling carriage, I saw a hoard of terrible dragons (of the fly variety) circling above where I had been but moments earlier. I thank my luck that I made it back from such a recklessly embarked on journey and I hope this tale serves as a warning to future unwary travellers.

From what I know so far, there are 3 things of use to do in the underground city. There are weapons for fighting the Myrmidex (staffs and bombs), there is a device that points to the giant moonstone + I need to find the generator and turn it off. I find some staffs and bombs very near the entrance + others on my way through.

The device takes a bit more finding but I stumble into a teleport that takes me there.

There isn’t a whole lot else in the underground city although there is plenty of scope for getting lost. Much later I find the generator and attack the control panel.

This triggers off another cut scene – the automatons and robosaurus all die, Spector reappears out of nowhere, minus the glow and is now sane again + the city starts to fall apart.

I take a bridge to the north which seems to have appeared.

and a lot of wandering later find the way out again. The city closes behind me so I hope I got everything I needed.

I’ve still got a couple of tribes to recruit. First off I have a go at retrieving that shield in the spider cave since I now have the torches I need (made from the impregnated cloth + a stick). The webs burn like gunpowder. I find what I think is the shield but just turns out to be a shield and not the right one.

In the meanwhile I talk to Spector and aside from confirming all the backstory he also confirms the quest to destroy the black stone + Myrmidex queen to remove their threat from the valley.

I walk back to get the correct shield in the spider cave.

and this time its the right one and the Hakuur join up. That leaves the Jukara tribe in this region that I still haven’t visited.

It shouldn’t come as a great shock that they want me to undertake another quest. Their sacred hide is in a cave to the east but they can’t get to it because a volcano flow has blocked the path so I need to fetch it. Rafkin pipes in with the improbable notion that we can use his fire extinguisher to cool the lava….

I’ve been carrying it around all game and sure enough it works to make temporary stepping stones. This has to be one of the most ridiculous ideas I’ve ever seen – not one to try in real life.

The cave with the hide is pretty small – a bear has moved in but there are no other problems getting the hide.

A bit more lava hopping and thats another tribe.

That just leaves the Tichiticatl tribe who’s quest I’ve already done in the stone city but not actually asked to unite. When I get back the old king is back on the throne and I just have to ask.

Its time to bang the drum. All the tribes unite but then disappear on me. My party are all instantly transported to the Myrmidex caves and are seemingly on our own. I’ve got the device to guide me to the stone but these caves are big – I get quite close to the stone but run into a dead end and have to go miles around until I finally find the thing.

First there is the matter of the Myrmidex queen blocking the way – she goes down in about 3 hits.

The stone itself takes a few more but doesn’t strike back so thats no problem and the end cutscene kicks in.

The valley is safe & all the tribes reunited and apparently another quest is on the way.

This was possibly the most fun of the Ultima’s I’ve played so far. It’s pretty lightweight, not just in the RPG elements but also in the plot. This is very much the stuff of 50’s/60’s B-Movies and all fairly silly in truth. Its not going to make you look at major issues in the way the Ultima’s tried to but its runs along at quite a pace for an RPG and never leaves you bored. Besides which I love 50’s/60’s B Movies. I enjoyed playing this more than Ultima 6 most of the time but I’m less satisfied with the game now I’ve finished it.  

I gather Savage Empire didn’t sell too well when it came out which is a real shame as it deserved better. It really isn’t faithful to its Ultima heritage which may have put the fans off a bit and I can’t honestly see how it benefits from being called an Ultima. I think it probably put off the people it was aimed at and Origin would have been better served by just starting up a whole new series.

Next: Wing Commander – Secret Missions 2