Man, I can't believe Ultima V was almost 40 years ahead of the curve introducing the shadow wizard money gang, and we just weren't ready to realize it yet.
In all seriousness, I do think that your series is very important for bringing knowledge of these important games to future generations. Thank you for everything that you do.
Thank you for saying so. If anything, these videos are pastiches of information that dozens of people have spent their free time documenting & archiving. I'm incredibly grateful to them. If I can present the history in a way that's entertaining and helps people appreciate pioneers of the medium, that's all I could ask for.
I've treasured Ultima growing up and to this day. Stones always gives me goosebumps and I value this opinion and your work Maj. Thank you for your chronicle of this legendary series.
Especially when young people like me can't even see exactly how this game would be fun enough to dive into upon a first glance, but learning about how the games grew with the industry and the culture that surrounded them is fascinating.
@Majuular hu,great video. Might be worth to credit those (dozens) of people :) Edit: the TH-cam Fireborn does a nice work of sourcing infos. He's less big than you ,but a good example of repo of due diligence
"How could something so unsurmountably evil be yet so pityably fragile" - Reminded me of Sauron. There are a lot of parallels if one thinks about it. He was impossible to defeat in a direct confrontation but was brought down by casting a small item, containing the essence of what he is, into a very specific fire.
Man going from the nostalgia critic era spoony videos to this kind of thoughtful stuff we get from guys like you today restores my faith in youtubes cultural health
@@MegaDeathRay10 yeah spoony's ultima videos ended with plain depression and a "childhood ruined" type of conclusion. Like yeah the game sucks, we get it, now can we get on with the retrospective of the game? Actually I'm not sure he had a thesis after he lamented how the game ruined his early memories of Ultima
Creativity is a funny thing, it comes and goes on it's own. I love painting, writing, all sorts of stuff. Sometimes projects take awhile because I suddenly lose that drive. Other times it burns as bright as the sun until my project is finished.
As a kid I grew up on devs like Broderbund, Origin, SSI, Psygnosis and Infocom. It's truly a delight seeing a continued interest in those formative years of gaming and game development! It also shows how the Major Publishers (I'm looking at you EA) became such the bully bait for the internet, and how they ALREADY were behaving so BADLY decades ago.
@@Majuularthere is a Desire to see EA burn meme image that is many hands of many groups of fans. Many many. They are to videogames what Harmony Gold is to mecha fans. It's just in Origin's case many of the people are just as responsible as EA in killing some beloved IPs. Roberts and Dickie B have just been embarrassing themselves for the last 25 years or so. Course most of the other big creators or not so big but should have been mostly got out of videogames where the money and hours are much much better.
@@CaptainRufusIts truly sad seeing Richard Garriot so fallen fron grace that the mans last project was NFT related... Really wish Ultima would get a proper reboot with or without his involvement. Honestly probably without
I’m now genuinely curious as to what a timeline we would have had if Origin and Falcom had teamed up. While Origin is defunct Falcom is still popular with JRPG fans for both Ys and The Legend of Heroes franchises both of which having long and storied histories. It’s always surreal when you find that kind of information thank you so much for your research!!!
Yeah, it was sad to find out that Richard's ego got in the way of what could have been another legendary team up. Yes, the shop clerks were obviously inspired by Richard's work but they were not directly lifted and they were not even remotely breaking copyright law.
The original canon was that, after his exile, Lord Blackthorn ended up with the Xenkan monks on Serpent Isle, where he found peace. This was unfortuntately undone/retconned in Ultima 9: Ascension.
Really annoying because that was a retcon that definitely could work within the frame Literally just say that him having been possessed before meant he was accessible again by them because they know his mind
yeah, Isekai are old as time. Gullivers travels, alice in wonderland, oz, never land, Orpheus traveling to the underworld. jack and the beanstalk, can argue the Odyssey as well.
I never write TH-cam comments, but I have to tell you how much I love this series. Just, every aspect these videos is so good. The history of the people involved in their production, the game review itself, your sense of humor and editing, the glimpses of whats going on in the wider world of gaming when these released, it's all completely enthralling. I had no idea these games had so much to offer before your videos on them. Just the fact that Ultima IV is about mastering a complex belief system, and then Ultima V is a deconstruction of that belief system is so wild to me. I love it. Great work man.
It's something I've enjoyed as well. I remember seeing Ultima IV in my GOG library when I first made it among other games but ignored them all. It's been fascinating though seeing the journey Lord British has gone on with developing these games and gives me an immense appreciation for them even if they are too difficult for me to play.
"Please note: I didn't write in the manual. The previous owner was enjoying this game to fullest. Bless him." is such an indictment of good will that its borderline avatar behavior.
You are on a generational run. Every video you put out is something I look forward to... And your pace for releasing these is really remarkable now, TY mr maj.
Was just thinking how pumped I was for the next Ultima retrospective. Absolutely some of my favorite content on this platform, being both a history lesson and let's play simultaneously with the best of both represented. I was always just far enough removed from computer RPGs growing up that I knew of the series but only ever dabbled with the console ports. To see how the entire series formed from the beginning has been an absolute treat.
Been in a not great headspace lately and have been going through the channel for some fascinating comfort food. Haven't been so happy to see a new video in my feed in a long time. I don't know how you put these out so fast my dude, but I appreciate you.
Thanks very much. Truthfully I'll probably pull it back a bit in terms of writing/editing hours for my next video. gonna spend more saturday afternoons with my family & friends instead of screaming as Adobe Premiere crashes for the 67th time. I do love the work though! Hope things get better for you sooner rather than later bud. They always do.
@@Majuular I don't think anyone would fault you for that. Heck, I don't even know how you can play the game and make a script in a month, let alone record and edit the thing. Well done regardless! I appreciate the kind words. I've been here before and I am dealing with it, it's just a frustrating and slow process. But it'll get there. Cheers. 🙂
There are a few others nowadays but Majuulars here is probably the best. Especially if you have any empathy for human beings and are aware what Spoony was going through during most of his. It's hard to be entertained knowing about it.
These Ultima retrospectives are great too. th-cam.com/video/ma26h-iu4OY/w-d-xo.html They've got the annoying skits from old-school TH-cam, but they're very thoughtful, introspective and considered videos. I really enjoyed them, and I'd rate them well over the Spoony ones, particularly the ones from when his internet persona started to take shape.
This is the format I didn't know I needed. The mixture of well-researched behind-the-scenes information and detailed game retrospective and critique is truly absorbing. Apart from that, your videos are very well presented and actually funny. Well done, Sir! Keep 'em coming, please! :)
Been looking forward to this one even since I caught up on the Ultima saga. Thankfully that wait is over. Love your vids dude, thank you for the comprehensive history of a game that I never knew inspired so many of my favourite games.
The leaps in quality in the late 80s and early 90s sure were impressive, with storytelling ambition to boot. In any case, now we're getting to my favourite Ultimas! I was old enough to understand them at the time, and they're really just masterpieces anyway.
I was just watching the Ultima IV video again last night thinking it was almost time for the video on the fifth game. lo and behold, here it is! this is gonna be good
I appreciate all the work towards telling the backstory of the game's development, not just because it gives context to why things are the way they are in the game, but just the raw effort of research for fun
As I sit and watch this video the more I see similarities to other RPGs, Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Fire Emblem, Fallout and the Elder Scrolls. This totally feels like the predecessor of those games. I could imagine a first person Ultima reboot or a Ultima Tactics style game. Because these games are the foundation of modern RPGs.
That would require EA to care enough. They don't. According to Garriott himself (who isn't known for being 100% honest mind you..) he has talked to EA about doing remakes and being told no or not getting any form of response.
Ultima 5 is the TotK to Ultima 4's BotW. Both include a largely reused world with many minor changes, new high elevation areas, and a massive underground area unveiled by the lands' uplift
@@Majuular Im more of a M&M fan but Ultima will still be an important part of our culture. Also the effort you have put in in this series is awe-inspiring
Love listening to this series when cooking or doing dishes. I know so much more about this foundational rpg series thanks to your videos. You have a really engaging way of walking us through these games without just flatly describing the lore or mechanics from point a to point b - its a warm cozy documentary, or seasoned and enthused historian lecture kind of feeling.
It's INSANE how well written and edited these videos are. The documentary segments on Origin Systems, and Richard's life and career, are some of the best pieces of PC gaming journalism I've ever seen.
16:02 I wonder if Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson) was ever an influence to start drawing maps like that... It's impossible to read that book and not feel the temptation of drawing a few maps on paper later on... What a cool underrated book in literature's history... It was heavily influential for some and heavily criticized for others, a mark of achieving greatness. Rest in peace brave soul
It's funny. I re-watched Spoony's old Ultima Retrospective yesterday and now today TH-cam decides to recommend your channel and your videos. And can I just say; as someone who fell madly in love with Gametrailers' (rest in peace) old Retrospective series, your content fits right up my alley.
Great post. Thanks for sharing. Like others here, I grew up with these great games and vendors, including SSI. I loved the Phantasie series from SSI and I loved inventive titles from Trillium who sadly doesn't get as much love. It's hard for today's gamers to understand now, but as a budding software developer, D&D fan, and gamer, I would lose my sh*t and be so inspired by all the innovation happening at that time in the 80s. When I was fortunate enough to actually afford the real deal and open one of the beautifully packaged games like those from Trillium, the excitement was palatable. Then I'd see what at the time were amazing character animations in games like Shadowkeep where the enemies would actually (but slowly) rush down the hall towards you for battle or find that if I put on the included cardboard glasses for Trillium's Farienheit 451 I could see 'the truth' in the hidden messages otherwise not visible on the billboards and the like depicted on the screen of my Apple IIe. Ultima V was the last Ultima game I really took a shine for. I just wasn't a big fan of the new art style introduced in VI after investing SO, SO many hours into Ultima 2 - 5, but that was just me being bound by nostalgia on my part. Thank you kindly for this thoughtful and thorough piece on this great series and this great time of constant innovation. Warmed this vintage Geek's heart. Thanks for that.
Thank you for this series. I feel like I played the game and in the context of the time and place it was released. Ultima VI was the first Ultima game that I bought and loved. Reading the history of Britannia I could only imagine the adventures the Avatar had been on before.
So here I am stressing about what I can watch tomorrow on a need for long form content and one of my top 5 people of all platforms just drops 2 hours worth of undoubtedly well edited, well commented and well written video. My goodness I'm blessed - thank you!!
Ultima V was a thing that shaped my entire life. I'll never forget that experience, and it's still on my all time favorite games list. I loved this video. It brought me back to one of the happiest times in my life.
While I'm a bit too young to have nostalgic memories of Ultima, this is a series that fascinates me. So relatively primitive yet so damn ambitious in its storytelling, themes, and gameplay, and Ultima V I think is the standout of those for me. A story about taking something that seems so good, so unquestionably positive...and making it a totalitarian nightmare as being a good person is suddenly forced upon pain of torture and death, with a man who has been deluded into thinking he's the benevolent, hero unaware he's the pawn of three monsters. The addition of the Xenkan Monastery, showing that Blackthorn had found peace after his exile, knowing that despite the corruption he brought to the land, he was still able to come to terms with it and let go of the things the Shadowlords used to corrupt him was the cherry on top.
Every time I finish a Majuular video, I feel like a 9 year old boy king, who is being carefully manipulated behind the scenes by his father' treacherous chamberlain, after a juggler finishes his set --- clapping my hands, chortling, shouting "MORE! MORE! MOOORE!"
It still blows me away that these videos are so good. I truly could not give a shit about Ultima, but a 2 hour Majuular video about Ultima? Now you're talkin my language.
I haven't seen a documentary in this field ckose as emersive as this series. I love the personal details about everything around the main topic. Thanks a lot!! ❤
Videos like these are really important. Going through the history of something so culturally phenominal and documenting it is very important. TH-cam is a library of Alexandria.
I have watched a lot of Ultima content on youtube over the years, but this is some of the best and most thorough. Can't wait to see Ultima 6 covered, that's where I came into the series and it still holds a tremendous amount of magic to me.
There's a modern "Ultima" programmed in 6502 assembly language for the Apple // called Nox Archaist. It has the blessing of Lord British (he appears as a character in the game). The programmer grew up playing the early Ultimas and pushed the Apple hardware to it's absolute limit. For example he created a lightning bolt spell which allows you to select a target, and crosses tiles in a straight line. The math calculation to cross tiles at uneven angles in a single unbroken line was thought to be beyond the capabilities of the Apple. It's well worth a look.
Man, I rewatch Spoonys series on Ultima at least twice a year. From what I've seen so far of this series, looks like I might have to add this to the list. Thanks for the content.
Can you believe that when I first this on the PC back in '89, I got all the way down to LB I. The underworld and didn't have the Sandlawood box. Imagine my surprise when he asked about it. I was like... "what box..." lol. Backed all the out and up back to Britain to get the box then trekked all the back! :) good times
Ahh, is there anything more cozy than settling in with a good Majuular video for the evening? Thank you for your work! I've only just started this one.
Just wanna thank you for your videos Majuular. Really great stuff. I wish we could get remakes of the Ultima games, akin to the newly released Wizardry Remake.
Thank you so much for mentioning the Ultima IV NES port. What got me started in viewing your series was having a flashback to my childhood and trying to figure out at 7 years old what an Avatar was and how I could become it! 😅 This has been a spectacular series and I look forward to the next entry!
Echoing the sentiment of others by saying thank you for bringing this series some light. Of course, I always love when you deliver into the JRPG Mines too.
A timeline exists where the Falcom-Origin relationship actually worked out, Falcom bought up the rights once EA sucked Ultima dry, and there are now Japan-original Ultima entries detailing the daily life of students at Avatar Academy.
Isn't that just the later seasons of My Little Pony G4? Twilight Sparkle pretty much is the Avatar already. Though I'd be lying if a crossover RPG with Adol Christin and Estelle Bright teaming up to beat up the Guardian doesn't sound like the most Hype thing ever...
@@thegobbojones don't forget how thirsty everyone would be for the Avatar then. Cuz like Ys has everyone wanting Adol's sword if you dig. Britannians aren't usually that hot for the Avatar. Usually.
As an *Elder* who played all these games: V is the last great new idea. Think "Morrowind." VI is basically "Oblivion." A huge move forward. The biggest jump foward ever. Strangely genius. VII is when everyone gave a shit, this is Skyrim. Like Skyrim, this is where everything starts to die. Nothing is new under the Sun.
Perfect timing! Again! 8u I think in hindsight, Ultima 5 is probably my favorite of the ones I played (not counting Underworld, that's its own beast altogether). It maintains the world-map/town-map separation (unlike 6, which does the whole Open Cities shebang), but it also has more going on than 4. I still have a ton of notes in a little notepad from my playthrough, and I even used my phone to snap pictures of all the dungeon maps (because hoo boy, my brain gets lost without a steady map lmao).
Maajular is the absolute GOAT. I'm grateful that you are the reason I've become familiar with the Ultima franchise. You're a great man, in the classical sense.
With another Majuular banger, this series continues to be amazing! All the history, all the deep dive of mechanics and just the right amount of humor throughout.
I want to highlight a couple of differences between the original Ultima 3 and its NES port. In the NES, a few enemies have become large 2x2 giants that you can fight up to two of in a combat encounter. And also it doesn't end at the, shall we say, defeat of Exodus; you have to do an escape sequence from the lair afterwards and if you fail that, you have to do the whole defeating Exodus thing all over again.
These days the Fox Cunning patch is probably the best way to play it. Hell best way to play Ultima 3 period. Though even the 2nd patch to use the computer soundtrack isn't gonna give you the glory of the C64 Sid chip soundtrack. Otherwise it's the best version of Ultima 3. Even the Lairware Mac version has nothing on it.
From the other direction, the moment I first fell into the depths in TotK and realized what it was doing, I was like "Wait... did the devs play Ultima V?"
@@HowManyRobot it definitely reminds me of that Twain quote, "History Doesn't Repeat Itself, but It Often Rhymes". It 100% would make sense if the Devs behind ToTK had some Ultima influence.
@@NigelMelanisticSmith For sure, Ultima was huge in Japan in the 1980s and early 1990s. (Of course it was, it's an isekai.) I haven't seen the earlier Retrospective videos yet but I'm sure Majulaar mentioned that the entire JRPG genre was birthed when Yuji Horii played Ultima III and Wizardry on an Apple II then created Dragon Quest. It doesn't come across in this video quite how much of the late-game is taken up by exploring the Underworld. Basically the entire last 1/3 of the game is diving into one of the many entrances, exploring, mapping, making progress, going back to the surface to rest, recover, and resupply, and diving back in. I haven't beaten TotK yet but that was almost identical to the game loop I was going through when I last played it.
If nothing else, I love that the design philosophy of Ultima has lived on. You can't deny some level of inspiration in games like Dwarf Fortress, Project Zomboid, and Cataclysm.
These videos are litterally the only reason a open up TH-cam once a day. And oh boy i'm hype everytime it drops. Really amazing work on that content. Like we say in french "Chapeau" for building up a series of videos this good.
I wish I could find a series like these for Might and Magic I-X. A pity everyone's loves Ultima and show no love for MM or Wizardry. 😢. I still have hopes in @Majuular especially after the 3DO video. One day, one day maybe...
This is just the absolute definitive work not only on Ultima, but on Garriott and Origin Systems at large. So much detail and journalism and, at this point, history. Well done as always, looking forward to U6!
Lord British literally out-Postal'd Postal with the child room. The entire point of Postal 2 is that you don't HAVE to choose the violent option, it's just the most convenient thing to do. Any violence you commit is all on you. And of course, Running With Scissors considers violence against children to be the one line they refuse to cross. They even stripped out the Elementary School cutscene from Postal 1 (where Postal Dude tries to commit a school shooting but apparently none of the kids are real and he has a mental breakdown and gets caught) with the Redux version because real life school shootings killed the "joke".
I can't say enough about how good these videos are. So in depth, and informative, and interesting. Entertaining, with a perfect amount of levity and humor to help the pace without distracting from the content. I never played these games, but I have a high opinion of them as historically-relevant games, and these videos do them justice in illustrating how important this whole series was to videogames and fantasy becoming what they are today.
![[#2024MAMA] ROSÉ (로제), Bruno Mars - APT. | Mnet 241122 방송](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/dgGqD28J6aQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Man, I can't believe Ultima V was almost 40 years ahead of the curve introducing the shadow wizard money gang, and we just weren't ready to realize it yet.
I used to carry the coin around like a dork. Lol. I was 14 so I was already a dork….but now a dork with a coin!!!
An aura of money surrounds ye...
In all seriousness, I do think that your series is very important for bringing knowledge of these important games to future generations. Thank you for everything that you do.
Thank you for saying so. If anything, these videos are pastiches of information that dozens of people have spent their free time documenting & archiving. I'm incredibly grateful to them. If I can present the history in a way that's entertaining and helps people appreciate pioneers of the medium, that's all I could ask for.
I've treasured Ultima growing up and to this day. Stones always gives me goosebumps and I value this opinion and your work Maj. Thank you for your chronicle of this legendary series.
Especially when young people like me can't even see exactly how this game would be fun enough to dive into upon a first glance, but learning about how the games grew with the industry and the culture that surrounded them is fascinating.
@Majuular hu,great video. Might be worth to credit those (dozens)
of people :)
Edit: the TH-cam Fireborn does a nice work of sourcing infos. He's less big than you ,but a good example of repo of due diligence
@@Majuularyou are making them into a futureiche.
*lets self out.*
Majuular playing the harpsichord in Britannia to the tune of "The Flintstones" is something truly amazing to behold. ❤
I've been called the songbird of my generation.
Grand Dad?
I was not expecting to have a yabba dabba doo time when watching this video
"How could something so unsurmountably evil be yet so pityably fragile" - Reminded me of Sauron. There are a lot of parallels if one thinks about it. He was impossible to defeat in a direct confrontation but was brought down by casting a small item, containing the essence of what he is, into a very specific fire.
Very true! Garriott considered himself a student of Tolkien, and conscious or not, it came through in his work.
Man going from the nostalgia critic era spoony videos to this kind of thoughtful stuff we get from guys like you today restores my faith in youtubes cultural health
His videos on Ultima aren't bad but poisoned by his own sad tale. It is nice to see a telling of the adventure without the baggage.
@@MegaDeathRay10 yeah spoony's ultima videos ended with plain depression and a "childhood ruined" type of conclusion. Like yeah the game sucks, we get it, now can we get on with the retrospective of the game?
Actually I'm not sure he had a thesis after he lamented how the game ruined his early memories of Ultima
@@krystaldragon17 Ultima IX is a complete shitshow, what other thoughts are really worth mentioning about it? That "game" has no redeeming qualities.
from organic to long form advertisements
@@j.2512 It sure was organic whining. Nothing else worth mentioning than how it's just his sob story.
this is the second time back-to-back I log in to TH-cam to see an entry of these series uploaded within the last minute. it was meant to be.
0:00 This is literally me, watching this intro.
@@realityvanguard2052Were you watching it? Or were you scrolling around ?
So I am not the only one!
This is the 2nd time I read this comment !😊. Glad you are enjoying like I am. Peace and love
I am the old man in the intro, booting up the Majuular console for some new, fresh content.
I relate very heavily to this game.
I too can't enter a city without being haunted by evil hooded apparitions.
I could make a KKK joke but I don't think you are joking so I am not going to be insensitive and I am sorry for your loss.
You live in London i take it?
@@ThommyofThennOr Ireland
That's called "Don't Look Now" starring Donald Sutherland.
@@ZX-Gearthe Klan aren't apparitions. Evil and hooded are correct. 2 out of 3 ain't bad tho.
Creativity is a funny thing, it comes and goes on it's own. I love painting, writing, all sorts of stuff. Sometimes projects take awhile because I suddenly lose that drive. Other times it burns as bright as the sun until my project is finished.
It’s so hard to explain that to people.
As a kid I grew up on devs like Broderbund, Origin, SSI, Psygnosis and Infocom. It's truly a delight seeing a continued interest in those formative years of gaming and game development! It also shows how the Major Publishers (I'm looking at you EA) became such the bully bait for the internet, and how they ALREADY were behaving so BADLY decades ago.
The EA of yesteryear was a pretty different beast, but there were some hints of what was to come...
@@Majuularthere is a Desire to see EA burn meme image that is many hands of many groups of fans. Many many. They are to videogames what Harmony Gold is to mecha fans. It's just in Origin's case many of the people are just as responsible as EA in killing some beloved IPs. Roberts and Dickie B have just been embarrassing themselves for the last 25 years or so. Course most of the other big creators or not so big but should have been mostly got out of videogames where the money and hours are much much better.
@@CaptainRufusIts truly sad seeing Richard Garriot so fallen fron grace that the mans last project was NFT related...
Really wish Ultima would get a proper reboot with or without his involvement. Honestly probably without
I’m now genuinely curious as to what a timeline we would have had if Origin and Falcom had teamed up. While Origin is defunct Falcom is still popular with JRPG fans for both Ys and The Legend of Heroes franchises both of which having long and storied histories. It’s always surreal when you find that kind of information thank you so much for your research!!!
TRAILS MENTIONED RAAAHHHHHHHH
Yeah, it was sad to find out that Richard's ego got in the way of what could have been another legendary team up. Yes, the shop clerks were obviously inspired by Richard's work but they were not directly lifted and they were not even remotely breaking copyright law.
Here we are. Back to enjoy Majulaar's dulcet tones and exceptional writing.
Just so fucking dulcet up in here.
Your musical skills are remarkable, Avatar!
Truly a grand performance!
"Yabba dabba doo" - The Avatar of Legend
The original canon was that, after his exile, Lord Blackthorn ended up with the Xenkan monks on Serpent Isle, where he found peace. This was unfortuntately undone/retconned in Ultima 9: Ascension.
I thought he married Navani Kholin?!?
Really annoying because that was a retcon that definitely could work within the frame
Literally just say that him having been possessed before meant he was accessible again by them because they know his mind
Ultima Online furthered the retcon too.
His brother's wife??? how scandalous!@@davidt3563
What Ultima 9?
You know I kind of love how the whole avatar arc of Ultima is technically an isekai. Man was really ahead of the times.
Isekai first got big in the 1400s with the hit classic "Inferno"
Y'know, I've never really thought about it like that 🤔
Isekai was actually popular in the 70's through 90's, though it was usually a female lead and didn't include death
Portal stories are as old as the hills.
yeah, Isekai are old as time. Gullivers travels, alice in wonderland, oz, never land, Orpheus traveling to the underworld. jack and the beanstalk, can argue the Odyssey as well.
I'm living the retro dream right now: watching this fantastic Ultima V retrospective while grinding in the Wizardry 1 remake.
Murphy's Ghosts turn Bishops into Ninjas yo! Just make sure you MALOR properly. Don't forget that part. :(
@@CaptainRufus I benched my Bishop, but used the ghost to turn my Mages into Clerics and my Clerics into Mages :D
I never write TH-cam comments, but I have to tell you how much I love this series. Just, every aspect these videos is so good. The history of the people involved in their production, the game review itself, your sense of humor and editing, the glimpses of whats going on in the wider world of gaming when these released, it's all completely enthralling. I had no idea these games had so much to offer before your videos on them.
Just the fact that Ultima IV is about mastering a complex belief system, and then Ultima V is a deconstruction of that belief system is so wild to me. I love it. Great work man.
You're too kind. I'm as excited to learn about these games as anyone, just glad to share it with others.
It's something I've enjoyed as well. I remember seeing Ultima IV in my GOG library when I first made it among other games but ignored them all. It's been fascinating though seeing the journey Lord British has gone on with developing these games and gives me an immense appreciation for them even if they are too difficult for me to play.
Holy shit, the Avatar played the Flinstones theme on the piano. Screw those shadow lords, this guy is a hero.
WILMA!!!!
eh what did you expect? yabba dabba doo!? lolz
*harpsichord. The primary difference is that a piano hammers the strings while a harpsichord plucks them.
[ Siivagunner Intensifies ]
*makes Dino barking noises at the door*
Verma Corma DOOO!!!
26:04 "there is something perpetually special about seeing guards relieve each other..."
I knew I was gonna get this comment but I was really betting on it being more than an hour after the video released....
@@Majuular i can't believe it took this long
Damnit i was about to comment that too but i just saw this, glad to see like minded people here
@@Majuular when in doubt, always assume that people will be as immature as possible.
@@ogto Neither can the guard.
"Please note: I didn't write in the manual. The previous owner was enjoying this game to fullest. Bless him." is such an indictment of good will that its borderline avatar behavior.
You are on a generational run. Every video you put out is something I look forward to... And your pace for releasing these is really remarkable now, TY mr maj.
Was just thinking how pumped I was for the next Ultima retrospective. Absolutely some of my favorite content on this platform, being both a history lesson and let's play simultaneously with the best of both represented. I was always just far enough removed from computer RPGs growing up that I knew of the series but only ever dabbled with the console ports. To see how the entire series formed from the beginning has been an absolute treat.
Been in a not great headspace lately and have been going through the channel for some fascinating comfort food. Haven't been so happy to see a new video in my feed in a long time. I don't know how you put these out so fast my dude, but I appreciate you.
Thanks very much. Truthfully I'll probably pull it back a bit in terms of writing/editing hours for my next video. gonna spend more saturday afternoons with my family & friends instead of screaming as Adobe Premiere crashes for the 67th time. I do love the work though!
Hope things get better for you sooner rather than later bud. They always do.
Hopefully you get out of that headspace soon.
@@Valkbg Thanks. 🙂 I am dealing with it as I have before, it's just a slow process.
@@Majuular I don't think anyone would fault you for that. Heck, I don't even know how you can play the game and make a script in a month, let alone record and edit the thing. Well done regardless!
I appreciate the kind words. I've been here before and I am dealing with it, it's just a frustrating and slow process. But it'll get there. Cheers. 🙂
@@PXAbstraction As someone who is in the same boat I know its a slow process but worth the effort
You somehow always upload when I'm about to go on some form of vacation. The weather is dark and stormy and the vibe is cozy, thanks Majuular.
Dark and stormy is peak 'talking about Ultima V' weather!
For the longest time the only Ultima series retrospective was the spoony videos.
These are much better. Thank you so much for your work.
There are a few others nowadays but Majuulars here is probably the best. Especially if you have any empathy for human beings and are aware what Spoony was going through during most of his. It's hard to be entertained knowing about it.
These Ultima retrospectives are great too. th-cam.com/video/ma26h-iu4OY/w-d-xo.html
They've got the annoying skits from old-school TH-cam, but they're very thoughtful, introspective and considered videos. I really enjoyed them, and I'd rate them well over the Spoony ones, particularly the ones from when his internet persona started to take shape.
So many videos game retros act like gaming started with super Mario. And ignore how influential CRPG were especially ultima.
This series is something I look forward to a lot.
This is the format I didn't know I needed. The mixture of well-researched behind-the-scenes information and detailed game retrospective and critique is truly absorbing. Apart from that, your videos are very well presented and actually funny. Well done, Sir! Keep 'em coming, please! :)
Been looking forward to this one even since I caught up on the Ultima saga. Thankfully that wait is over. Love your vids dude, thank you for the comprehensive history of a game that I never knew inspired so many of my favourite games.
My pleasure, thanks for watching them!
This series is quickly becoming my go to ultima retrospective. I will probably save these and rewatch for years to come.
One step closer to our knowledge of the land being great.
one step closer to the edge and i'm about to break
I'm not entirely sure...
What's a paladin?
This series is really incredible and shows what makes these games special better than any other reviews.
The leaps in quality in the late 80s and early 90s sure were impressive, with storytelling ambition to boot. In any case, now we're getting to my favourite Ultimas! I was old enough to understand them at the time, and they're really just masterpieces anyway.
I started listening to your Ultima retrospective today at worm and i am at number 4 now, this is such perfect timing
At worm. He is at worm.
real worm hours
Worm hard yes, play hard yes!
I was just watching the Ultima IV video again last night thinking it was almost time for the video on the fifth game. lo and behold, here it is! this is gonna be good
I appreciate all the work towards telling the backstory of the game's development, not just because it gives context to why things are the way they are in the game, but just the raw effort of research for fun
My favorite series on TH-cam right now
As I sit and watch this video the more I see similarities to other RPGs, Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest, Fire Emblem, Fallout and the Elder Scrolls. This totally feels like the predecessor of those games. I could imagine a first person Ultima reboot or a Ultima Tactics style game. Because these games are the foundation of modern RPGs.
That would require EA to care enough. They don't. According to Garriott himself (who isn't known for being 100% honest mind you..) he has talked to EA about doing remakes and being told no or not getting any form of response.
Ultima 5 is the TotK to Ultima 4's BotW. Both include a largely reused world with many minor changes, new high elevation areas, and a massive underground area unveiled by the lands' uplift
This series has blown my mind. Its a must see for everyone who loves gaming history.
Also as a Bulgarian I indeed dont get lost in Britannia
Thank you for saying so!
@@Majuular Im more of a M&M fan but Ultima will still be an important part of our culture. Also the effort you have put in in this series is awe-inspiring
Love listening to this series when cooking or doing dishes. I know so much more about this foundational rpg series thanks to your videos. You have a really engaging way of walking us through these games without just flatly describing the lore or mechanics from point a to point b - its a warm cozy documentary, or seasoned and enthused historian lecture kind of feeling.
It's INSANE how well written and edited these videos are. The documentary segments on Origin Systems, and Richard's life and career, are some of the best pieces of PC gaming journalism I've ever seen.
16:02 I wonder if Treasure Island (Robert Louis Stevenson) was ever an influence to start drawing maps like that... It's impossible to read that book and not feel the temptation of drawing a few maps on paper later on... What a cool underrated book in literature's history... It was heavily influential for some and heavily criticized for others, a mark of achieving greatness. Rest in peace brave soul
These videos do an amazing job in keeping the memory and legacy of Ultima alive.
It's funny. I re-watched Spoony's old Ultima Retrospective yesterday and now today TH-cam decides to recommend your channel and your videos.
And can I just say; as someone who fell madly in love with Gametrailers' (rest in peace) old Retrospective series, your content fits right up my alley.
Great post. Thanks for sharing.
Like others here, I grew up with these great games and vendors, including SSI. I loved the Phantasie series from SSI and I loved inventive titles from Trillium who sadly doesn't get as much love.
It's hard for today's gamers to understand now, but as a budding software developer, D&D fan, and gamer, I would lose my sh*t and be so inspired by all the innovation happening at that time in the 80s.
When I was fortunate enough to actually afford the real deal and open one of the beautifully packaged games like those from Trillium, the excitement was palatable. Then I'd see what at the time were amazing character animations in games like Shadowkeep where the enemies would actually (but slowly) rush down the hall towards you for battle or find that if I put on the included cardboard glasses for Trillium's Farienheit 451 I could see 'the truth' in the hidden messages otherwise not visible on the billboards and the like depicted on the screen of my Apple IIe.
Ultima V was the last Ultima game I really took a shine for. I just wasn't a big fan of the new art style introduced in VI after investing SO, SO many hours into Ultima 2 - 5, but that was just me being bound by nostalgia on my part.
Thank you kindly for this thoughtful and thorough piece on this great series and this great time of constant innovation. Warmed this vintage Geek's heart. Thanks for that.
Thank you for this series. I feel like I played the game and in the context of the time and place it was released. Ultima VI was the first Ultima game that I bought and loved. Reading the history of Britannia I could only imagine the adventures the Avatar had been on before.
So here I am stressing about what I can watch tomorrow on a need for long form content and one of my top 5 people of all platforms just drops 2 hours worth of undoubtedly well edited, well commented and well written video. My goodness I'm blessed - thank you!!
Ultima V was a thing that shaped my entire life. I'll never forget that experience, and it's still on my all time favorite games list. I loved this video. It brought me back to one of the happiest times in my life.
I didn't play it until like 2008 and it's still one of my favorite games of all time.
While I'm a bit too young to have nostalgic memories of Ultima, this is a series that fascinates me.
So relatively primitive yet so damn ambitious in its storytelling, themes, and gameplay, and Ultima V I think is the standout of those for me. A story about taking something that seems so good, so unquestionably positive...and making it a totalitarian nightmare as being a good person is suddenly forced upon pain of torture and death, with a man who has been deluded into thinking he's the benevolent, hero unaware he's the pawn of three monsters. The addition of the Xenkan Monastery, showing that Blackthorn had found peace after his exile, knowing that despite the corruption he brought to the land, he was still able to come to terms with it and let go of the things the Shadowlords used to corrupt him was the cherry on top.
Every time I finish a Majuular video, I feel like a 9 year old boy king, who is being carefully manipulated behind the scenes by his father' treacherous chamberlain, after a juggler finishes his set --- clapping my hands, chortling, shouting "MORE! MORE! MOOORE!"
It cheers my soul to hear Falcom being mentioned, albeit with the slightly unfortunate turn of events.
No matter how many times I see it, the channel intro puts a smile on my face. Keep up the good work, Majuman!
Every new tidbit of history that comes with each video has left me speechless. The Ultima resonance cascade is real
It still blows me away that these videos are so good. I truly could not give a shit about Ultima, but a 2 hour Majuular video about Ultima? Now you're talkin my language.
Thanks buddy 🤝
You are my target audience!
I haven't seen a documentary in this field ckose as emersive as this series. I love the personal details about everything around the main topic. Thanks a lot!! ❤
My man put out 2 two hour long videos in the span of a month, absolute madman
Videos like these are really important. Going through the history of something so culturally phenominal and documenting it is very important.
TH-cam is a library of Alexandria.
I always felt this game was a gift to the true Ultima fans. It was also the last of the great 8-bit RPGs IMHO.
I have watched a lot of Ultima content on youtube over the years, but this is some of the best and most thorough. Can't wait to see Ultima 6 covered, that's where I came into the series and it still holds a tremendous amount of magic to me.
There's a modern "Ultima" programmed in 6502 assembly language for the Apple // called Nox Archaist. It has the blessing of Lord British (he appears as a character in the game).
The programmer grew up playing the early Ultimas and pushed the Apple hardware to it's absolute limit. For example he created a lightning bolt spell which allows you to select a target, and crosses tiles in a straight line. The math calculation to cross tiles at uneven angles in a single unbroken line was thought to be beyond the capabilities of the Apple. It's well worth a look.
Definitely going to give this a look!
I can't wait to see what you make of Ultima VI and VII! This series is fantastic!
Nothing comes close to this game. I'll never be a kid again, but it will always be #1 in my heart. 16 colors, lets go!
Man, I rewatch Spoonys series on Ultima at least twice a year. From what I've seen so far of this series, looks like I might have to add this to the list. Thanks for the content.
I've never played Ultima, but I love this series about it. Good stuff, dude. Your channel is great.
Can you believe that when I first this on the PC back in '89, I got all the way down to LB I. The underworld and didn't have the Sandlawood box.
Imagine my surprise when he asked about it. I was like... "what box..." lol.
Backed all the out and up back to Britain to get the box then trekked all the back! :) good times
God Ultima V is such a good game. 4 and 5 were pinnacles of crpgs.
You missed the funniest part of Ultima V, tricking Lord Blackthorne into executing Saduj! 😆
Ahh, is there anything more cozy than settling in with a good Majuular video for the evening? Thank you for your work! I've only just started this one.
Love all of your video essays. As soon as you release a video, I’m watching it.
Keep up the good work, sir.
Just wanna thank you for your videos Majuular. Really great stuff.
I wish we could get remakes of the Ultima games, akin to the newly released Wizardry Remake.
This series should be broadcasted to every home. Its such an important piece of historical preservation.
I just realized that the next installment is Ultima 6 and it's gonna be hard to wait
Thank you so much for mentioning the Ultima IV NES port. What got me started in viewing your series was having a flashback to my childhood and trying to figure out at 7 years old what an Avatar was and how I could become it! 😅
This has been a spectacular series and I look forward to the next entry!
Thank you for taking the time to bring the history and context of these games to life, we all really appreciate your work.
The pleasure is all mine. Thanks for chipping in to help make it happen, I greatly appreciate it.
Echoing the sentiment of others by saying thank you for bringing this series some light. Of course, I always love when you deliver into the JRPG Mines too.
Oh how DARE you release this right as I'm about to go to bed and gotta get up early tomorrow! You devious man!
I appreciate the Legend of Legaia music. Would love to see a review of that game in the future!
A timeline exists where the Falcom-Origin relationship actually worked out, Falcom bought up the rights once EA sucked Ultima dry, and there are now Japan-original Ultima entries detailing the daily life of students at Avatar Academy.
Isn't that just the later seasons of My Little Pony G4? Twilight Sparkle pretty much is the Avatar already. Though I'd be lying if a crossover RPG with Adol Christin and Estelle Bright teaming up to beat up the Guardian doesn't sound like the most Hype thing ever...
@@CaptainRufus I mean, Ultima is essentially an isekai already. I can already envision a full reboot of the series.
Could only imagine how much more dangerous sea travel would be in a Falcom-made Ultima game.
@@thegobbojones don't forget how thirsty everyone would be for the Avatar then. Cuz like Ys has everyone wanting Adol's sword if you dig. Britannians aren't usually that hot for the Avatar. Usually.
@@CaptainRufus Ha that's true. Adol flies through love interests so much you swear the boy's got wings.
Never played Ultima but have been watchin these start to finish. Great work!
As an *Elder* who played all these games:
V is the last great new idea.
Think "Morrowind."
VI is basically "Oblivion." A huge move forward. The biggest jump foward ever. Strangely genius.
VII is when everyone gave a shit, this is Skyrim. Like Skyrim, this is where everything starts to die.
Nothing is new under the Sun.
Thank you, Elder 🙏
Glad to see all that information on this series is now being collected into a single series.
You're doing something really important here!
Perfect timing! Again! 8u
I think in hindsight, Ultima 5 is probably my favorite of the ones I played (not counting Underworld, that's its own beast altogether). It maintains the world-map/town-map separation (unlike 6, which does the whole Open Cities shebang), but it also has more going on than 4. I still have a ton of notes in a little notepad from my playthrough, and I even used my phone to snap pictures of all the dungeon maps (because hoo boy, my brain gets lost without a steady map lmao).
As far as this early "format" of Ultima goes, it tops my list too.
Wow these Ultima games seem to keep getting better each installment! I bet the final one is the best one of all!
Maajular is the absolute GOAT. I'm grateful that you are the reason I've become familiar with the Ultima franchise. You're a great man, in the classical sense.
GrimBeard is the goat, but majuular's work is absolutely magical.
With another Majuular banger, this series continues to be amazing! All the history, all the deep dive of mechanics and just the right amount of humor throughout.
I was dying of boredom at work with nothing to listen to. Then, salvation arrived.
Was just about to go on a 2-hour drive when I found this had dropped. Blessings from above
I want to highlight a couple of differences between the original Ultima 3 and its NES port. In the NES, a few enemies have become large 2x2 giants that you can fight up to two of in a combat encounter. And also it doesn't end at the, shall we say, defeat of Exodus; you have to do an escape sequence from the lair afterwards and if you fail that, you have to do the whole defeating Exodus thing all over again.
These days the Fox Cunning patch is probably the best way to play it. Hell best way to play Ultima 3 period. Though even the 2nd patch to use the computer soundtrack isn't gonna give you the glory of the C64 Sid chip soundtrack. Otherwise it's the best version of Ultima 3. Even the Lairware Mac version has nothing on it.
I got so hyped when I saw this video pop up as a recommendation after finishing another video!
It's always a good day when Majuular uploads!
Tears of the Kingdom's Depths immediately came to mind. This whole package reminded me of ToTK a bunch actually. I guess trends come in waves.
From the other direction, the moment I first fell into the depths in TotK and realized what it was doing, I was like "Wait... did the devs play Ultima V?"
@@HowManyRobot it definitely reminds me of that Twain quote, "History Doesn't Repeat Itself, but It Often Rhymes".
It 100% would make sense if the Devs behind ToTK had some Ultima influence.
@@NigelMelanisticSmith For sure, Ultima was huge in Japan in the 1980s and early 1990s. (Of course it was, it's an isekai.) I haven't seen the earlier Retrospective videos yet but I'm sure Majulaar mentioned that the entire JRPG genre was birthed when Yuji Horii played Ultima III and Wizardry on an Apple II then created Dragon Quest.
It doesn't come across in this video quite how much of the late-game is taken up by exploring the Underworld. Basically the entire last 1/3 of the game is diving into one of the many entrances, exploring, mapping, making progress, going back to the surface to rest, recover, and resupply, and diving back in. I haven't beaten TotK yet but that was almost identical to the game loop I was going through when I last played it.
If nothing else, I love that the design philosophy of Ultima has lived on. You can't deny some level of inspiration in games like Dwarf Fortress, Project Zomboid, and Cataclysm.
These videos are litterally the only reason a open up TH-cam once a day. And oh boy i'm hype everytime it drops.
Really amazing work on that content. Like we say in french "Chapeau" for building up a series of videos this good.
Listening to this in the background and suddenly the Panzer Dragoon Saga camp music pops up...was this...foreshadowing ?!
You don’t understand the happiness that falls over me when I get a Majuular new video notification.
Shout out to Stones. That song has kept me alive and strong in face of everything in my life.
I wish I could find a series like these for Might and Magic I-X. A pity everyone's loves Ultima and show no love for MM or Wizardry. 😢. I still have hopes in @Majuular especially after the 3DO video. One day, one day maybe...
This is just the absolute definitive work not only on Ultima, but on Garriott and Origin Systems at large. So much detail and journalism and, at this point, history. Well done as always, looking forward to U6!
I screeched when I saw the notification holy MOLY, good viewing material for dinner tonight 😊
Wonderful overview, thank you 🤩
Lord British literally out-Postal'd Postal with the child room.
The entire point of Postal 2 is that you don't HAVE to choose the violent option, it's just the most convenient thing to do. Any violence you commit is all on you.
And of course, Running With Scissors considers violence against children to be the one line they refuse to cross. They even stripped out the Elementary School cutscene from Postal 1 (where Postal Dude tries to commit a school shooting but apparently none of the kids are real and he has a mental breakdown and gets caught) with the Redux version because real life school shootings killed the "joke".
I can't say enough about how good these videos are. So in depth, and informative, and interesting. Entertaining, with a perfect amount of levity and humor to help the pace without distracting from the content. I never played these games, but I have a high opinion of them as historically-relevant games, and these videos do them justice in illustrating how important this whole series was to videogames and fantasy becoming what they are today.