Summary
Great Way to Experience the Past
The Good
This is a collection of what are possibly the most influential CRPG's ever created. The games are presented in their entirety and unaltered form (Ultima I, however is the 1987 rerelease version for the PC, not the 1980 Apple II version).
Most of them will run straight from a DOS window while in Windows so start-up is a snap; simply load the game from your Start menu. Origin has also built MoSlo into batch files for all but three of the titles and has it pre-configured so they will work on modern systems immediately after installation. They behave well, for the most part. Ultima VI even played its music through my year-1999 sound card!
I did not have the priviledge of playing these great games when they first came out. Finally, I can know what made the Ultima series the legend it is today.
The Bad
Even with MoSlo, some of the older games, namely Ultima II and III, run a little fast (I am using a Pentium III computer). You may need to tweak the speed settings in order to make these games playable. Unfortuntately, the documentation included for MoSlo is quite complicated and may be downright indecipherable to the layman.
I also experienced problems with Ultima VII and VIII which will not run from within windows. These require you to restart your computer in DOS mode and some additional configuration. I have yet to be able to get either of these games to run properly, which is a shame.
The Underworld games are not included in the package.
The Bottom Line
Despite the quirks with some of the games, this collection is pure gold. Whether you are, like me, discovering these classic games for the first time or reliving treasured memories, this is retro-gaming at it's finest. Those who have been spoiled by today's graphics and bells & whistles might be a little dejected, but if you can get past that it is truly a worthwhile experience.
