Genre: RPG
Developer: Origin Systems
Year: 1997
Version: 0.955 revision 2
Documentation: Manual included in the package.
Related websites:
Related titles: Ultima IV: quest of the avatar, Ultima VI: the false prophet
Notes: The PC version has some bugs and compatibility issues. Refer to READTHIS.TXT for instructions.

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Regarded by all as the predecessor of the legendary Ultima series, the original Akalabeth was released for Apple II only, back in 1980, over 25 years ago... this means this is probably the oldest game you'll ever find on Abandoneer. It was ported to the PC in 1997 to be added in the Ultima Collection package -- recklessly, since there are quite a few bugs and typos, but playable.

From the game intro: "Many, many, many years ago the dark lord Mondain, archfoe of British, traversed the lands of Akalabeth spreading evil and death as he passed. By the time Mondain was driven from the land by British, bearer of the White Light, he had done much damage unto the lands. 'Tis thy duty to help rid Akalabeth of the foul beasts which infest it, while trying to stay alive!" You're not the avatar yet, but there's an endless horde of monsters to fight, so you're bound to be a hero anyway.

This game is a history class. It's pretty much just a simple dungeon crawler, but also the granddaddy of computer RPGs. When Richard Garriott coded this jewel as a hobby in 1979, he'd never imagine it'd soon make him one of the most well-respected and famous game designers ever. And he deserved it, even Akalabeth was innovative, revolutionary for its time.

There's not much more to tell, it's a very simple game, easily playable, with graphics comparable to any other game from the 80s -- and with a late-70s feel. If you never played it, try it out of curiosity, having in mind it was originally released in 1980, and you'll see why Garriott and the Ultima series are what they are.