Ultima II Grand
role-playing game for Commodore 64, 2025
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ULTIMA II GRAND
Original game by Lord British in 1982
VIC 20 port and one-disked C-64 Grand version by Aleksi Eeben in 2025
THE STORY
After the defeat of the evil Mondain in Ultima I, peace returned - until
rumors emerged of Minax, his apprentice in black magic. These rumors proved
true: Minax had grown even more powerful than her master and sought revenge.
Using time travel, she journeyed to the Land of Legends - the origin point of
Earth's history - seizing control and warping time toward a dark, apocalyptic
future.
But Mondain's death caused rifts in space-time, creating time gates on Earth.
Researchers believe the timeline can be restored if Minax is destroyed in the
past. You are the chosen hero tasked with this mission.
THE GAME
Ultima II features a deep role-playing system set in a vast, complex world.
You travel by foot, horse, ship, plane, and even space shuttle, exploring
Earth across different time periods and visiting distant planets in the Solar
System.
The gameplay is very similar to the previous game in the series, Ultima I: The
First Age of Darkness. The scope of the game is bigger, in that there are
several more places to explore, even though some of them (like most of the
Solar System planets and the dungeons and towers) are not required to
complete the game.
In the game, the player has to travel to several different time periods of
Earth, using time doors. The periods are the Time of Legends (a mythological
period), Pangea (about 300 to 250 million years ago), B.C. (1423, "before the
dawn of civilization"), A.D. (1990), and the Aftermath (after 2112). The
player also has to travel to space, where all the planets in the Solar System
can be visited.
You consume food and lose hit points in battles, but defeating enemies earns
you gold, items, and experience. Towns offer weapons, armor, and supplies,
and talking to locals reveals helpful tips, lore, and clues. As the game
progresses, you'll uncover your mission and learn how to safely gather
resources and heal.
KEYS
A Attack
Attack an enemy
B Board
Mount a horse or board a ship
C Cast Spell
Spell needs to be selected with M
D Descend
Climb down a ladder in a dungeon
E Enter
Enter a town/dungeon/castle/read sign
F Fire Cannons
Fire the cannons from a frigate
G Get
Pick up an item (chest, weapon, armor)
H Hyperspace
Catapults the spaceship to the desired coordinates
I Ignite Torch
Ignite a torch when inside a dungeon
J Jump
Jump up and down
K Klimb
Climb up a ladder in a dungeron
L Launch/Land
Start Launch or Landing in a plane or rocket
M Magic
Choose a magic spell (to cast with C)
N Negate Time
Stop the time. Needs a certain item
O Offer
Offer gold as a present or bribe
P Pass
Pass a round without doing anything
Q Quit & Save
Save the game. Only on the surface
R Ready Weapon
Draw a weapon
S Steal
Try to steal an item
T Transact
Talk to NPCs (e.g. traders)
U Unlock
Open a lock. Needs a key
V View
View from the bird's perspective (magical helms needed)
X X-it
Dismount a horse or leave a ship
Y Yell
Yell out a word
Z Ztats
Show all character values and the character's inventory
@ North
Go north. Go forwards in a dungeon
[ West
Go west. Turn left in a dungeon
] East
Go east. Turn right in a dungeon
/ South
Go south. Go backwards in a dungeon
To help with keymapping problems in emulators, you can also use the cursor
keys to move in VIC 20 Ultima II and C-64 Ultima II Grand.
CREATING A CHARACTER
You start by creating a custom character (or you can play Talon, a dwarf
fighter on the disk). Distribute 90 points, with a minimum of 10 in each of
the following attributes:
Strength: Increases damage and armor allowance (need 29–31 for space armor)
Agility: Boosts weapon use and stealing success. Defines which weapons can be
readied
Stamina: Reduces damage from attacks
Charisma: Improves merchant discounts
Wisdom: Enhances clerical spell use
Intelligence: Affects magic power and negotiation
Then, choose a race (+5 to one stat):
Human: Intelligence
Elf: Agility
Dwarf: Strength
Hobbit: Wisdom
Pick a profession (+10 to one stat):
Fighter: Strength
Cleric: Wisdom
Wizard: Intelligence
Thief: Agility
Select gender:
Male: Strength +5
Female: Charisma +10
Stats can be boosted later in the game.
MAGIC
Only clerics and wizards can use magic. There are nine spells in total, with
each class able to cast six.
The following three are shared by both:
LIGHT - Creates magical light, replacing a candle
LADDER DOWN - Teleports you one level down in a dungeon or tower
LADDER UP - The reverse of LADDER DOWN, bringing you up one level
Cleric-only spells:
PASSWALL - Destroys a wall in your path
SURFACE - Instantly teleports you from a dungeon back to the surface
PRAYER - Calls for divine aid; may instantly destroy an enemy
Wizard-only spells:
MAGIC MISSILE - A damaging attack spell; power scales with wizard level
BLINK - Teleports you to a random location—ideal in emergencies
KILL - A deadly spell with lethal intent for a targeted enemy
To cast a spell, first press M (Magic), then enter the number of the desired
spell from the list. This prepares the spell for casting. To activate it,
press C (Cast), and the effect will follow shortly.
Spells can only be used inside towers and dungeons-where they're most needed,
since all manner of evil dwells there. You can't cast spells spontaneously;
they must be purchased in towns.
More information:
vic20ultima2.wordpress.com
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Some useful keyboard shortcuts
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[PAUSE] - stop/continue game
[F9] - quick load game state
[F12] - quick save game state (still stored after leaving the site)
[F11] - toggle fullscreen mode
[ScrollLock] - quick switch control ports
[PageDown] - make a screenshot (320x200)