Ultimate Exploring - Atic Atac and Sabre Wulf

Released in 1983, Atic Atac is a dungeon-crawling adventure that combines exploration with action. Players control one of three characters – a knight, a wizard, or a serf – each with unique abilities. The goal is simple, yet challenging: navigate through a sprawling, maze-like castle to retrieve a magical artifact and defeat the evil wizard residing within.

Atic Atac screenshot - exploring the castle

What sets Atic Atac apart is its atmospheric design. The game features a top-down perspective, allowing players to explore various rooms, collect keys, and battle enemies in real-time. The castle’s shifting layout and increasing difficulty keep players on their toes, offering a blend of strategy and skill. The colourful graphics, accompanied by eerie sound effects, contribute to the game’s immersive experience.

The following year, Sabre Wulf continued Ultimate’s streak of inventive gameplay. This game introduced players to an isometric view, which was relatively novel at the time. Set in a dense jungle filled with dangerous creatures and colourful plantlife, the objective is to retrieve four pieces of a magical amulet to escape the cursed jungle.

Sabre Wulf shines with its vibrant graphics and engaging gameplay. The isometric perspective not only provided a fresh visual style but also challenged players to navigate complex environments and avoid or defeat various enemies. The game’s clever level design and variety of obstacles made each playthrough a unique experience.

The designs below pay tribute to these two classic games from Ultimate.

(credit to Richard Langford for the pretty looking retouched Ultimate logo in the image for this post)