Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord

01.11.1985
The so-called "New & Improved Version" was a later, updated release of the original Apple II and PC Booter release from the early 80's. Unlike to original release, featured a larger graphic window and slightly more colors, depending on the computer. Rather infamously, the MS-DOS version introduces a bug where upon leveling up, there was a small chance a characters stats would decrease.

Parent game

01.09.1981

The Mad Overlord Trebor was once only power-mad, but went off the deep end after he acquired a magical amulet of immense power, only to have it stolen from him by his nemesis, the evil archmage Werdna. Werdna, not quite sure how to use the amulet properly, accidentally causes an earthquake which creates a ten-level dungeon beneath Trebor's castle. To avoid looking silly, Werdna declares the dungeon to be the new lair for him and his monster hordes. Trebor, not to be outdone, declares the labyrinth his new Proving Grounds where adventurers must prove themselves for membership in his elite honor guard, and incidentally retrieve his amulet in the process. The first Wizardry was one of the original dungeon-crawling role-playing games, and stands along with Ultima and Might & Magic as one of the defining staples of the genre. The player generates and control a party of up to six different adventurers, choosing from four races (humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes and hobbits), three alignments (good, neutral and evil), and four basic classes (fighter, priest, mage and thief). These can later evolve into elite classes (bishop: priest with mage spells; samurai: fighter with mage spells; lord: fighter with priest spells, and ninja: fighter with thief abilities) if they meet the necessary level requirements. After outfitting the party with basic weapons and armor, the player sends it into a 3D vector maze-like dungeon to fight monsters in turn-based combat and find treasure.

Part of collection:
Wizardry (last 3 games)

14.10.2024

Announced for the series 40th anniversary, Wizardry Variants: Daphne is a brand-new mobile RPG focused on unforgiving dungeon crawling and party building.

23.05.2024

Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord is a full 3D remake of the first game in the legendary Wizardry series of RPGs. It is built directly on top of the original 1981 game's code. Although it looks all new, underneath the hood is the authentic game. You can even view the original Apple II interface as you play. While the well-known difficulty of the enemies has not been altered, quality-of-life improvements have been added in every area. Party management, navigation, spellcasting, and combat have all been significantly enhanced.

14.10.2011

Wizardry Online is a free-to-play massively multiplayer online role-playing game for PC, and a series in Wizardry Renaissance, developed by Gamepot and published by Sony Online Entertainment released on November 14, 2010 in Japan, and January 30 in North America and Europe via Steam. The game services ceased its operation on July 31, 2014 in North America and Europe, and later December 20, 2016 in Japan. An unofficial private server still exists.

Part of franchise:
Wizardry (last 3 games)

14.10.2024

Announced for the series 40th anniversary, Wizardry Variants: Daphne is a brand-new mobile RPG focused on unforgiving dungeon crawling and party building.

23.05.2024

Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord is a full 3D remake of the first game in the legendary Wizardry series of RPGs. It is built directly on top of the original 1981 game's code. Although it looks all new, underneath the hood is the authentic game. You can even view the original Apple II interface as you play. While the well-known difficulty of the enemies has not been altered, quality-of-life improvements have been added in every area. Party management, navigation, spellcasting, and combat have all been significantly enhanced.

29.07.2010

This is a sequel to "Wizardry: Seimei no Kusabi", released in November 2009. There are three dungeons available, and the game added quality-of-life features to make it more user-friendly such as save points and fast travel. Existing characters from the previous game have been removed, and players can create their own characters and form an original party from the beginning. The game features various systems designed to enhance the fun of dungeon exploration, such as a real-time dungeon that uses the touch pen to solve various gimmicks, a "FAST mode" that cuts attack and spell effects and speeds up messages, a "cooperative attack" that can be activated by combining spells and active skills used during a turn, encounter monsters and adventure records, and a manual to check "achievements." "Wizardry" is an RPG born in 1981 and is considered the originator of computer RPGs and a globally popular work. This game is a 3D dungeon RPG where players can enjoy labyrinth exploration by delving into deep dungeons. Please enjoy the adventure that follows the world view and system that are characteristic of "Wizardry" while incorporating unique gimmicks that are unique to the Nintendo DS.

Could be interesting

01.09.1981

The Mad Overlord Trebor was once only power-mad, but went off the deep end after he acquired a magical amulet of immense power, only to have it stolen from him by his nemesis, the evil archmage Werdna. Werdna, not quite sure how to use the amulet properly, accidentally causes an earthquake which creates a ten-level dungeon beneath Trebor's castle. To avoid looking silly, Werdna declares the dungeon to be the new lair for him and his monster hordes. Trebor, not to be outdone, declares the labyrinth his new Proving Grounds where adventurers must prove themselves for membership in his elite honor guard, and incidentally retrieve his amulet in the process. The first Wizardry was one of the original dungeon-crawling role-playing games, and stands along with Ultima and Might & Magic as one of the defining staples of the genre. The player generates and control a party of up to six different adventurers, choosing from four races (humans, elves, dwarves, gnomes and hobbits), three alignments (good, neutral and evil), and four basic classes (fighter, priest, mage and thief). These can later evolve into elite classes (bishop: priest with mage spells; samurai: fighter with mage spells; lord: fighter with priest spells, and ninja: fighter with thief abilities) if they meet the necessary level requirements. After outfitting the party with basic weapons and armor, the player sends it into a 3D vector maze-like dungeon to fight monsters in turn-based combat and find treasure.

21.02.1983

A generation has passed since your band of adventurers reclaimed the Staff of Gnilda and the armor of the Knight of Diamonds, and the land has been at peace. But now nature itself seems to be attacking the land of Llylgamyn, as earthquakes and tidal waves ravage the land. The Sages believe the Orb of Scrying is the city's salvation, but it is guarded by the dragon L'kbreth. A band of explorers must once again venture forth in search of the Orb.

01.12.1988

The Sequel to the successful Might and Magic I, it boasted better graphics, a larger world, but still pretty much the same game engine and presentation. Embark on a glorious journey then save the world of CRON and yourself. A balanced party is a necessity in this game. There are several locations and items that are restricted to certain genders, alignments, or races. A party made up of Good Human Males won't get you very far. Time plays a large role in this game. Time travel is a part of it, but on a more basic level, you will find that characters age as the game goes on. If you wait too long, your characters' statistics will change to reflect their aging.

12.12.1991

Eye of the beholder II: The legend of Darkmoon is an all-3D leisure series computer role-playing adventure based on the popular AD&D 2nd edition game rules and on an original story created for this game. THe action takes place in and around the dreaded temple Darkmoon located in TSR's Forgotten Realms gameworld. Everything in Eye of the Beholder II is from your point of view. Watch the trees pass by as you move through the forest around the temple. Pick up items and take them with you. Open door with keys, by pressing buttons or by pulling release levers. See monsters draw nearer to you and close in for battle. Attack with the weapons your characters have in their hands. Cas spells with your Cleric's or Paladin's hoily symbols and your mages' spell books. Those in the front of the party may attack with weapons such as swords and maces, while characters in the rear ranks may attack with spells or ranged weapons such as bows and slings.

31.12.1987

"The player takes on the role of a young shepherd who finds and loots a recently dead body while on a first trip to the city, taking a black disk, a bracelet, and a leather scroll. The Galactic Museum mysteriously appears to the player after collecting these items. The player learns that by taking these items, he has become the next in a line of adventurers attempting to destroy the Wizard's Compendium, the leather scroll the player picked up. The museum has various display cases that require the insertion of special coins of various types to access. Some coins can be bought in random encounters with NPCs, some can be found as loot after combat, and some coins can only be found at the bottom level of various dungeons, meaning the player cannot proceed beyond a certain point until that dungeon is finished. Unlike many RPGs, the game does not use an experience point system. The player gains levels only through the successful completion of various quests. The game is mostly in top-down style for the world maps, towns, and castles, but switches to a 3D style in the dungeons and in the museum. Several different areas of the game, like games in towns and certain museum displays, allow the character to play in special mini-games, which, if done successfully, will permanently increase attributes. Also, various casinos about the towns let players gamble to win money. It is also possible to rob banks in cities, but this attracts the attention of the town guards, who will remember the robbery until the player enters another town."

01.11.2008

Avalon Code plot, as well as the gameplay, revolves around the Book of Prophecy situated on the touch-sensitive lower screen of the Nintendo DS. In order to record a person, monster, plant, or weapon in its pages, the player performs a “Code Scan”, which is done by striking the target to be recorded with the Book itself (mapped to the B button at all times). The story centers on a young peasant who has been plagued with prophetic nightmares for weeks prior to the beginning of the story. His or her latest dream, shown in the opening cinematic, features a mysterious voice which reveals not only that the protagonist's world has undergone countless reincarnations in the past and is fated to continue the cycle of correction, destruction, and rebirth until “true enlightenment” is achieved, but also that the main character him- or herself has been tasked by the Powers-That-Be to deem the people, places, and things of the current world worthy (or unworthy) of being carried over into the next after the fiery purge.

04.10.2016

Sequel to the Hit game Happy Wars. A game that shift's away from competitive action to a more cooperative play hack-and-slash dungeon-crawler.

02.08.2018

"A royal decree from Princess Persephone has prompted the gathering of the realm’s greatest explorers to the floating city of Maginia. Their goal—uncovering the mysteries of the archipelago of Lemuria, home to a great Yggdrasil Tree. Recruit explorers from 19 classes spanning the entire Etrian series, including the brand new “Hero” class, before setting out to Lemuria in search of treasure and glory! The longtime trio of Yuji Himukai (Character Designer), Shin Nagasawa (Monster Designer), and Yuzo Koshiro (Composer) return to bring life to Etrian Odyssey Nexus’s world. With iconic representatives and locations from past Etrian games, over a hundred story-rich quests, variable difficulty settings, the return of accessibility features like auto-mapping (optional!), and much more, Etrian Odyssey Nexus is the definitive Etrian experience for both longtime fans and series newcomers!" There are 19 character classes as well as a sub-class system and returning battle mechanics from previous games. The last Etrian Odyssey game for the Nintendo 3DS. .

03.03.2020

The Seven Deadly Sins: Grand Cross - A cinematic anime game beyond your imagination!

30.10.2023

Lunacid is a first person dungeon crawler inspired by old FROMSOFT games like Shadow Tower and King’s Field.