Independent game developer Hige-Shou has launched a project page for a Japanese localization mod for the *Ultima* series, which recently became available on Steam.
The *Ultima* series—often considered one of the forerunners of JRPGs—is now fully localized into Japanese!
The “Ultima” series, which began with “Ultima I” in 1981 (with the 1980 spin-off “Akaraves” serving as its predecessor), is a series of computer RPGs that defined the 1980s and 1990s.The series was imported to Japan and is known to have influenced the *Dragon Quest* series, along with *Wizardry*.
The *Ultima* series is currently available for PC (Steam, GOG.com, and the EA app), and a mod to localize these games into Japanese has been developed by Hige-Shō. Installing this mod fully localizes the series into Japanese, starting with the very first title.
The first five *Ultima* games consist of 2D overworld maps and 3D dungeons, and the 3D dungeons have also been fully localized into Japanese.
“Ultima III: Exodus” and “Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar”—which were released in Japan as “Ultima: The Exodus of Terror” and “Ultima: The Path to Sainthood” for the Famicom—can now be played in Japanese in their original versions thanks to this localization patch.It might be fun to play while comparing the differences between the original versions and the Famicom versions.
Incidentally, the Japanese localization of *Ultima VII* was reportedly made possible thanks to the significant assistance of Blitz, a pioneer in the field.
Higisho has not only localized the “Ultima” series but also the “Might and Magic” series into Japanese, and has created voxel-based frontends (including Japanese localization) for many classic roguelike RPGs, including “Hen’yu Ban’do.” Be sure to check out his other projects as well.
EA’s “Classic Game Revival Sale,” which includes the *Ultima* series, is currently underway on Steam through November 20. Please visit the Steam store page for a list of eligible titles.
