Ultima Quest of the Avatar for Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)

Ultima: Quest of the Avatar for NES is a port of the classic PC role-playing game Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar, developed by Origin Systems and released for the NES by FCI in 1989. Set in the fantasy world of Britannia, the game breaks away from the traditional "defeat the evil villain" plot and instead focuses on the player’s journey to achieve moral perfection. As the Avatar, the player must embody eight virtues—Honesty, Compassion, Valor, Justice, Sacrifice, Honor, Spirituality, and Humility—while solving quests, engaging in combat, and exploring the expansive world.

Key Features:

• Moral-Based RPG: Unlike most RPGs of its time, Ultima: Quest of the Avatar centers on self-improvement and moral decisions. Players must uphold the eight virtues by making ethical choices, performing good deeds, and avoiding selfish actions. The ultimate goal is not just to defeat enemies but to become a paragon of virtue.

• Open-World Exploration: The game offers a large, open world with towns, dungeons, and other areas to explore. Players can visit different cities, interact with NPCs, solve quests, and gather clues that help them progress on their quest for virtue.

• Turn-Based Combat: Battles in Ultima are turn-based, requiring strategy and careful use of the Avatar's party members, each of whom brings different skills and abilities to the table.

• Character Customization: Players create their own Avatar by answering a series of ethical questions that determine their starting class and virtues. This system adds a personal touch to the player’s journey.

• Complex Puzzles and Quests: Throughout the game, players must solve puzzles and navigate dungeons, many of which are tied to specific virtues. The game’s progression is non-linear, allowing players to tackle different parts of the quest in varying orders.

Genre: Role-Playing Game (RPG)
Platform: Nintendo Entertainment System (NES)