Best way to play Ultima IV: The Quest of the Avatar

[Erik_Twice]

Ultima IV has been on my backburner for a while, being one of the few extremely influential games I haven't really given a fair shake and now I think I have time to play it. But I don't know which version to play.

Right now I have GoG's release, which is the PC version. According to HG101 there are some fan patches that improve the game, but I'm not sure if I should try them, there's little information on the subject, I cannot find a good overview of the changes.

I also wonder if I should play the SMS port. Most of the time I can only play on a handheld so I don't have a keyboard to play the PC version with. Is it worth playing or is a big part of the game missing?

[MrPopo]

The PC version has a text parser for interactions with NPCs; I'd imagine that the SMS port simplifies a lot of that to a menu which means you probably are more tied to sequences (talk to NPC A to get keyword B) rather than being able to figure out what might be able to help you. It'll be a bit different of an experience. Since Ultima IV is not hugely about combat I'd say playing the PC version is the "best" way.

[Ack]

The NES version is also quite interesting because of its unique JRPG-esque art style.

[Nemoide]

I absolutely recommend getting the SMS version. It's basically the same as the original Apple II version with some improvements that really make it easier to get into. First, the music which is missing from the PC version is intact. Second, the graphics are slightly better while still feeling true to the original style. Third, it's adapted to a controller instead of a keyboard; this makes dialog with multiple levels MUCH easier/more obvious by providing menus for certain things. (Example: If someone tells you they heard a rumor about a rune, you can then select "rune" as a dialog option instead of typing out "ask about rune" or something like that.)
And yeah, if you're emulating without a keyboard, the SMS version will absolutely be more playable.

The only potential flaw with SMS version is that the dungeons are changed from first-person to overhead. But dungeons are REALLY not a major part of the game, so this is a minor issue.

I'll say that it's also pretty important for full enjoyment of the game to read the included books/map. One book tells you if monsters are evil or not (fighting non-evil monsters is a no-no for one virtue) and another gives recipes for making spells (and it's REALLY helpful to have those). It's kind of hard to find those included with the SMS version, but they should be available to download somewhere.

[nightrnr]

I really like the fan patches of Ultima IV.
I'm going to re-post a couple of my comments on the Together Retro thread for Ultima IV.

This is for TSTR, anyone disappointed in the graphics, and cool FYI for everyone else.
I didn't see anyone mention the Ultima upgrades for this.

The standard upgrade effectively boosts the graphics to something more pleasant and even adds music:
http://www.moongates.com/u4/upgrade/Upgrade.htm

But I prefer and recommend the XU4 - Ultima IV Recreated;
http://xu4.sourceforge.net/download.php
This one lets you choose between a selection of graphic styles, including FM towns version and Hi-res VGA. I like to use the "new" setting in the "game graphics options" from the configure menu.
It seriously improves the presentation and feel of the game. Reminds me of the Spiderweb software's Exile series (if anyone knows what those games are).

Another nice feature is that "enter" can act like a smart key to do several basic actions (like boarding a boat).
I think that you can even customize the music, although I haven't tried it.

Here's a couple of the options I like using the new graphics:
the "New" option:

vs the "HiresVGA" option:

[Erik_Twice]

That was really helpful guys, thanks!

I think I'm going to play the SMS version if it's that close to the original. It's probably true, like MrPopo says, that this makes the game more direct but I think I would prefer to be able to select the topic I want to talk about instead of trying to get it past the parser. For example, there's a "battered mage" right at the beginning who says he had been searching for the "blue sphere" or something like that, but if I type "blue sphere" he says nothing which is frustrating.

Still, I'll try the other versions, specially since I'll try to review the game eventually.