Ultima Underworld Version Differences

There are several versions of Ultima Underworld floating around and this page clarifies the differences on a technical level.

Which version to play?

If you've found the page because you haven't played the game before and are wondering which version you should use, this page probably won't be very interesting to you, it's full of technical information. The answer to your question is to use the GOG version, it's the latest and most stable, and it doesn't have any less game play than any other version.

Versions Overview

There are several versions of Ultima Underworld to consider:

Versions of Ultima Underworld

reference	Release Date	Version String	Notes
demo/promo	1992	vF1.10S	reduced to fit on single floppy disk
disk, original	US:1992 EU:1993
disk, patched		vF1.50S
FM-Towns	1993		reportedly identical to PC version
PC-9801 256-color	1994
PC-9801 16-color	1994
Playstation	1997		the most significantly changed version
CD-ROM Collection	2000	vF1.50S	a repackage of the patched disk version
Pocket PC	2002		similar to the PC version with a new touchscreen interface
CD-ROM Classics		vF1.94S
Good Old Games		vF1.94S	Installs a DosBox wrapper to run on modern PCs

There are also a number of fan-made remakes and ports of the game, but as of this writing none of them are in a completed/released state and will not be considered here.

Determine the Version

If you've got a copy of Ultima Underworld and you're not sure which one it is, go into the main game, don't be in a conversation or other action, and press ALT-F7. The version string will be printed on your message scroll. Thank you, Dan Simpson

Demo Version

The demo version was cut down to a promotional version that could be fit on a single floppy disk.

Technical Differences

It's difficult to compare it directly to other versions because file formats changed a bit, but obvioulsy there are lesser and smaller data files in the demo. The EXE is almost exactly the same size.

Observed Differences

Observed differences between this and the commercial PC versions:

• No title screen, intro, or character creation. The game starts by playing back recorded playthroughs. These can be inturrupted to begin a playthrough with a randomly generated character.
• The starting character is randomly generated, it's name is Avatar and it's class is fighter but everything else is completely random. All stats are random between about 12 and 30 and don't add up to 60 like in the normal game. All skills are between about 4 and 12, giving the player a chance to try out different skills and actions in the game.
• There is an extra panel in the botom right with the name of the game printed on it, obliviously for a presentational demo, but it blocks part of the scroll. Text line lengths on the scroll seem to have been adjusted to account for this.
• The silver sapling and the plaque describing it are missing from the game. The banner is still there however.
• There is an oil flask near the central shaft
• The window on the central shaft is not usable – I’m guessing this was a space-saving decision so that they didn’t have to include the window view graphics
• There are remains of someone in the checkered room just south of the green goblin area
• There are several mellow ghosts in the pillar puzzle room
• In the room oppoiste the pillar puzzle room, where you find the chain cowl, there is a headless instead of the skeleton found in the regular game, so that’s a much more difficult fight.
• Cannot save or restore game in the demo
• Looking at the builder’s grave (at the top of the pillar jumping puzzle) doesn’t show a close up of the tombstone. I assume this is for the same reason that the central window view doesn’t work: to keep the demo size small by not including the graphics needed for these views
• The red ruby at the bottom of the spiral stairs is a jeweled crown
• Cannot sleep, cannot use a bedroll, cannot use F10. Again I assume this is because they didn’t include the dream sequence graphics. Why they didn’t just fade to black and back up again, I don’t know.
• Only includes the first level

Disk Versions

Differences between the initial and patched versions

Technical Differences

The difference between the original disk version and the patched disk version is purely in the UW.EXE file. All data files go unchanged. The graphics, maps, and all other in-game things should be identical between these versions.

Observed Differences

• The inventory bug is not completely gone but is much more rare

FM-Towns Version

Not enough information is known about this version to make a comparison

PC-9801 Version

Not enough information is known about this version to make a comparison

PS1 Version

This is probably the most obviously different version. It has been ported to different hardware, using a diffeent controller, and the artwork, audio, and text have all been modified to Japanese anime style.

Technical Differences

The file structure is quite different from other versions of the game. Instead of multiple files all the game data is packed into a single data file. Although no file format has been published for this file, it's obvious from looking at it that most of the graphics data is uncompressed, and the graphics are using an 8-bit palette as the DOS versions did, although it's a different palette.

Observed Differences

• Text and audio are all in Japanese. There is a fan-made English patch released in 2023.
• The interface is adapted to work from the playstation digital controller
• The majority of graphics have been changed to have a more Japanese look
• The game is still rendered from a 256 color palette, but it's completely different than the PC version
• There are some minor mostly cosmetic changes to the level layout

Detailed Diffeences

Read more here: PSX-port of Ultima Underworld

CD Collection Version

This CD version is a re-packaged version of the patched disk version.

Technical Differences

All the EXE and data files are identical with these exceptions:

• The installer is mostly the same but slightly modified. It it assumed that this is because the disk version needed to change disks during install but the CD version doesn't, so the install structure is sightly different.
• There is a very minor change to a cutscene file. It is unknown what this changes in-game.

Observed Differences

• none

PPC Version

Ported to a different hardware having a different input (touch screen with stylus instead of mouse + keyboard) there are bound to be some differences

Technical Differences

This is another one that is hard to compare directly because the file structure is quite different. Obviously the executable is quite different, as it's running on a different platform. Also the interface is quite different, as it runs on a touch screen instead of a keyboard and mouse and need additional code and graphical elements to create that interface.
That being said, most of the data files appear to be similar to the mainstream PC versions, but there is little info out there about this version so more research is needed to reach definitive conclusions.
One of the notable changes is that the PC versions keep the data for 3d models hardcoded in the EXE file, while this verion has them out in separte files. It is unclear if there is any change to these models however.

Observed Differences

• doors on most versions are solid geometry, In tis one it seems possible to peek through cracks in the boards or through the keyholes on certain doors.

CD Classics Version

• 

  Gold Box, Front

• 

  Gold Box, Back

Technical Differences

Comparing the CD versions shows that the data files are nearly identical, with these differences:

• Some changes to the installer, apear to be mostly cosmetic
• Massive changes to the UW.EXE file, unclear what the difference is
• very minor changes to some cutscene files, unclear what the in-game difference is

Observed Differences

unknown

GOG Version

The GOG version appears to be just the CD Classics version wrapped up with DosBox to enable it to run on modern PCs

Technical Differences

• The GOG version installs some scripts to launch DosBox and mount an ISO as a virtual CD-ROM and then store the configuration and save games back on the hard drive. None of the affects the game play.

Observed Differences

unknown

Conclusions

Technical Differences

• As of this writing, not enough is known about the FM-Towns or PC-9801 version to make comparisons
• The game data files are identical across the Disk, CD, GOG, and what has been tested of the PPC versions
• The patched disk and CD versions use the same EXE, while the GOG version has a newer version
• The PC demo version had some in-game differences, probably due to being born from an earlier version and condensed for disk space
• The PS1 version has the most cosmetic changes, with some minor technical changes to the levels, and most of the play-through remains the same.
• The PPC and PS1 version have big changes to the interface due to eing ported to different hardware with different input devices.
• The PS1 is probably the most difficult version of the game to play, as it doesn't allow you to use information obtained from guides or previous runs (such as spells and mantras)

Playability

• None of the game world changes between versions - the level layout, monsters, NPCs, quests, etc, is identical from one version to the next.
• The only real difference between version is the interface.
• The GOG version is the one with the highest version number, it appears to be the latest and greatest