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| Underwurlde | |
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| Developer(s) | Ultimate Play The Game |
| Publisher(s) | Ultimate Play The Game |
| Designer(s) | |
| Engine | |
| Latest version | {{{version}}} |
| Release date(s) | 1984 |
| Genre | Arcade adventure; Maze; Platform |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | N/A |
| Platform(s) | ZX Spectrum, Commodore 64 |
| Media | tape |
| System requirements | |
| Input | keyboard, joystick |
Underwurlde is a video game for the ZX Spectrum and Commodore 64 developed and released by Ultimate Play The Game in 1984. The game is the second in the Sabreman series, following on from his adventures in Sabre Wulf. The format of the game is a 2D side view flip-screen platform game. The aim is to escape from the Underwurlde via one of the three exits, to go to either Knight Lore, Pentagram or Mire Mare.
Contents |
Typically for an Ultimate release, players are given a tantalising and cryptic introduction :
Again taking on the role of Sabreman, the player must navigate a flip-screen maze (256 screens) that encompasses a castle and the large system of caverns beneath it. Unlike the maze in Sabre Wulf, which is viewed from above, rooms here are viewed from the side, and play takes the form of a platform game. Sabreman must make his way through the maze to one of three exits (one for each of the sequels to Underwurlde). Each exit is blocked by a different guardian (see screenshot below), but the guardians are vulnerable to different weapons hidden in the maze.
Along the way, Sabreman is attacked by a range of enemies from winged harpies to floating jellyfish. Oddly bereft of his trademark sabre, Sabreman can fend off these adversaries with the weapons he collects on his journey. Contact with enemies does not directly cause damage, their aim instead is to cause fatal falls by knocking the player off of platforms. Although Sabreman is tough enough to survive short drops, the caverns are full of pits deep enough for a more lethal fall.
Climbing in and out of these pits can be achieved in several ways. Firstly, Sabreman can make rather athletic bounds between platforms. Alternatively, in the caverns he can make use of conveniently placed ropes to safely ascend or descend. And in some parts of the maze, bubbles of volcanic gas can carry Sabreman up vertiginous precipices. This latter approach is perhaps the most hazardous, since bubbles can burst spontaneously or through the unwanted attention of Sabreman's enemies.