| Ultima: Runes of Virtue | |
| Developer: | Origin Systems |
| Producer: | Jeff Johannigman (I) Alan Gardner (II) |
| Designer: | David Shapiro (I) Gary Scott Smith (I & II) |
| Artist: | Amanda Dee, Denis Loubet (I) Terry Manderfeld (II) |
| Composer: | Amanda Dee, George Sanger (I) Marc Schafgen, Martin Galway (II) |
| Series: | Ultima |
| Platforms: | Game Boy (I, II), SNES (II) |
| Released: | Game BoySNES |
| Genre: | Role-playing |
| Modes: | Single-player Multiplayer (GB only) |
Ultima: Runes of Virtue is a two-part video game series. It is a spin-off from the Ultima series. Ultima: Runes of Virtue was released for the Game Boy in 1991 and Ultima: Runes of Virtue II was released for the Game Boy in 1993 and the Super Nintendo Entertainment System in 1994. Runes of Virtue is Richard Garriott's favorite non-PC Ultima game because it was built from the ground up as a Game Boy game, unlike previous console Ultima games which were ports from the PC.[1]
The player character can be chosen from four different ones: Mariah the Mage, Iolo the Bard, Dupre the Fighter, or Shamino the Ranger.[2] The player's objective is to recover the eight Runes of Virtue that were stolen by the Black Knight. These runes are hidden in caves scattered across Britannia, filled with various monsters and puzzles. The game is depicted from a top-down perspective similar to Gauntlet. The sequel tasks the player to rescue eight mayors kidnapped by the Black Knight, each of whom possess a rune. Two player multiplayer is available via Game Link Cable in the Game Boy versions.
GamePro said that "Runes is a standard fantasy scavenger hunt with some virtue, but no surprises."[3] In a review of the Game Boy version of the sequel they noted that "RoV II doesn’t play particularly fast, and the controls are only a bit above average. However, the puzzles are solid, and this cart plays better than its predecessor."[4] In a review for the SNES version they wrote: "An experienced adventurer will undoubtedly find Runes of Virtue rather too basic to enjoy as a full-fledged Ultima but will probably still be charmed by the graphics and straightforwardness of its quests."[5]
Nintendo Power said that Runes of Virtue rivals the scope and excitement of The Legend of Zelda.[6] GB Action called the game "[p]unishing but compelling".