Originally a spin-off of the main series on PC, *Ultima: Kyouryuu Teikoku* (The Savage Empire) transports the Avatar away from the high fantasy of Britannia and into the prehistoric valley of Eodon. This Super Famicom exclusive port by Pony Canyon retains the overhead perspective of *Ultima VI* but replaces dragons and knights with dinosaurs and primitive tribes. Players must navigate a dense jungle landscape, forging alliances between warring factions to stop the insectoid Myrmidex threat, all while managing a party of companions through a series of tactical, turn-based encounters.
The gameplay is a curious blend of traditional Western RPG systems and console-friendly menu navigation, though it remains significantly more complex than the average JRPG of the era. Combat occurs on the same map as exploration, which can lead to cluttered encounters in the dense foliage, requiring a level of patience not often demanded by its contemporaries. While the environmental interaction is impressive—allowing for primitive crafting and resource gathering—the heavy reliance on Japanese text for its intricate dialogue and inventory management makes it a daunting prospect for those without a translation guide or a high degree of literacy.
Visually, the game captures the pulp-adventure aesthetic well, though the sprites are somewhat small and the color palette is understandably heavy on greens and browns. It stands as a fascinating historical artifact of the era when Western PC giants were attempting to find a foothold in the Japanese console market through localized adaptations. While it lacks the polish of a Square or Enix production, its unique setting and open-ended approach to problem-solving offer a refreshing change of pace for hardcore RPG enthusiasts looking for something genuinely different in the 16-bit library.
