Markus Brenner—known online as Minstrel Dragon—has turned his sights to the Foenix F256K for his latest project: a conversion of Ultima III: Exodus, the influential CRPG originally released under the Origin Systems banner. It’s still in development, but the groundwork has already been laid for a playable preview.
This early build isn’t packed to the brim just yet—sound effects and the game’s intro are still on the to-do list. But the core is already running on the Foenix F256K, showing off just how well the system can handle a structured, tile-based RPG like this.
Anyone who wants to explore this work-in-progress version can grab the download package and try it directly on their F256 setup. The install process is straightforward:
- Unzip the archive to an SD card.
- Make sure
ultima3.pgzis placed in the SD card’s root directory. - Put the
u3_datafolder right alongside it, also in the root. - Insert the SD card into your F256K, power up, and at the prompt type:
/- ultima3.pgz
Hit return, and the game will load.
For reference, a full collection of Ultima III manuals and the Sosaria world map can be downloaded here. These come in handy for anyone unfamiliar with the mechanics—or those just needing a quick reminder about how to properly sail the eight seas or mix reagents.
While it’s still a work in progress, this port has strong bones and an ambitious target. Fans of retro RPGs or modern 8-bit platforms should definitely keep tabs on it. There’s something oddly satisfying about seeing a title that helped define a genre reborn on a newer-yet-still-retro platform.
