Ultima I

The Ultima story began when a lone warrior, the hero, appeared in Sosaria to end the wicked rule of the warlock Mondain, whose gem of immortality granted him (Mondain) nearly limitless power. The adventure took players into dark dungeons, across continents, and even into deep space to destroy Mondain's energy source, slay him, and save Sosaria.

The original Ultima was black and white, but the IBM conversion introduced a little more hue

Ultima I was not unlike Dungeons & Dragons: The player created his character from among several races - such as elves, humans, dwarves, and the conspicuously Tolkienish Bobbits - and several classes, like the ubiquitous fighter and magic user. The reward for a well-fought battle was gold and experience points. Money and food were constant concerns. The game was published by California Pacific.

Each town in Ultima fit onto a single screen

In Garriott's Own Words: Ultima I
"The motivation for Akalabeth was really just fun, not to get published..."

Take me to Ultima II: Revenge of the Enchantress