PC and SNES emulator instructions if you want to also play Wizardry II and III

[Private Parts]

Despite my frustrations with this modern remake, Wizardry itself is a really great game I somehow missed 40+ years ago. I was interested in playing through the entire series but found that this remake doesn't create a compatible save file. If the devs actually remade Wizardry II I'd just buy it, but short of that there's no better option than to play the old versions. So I tried the old PC version and the SNES version called Story of Llylgamyn which bundles Wizardry I-III.

I'll preface this by saying manage your expectations. The interfaces of those two games are really rough, esp. the PC version. If I didn't already know how to play from this remake I'd be really frustrated with the controls and poor layout of information. But in those days games came with a manual, and if I had a manual in front of me that would alleviate a lot.

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PC VERSION
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The reason to install the PC version is if you want to play Wizardry 4 and not be frustrated by the interface, which is the same as 1-3. You can't play Wizardry II without completing Wizardry I, because the only option is to import your characters.

To install and run the PC version
Download the game from an abandonware site.
Install dos box from https://www.dosbox.com/
The game saves your progress by modifying the .dsk file that you downloaded, that also contains the game data. I remember way back in the day computers did not have harddrives, so maybe it was both loading from and saving to a floppy that way.
Follow the instructions here https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=33115 to transfer characters

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SNES VERSION
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The reason to install the SNES version is if you want to play I-III in a seamless way with way better graphics, sound, and a better interface. Note that I, II, III in this version uses the exact same code and it's just presented as one game. The only difference is the levels.

To install the SNES version, you need to download 4 things.
1. SNES emulator from https://www.snes9x.com/
2. Wizardry I-II-III - Story of Llylgamyn (Japan) (NP).sfc (you can find it on the web)
3. Wizardry I-II-III - Updated English (Clean).bps (you can find it on the web)
4. Beat patcher tool from http://www.romhacking.net/utilities/893/

Run the beat patcher tool to apply Wizardry I-II-III - Updated English (Clean).bps to Wizardry I-II-III - Story of Llylgamyn (Japan) (NP).sfc. While technically optional, otherwise a lot of the game will be in Japanese.
Then run the emulator to run the patched sfc file.
In the emulator you'll want to update the key bindings right away, for some reason the defaults are not set to the keyboard.

[archolewa]

I believe in the SNES version, they also swap Wizardry 2 and 3, and Wizardry 2 has been rebalanced for play from level 1.

The PS 1 version is worth looking into as well, if you want a version that isn't the DOS version, but has the games in the correct order and the original dungeon maps.

[Private Parts]

From my reading up on the subject, IV and V use a modified version of the same engine as I. II and III use the exact same engine. So if you want to play with substantially updated mechanics you can actually start with VI, which is available on Steam.