Getting back to Unreal Tournament in 2012

[Elliot B.]

Unreal Tournament was released in November 1999 and was considered amongst the gaming community as direct competition to id Software?s Quake 3, which was released in the same year.

Unreal Tournament garnered many awards and positive reviews overall, in fact beating Quake 3, so a lot of attention was given to the game in the early 2000s, even after the sequel Unreal Tournament 2003 was released.

Up popped many large websites dedicated to the Unreal series, putting specific focus on Unreal Tournament. Amongst these were GameSpy?s PlanetUnreal, the largest news website for the game series and Nali City (now no longer around), the largest website dedicated to custom maps for local and online play for the game.

These days, the Unreal Tournament community is much smaller than it once was but it is still active. At the moment (afternoon of 22 April 2012), there are 987 servers (107 of which are populated, consisting of a total of 497 players).

If you wish to jump in online, the following downloads are suggested to get you ready:

• Official v436 Patch
  
  • Released in August 2000
    
  • This 7 MB patch is the latest official patch for the game and is needed to play online. A ?No Delta? patch exists for those having CD reading problems, or for those who obtained the game bundled. The v436 patch is not needed if you bought the Game of the Year edition (e.g. retail or on Steam) as it will be up-to-date already.
    

• Bonus Pack #1, The Epic Pack
  
  • Released in January 2000
    3 new characters, 11 new maps and 6 new Relics.
    

  [*]Bonus Pack #2, The Digital Extremes Pack

  • Released in January 2000
    3 new mutators and 2 new maps.
    

  [*]Bonus Pack #3, The Inoxx Pack

  • Released in May 2000
    2 texture packs and 6 new maps.
    

  [*]Bonus Pack #4, The Christmas 2000 Pack

  • Released in December 2000
    2 new models, two texture packs and 12 new maps.
    

  [*]Community Tribute Classic (CTC) Map Pack Vol. 1

  • Released in November 2004
    6 new maps
    

  [*]Community Tribute Classic (CTC) Map Pack Vol. 2

  • Released in December 2004
    18 new maps
    

After installing these, you?ll be ready to hit the online servers! Good luck and frag out!

[Kerm]

You still play? Shame there are so few players on now.

Certainly my favourite game of all time and certainly the only game I need installed for LAN parties. :p

[Elliot B.]

You still play? Shame there are so few players on now.

Certainly my favourite game of all time and certainly the only game I need installed for LAN parties. :p

I haven't played since UT2004 was released. But I played it solid from 1999-2004.

[Blackhearted]

I think it should be noted that UT99 can have some performance issues at times with modern hardware, mainly the cpu, due to how it was made back then.

Also, i'd recommend using a third party renderer over the default d3d one, such as the one here: http://www.cwdohnal.com/utglr/ As it offers more options, such as AA/AF without having to force it in the driver control panel and others.

[MidnightDevil]

This game was EPIC! UT2004 brought vehicles and an entire new atmosphere to the game.. and the skateboards in UT3 are a must... neverless.. lovely post, brings back memories.

[MinTeH]

Loved the original, played it for ages. It was one of my first game addictions along with Counter Strike. UT3 I got into quite a bit but seemed bot filled when I last tried to play :(. Might give this ago when I get back home later.

[Miuku.]

Shame there hasn't been a worthy successor after UT3 flopped.

[RiverCampher]

It was quite an epic game, I miss it too! I recommend Tribes Ascend for those who like the pace of UT.

I still hark back to '96 and the original QW occasionally (which i think was the best twitch shooter), plus there was no such thing as a sniper back then. Imagine that!

[togerland]

I brought it for a lan party last friday... People enjoyed it alot!! The FACES capture the flag map!! AMAZING!!!

[Blackhearted]

Shame there hasn't been a worthy successor after UT3 flopped.

With the **** poor attitude epic tends to have towards the pc these days it's highly unlikely there will ever be another good UT game. UT2004 will be the last.

[Order_66]

I still play the original Unreal around once a week when I can, usually just play on the monster map servers, the matches can get quite epic and brutal, I go under the same name I've used since Unreal was released "Apathy" if anyone still plays join me for a game or three sometime.

[ccoltmanm]

You should put links to UT3 and its updates. It has a larger online base right now.

[togerland]

I still play the original Unreal around once a week when I can, usually just play on the monster map servers, the matches can get quite epic and brutal, I go under the same name I've used since Unreal was released "Apathy" if anyone still plays join me for a game or three sometime.

I think I have seen that name before.... Ill reinstall and start playing again.

[Ionium]

I wish the UDK was for OSX.

[ArialBlue]

Either updated OpenGL or D3D10 driver for fancy graphics.

[R1pper]

take ut99, with everything in it, and mix it with UE3, it's a blast from the past, and into the future.

the game play is unmatched, it was simple and complex, it was fast and slow, it was smart and it was super cunning, it was fun and it was sad(to lose). it was no short of a unique masterpiece.

it was UT99.

[mattmatik]

Nothing will compare to UT'99 and CTF. Just absolute fun and you didn't have to put in hours and hours to have a blast.

[Radium]

Aye! The original Unreal Tournament (from 1999) beats all other versions, hands down.

Too many games add vehicles to seem cool, but it actually slows down the gameplay even more. Add vehicles if it fits the game, not because other games have it.

[bjoswald]

The original is a masterpiece. I played it for years.

[Ionium]

:D

[+InsaneNutter MVC]

I brought it for a lan party last friday... People enjoyed it alot!! The FACES capture the flag map!! AMAZING!!!

Hands down the best CTF Map i have ever played, it brings back so many memories!

DM Morpheus

DM Pressure

DM Deck 16

CTF Face

+ More ive forgot.

Some of the best maps ever, I remember loving this on my 300mhz Pentium 2.

Sadly gaming has changed so much, now your sold map packs which end up totaling more than it costs the to buy entire game if you want all the official maps (CoD games anyway). Back in the Unreal days there was so many amazing maps to download and play, anyone could host a server, and this crappy match making didn't exist.

I have recently been playing some 2004, I really should give UT99 another go :D its been years!!

[starbearer]

If anyone's in the loop, and yes, I've seen the UT sites etc., but is there any chance,at all, of having another UT release, using the new engine they're developing?

Unreal tournament was a beautiful game, played it first in 1999, when computers were still an odd thing in Indian households( expensive). That was a demo, with 4 maps.

Next to Unreal tournament, game of the year version, and then UT 2004 and UT3.

Used to like CTF Facing worlds. And Phobos, for death match/team.

Oh, and the Intro music and description used to be great!!

"In 2291, in an attempt to control violence among deep space miners, the New Earth Government legalized no-holds-bared fighting. Liandri Mining Corporation, working with the NEG, established a series of leagues and bloody public exhibitions. The fights' popularity grew with their brutality. Soon, Liandri discovered that the public matches were their most profitable enterprise. The professional league was formed; a cabal of the most violent and skilled warriors in known space, selected to fight in a Grand Tournament. Now it is 2341. 50 years have passed since founding of DeathMatch. Profits from the Tournament number in the hundreds of billions. You have been selected to fight in the professional league by the Liandri Rules Board. Your strength and brutality are legendary. The time has come to prove you are the best. To crush your enemies; to win the Tournament."

[D!ABOL!C]

If anyone's in the loop, and yes, I've seen the UT sites etc., but is there any chance,at all, of having another UT release, using the new engine they're developing?

I would say no. Gears of War is their superstar. Really sad, as I loved UT2k3 and UT2k4. Onslaught was such an awesome game-type. I loved pancaking people with the Manta, so many fun hours playing all those maps when the community was huge. Oh well

[CG-88]

UT99 was probably the first game I got amazingly addicted too!! Absolutely loved it, aww the memories :)

TBH I loved UT3, alot, but it still doesn't compare to 2004 and UT99 when it was still super popular.

[Tom]

I still have UT04 installed.

/me would love to play with some neowin members.