Ultima: Runes of Virtue

Ultima: Runes of Virtue is a very different entry in a previously straightforward series. Unlike its CRPG cousins it is instead very much a Zelda clone, featuring a series of dungeons with a "boss" at the end of each. Due to its comparatively simplistic approach many Ultima fans consider the games inferior to the rest of the series.

The villain in this game was a shrouded figure known only as The Black Knight, who went on to terrorise Britannia once more in Ultima: Runes of Virtue II.

Interestingly, the Game Boy versions of both Runes titles support two-player cooperative/competitive play, predating Ultima Online.

Game Boy

 * Published by FCI/Pony Canyon in 1992.