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- The PS1 release of Princess of the Ancient is a Japan-only Wizardry side story — its original spells and compatibility system are the keys to clearing it
- Miss any of the three pillars — party compatibility, hidden race unlocks, alignment — and the wipes never stop
- Clear all three dungeons and 18 floors — Cacinat Outskirts, Mildarl Castle, Temple of the Gods — by exact coordinates
- Every one of the 18 floor maps included, with coordinates (East 0-19, North 0-19)
Wizardry runs on one addictive loop: dive into the maze, hunt monsters, upgrade your gear, then dive deeper still. But Wizardry Empire: Princess of the Ancient, which Starfish and Taito shipped in December 2000, wires a bomb into that familiar cycle — party compatibility. Depending on how race and gender line up across your party, attack power picks up a bonus, or it craters under a penalty. Lining up six strong characters and hoping for the best will not win this game.
The other headache is the original spell system, built to sidestep the copyright issues that arrived with Wizardry #6 and later. Tiltray, Mahadia, Lokdia, Mahalor — the names alone tell you nothing about what any of them do. Without a guide, even deciding which spells to lean on is guesswork. Flip that around, though, and this same strangeness is exactly why Princess of the Ancient never settled for being just another Japanese-made Wiz.
This guide follows the PS1 version. It collects floor maps with coordinates for all three dungeons and 18 floors, a walkthrough that traces the rise and fall of the Cacinat Empire, and a rundown of the spots where players get stuck. Every map is an SVG pulled from the automap screen, 20 squares east-west by 20 north-south on every floor, so putting your cursor on a square shows you its coordinates.
The first time I played this, I ignored how party compatibility worked entirely and convinced myself that stacking strong races was enough. The result: something like a dozen straight wipes on Mildarl Castle B3F. The moment I went back to the compatibility table and rebuilt the lineup, the game opened up like it had been faking. Maps alone will not save you here — understanding the systems is what decides life and death.
*Prices in this article are converted from Japanese yen at ¥153 = US$1 (September 2026 rate).
What Is Wizardry Empire: Princess of the Ancient? Japan’s Own Wizardry Side Story
Wizardry Empire: Princess of the Ancient is a 3D dungeon RPG for the PS1, developed by Starfish and published by Taito. It licenses the original Wizardry (Sir-Tech) while building its story, its mazes and its spell system entirely from scratch — a side series that exists only in Japan.
| Item | Details |
| Title | Wizardry Empire: Princess of the Ancient |
| Release date | December 28, 2000 (Good Price edition: December 6, 2001) |
| Publisher and price | Starfish (development) / Taito (publishing) — $38 (before tax) |
| Platforms | PlayStation (SLPM-86689) / PC version (Windows 95/98, January 15, 2001) |
| Maze size | 18 floors total (Cacinat Outskirts B1F-B7F, Mildarl Castle B1F-B8F, Temple of the Gods B1F-B3F); every floor is 20 squares east-west by 20 north-south |
| Final goal | Defeat the final boss, Zappa, and save the soul of Princess Rilga |
The story is set in the Cacinat Empire. The emperor of a realm that once knew total prosperity struck a pact with a demon, and in the tragedy that followed, Princess Rilga took her own life. You play an adventurer who begins exploring the underground maze in the Cacinat Outskirts, then pushes on through Mildarl Castle and finally the Temple of the Gods, chasing the truth about the empire and the fate of the princess’s soul.
A Game Boy Color title also carries the Empire name (Wizardry Empire), but it is a completely different game from the PS1’s Princess of the Ancient. Even the maze size differs: 16×16 on GBC, 20×20 on PS1. Same series banner, different title, different game — do not let the two get mixed up.
PS1 vs. PC — Which Version of Princess of the Ancient Should You Play?
This guide follows the PS1 version. Princess of the Ancient exists in two versions — the PS1 release (December 28, 2000) and the PC release (January 15, 2001, for Windows 95/98) — but there is no meaningful difference in maze structure or game systems. The PC version is a port of the PS1 version.
Realistically, the PS1 version is the only choice. The PC version is Windows 95/98-era software and runs headfirst into compatibility problems on a modern OS. On PS1 hardware, or on a PS1-compatible setup, it runs without drama. The Good Price edition (released December 6, 2001) is identical in content to the standard release — only the packaging and the price changed.
Note that Princess of the Ancient has no save-data carryover from a previous game. There is no data link with the GBC Empire or with the PS2 Empire II: Legacy of the Princess either. It is a title you can enjoy as a completely standalone entry.
Party Compatibility and the Original Spell System — The Core of Princess of the Ancient
The two systems that matter most in Princess of the Ancient are party compatibility and the original spells. The Wizardry fundamentals — race, class, alignment — are all carried over, and these two are bolted on top as the game’s own strategic hooks.
Races and Classes — How to Unlock the Hidden Races
Princess of the Ancient gives you five basic races plus four hidden ones, nine in total. The basic races can be chosen from the moment you create a character; the hidden races unlock once you meet certain conditions during the game.
| Category | Races | Notes |
| Basic | Human, Elf, Dwarf, Gnome, Hobbit | Selectable from the start |
| Hidden | Werebeast, Fairy, Dragon Neo, Half-Elf | Unlocked under specific conditions |
There are 11 classes. Alongside the basic Fighter, Mage, Priest, Ranger and Monk sit the advanced classes: Samurai, Bishop, Lord, Ninja, Kunoichi and Berserker. Qualifying for an advanced class through bonus point allocation is harsh, but the performance gap is enormous. Kunoichi and Berserker in particular are unique to Princess of the Ancient and appear in no other Wizardry game.
Party Compatibility — Race and Gender Combinations Change Your Firepower
The party compatibility system is the single biggest thing that sets Princess of the Ancient apart. The combination of races and genders among your party members produces bonuses or penalties to attack and defense power. Packing the party with a single race, for instance, tends to produce good compatibility, while certain race pairings sour it and send your damage output through the floor.
Build characters without accounting for this and you walk into the trap: the stat screen says your party is plenty strong, yet nothing lands once the fighting starts. Thinking about compatibility while you assemble the party is step one here. You can check it at the tavern when forming a party, so always look before you head out.
The Original Spell System — What Tiltray and Mahadia Really Are
Because of the copyright situation from Wizardry #6 onward, the spells in Princess of the Ancient use original names. Instead of familiar entries like Halito (flame) or Mahalito (great flame), the list is full of coinages: Tiltray, Mahadia, Lokdia, Mahalor. Many of them map onto effects from classic Wizardry spells, but you would never guess that from the names.
Healing spells and status-ailment cures are what matter most in practice. To avoid wiping deep in a dungeon, you need to know who learns the Priest-side healing spells and to manage how many casts everyone has left. Mage-side attack spells decide how efficiently you grind through trash fights, so whenever a level-up brings a new spell, check exactly what it does.
How Alignment (Good, Neutral, Evil) Affects Your Party
Wizardry’s traditional alignment system is alive and well. There are three alignments — Good, Neutral and Evil — and Good and Evil characters cannot share a party (Neutral characters work with either side). Classes carry alignment restrictions, so wanting a Lord or a Kunoichi in the lineup means weighing everyone else’s alignment too.
Walkthrough — Cacinat Outskirts, Mildarl Castle and the Temple of the Gods by Coordinates
From here the guide works through all three dungeons and 18 floors, one dungeon at a time. Coordinates are written as East X, North Y, and every floor is 20 squares east-west by 20 north-south. These match the East/North readout permanently displayed on the right side of the game screen.
Cacinat Outskirts B1F-B3F — Early Exploration and Laying the Groundwork
The Cacinat Outskirts is the first dungeon, open from the moment the game starts. B1F has a relatively simple layout, so use it to get comfortable with walking the maze and reading the automap. As you descend through B2F and B3F the corridors tangle, and one-way passages and dark zones start showing up.
- B1F — The floor closest to town. Enemies are weak, so it doubles as a place to level up and scrape together equipment
- B2F — Corridors start branching. Finding the down staircase is the top priority
- B3F — The maze complexity steps up a level. Once you find the stairs to B4F, do not forget to finish mapping
Cacinat B4F-B5F — The Best Grinding Spot and the Knights’ Key
B4F is the holy ground of leveling. The Bio Zombies that spawn here have outstanding experience efficiency, and the standard approach is to grind this floor thoroughly before pushing past B5F. On B5F, an event fires involving the story key item, the Knights’ Key.
- B4F — Hunting Bio Zombies up to around level 15 is the baseline for a stable run. Bad party compatibility will stall you right here
- B5F — The event that hands you the Knights’ Key. Without it, parts of Mildarl Castle stay shut
Cacinat B6F-B7F — The Showdown with Mid-Boss Judah
The deepest part of the Cacinat Outskirts. B6F and B7F are snarled, and dark zones multiply. Mid-boss Judah lies in wait on B7F, and putting him down opens the road to Mildarl Castle.
- B6F — Several dark zones. Where the automap goes blank, you have to hug the walls
- B7F — Battle with mid-boss Judah. Come in underleveled and a slugfest is guaranteed. This is where the B4F grinding pays off
Mildarl Castle B1F-B4F — A New Dungeon and the Beast Blood
Mildarl Castle is the second dungeon, and it opens up once you clear the Cacinat Outskirts. Fitting for a castle, the layouts get dramatically more complicated in a hurry. Brains spawn on B3F, which makes it another strong candidate for leveling.
- B1F — The entrance to Mildarl Castle. Enemy strength is on a different plane from the Cacinat Outskirts
- B2F — A nasty floor laid out with multiple one-way passages
- B3F — Brains appear. Experience efficiency is good, and level 25 to 30 is the benchmark to hit here
- B4F — The event involving the Beast Blood. It is the item that unlocks the next stretch of story
Mildarl B5F-B8F — Hell Lions and Faust
The lower reaches of Mildarl Castle are the meatiest stretch in Princess of the Ancient. Hell Lions and Death Knights spawn on B5F, and leveling here is your preparation for the final dungeon. On B8F, an event battle against Faust breaks out.
- B5F — Hell Lions and Death Knights appear. The prime grinding spot for the back half of the game
- B6F — A floor with several warp zones. Keep the map in front of you and move carefully
- B7F — The event involving the Dragon Blood. A key story item lands in your hands here
- B8F — The event battle against Faust. Winning opens the road to the Temple of the Gods
Temple of the Gods B1F-B3F — The Final Battle and Last Boss Zappa
The Temple of the Gods is short at just three floors, but its enemies are the strongest in the game. Final boss Zappa waits on B3F. Have your levels and gear in order before you arrive, and count your remaining spell charges before you commit.
- B1F — The entrance to the temple. Everything that spawns here is front-line strength
- B2F — The last area to explore before the final battle. If there is a recovery point, use it
- B3F — The final fight against last boss Zappa. Party compatibility and spell-charge management decide who walks out
Five Places Where Players Get Stuck
1. Building a Party That Ignores Compatibility
This is the biggest trap in the game. Create characters without weighing the party compatibility that comes out of race and gender combinations, and you end up with a party whose stats look fine but which barely scratches anything in combat. Check the compatibility table before you make characters, and always verify compatibility at the tavern when forming the party. Rebuilding later costs you a brutal amount of time.
2. Not Knowing What the Original Spells Do
Spells with coined names like Tiltray and Mahadia give you no clue what will happen when you cast them. If you have not sorted out which are healing spells and which are resurrection spells, or which hit a group versus a single target, you will pick the wrong one in a boss fight. Write down the effect every single time someone learns a new spell — strongly recommended.
3. Missing the Window to Level Up
The three main grinding points are Cacinat B4F (Bio Zombies), Mildarl Castle B3F (Brains) and Mildarl Castle B5F (Hell Lions and Death Knights). Push ahead without leveling properly on these floors and the next area will wipe you over and over. Grinding on Mildarl Castle B5F in particular is mandatory prep before you take on the Temple of the Gods.
4. Alignment Restrictions Blocking Your Lineup
Good and Evil characters cannot share a party. If you want a Lord (Good only) and a Ninja (Evil only) in action at the same time, you have to run them in separate parties. Plan the shape of the whole party before you lock in alignments at character creation. Neutral characters pair with either side, so keeping one or two Neutrals gives you far more freedom.
5. Picking Up Key Items in the Wrong Order
The story stops dead unless you obtain the Knights’ Key, then the Beast Blood, then the Dragon Blood, in that order. Dungeons should generally be tackled in the order Cacinat Outskirts, Mildarl Castle, Temple of the Gods. Detours are your business, but skip a key item and the areas ahead stay locked.
Map Guide — All 18 Floor Maps from Cacinat B1F to Temple B3F
Here are the floor maps for all 18 floors. Each map is 20 squares east-west by 20 north-south, and the gray bands are walls. The coordinates match the East (horizontal) and North (vertical) readout shown on the right side of the game screen. East runs 0 to 19 from left to right; North runs 0 to 19 from bottom to top.
The maps were extracted mechanically from the PS1 version’s automap screen. The in-game automap gives you the same information, but use these as top-down maps that show a whole floor at a glance. Dark zones never appear on the automap, so pairing these with wall-hugging exploration is the sure way through.
Map Legend
Cacinat B1F — Cacinat Outskirts
The first dungeon you enter from town. B1F is simple in layout and ideal for early leveling.
Cacinat B1F MAP (horizontal = East 0-19 / vertical = North 0-19)
Cacinat B2F — Cacinat Outskirts
Corridors start branching here. Find the down staircase and keep moving.
Cacinat B2F MAP (horizontal = East 0-19 / vertical = North 0-19)
Cacinat B3F — Cacinat Outskirts
A floor where the maze gets more complicated. Lean on your mapping to get through.
Cacinat B3F MAP (horizontal = East 0-19 / vertical = North 0-19)
Cacinat B4F — Cacinat Outskirts (Prime Grinding Spot)
The holy ground of leveling, where Bio Zombies spawn. The standard play is to reach around level 15 before heading past B5F.
Cacinat B4F MAP (horizontal = East 0-19 / vertical = North 0-19)
Cacinat B5F — Cacinat Outskirts
The floor where the event involving the Knights’ Key takes place.
Cacinat B5F MAP (horizontal = East 0-19 / vertical = North 0-19)
Cacinat B6F — Cacinat Outskirts
Several dark zones sit on this floor. Hug the walls to push through the areas the automap cannot reach.
Cacinat B6F MAP (horizontal = East 0-19 / vertical = North 0-19)
Cacinat B7F — Cacinat Outskirts (Mid-Boss Judah)
The deepest point in Cacinat, where mid-boss Judah lies in wait. Beating him opens the road to Mildarl Castle.
Cacinat B7F MAP (horizontal = East 0-19 / vertical = North 0-19)
Mildarl Castle B1F
The entrance to the second dungeon. Enemy strength here is on a completely different plane from the Cacinat Outskirts.
Mildarl Castle B1F MAP (horizontal = East 0-19 / vertical = North 0-19)
Mildarl Castle B2F
A floor laid out with one-way passages. Watch which direction you are heading.
Mildarl Castle B2F MAP (horizontal = East 0-19 / vertical = North 0-19)
Mildarl Castle B3F (Prime Grinding Spot)
Brains appear here. Experience efficiency is good, and this is the floor where level 25 to 30 is the benchmark.
Mildarl Castle B3F MAP (horizontal = East 0-19 / vertical = North 0-19)
Mildarl Castle B4F
The floor where the event involving the Beast Blood takes place.
Mildarl Castle B4F MAP (horizontal = East 0-19 / vertical = North 0-19)
Mildarl Castle B5F (Prime Grinding Spot)
Hell Lions and Death Knights appear. Grind here until you are ready for the final dungeon.
Mildarl Castle B5F MAP (horizontal = East 0-19 / vertical = North 0-19)
Mildarl Castle B6F
Several warp zones sit on this floor. Keep the map in front of you and move carefully.
Mildarl Castle B6F MAP (horizontal = East 0-19 / vertical = North 0-19)
Mildarl Castle B7F
The floor where the event involving the Dragon Blood takes place.
Mildarl Castle B7F MAP (horizontal = East 0-19 / vertical = North 0-19)
Mildarl Castle B8F (Faust Battle)
The event battle against Faust. Beating him opens the road to the Temple of the Gods.
Mildarl Castle B8F MAP (horizontal = East 0-19 / vertical = North 0-19)
Temple of the Gods B1F
The entrance to the final dungeon. The enemies that spawn here are the strongest class in the game.
Temple of the Gods B1F MAP (horizontal = East 0-19 / vertical = North 0-19)
Temple of the Gods B2F
The last area to explore before the final battle.
Temple of the Gods B2F MAP (horizontal = East 0-19 / vertical = North 0-19)
Temple of the Gods B3F (Final Boss Zappa)
The final fight against last boss Zappa. Party compatibility and spell management decide the outcome.
Temple of the Gods B3F MAP (horizontal = East 0-19 / vertical = North 0-19)
Can You Play Wizardry Empire: Princess of the Ancient on Modern Platforms? A Complete Platform Guide
✅ The Verdict
As of September 2026, there is no way to play Wizardry Empire: Princess of the Ancient on modern platforms. Original PS1 hardware or a PS1-compatible setup is the only option. There has been no archive release, no remaster and no port.
1. Playable via Subscription or for Free
Princess of the Ancient is not in the PlayStation Plus Classics Catalog, and it is not on Nintendo Switch Online. No subscription service will get you into this maze.
2. Playable via Individual Purchase
Princess of the Ancient has never been distributed on the PS Store’s PS Archives either. Steam and the Nintendo eShop do not carry it. The PC version (Windows 95/98) only runs on the operating systems of its era, so playing it on a modern PC is not a realistic plan.
3. Playable via Remaster or Remake
No remaster and no remake has ever been made. The May 2024 Wizardry #1 remaster (Digital Eclipse) covers the numbered Sir-Tech originals, which leaves Starfish’s Empire series out of scope.
4. Hard to Obtain on Modern Platforms
| How to play | Availability | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| PS1 hardware + disc | Circulates used | The Good Price edition is comparatively easy to find |
| PC version (Windows 95/98) | Hard to obtain | Running it on a modern OS is not recommended |
If you want a Wizardry dungeon RPG you can play on current hardware, the alternatives are the May 2024 release of Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord Remaster (Switch/PS4/PS5/Xbox/Steam) and 2023’s Wizardry Variants Daphne (iOS/Android). If what you are after is the flavor of the Empire series, Wizardry Dimguil (PS1 only), also made by Starfish, is worth a look — though it sits in exactly the same situation, unplayable on anything current.
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Conclusion — Wizardry Empire: Princess of the Ancient Is the Wizardry Where Compatibility Does the Hitting
Wizardry Empire: Princess of the Ancient is a dungeon RPG released for the PS1 on December 28, 2000, developed by Starfish and published by Taito. The Good Price edition arrived on December 6, 2001, and the PC version on January 15, 2001.
Two systems sit at the core: party compatibility and the original spell system. Compatibility driven by race and gender feeds straight into your damage, and ignoring it will stall you from the midgame onward. Understanding what the coined spell names actually do is non-negotiable. The prime grinding spots are Cacinat B4F (Bio Zombies), Mildarl B3F (Brains) and Mildarl B5F (Hell Lions and Death Knights). Key items must be collected in the order Knights’ Key, Beast Blood, Dragon Blood. The final goal is taking down last boss Zappa.
As of September 2026 there has been no port and no remaster for modern platforms, which leaves original PS1 hardware as the only way in.
Princess of the Ancient is a fine piece of work that kept Wizardry’s skeleton intact while setting itself apart with one distinctive seasoning: party compatibility. The dungeons are classic 20×20 grids, and a fully featured automap is a welcome touch. On the other side of the ledger, the original spell names are not intuitive, and there is no denying how little the game bothers to explain how compatibility works. Treat it as a game meant to be played with guide information at your elbow.
It is a shame you cannot play it on anything current, but used PS1 discs are still out there. If you want to experience how Wizardry evolved on its own in Japan, grab this one while you still can.
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Snicker Kitamura
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