Image: Electronic Arts

Electronic Arts might not be on everyone's Christmas card list this year due to its recent change of ownership, but there's no denying the incredible legacy the company has – and it has just paid tribute to that legacy by re-releasing 25 classic games on Steam.

This release dump includes Ultima, Road Rash, Wing Commander, Theme Hospital, and Crusader, and, according to the publisher, was inspired by "the discovery of a physical media vault containing thousands of Betacam, VHS, and D1 tapes alongside other media assets."

The seven 'Anniversary Editions' included in this launch were made possible by a digitisation process which "recovered the supposedly lost Master FMV sequences... which were meticulously re-edited to restore the over 1,500 cinematic scenes across these games. This reflects EA’s commitment to renewing influential titles for longtime fans while helping new audiences discover the games that helped shape PC gaming."

EA adds:

"Each Anniversary Edition preserves the original look, feel and creative intent of the game, with quality-of-life updates to support modern systems, controls, improve performance and make the titles more approachable without compromising their authenticity."

For each restored Wing Commander title in this range, these improvements could happen only thanks to "the dedicated community, who were open and eager to collaborate with the passionate team at EA to incorporate their mods into the official releases," the PR says.

"This launch is a celebration of the community’s commitment to the franchise, which is why anyone who previously owned a digital copy of the Wing Commander games on GOG or the EA App will receive the Anniversary Edition upgrade for free on their respective digital platform."

Here's the full list of games:

  • Road Rash: 30th Anniversary Edition
  • Wing Commander: 35th Anniversary Edition
  • Wing Commander II: Vengeance of the Kilrathi: 35th Anniversary Edition
  • Wing Commander III: Heart of the Tiger: 30th Anniversary Edition
  • Wing Commander IV: The Price of Freedom: 30th Anniversary Edition
  • Wing Commander Prophecy: 30th Anniversary Edition
  • Privateer 2: The Darkening: 30th Anniversary Edition
  • Wing Commander: Privateer
  • Wing Commander: Academy
  • Wing Commander: Armada
  • Strike Commander
  • Theme Hospital
  • Crusader: No Remorse
  • Crusader: No Regret
  • Ultima I: The First Age of Darkness
  • Ultima II : The Revenge of the Enchantress
  • Ultima III: Exodus
  • Ultima IV: Quest of the Avatar
  • Ultima V: Warriors of Destiny
  • Ultima VI: The False Prophet
  • Ultima VII: The Complete Edition
  • Ultima VIII: Gold Edition
  • Ultima IX: Ascension
  • Ultima Underworld I
  • Ultima Underworld II

The Anniversary Editions of Road Rash and Wing Commander are available now for $9.99 each, while the other titles in this range retail for $4.99 a pop.