Master of Magic is the deepest, longest lasting and most challenging 4X game made. At the risk of sounding heretic I also believe it is the best 4X game ever made. Yes it is better than Civilization.
MoM rocks the familiar formula with a touch of magic, creating a tasteful dissonance between structured economic advance and unbridled chaos. This is exactly what the 4X genre needed to reach perfection.
Unfortunately the graphics are very ugly, even by the standards at the time it was released. But beneath the torn wrapping is a gift of beauty. I still hope for a remake with better graphics. Until then I will play this game over and over again.
To the portal my minions.