ZX Spectrum magazine "Crash" considered "Underwurlde" to be "excellent" and Ultimate's best game. Each of the magazine's three reviewers appreciated different features of Sabreman's navigation within the game, but namely liked riding volcanic bubbles and being carried by birds. Another reviewer compared Sabreman's jump to that of "Bugaboo (The Flea)" and added that the game's single difficulty level was adequately balanced. All three "Crash" critics noted that the QWERT keyboard controller mapping worked well in this game, though it was awkward in others. They also praised "Underwurlde" detailed graphics and sound. One reviewer additionally noticed that the game lacked a score leaderboard, but surmised that this was a trade-off for the game's expansive world. Unlike "Crash", "Computer and Video Games" did not like the controls, which was the reviewer's main criticism of the game. Another ZX Spectrum reviewer, Chris Bourne ("Sinclair User"), said that the game was fast, colourful, and akin to a "vertical "Atic Atac"".