Tombs & Treasure

Tombs & Treasure is another relatively obscure game, and it slipped below my radar for a long while, largely because it barely even qualifies as an RPG; in fact, its original iteration on the PC-88 didn't at all.  It mostly serves as a point-and-click style adventure game, having you decipher clues, collect items and search for hidden passages around various mazelike tombs while uncovering the larger story.  The NES version adds in some (very) light RPG elements, though - every now and then you'll have to battle a monster in a very simple turn-based system, consisting of little more than trading blows until one of you drops.  That said, you do have to equip your weapon (by entering your inventory and Using it) or you'll fight barehanded and do far less damage, and you can run at any time, which restores you to full health so you can try again.  That said, the latter option can also save you from a game over, as the game is constructed in such a way to discourage sequence breaking - if you go somewhere you're not supposed to be yet, the enemies you face will be much tougher than you can handle; the only way to power up to beat them is to visit each area in order and defeat the enemies there, so it is an effective (if somewhat clumsy) means of showing the player the correct sequence of areas to visit.  Aside from that, the game does have some quite detailed visuals and good music for a 1988 release, and the guide included with the game isn't a blow-by-blow walkthrough, instead giving you a series of riddles to decipher.  So, if you enjoy these old adventure games that rely on untangling clues and a fair bit of trial-and-error to complete, you'll probably have some fun with Tombs & Treasure.  Those looking for a meatier RPG experience, however, should probably look elsewhere.

Developer: Nihon Falcom, Compile
Publisher: Nihon Falcom, Tokyo Shoseki, Infocom
Platform: PC-88, Famicom, NES
Released: 1986, 1988, 1991

Legacy of the Wizard

The fourth game in the Dragon Slayer series; a name not very well known in the west, but Japan knows it as one of the first action-RPG series ever made.  That said, each game in the series is a very different experience, from top-down dungeon crawls to tactical combat experiences.  Legacy of the Wizard is certainly no different, having you control five family members who each have differing abilities, and navigating a rather enormous maze in search of a magic sword that can slay an evil dragon.  Each family member gets a different set of items to utilize, and with these, they can reach a section of the dungeon no other can and retrieve one of the four crowns; Xemn (the father) gets a glove that can push blocks around; Lyll (the daughter) can destroy blocks with a mattock and leap to absurd heights; Meyna (the mother) can fly using magical wings; Pochi (the family pet) is a monster and therefore ignored by nearly all other monsters in the dungeon (even being able to use them as platforms); and finally, Roas (the son) is the only one who can wield the Dragon Slayer sword, necessary to defeat the final boss.  It's a game that definitely requires the manual or a strategy guide, as there's very little text in-game and no explanation given for what all the items actually are or how they work, but there's a surprising amount of longevity and depth to be found here.  You'll also need to master some very precise jumps and quirky controls (especially for the block-pushing with Xemn's glove), but the charming graphics and an amazing soundtrack by Mieko Ishikawa and (of course) Yuzo Koshiro keep it from getting too frustrating.

Developer: Nihon Falcom
Publisher: Nihon Falcom, Namcot, Broderbund
Platform: MSX, MSX2, NES, Switch (as part of the Namco Museum Archives Vol. 2 collection)
Released: 1987, 1989

Ys: Memories of Celceta

The fourth overall telling of Ys IV's story (having also seen outings on the Turbografx-CD, Super Famicom and Playstation 2 in prior years), but the first to actually be made by Falcom themselves.  It's also the second to utilize the party-based system of Ys Seven, with the player able to have up to three characters active and swap between them freely with the shoulder buttons.  One also earns skills and assigns them to the four face buttons in order to use them in combos and power them up, can dodge attacks with good timing to gain a temporary bit of slow motion a la Bayonetta, and even build up and use super moves to deal heavy damage to enemies.  Basically, if you enjoyed Ys Seven, you'll probably get a kick out of this one too.  If you're a fan of classic Ys, though, this one is still worth a look to see how it puts yet another twist on the story of Ys IV.  It's not my favorite of the series, but Memories of Celceta is another game worthy of the Ys name.

Developer: Nihon Falcom
Publisher: XSeed Games
Released: 2013
Platforms: Playstation Vita, Windows, Playstation 4

Tokyo Xanadu eX+

 Xanadu isn't a particularly well-known name among RPG fans; at least, not in the west. It was the second game in the Dragon Slayer series and one of the founders of the action-RPG subgenre, inspiring games like Zelda and Ys. Only a few of its games have been localized (the best known being two cult NES games - Legacy of the Wizard and Faxanadu) but Tokyo Xanadu is the latest turn for the series, and an odd one at that.  Indeed, Falcom seems to have seen the success of the Persona franchise and taken a crack at making their own version, which is particularly evident in its focus on life-sim elements; between dungeons, you have the ability to complete sidequests, interact with characters to build relationships, and bolster your own personality traits to do more of the same.  These scenes do tend to be very long and dialog-heavy, however, which hampers the pacing if you're comparing to Persona.  By contrast, the dungeon element seems to be over with much too quickly.  Much simpler, too, as the game opts for a basic hack-and-slash format not unlike the Ys games - dodge, attack, jump-attack and ranged attack enemies, getting bonuses for winning battles quickly, keeping combo chains going and striking elemental weaknesses.  Defeating foes earns components that can be crafted into weapon and armor upgrades, and between missions one can also cook to create new items.  It all sounds good on paper, but the dragging pace, overly simple action and inane dialog overall ensures that it fails to strike that all-important balance and actually become fun.

Developer: Nihon Falcom
Publisher: Nihon Falcom, Aksys Games
Released: 2017
Platforms: Playstation Vita, Playstation 4, PC

Popful Mail

A sidescrolling platformer-RPG by Falcom, released not long after the controversial third Ys game that used the same format (Wanderers from Ys).  Popful Mail at least feels a bit more polished than that game, with some after-hit invincibility and sharper animations, and, in the Sega CD version, full voiceover and animated cutscenes.  It does still have some frustrating elements, though - your attack range is short, enemies often attack from angles you can't easily avoid, and bosses are often difficult to hit and inflict heavy damage, making them very frustrating to fight.  Being localized by Working Designs also ensures that there's a lot of rather childish humor and silly accents throughout, which may grate on some.  They also made the game even more difficult than its Japanese counterpart for no particular reason, so its frustration factor is compounded even further.  If you can play it for cheap, give it a go, but I don't really think it's worth the bloated asking price most Sega CD games go for these days.

Developer: Nihon Falcom
Publisher: Nihon Falcom, NEC, Working Designs
Released: 1991
Platforms: PC-8801, PC-9801, Sega CD, Super Famicom, PC Engine CD, Mobile, PC

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox

The ninth numbered Ys game debuted in early 2021 seemingly draws cues from other popular action games and RPGs, changing its mood considerably while retaining the Ys franchise's trademark fast-paced combat.  But does it prove to be a worthy successor to the Ys legacy, or is it just a misstep?

I've long pointed to Ys as one of the few long-running RPG franchises that's remained consistently good since its beginnings.  While some games in the series are definitely superior to others, I don't think I've played an Ys game I'd describe as "bad" - even the ones most people malign (Wanderers coming to mind) still managed to be entertaining in my book - mostly by being short enough to not wear out their welcome and still having some solid music.

Ys IX is definitely the first in a long while that caught me off-guard, though.  You're dropped into the middle of the story right away, with Adol attempting to escape from prison for unknown reasons and ending up "cursed" by a mysterious character's magic bullet, transforming into what I can only describe as a discount version of Nero from Devil May Cry:

It's not just a cosmetic similarity, either - Adol actually copies Nero's ability to grab marked points in the environment to zip himself to them, and can even pull himself closer to enemies to close the distance for a melee attack more quickly.  Definitely an odd turn for Ys, which had Adol retain a fairly consistent blend of melee attacks and light magical skills throughout the series to this point.

The story is an odd turn too, and in fact reminded me quite a bit of Persona 3.  Adol meets up with other similarly cursed characters right away - the titular Monstrums - and together they fight back a force of monsters in a parallel reality that only they can interact with.  This actually plays relatively similarly to the base defense missions from Ys VIII, with Adol and his allies (all CPU-controlled) battling waves of monsters while trying to protect a crystal at the center; should it fall, they will immediately fail.  However, you will also get periodic buffs throughout these fights, giving you a slight edge against the progressively larger waves of enemies you face.

Also similar to Persona games is the fact that the game's geographical area is kept to a relatively small locale - the town of Balduq - with dungeons being relatively few in number this time around (and fairly short to boot).  However, you there are quite a few things to interact with in each area - shops and NPCs being just two.  You'll also find a number of hidden treasures, graffiti messages that often contain story cues or clues, and a number of landmarks to find as part of a subquest.  As more characters join your team, you'll unlock more ways to interact with the environment, which in turn will allow you to reach new areas and hidden items within them.  For example, White Cat lets you run up walls (slightly akin to Kingdom Hearts 3, though nowhere near as heavily-utilized), while Hawk will allow you to glide through the air, reaching distant places you couldn't normally get to.

The exploration and story are a definite departure from the Ys norm, but combat remains relatively unchanged from the party-based Ys games.  Adol and his allies all wield weapons with one of three properties - Slash, Pierce and Strike - each of which is effective and ineffective against different types of foes, necessitating that you swap between them as the situation warrants with the Circle button (though to my slight disappointment, the character you switch to swaps places with your old one, so you can no longer do my favorite trick of quickly switching characters to evade damage).  Each character will also gradually learn skills - either through repeated use of them in battle or by finding skill books - that can be mapped to the four face buttons and activated by holding R1 and pressing them.  Each enemy has a stun bar that fills as they take hits, and once it's full, you'll be given a few seconds to hit them unchallenged, making it a vital strategy for bosses.  Last-second blocks or dodges will also activate a "Flash Guard" or "Flash Move", slowing time for a brief period and letting the player get in a few free hits. Filling the meter at the bottom will also allow the current character to activate an Extra move - basically a limit break that deals hefty damage and makes them invulnerable as the animation plays.  It's as fast-paced and fun as ever, though one slight annoyance I had was the fact that there's no sound played when your character takes damage and often they won't even visibly be knocked back or flinch, so you can have your health deplete rapidly and not notice until it's too late.  Watching enemy attack animations and knowing exactly when to react to avoid taking damage is more important than ever in Ys IX.  Some elements can be frustrating too - chase sequence minigames and the tedious prison segments in particular (with most traps killing you in one hit on higher difficulties), but the game does at least throw you a bone here and give you an option to skip them if you die/fail them too many times, so that's nice at least.

Of course, there's also plenty here for the die-hard RPG fan.  The heavy focus on crafting from the other party-based Ys games returns (though traditional shops are in place too), and finding recipes for potions and medicine will help to give you an edge during paritcularly difficult battles.  There are numerous sidequests and optional areas to explore, a pretty large compendium to fill out, multiple difficulty levels to add replay value, as well as bonuses like a boss rush and a time attack mode. And of course, there are plenty of optional objectives to complete - from simple side-stories to collection quests to building up your home base by recruiting new characters throughout the journey.

While I was a bit put off by its strange premise and departure in style, Monstrum Nox proved to be a decent, if not particularly memorable, Ys game.  There's a lot here for both action-oriented and die-hard completion RPG fans, and being able to explore the world in some ways not seen before in the series gives it a new twist for even long-time fans.  It takes a bit to get going, but once it does, its a pretty fun time.

It does have some self-aware moments too; this line genuinely got a chuckle out of me

Developer: Nihon Falcom
Publisher: Nihon Falcom, NIS America
Platform: Playstation 4, Windows, Switch, Stadia
Released: 2021
Recommended Version:  All versions are more or less the same as far as I can tell.

Ys Origin

Made after the Ys series had six entries and a number of remakes under its belt, Ys Origin was a somewhat controversial entry in that it was a prequel that didn't star the series' longtime protagonist Adol Christin.  But does Ys Origin prove to be a worthwhile action-adventure regardless, or does it simply make you pine for the return of Adol?

Ys games have undergone a number of format changes over the years, but they've consistently remained fast-paced and engaging action-RPGs, known as much for that as for their surprsingly good storylines and amazing symphonic rock/metal soundtracks.  It's also one of the few long-running JRPG franchises to consistently star a single protagonist - the red-haired Adol Christin, a humble and rarely-heard adventurer who nonetheless ends up saving the world on numerous occasions.

Ys Origin came as a surprise to many for that reason.  Its story was actually a prequel taking place 200 years before the original game, and as a result, it did not feature Adol Christin as part of its story (though he is playable in the Arena Mode as a bonus character).  Instead, there were now two new protagonists to choose from.  Yunica Tovah wields a variety of melee weapons (beginning with an axe) and plays somewhat similarly to Adol, though with a bit more emphasis on magic.  Hugo Fact (ancestor of the antagonist of Ys I) is the other playable character, mostly utilizing ranged projectile attacks.  A third character, "the Claw" can also be unlocked after completing the game once; he utilizes short-ranged but powerful attacks, making him a risky but rewarding character to use.  The overall story remains the same regardless of whom you choose, though a few bits of dialog play out differently and, obviously, most of the boss fights require different strategies to overcome.

The core engine is largely unchanged from Oath in Felghana, putting as much emphasis on avoiding hazards and platforming as it does fast-paced combat.  You still rack up bonuses for killing enemies in quick succession and can get up to double your normal attack power, defense, magic damage and earned experience as long as you keep a relatively unbroken kill streak going.  Unlike all the previous Ys games, though, Origin takes place entirely within one dungeon (though as in any good dungeon crawler, there are numerous checkpoints you can teleport between to cut down on time spent backtracking).  There is also only one shop in the game accessible via any Goddess Statue, which serves as a one-stop hub for purchasing character upgrades and various other benefits.  Here, you upgrade your weapons and armor and can gain other benefits like boosting the time bonuses last, regenerating your skill bar faster, or dealing more stun with your weapon.  However, it's not a total retreat of Felghana - there is still a significant puzzle element in the game, with quite a few familiar items from the early Ys games lending themselves to puzzle elements here (like finding hidden passages or invisible platforms in order to progress).

As in previous Ys games, there are multiple difficulty levels to select from in order to make the game as challenging as you wish.  There are a number of bonus modes too, from Time Attack mode (defeating all of the bosses in the game in order and on one health bar) and the Arena Mode, which pits the player against consecutively tougher groups of enemies culminating in an uber-boss that does not appear in the main game.  Each run in this mode will also earn the player points that can be utilized to unlock new bonuses - different arenas and more powerful versions of the four playable characters, as well as some extra costumes.  As with Oath in Felghana, Ys Origin very much embraces its action element and becomes something slightly akin to Devil May Cry alongside its RPG element, challenging the player to constantly improve their skills and tackle challenges well beyond what the main game calls for.

So, despite shaking up a few series norms, Origin is another fine Ys game, meshing fast-paced action, RPG and dungeon crawling elements together in expert fashion.  It hits everything great about the classic Ys series while adding quite a bit of replayablity with its multiple characters and bonus game modes, and even without longtime series protagonist Adol at the helm, it manages to tell another fun story in a fun fantasy world.  It may not be an ideal jumping-on point for the series as you may not appreciate a lot of its nods to established lore in the same way as a longtime fan, but if you enjoyed the previous Ys games (and Felghana in particular), it's another one you'll definitely want to check out.

Developer: Nihon Falcom
Publisher: Nihon Falcom, XSeed Games, DotEmu
Platform: PC, PS4, Vita, XBone, Switch
Released: 2006, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2020
Recommended Version: As far as I can tell, all versions are more or less the same.

Ys V: Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand

Ys V is the only game in the Ys RPG franchise to never get a modern re-release, as well as the only one which, to date, has never made an appearance in the west.  But is this because it's a lackluster game, or simply because of the timing of its release?

The Ys series' history is definitely a convoluted one, with numerous ports and versions across countless consoles, each developed by different companies.  Ys IV is perhaps the perfect example of this, with four different versions created over the years for the Super Famicom, PC-Engine CD, Playstation 2 and finally the Playstation Vita, all created by different companies and featuring much different gameplay and takes on the same overall script.  But while at least one version of each game has made its way to western shores over the years, there remains one outlier - the fifth game in the franchise has yet to be localized (even in remake form) as of 2019.

It is certainly an odd game in some respects, too.  It was the first top-down Ys game to utilize a jump button, which added a touch of platforming to the game, and also the first (besides Wanderers) to utilize a more traditional, Zelda-esque combat system, utilizing two different buttons on the controller to swing one's sword and raise their shield to block attacks.  Standard features in many action-RPGs, yes, but relatively new to the Ys franchise, which became known for its touch-based combat that was inspired by Hydlide.

Ys V was also the first to utilize a magic system.  While several prior Ys games had spells to cast (most prominently the second game), Ys V's mechanic for it is relatively fresh.  After collecting three "element stones", one can take them to an alchemist to craft them into a "Fluxstone", which can then be equipped on one's weapon to use that spell.  Strangely, it also operates off of two values - a traditional MP count (with different spells depleting more or less of it) and a "charge value" from 0-100 so that one can't simply spam spells continuously.  In order to cast a spell, one must repeatedly press the R trigger to fill the Charge bar, then press the Attack button to fire the spell; definitely not the most intuitive thing in the world.

Adding to this, Adol now has two different types of experience and levels to keep track of - Physical and Magical.  Enemies give the same amount of experience when defeated, but killing them with a weapon will raise Physical (Boosting HP and Strength) while using Magic will raise Magical levels and add MP, Intelligence and Will (magic resistance).  Sort of like a more streamlined Final Fantasy II, though thankfully you also cannot lose stats and levels in this game.

Unfortunately, while this all sounds interesting on paper, it doesn't end up being as fun in execution.  Most of the powerful spells aren't available until relatively late in the game, meaning that you'll probably lag behind in Magical levels for a good portion of the experience, and the crafting system is irritating in that you really don't know what you're getting until you've already spent the Elemental Stones, so you'll either need a guide handy or just have to partake of a fair bit of trial and error.  Most of the powerful spells also have an extremely long startup time, meaning that enemies will often move out of the way (or hit you) before you can finish casting them, making them far less useful than you'd expect.  Finally, the game is quite easy by Ys standards, so I never really found that leveling up my Magic stat was a worthwhile endeavor, especially when I could defeat most bosses in relatively short order with just physical attacks and a bit of footwork to dodge their spells.  Indeed, the last point was also a common complaint with Japanese gamers, to the point where only a few months after the game's debut a reworked "Expert" version was released that made enemies and dungeons significantly more challenging and more on par with Ys series standards.

Ys V is an oddity in its aesthetics, too.  Rather than the bright, colorful and cartoony style that became the franchise's hallmark, this one seems to be going for something more akin to a later-era Super Famicom RPG like Terranigma or Bahamut Lagoon.  The "chibi" style characters are gone in favor of more realistically-proportioned sprites, and the visuals are in a more realistic style, with a darker palette overall and a high amount of detail that showed off the full power of the Super Famicom.  It honestly looks great, too - easily on par with the games whose style it's trying to emulate.

The overall mood of the game matches the visuals, taking on a more bleak tone with some darker characters than had been seen before in the series.  Taking place on the continent of Afroca, Adol is enlisted into a wealthy merchan't squest to find the secrets of the lost city of Kefin, which vanished five-hundred years prior, and discover the cause of the ever-spreading desert that threatens all life on the continent.  As things go on, however, Adol finds himself in the midst of yet another world-threatening plot, as well as the tragic tale of the a character named Stoker who knows more than he lets on.  This is compounded by the soundtrack, which has far less of the intense, action-conveying rock tracks the series is known for and more of an epic orchestral score.  A very stark change for the series, but not an unwelcome one, as it remains on par with Falcom and Ys's high standards for musical scores.

So, all told, is Ys V a black sheep in the series?  Far from it.  Rather, I think of it as another experimental entry in the series as Wanderers was, attempting a lot of new things with mixed results.  Its overall action-RPG design is solid (undercooked magic system aside), it attempted to convey a darker mood than the series norm, and while it is a bit jarring to see a visual and musical style unlike anything prior in the series, both are so well-done that it's hard to mind it too much.  But while Wanderers shook things up a lot, Ys V may have not taken things far enough, and as a result it simply doesn't stand out a whole lot from other RPGs of the time.  Basically, it's a middle-of-the-road action-RPG, having nothing inherently wrong with it but not a lot to differentiate itself among other mid-90s releases.  Certaintly worth a go for series fans, but it will probably be overlooked by more casual RPG fans, especially for a system and time period known for having some of the best examples of the genre even today.

Developer: Nihon Falcom
Publisher: Nihon Falcom, Koei
Platform: Super Famicom
Released: 1995, 1996 (Expert)
Recommended Version: Those more used to the series' difficulty level should probably spring for the Expert version, though at the time of this writing the English fan translation is incompatible with that version, only working on the first (easier) release of the game.  There is also a PS2 remake by Taito, though I have not played that one.

Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim

The sixth mainline Ys game marked a return of the franchise in the west after more than a decade, as well as revamping its gameplay to something more akin to an action-platformer.  But did Ark of Napishtim prove to be a welcome return for a forgotten franchise, or was this one franchise that should have stayed in obscurity?

Fans of RPGs in the late 80s and early 90s probably at least knew about Ys, which took the basic gameplay of Hydlide and made it into a much faster-paced, more polished experience.  But while the game acquired some moderate fame for being the pack-in title on the Turbografx-CD and showing what the expanded multimedia capabilities of the format could do for the genre, that didn't change the fact that RPGs were still a fairly niche genre at the time.  The fact that its sequel, the much-maligned Wanderers from Ys, wasn't particularly well-liked among fans or newcomers alike probably didn't help its appeal either, and so for a long time, the Ys series was unknown in North America.  Even in Japan it had gone on a long hiatus, skipping an entire console generation before resuming with a few remakes on the Playstation 2.

Finally, after several years, a new game would appear in the franchise in Ys VI.  More shockingly, it was actually brought to the west by Konami, who even went so far as to add voice acting and rework the FMVs to a more realistic CGI style instead of the series' trademark animated visuals (though the in-game graphics were left unchanged).  They would even go so far as to include an exclusive cheat mode that would let the player input sequences of buttons to unlock features early, unlock the original animated FMVs, or start the game with powered-up weaponry or at a higher level.

Beneath the outer wrapping, though, Ys 6 on the Playstation 2 (and PSP) remained much the same as its Japanese PC counterpart.  No longer a top-down RPG with "touch combat" or the much-maligned side-scrolling action format of Wanderers, Ys VI was something of a mashup of the two.  The game was now 3D, albeit with a fixed top-down perspective, and incorporated elements of platforming into its gameplay and boss battles.  Adol's moveset was slightly expanded too, with a powerful, multi-hitting downward thrust and a quick jumping-thrust that required the player to press both buttons with very precise timing, but which moved very quickly and got better distance than a standard jump (and, as a result, was necessary in many platforming puzzles).

Some slightly more traditional JRPG fare was introduced too, mainly in the form of three swords representing three different elements - a slow but powerful Fire sword, a quick but relatively weak lightning-charged rapier, and an ice blade that was something of a balance between the two.  Each was effective (or ineffective) against differing types of enemies, though this didn't always make a lot of sense from a logical standpoint, with one infamous example being the lava-themed boss being weakest to the fire sword.  As one gathered a resource called "Emelas", they could use it to power up each of the swords to a maximum of Level 11, and as their levels rose, they would grant new abilities and power-ups.  Each has a spell associated with it that will power up at certain plateaus, and once a certain level was reached, each would also grant automatic MP regeneration for casting said spells more frequently.  And of course, the traditional Ys accessories return, letting the player overcome some obstacles in dungeons (like being able to see in the dark or defeat certain enemy types), or just grant them a powerful advantage like gaining extra experience, a hefty experience boost or immunity to status effects.

At its core, though, Ark of Napishtim was classic Ys, requiring one to partake of some intense boss battles that can at times feel more like a bullet hell shooter - dodging waves of projectiles with quick movements and jumps and sneaking in attack combinations during brief windows of opportunity.  Indeed, while it does help you, keeping your equipment current and leveling up only gets you so far. If you're not effectively dodging and countering enemy attacks and learning to win without relying on items, you're not going to finish Ys 6 in any efficient fashion.

Basically, Ys VI was another entry in the franchise, for both good and ill - it provides action, sidequests, and some truly intense boss battles in a relatively brief package of about 10-12 hours for a first playthrough.  Which was getting to be less and less of the norm as the PS2 era rolled on and games in general were becoming bigger, longer and more grandiose.  For that reason it didn't attract as big an audience as some others on the system.  Still, fans of the Ys series and newcomers to it alike (myself included) found a worthwhile adventure to undertake.  It may not be the franchise's best, but it did spearhead its revival in the west, and it's worth a look as the franchise's first step into the realm of true 3D gameplay.

Developer: Nihon Falcom
Publisher: Nihon Falcom, Konami, Taito, XSeed Games
Platform: Windows, Playstation 2, Mobile, Playstation Portable
Released: 2003, 2005, 2006, 2015
Recommended Version: The PS2 and PSP versions have some extra content added by Konami, though the PSP version runs at a lower resolution and has significantly longer load times.

Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished: The Final Chapter

The second game in the Ys franchise continues right where the original left off, keeping its gameplay mostly intact but introducing a couple of new elements to the mix.  But does it prove to be a worthy followup to the first game in the franchise, or just a token cashin sequel?

Ys 2 was a bit of a rarity among Japanese RPGs in that it continued exactly where the first left off; within moments of the first game's ending, in fact, as Adol finds himself on the floating island of Ys moments after defeating Dark Fact, the six books from his first adventure still in hand, and embarks on another adventure to save Esteria.  At first it even appears that the game starts off on the same foot, giving the player a minimal amount of money to buy equipment and a spot within easy reach of the starting town to level up for a bit.

It isn't long, however, before one finds a significant change-up to Ys II's gameplay; namely, the magic system.  Within only a short while of the game's beginning, the player is given the Fireball spell, and frankly, it's so powerful that it becomes the central focus of the game.  While the player does operate off of a limited magic gauge (and unlike their health, it doesn't regenerate over time), the fireball spell consumes only a fraction of a point with each casting, and when fully charged by holding down the button for a second or so, is powerful enough to destroy almost any enemy the player encounters in a hit or two.  One even acquires an item later in the game that causes fireballs to home on targets, so all one has to do is point Adol in the enemy's general direction and fire.   Basically, touch combat - and by extension melee attacks and weapons in general - rarely see any practical use in the game, which is a very stark contrast to the other games in the Ys franchise.  Even most of the game's bosses aren't exempt from this; attempting to attack them in close quarters will simply damage Adol while they take no damage themselves.  In fact, more than any other, Ys II exemplifies the Ys franchise's boss battles' occasional comparison to danmaku ("bullet hell") shooters as the player weaves between waves of projectiles and counters with their own.

Other spells do appear as well, though none see nearly the same level of use.  For example, the Light spell allows the player to see hidden passages and fake walls with hidden items behind (necessary at one point for a key item).  Return magic allows the player to quickly warp back to key areas they've already visited, while Alter magic allows Adol to turn into a Roo, which will allow him to slip past monsters and even converse with them to uncover clues and hear a bit more story; a pretty innovative idea for the time.  Time magic will freeze all enemies in place for a short while, allowing Adol to escape or attack unchecked (and it even works on a couple of bosses, though stronger foes will turn it back on you instead!) and finally, Shield magic will make Adol completely immune to harm while it is in effect, though it quickly drains one's magic meter while equipped.

All of these, in various ways, contribute to a game that is more involved than the first in many respects; the new spells add a bit more of a variety and puzzle-solving element than the first game's, which mostly just consisted of navigating mazes and finding the occasional key item to open a path forward with little variation.  In fact, it's also a rare example of an early RPG where one can't simply solve all their problems through brute force.  On more than a few occasions the player will have to turn into a Roo in order to converse with an NPC to progress; even a mundane enemy in a dungeon can trigger a plot flag at times or point them in the right direction, and the differing perspective the monsters offer is a rare bit of self-awareness for the genre, where monsters were little more than obstacles for the player to knock down.  While it's certainly not done on anywhere near the level of say, Undertale, it is at the least a unique take for the series and the genre as a whole.

While the game isn't much different from the first on a graphical level (especially in the later remakes where it's almost always bundled in with the first Ys game), it does at least retain the series' high standards of quality there.  The spritework in the game remains clean and gorgeously-rendered, with some creative and grotesque boss designs throughout.  The game's soundtrack is provided by Yuzo Koshiro, Mieko Ishikawa and Hideya Nagata, and once again lives up to the high standards for the franchise (and Yuzo Koshiro in general). 

At the end of the day, Ys II, while it has some stark contrasts to the first, is still an Ys game, melding top-down action and RPG elements together into a smooth, fast-paced experience unlike most anything else from the era.  While it still has some challenging boss fights and puzzles, it is a considerably simpler game on the whole owing to the magic system, and it is given some replay value through multiple difficulty levels and extra modes like a Time Attack and a Boss Rush (in later remakes).  Since every version of it available in English is packaged in with the first Ys, if you enjoy one, you're likely going to play the other too.  You may have more fun with one than the other for a number of reasons, but both prove to be very entertaining halves of a singular whole.

Developer: Nihon Falcom, Alfa System, Digicube
Publisher: Nihon Falcom, Hudson Soft, Atlus, Xseed Games
Platform: PC-8801, PC-9801, FM-7, X1, MSX2, Famicom, Turbografx-CD, PS2, PSP, DS, PC
Released: 2014, 2015, 2018
Recommended Version:  The game is available in English in three primary formats - the DS, PSP and PC versions.  The latter two are mostly identical while the DS verison is a full-remake, and is generally seen as an inferior version by fans due to hits gameplay changes (most prominently an attack button rather than the series' trademark 'touch combat').  Of them all, though, I'd recommend the PC release, which runs at a considerably higher framerate than the PSP version and gives the player their choice of controllers and graphical settings to play with.

Ys Seven

Ys Seven was a revival for the franchise in two ways, bringing the franchise newfound recognition in the west after nearly a decade of obscurity and for introducing a new, party-based style of gameplay.  But does Ys Seven mark the return of a worthy franchise, or does it change too much to be called Ys anymore?

Ys Seven was the first of three Ys games to be released on the PSP, breaking a dry spell of Ys games that lasted quite a while, the most recent releases before it being a low-key PS2/PSP release of VI by Konami, and going even further back, the most recent release before that were the Turbografx-16 ports of Book I and II and Wanderers from Ys (easily the franchise's least popular game).  So, in a way, it was this game that spurred the franchise's revival in the west and led to a long line of remakes, rereleases and ports that continues to this day across multiple platforms.

What many found, however, was a significant change-up to the series format.  Ys Seven was the first to break away from the solo adventure style of gameplay that Ys had become famous for and instead introduced a party system - rather that one, the player now commands up to three characters at a time, and is able to swap between them on the fly at the touch of a button.  Doing so was more than just a gimmick, though - it was a key part of the game's strategy.  Each character had one of three different weapon types (piercing, slashing or striking), which most enemies were resistant or weak to to varying degrees.  Heavily-armored foes tended to be resistant to blades but would take damage from blunt force, for example, while quick-moving enemies (especially insects) were more vulnerable to piercing attacks.  In addition to this, characters the player is not actively controlling would take drastically reduced damage from enemy attacks, so a viable strategy against bosses was to simply swap characters at the last moment if they were in the path of an attack they couldn't avoid to have that character take less damage overall.  In addition, enemies now have a "stun bar" as well - basically, landing enough attacks on an enemy will stun them, leaving them temporarily vulnerable to all attack types and taking extra damage from any that land (an important tactic against tougher foes, particularly bosses).

Another new mechanic is the ability to block attacks for reduced damage - formerly, the player's only real option was to avoid attacks entirely, which is still doable via the dodge button.  However, guarding has its benefits too, not only serving to reduce damage but tying into another mechanic called "Flash Guard".  Simply put, blocking an attack at the last moment will completely negate the damage from that single attack, give a significant boost to the skill and Extra bars (more on those in a moment) and upgrade all of the player's attacks to critical hits for a short time; however, if they miss the timing, the player will take a critical hit from that attack, so there is an element of risk involved with this as well.

A further changeup comes in the game's skill system, which is unlike anything seen before in the Ys series.  Characters now get new skills that can be assigned to four hotkeys and used via a combination of a shoulder button and one of the four face buttons.  These generally come in the form of attacks with properties like launching the enemy into the air or dealing multiple hits, but some also serve as buffers, temporarily boosting a character's stats or weakening an enemy's. Landing normal attacks will fill the gauge needed to use these moves, and repeated uses will level them up, giving them more effectiveness.  However, these skills are tied to equipping particular weapons the player purchases, so once a player gives up a particular weapon for another, they may find themselves losing access to a particular skill.

Another new addition is the "Extra" skills; operating somewhat similarly to the Limit Breaks from the Final Fantasy series, these are super attacks unique to each character that can only be performed once the Extra bar is filled.  Once it is, pressing a button will cause that character to pause time and unleash a powerful sequence of attacks, inflicting heavy damage and stun on whatever they hit - usually enough to kill generic enemies outright and put a big dent in boss monsters.  The bar slowly fills as the player lands attacks and special moves and can generally only be used with a fairly long gap between, preventing the player from abusing it too much.

Ys Seven was also the first in the series to introduce a crafting system.  Each enemy defeated, as well as numerous farming poitns located on each map in the overworld and in dungeons.  Collecting enough of these can cause the player to craft new weapons and armor (and in turn more skills) and get various powerup items at a reduced price over simply buying them from the store.  While ultimately nothing too elaborate, I do commend them for adding this mechanic to the game without subtracting too much from the action-driven nature of the Ys franchise.

Subquests are a more substantial part of the experience now too.  As one might expect, these do often tie into the item collection element of the game - often requiring the player to defeat a specific enemy or collect set numbers of a given ingredient and turn them in for a reward.  These generally don't give amazing rewards (usually accessories one can find a shops), but they don't require a great deal of effort either, so it's usually worth it to take a few minutes out and pursue them in order to save some cash.

In short, Ys Seven was a new turn for the franchise, turning it into a party-based action RPG slightly reminiscent of titles like Secret of Mana.  However, its crisp controls and overall fast pace remain intact despite this changeup, and as a result it's still a fun game to play.  It may turn off a few long-time fans of the series, but those in look of a competent, enjoyable adventure with a charming atmosphere will find a lot of things to enjoy with Ys Seven.

Developer: Nihon Falcom
Publisher: Nihon Falcom, Wangyuan Shengtang, XSEED Games
Platform: Playstation Portable, PC
Released: 2009, 2010, 2017
Recommended Version: The PSP and PC versions have virtually no differences between them, obvious technical differences aside.  I would say the PC version is the better one to visit nowadays, though, as it is a very good port, supporting a higher framerate and even 4K support.

Ys: The Oath in Felghana

A remake of the much-maligned third game in the Ys series, Wanderers from Ys, which attempts to rework its gameplay into a more traditional series feel while amping up the speed and overall polish of its gameplay.  But does this remake prove to be superior to its original version, or is this just another Ys game to write off as a loss?

Wanderers from Ys, the third game released in the franchise and one of the few to get a North American release in the 1990s, is generally considered to be the black sheep of the Ys franchise.  It attempted to change the gameplay into a 2D sidescrolling platformer, somewhat similar to the second game in the Zelda franchise but with more of an RPG bent - buying equipment, finding magic items to aid in combat, utilizing healing items and magic rings to aid the player, and so forth.  However, it was also plagued by a number of problems - level layouts were often confusing due to the 2D layout, and a lack of post-hit invulnerability meant that any enemy in the game could drain huge chunks of the player's health at the slightest contact, if not kill them outright.  Indeed, even with a maxed out level, the final bosses could easily kill the character in a fraction of a second and required absolutely perfect positioning to harm without being harmed, making Wanderers more of a test of save-scumming and patience than genuine skill.

It's little surprise, then, that when the series had its resurgence in the late 2000's, Wanderers from Ys would be the first game slated for a remake by Falcom.  The side-scrolling format was dropped entirely and the game would now utilize the same format as Ys VI: The Ark in Napishtim - viewed from an overhead perspective, working in some platforming elements, but mainly focusing on fast-paced combat.

To that end, the player is now actively rewarded for quickly and efficiently defeating enemies.  As the player lands hits on enemies they will build up a multiplier that grants them extra experience from defeating foes, up to 1.99 times the normal amount; however, they most consistently attack and kill enemies within a set time period (indicated by a bar near the health bar) or they will lose this multiplier.  Aiding this, enemies will also randomly drop power-ups that expire after a short time unless the player collects more powerups that bolster them, and these will further bolster Adol's stats, giving him extra attack power, defense and magic damage while they last, or simply restoring a small amount of HP.  All of this allows the player to effectively tornado their way through swarms of enemies, starting with weaker ones but quickly working their way up to tear through stronger ones, and makes combat in the game immensely enjoyable.

Further compounding the combat's character action feel is a super meter that slowly builds as the player defeats enemies.  Filling it completely allows the player to press a button to activate a "Boost mode" that affords them greater attacking speed and invulnerability to damage for a short period, letting them get in some heavy damage on stronger foes (and particularly bosses).  This is further compounded in the PSP version of the game, which incorporates a "Double Boost" - filling the meter twice before activating it will give an even larger boost to damage as well as allow Adol to recharge some lost HP while it is active, giving him an even greater edge against bosses.

The magic rings from Wnderers are gone as well, now replaced by three spells that increase in power throughout the game by collecting gems.  Namely, these are a wind spell (which grants gliding as well as a multi-hitting spin attack), a ranged fireball attack, and a ground-based dash that pierces through enemies and deals damage.  Each can also be charged up for added damage and effect (adding a multi-hitting explosion to the fireball, for example), and each is used in specific places throughout the game to clear obstacles or acquire normally unreachable treasures, giving a bit of a Metroid or Zelda element to the game as well.

Of course, with such fast-paced gameplay comes some very intense boss battles, which at times resemble a "bullet hell" shooter or even some of the more intense fights from games like Devil May Cry and Bayonetta, with waves of projectiles and constant barrages of attacks that require precise jumping and dodging to avoid, and brief windows for the player to get in attacks of their own.  Honed reflexes and an eye for pattern dodging are required, especially on the higher difficulties where one quick combination can deplete your health and send you to the game over screen.  Still, the bosses and their patterns almost never feel unfair or "cheap", so they're generally fun rather than frustrating.

The game's main campaign is a fairly short one, clocking in at only about 10-12 hours for a first playthrough.  However, the multiple difficulties add some replay value, as does another feature - the Boss Rush and Time Attack mode.  Boss Rush challenges the player to defeat all of the game's bosses back-to-back, while Time Attack is the same but adds a timer to the challenge, allowing them to see how quickly they can pull off this task.  Two optional bosses exclusive to these modes can also be unlocked by completing Time Attack and completing the game on the hardest difficulty, which provide a new level of challenge to even the game's most fervent players.

In short, Oath in Felghana takes the much-maligned third Ys game and turns it into something truly special - no longer a mediocre and frustrating exercise in save-scumming and outwitting enemy AI, Oath is a spectacular, fast-paced action-RPG with elements of a character action game worked in - intense boss fights, rewards for racking up chains of defeated enemies in a short period, and plenty of bonuses and new challenges to unlock to truly test one's skills.  It may not be the deepest game of its kind out there, but it is immensely fun to play and easily my favorite game of the franchise.

Developer: Nihon Falcom
Publisher: XSEED Games
Platform: PC, Mobile, Playstation Portable
Released: 2017
Recommended version: The PSP version is definitely the one to play, featuring everything from the PC release as well as some exclusive features.  The aforementioned Double Boost is one, as are some added "new game plus" options that let the player carry over some unlocked bonuses and levels from their previous playthrough (the higher the difficulty, the more they can carry over).  Most prominently, however, this version features full voiceover for the main cast with names like Jamieson Price, Heather Hogan, David Lodge and Derek Prince behind the characters.

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana

The eighth numbered entry in the Ys franchise follows the example of its predecessors in many ways while also attempting to branch itself out into a more fully-featured RPG experience.  But does this prove to be a breath of fresh air in the era of open-world gaming, or do these changes just dilute the Ys format too much and make it unrecognizable?

Ys is perhaps the last remaining RPG franchise that has persisted since the 1980s and maintained its popularity without ever massively changing up its format.  While a few attempts have been made to introduce a new style of gameplay for the series (most notably Wanderers from Ys and Ys Strategy), their overall low reception quickly put the series back where it started - a Hydlide-inspired action RPG that combined elements of puzzle solving with real-time combat somewhat reminiscent of an overhead shooter, requiring the player to dodge waves of enemy projectiles and sneak their own in whenever a small opening presented itself.

Ys Seven was perhaps the first successful change-up to the series' design, turning it into a party-based experience and having features like a dedicated dodge button, numerous skills for each character, super moves that could deal heavy damage and multiple weapon types.  These three main types - slashing, piercing and crushing - proved very effective against some enemies and nearly useless against others, requiring the player to frequently change up their party and controlled character to remain an effective fighting force.  Well-timed dodges could even give the player an advantage by filling their special attack gauge and momentarily making all of their attacks into critical hits, though this came with a drawback - a poorly timed dodge will put the player at a severe disadvantage, making all enemy hits against them deal extra damage for a short time.

Ys VIII's gameplay follows up in much the same format, though with some slight changes.  Well-timed dodges now activate a Bayonetta-esque mechanic by bolstering the player's speed momentarily and substantially filling their skill gauge, letting them unleash some extra damage in the brief respite it provides.  There is also a new mechanic known as a "Flash Guard", activated by pressing the skill button just before an enemy attack connects.  Doing so makes the player momentarily immune to damage and turn all of their attacks into critical hits; however, missing the cue will leave the player vulnerable to attack.  Basically, the player now has the choice of a lower-risk dodge or a higher-risk block, both of which have slightly different timing and different benefits; used well, either can turn a bad situation in a player's favor, though the Guard is obviously more impressive and rewarding when one's skill improves to the point of being able to use it consistently.

This also marks the first entry in the Ys franchise to be presented in HD, utilizing the format to deliver some breathtaking natural environments and gigantic monsters that easily make it the most beautiful game in the series.  Other aspects of the game's presentation have seen much improvement as well, with fully-rendered 3D character models, full voiceover during story scenes and quite a bit of party banter both in and out of combat.  While the limits of its budget are still apparent at times (with only minimal facial animation and character movement in most cutscenes), this is still easily the most impressive Ys title from an aesthetic viewpoint.

The core aspect of Ys remain constant as well.  The game unfolds in a somewhat linear format, though there is a large amount of side-exploration as well, with many areas requiring the player to find certain items to bypass obstacles, or rescue a certain number of villagers before gaining access to a new area.  Prohibitively powerful enemies may also inhabit some areas, requiring the player to either run past them or avoid them until they are powerful enough to defeat them and explore that area unhindered.

With much of the game's action taking place on a deserted island, the format of the game is somewhat changed up; rather than simply being able to return to town to buy upgrades via gold, the player must now scavenge resources to pay for numerous upgrades to both their equipment and their base's facilities.  Thankfully, steps have been taken to minimize the annoying grind factor that typically accompanies these sorts of design decisions; one prominent example is that the player can trade lesser resources for greater ones at a trading post in town, which comes in handy should they be a few Iron Ore pieces short for a weapon/armor upgrade, for example.  These do tend to be fairly costly; however, the player will likely have hundreds of near-useless resources laying around after a bit of diligent exploration, so the overall cost to them will likely be minimal.  Additionally, one does eventually unlock accessories that allow for rarer drops to occur more frequently and the lack of a certain resources is usually solved by continuing to explore the island to discover new enemy types and resource points to find, so the solution to finding anything one is lacking is more often than not to advance through the game, rather than sticking around somewhere and grinding.

Other minigames are incorporated into the experience as well, from a relatively simple fishing minigame to earn some extra cooking ingredients or resources to a base defense minigame, tasking the player with defending their settlement with waves of monsters.  The latter mostly boils down to more combat, though it also affords the player the ability to build defensive emplacements to aid them and grants bonus points for things like finishing enemy waves with a super move or without taking any damage, allowing them to tally up a greater final score and earn bonus items if their rank is high enough, making it an enjoyable occasional diversion from the main story.

In short, Ys VIII, while retaining the familiar linear design and fast-paced feel of the series, manages to successfully integrate elements of modern RPGs as well, working in a crafting system and several minigames while never letting it affect the overall brisk pace of the game.  The series' trademark writing quality and music shines through once again as well, giving the player a feeling of embarking on a grand adventure with a group of colorful characters, and the storyline, told in a somewhat unconventional fashion, subtly keeps the player motivated to see what will happen next in both present times in and in a concurrent storyline that unfolded in the far past.  Lacrimosa of Dana is proof that directed and concise design is still an essential element of the JRPG genre, and that that isn't likely to change anytime soon.

Developer: Nihon Falcom
Publisher: Nippon Ichi Software
Platform: Playstation 4, Playstation Vita, PC
Released: 2017
Recommended version:  All versions seem to be largely identical in design and content, though the Playstation 4 version has the obvious advantage of more powerful hardware, resulting in a more consistent framerate and faster loading times.  The Playstation 4 version also has some extra content that the Vita version lacks; there are more quests to complete and some new abilities to unlock.  The PC version, from various reports, has numerous bugs and slowdown issues and should be avoided until patched.  The Nintendo Switch port is more or less a definitive release, containing all the downloadable content of previous releases and having no technical issues as far as I can tell.

Ys III: Wanderers from Ys

Wanderers from Ys, like Zelda II before it, was Falcom's attempt to take an established overhead action-adventure franchise and rework it into something more akin to a 2D sidescrolling action-platformer.  But did their attempt fare as well as Nintendo's, or is this a new style that shouldn't have been tried in the first place?

Wanderers from Ys was not only Falcom's first attempt to create an Ys game on 16-bit platforms, but also their first attempt at reworking its gameplay into an entirely new style.  While the first two games in the franchise drew heavy inspiration from Hydlide in their overhead perspective, heavy emphasis on puzzles and combat based on enemy contact, Wanderers seemed to draw much more inspiration from Zelda II, changing the perspective to a side-scrolling one, adding a jump button and a proper attack button to give the game's combat a more active feel.

That would all be well and good were Wanderers as well-polished as Zelda II was, but sadly that was not really the case.  Combat in the game overall feels very loose and unrefined, with no after-hit invincibility for either the player or his enemies.  For much of of the game, and especially its early stages, much of the combat in the game boils down to the player swinging wildly at any approaching enemy, hoping they land enough hits to kill them before they make contact and drain a huge portion of the player's life.  This does get frustrating rather quickly, as if the player ventures just a tad too far into a dungeon or mistimes a single attack, they can easily go from full health to dead in the blink of an eye.  The experience quickly boils down to a show of extreme diligence as the player must always get the first strike on an enemy whilst being extremely careful not to overstep their bounds and engage an enemy they can't easily kill.

However, even this won't always save them, as there are frequent times where they must take a blind drop to reach a lower area, or immediately get attacked by an enemy after going up some stairs or through a door to transition through a new screen, giving them no chance to react ahead of time; in these situations, taking at least some damage is nearly unavoidable.  Boss encounters are equally unbalanced, able to wipe out the player in mere moments through contact damage or with a single barrage of projectiles hitting multiple times and draining all of the player's health in under a second, and the player may not even be able to damage them in any significant capacity without reaching a certain level of power before entering their chamber.

With all of these factors, the game as a whole is seemingly built around savescumming, having the player kill a few enemies, save their progress and move on to the next screen, trying to gradually power themselves up in order to overcome the next challenge.  Enemies tend to only give a pittance in experience and money as well, which turns Wanderers into an overly frustrating experience, particularly in its early hours.  This does ease up somewhat after the first hour or so, but by the end is back in full effect, with enemies that take massive numbers of hits to defeat even with a maxed out level and the best equipment available, and bosses that can easily drain large portions of the player's health in moments.  Simply put, the game is both too easy and too hard in the worst ways possible, with it feeling far less like a contest of skill and problem-solving and more like a gauntlet of farming mixed with tedious trial-and-error.

In spite of its rough gameplay, though, the usual Ys trademarks shine through here.  The game is very well-paced in terms of player progression, with items being appropriately priced-out to prevent the player from buying them early and gaining an unfair advantage, and leveling and gold-farming, while somewhat slow due to overly low payout for much of the game, never feels like an insurmountable task.  As per Falcom's standards, the visuals and music in the game are also fantastic, taking advantage of the platform's capabilities to deliver some very nicely-detailed backgrounds (with impressive parallax scrolling in some areas, giving an excellent sense of depth to the backdrops) and some stellar musical tracks that rank among the finest seen in the RPG genre.

To many series fans, Wanderers from Ys is something of a black sheep for the franchise.  While it attempted to change up the gameplay to that of a sidescrolling platformer, the design limitations intrinsic to that format (with every path in a dungeon either leading forward or to a dead end with a treasure chest) and the overall unbalanced combat in the game made it into an experience that is much more frustrating than fun.  It's not a terrible first attempt at a 2D action-sidescroller, but stacked up against the high standards of the rest of the series, it leaves much to be desired.   Even the series' high benchmarks for visuals, music and storytelling couldn't prevent Wanderers from being heavily maligned by franchise fans and casual gamers alike, though I still had some fun with it at least. 

Developer: Nihon Falcom, Advance Communication, Alfa System, Riot, Taito

Publisher: Nihon Falcom, Renovation Products, Victor Musical Industries, American Sammy, NEC Technologies, Taito
Platform: Famicom, Super Nintendo, Sega Genesis, TurboGrafx CD, Playstation 2
Released: 1989, 1991, 2005
Recommended version: Each version has some minute differences that distinguish them from the rest, but the definitive version of the game is generally considered to be the Turbografx-CD version, which features additional cutscenes, CD-quality music and tighter controls than most.  The Playstation 2 remake of rebuilds the game entirely into a much more smooth and polished one in addition to updating the visuals and music, though it is only available in Japanese. Of course, those looking for a much less frustrating experience overall should probably just skip Wanderers and check out its modern remake, Oath in Felghana, instead.

Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished

(Review is primarily based on the Windows version of the game available on Steam)

One of the earliest examples of the action-RPG genre, as well as one of the first Japanese RPGs to get a western release as well as numerous ports and remakes.  But does the first entry in Falcom's flagship franchise still hold up today, or is this just a piece of history that should remain such?

Falcom's flagship Ys franchise has always been a bit of an unsung hero in the RPG genre.  If nothing else, one certainly wouldn't expect a franchise whose gameplay drew inspiration from Hydlide (a heavily-maligned RPG in the west) and whose games have always been built on a relatively low-budget to endure as long as it has; as of the time of this writing, the franchise has endured for over thirty years and spawned enough sequels, remakes and spinoffs to rival the biggest names in the genre.  It even marches on to this day, with Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana due for release in September across multiple platforms.

Despite its longevity, however, Ys has never attained nearly the same level of success as many other big names.  At first, this can be attributed to it only getting a series of relatively low-key releases; its first game only saw a western release on the Sega Master System, then as part of the two-game compilation "Ys: Books 1 and 2" on the Turbografx-CD.  Finally, after the unpopular Wanderers From Ys, the third game in the series released on both SNES and Sega Genesis, the franchise fell into dormancy in the west for over a decade, making a return with yet another low-key release on the Playstation 2 and PSP in Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim.  It was only a few years later that a string of remakes and sequels released on the PSP, Vita and Steam finally allowed it to gain a small foothold in the west.

However, despite many of the later games taking on more traditional RPG elements (such as a party system) and even drawing design philosophy from Zelda and Metroid by giving the player new items, allowing them to reach previously inaccessible areas they could only glance at before, the first two Ys games and their remakes have remained relatively constant in their design, retaining the touch-based combat of Hydlide and being relatively short and linear overall.

Yes, one of Hydlide's most hated elements - its combat engine, based on making contact with an enemy and hoping the dice roll in your favor - is also on display in Ys.  Thankfully, they have at least taken efforts to make it slightly less annoying.  As in Hydlide's version, one can heavily tilt the odds in their favor by attacking from specific angles; rather than coming at the enemy head-on, one generally achieves much better results by making contact with the enemy from the side or from behind.  Some of the later remakes add in the capability for diagonal movement, which makes things easier as well - attacking the enemy from an odd angle makes it much more difficult for them to immediately hit back, basing the game's combat around finding a favorable angle to strike from.

Boss fights, on the other hand, change this up considerably.  While they are still damaged with direct contact, the problem is not the angle at which you approach them, but rather weaving between their waves of projectiles to get in close enough to do so.  This tends to get progressively harder as the game goes on, with the final few fights almost resembling something from a bullet hell shooter at times.  This eventually culminates in a particularly fiendish final boss that will destroy the floor beneath you each time he takes a hit.  If you fall down a pit he creates, it's an immediate death, and if he destroys too much of the floor, he can easily box you in and pelt you to death with his projectiles while you're unable to hit him.  It's a rather nightmarish experience, especially on the higher difficulty levels.

Ys was ahead of its time in some other ways as well, requiring the player to analyze clues given to them by various NPCs in the game and carefully read item descriptions in order to solve puzzles at several points.  There are even some rudimentary sidequests in the game, such as returning a missing ring, that grant the player both extra money and even some experience points, making the experience slightly akin to a tabletop RPG that puts much more emphasis on solving problems than sheer combat (though only slightly, as the latter will still account for the vast majority of the player's gains).  There is also a relative minimum of level/money grinding in the game; the player's experience level maxes out at ten, and they're likely to reach that in relatively short order over the course of the adventure, and equipment upgrades are appropriately priced out to lend a smooth flow to the game as a whole.

Another consistent feature of Ys 1's many rereleases and remakes, and indeed almost every game in the series, is its fantastic soundtrack.  Composed by gaming music legend Yuzo Koshiro, every song in the game is very distinct and memorable, whether the low-key, relaxing atmospheric tracks of the towns or the intense, hard-driving themes of the boss battles.  For an era in which game music was still in relative infancy, Ys was arguably one of the pioneers of pushing it into something more akin to a television or movie-like experience.  It may also be one of the first instances of a "power metal" sound in gaming, which was no mean feat for the limited technology of the 1980s and early '90s.

All in all, Ys remains a very distinct and enjoyable RPG experience, serving as an important piece of history as well as just an enjoyable action-driven experience on its own.  While it does have some annoying aspects in its uneven difficulty (with some fiendishly difficult boss fights) and occasional unclear objectives, it's a short enough that it doesn't wear out its welcome or force the player into feeling hopelessly lost.  Any fan of the genre definitely owes themselves to check it out in at least some form.

 (Screenshots from TGCD version of the game)

Developer: Nihon Falcom
Publisher: Nihon Falcom
Platform: Sega Master System, Famicom, Turbografx-CD, PC-8801, X1, PC-9801, FM-7/77, FM-77AV, MSX2, Sharp X68000, Nintendo DS, Playstation Portable, Wii Virtual Console, PC
Released: 1987, 1988, 1989, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015
Recommended version: While all versions are the same game at their core, the later ports to the PSP and Steam (under the title of Ys Chronicles) are arguably the definitive ones, adding in numerous graphical enhancements, high-quality music and more polished analog movement to the experience.  The DS version makes substantial gameplay changes, such as utilizing an attack button setup rather than the touch combat of the other versions, and is disliked by some purists as a result.