Ys Book I & II Review

So now we know the VC can handle CD software let's hope they put Mega CD (Sega CD in USA) games on there. Would love to have Night Trap and Ground Zero Texas.

Wow, looks just like Crystalis for the NES but with better quality music

YES, YES, YES!!!!! It's abouttimethey started bringing out the heavy hitters. This needs to ocme out in the US ASAP. I'd gladly pay 2000 points for this game. An yes it is kinda like Crystalis without the sword swinging. The music is some of the best in gaming history, and the cutscenes absolutely are awesome (especialy for their time.) A must-have game no matter where you live in this big world. If it comes to your VC, get it right away. One of my favorite games of all time.

ive never heard of this but it actually doesnt look too bad. and i guess the music is great.

I wouldn't mind getting Sonic CD with the original Japanese soundtrack too. I have Gems collection but I really don't like the American soundtrack as much. I miss my old PC version

For those of you too young to know this game, it is one of the best role-playing games ever, hands done. More than worth the 800 points. Many people have been waiting for this.

This is by far, hands down, no contest (with one exception), the greatest game of all time. (Side not: this game ties with Doom for the honors). I have played this game since a kid and I know EVERYTHING about this game (I know how to get the cap of holy spirit in the second book = )). The music is phenomenal and the game play is simple and but it never gets boring, even when your power leveling in the Darm tower (maybe a bit in the second part). Truly a game that all wii owners should download.

OMG!!!!!!

Considering it was from the PC Engine CD, I was wondering how many Memory Blocks it would use...

I already had to delete a few good N64 games from my Wii and it seems I will have to delete a few of my SNES or at least a few of my unused TG-16 games to fit this baby in...

Holly Hyrule...it is so awsome!!!!!

One of the best action RPG's of all time and in a sense it is more like a RPG in that you don't physically swing a sword, you attack running in on angles and you level up through experience points, not collecting heart containers. Some of the best music in gaming and for its time a great storyline and completely original. It is like a cross between the Legend of Zelda and Final Fantasy and about as awesome as either of those games.

Wow, I always wanted to play this game!!!! I hope the US will get this one soon!!!!!

My eyes almost popped out when I saw that this has been relesaed in Japan! OMG! This was the first game I had when I bought my TG16's CD add-on. I remember it was absolutely engrossing - even though I finished, I kept going back to play it again.

Finally some YS!!! Pray hope it will come to both USA and Europe soon! YS is an all-time favorite, what with the amazing music and general awesomeness =)

I think my inner Japanophile will ensure I get this!

Has it aged well? It looks quite dated from the video, but I can't say no after all these positive responses! =)

I remember going to an elctronics store after school where they'd have Ys3 freeplay on the sega, no one else checked it out so got to keep a save on it for a good while lol seemed like cool game and always wondered what the other 2 were out on. Can't wait to check them out.

honestly, can't wait for this and ys III. i hope this means that other nihon falcom games are on their way as well (actually the only two falcom games i really really really really really want are faxanadu and ys 3 but i'll be happy to check out the rest of 'em)...

I learned from a Game Videos interview that the coding for the original Nights was so specific to the Saturn that it would be next to impossible to transfer onto the VC. Because of the sheer number of blocks this game would consume, if I'm not mistaken, Nintendo might not allow it anyway. Here's to a Wii (or add-on) with additional memory!

I played the first Ys a bit on the NES. I think I got stuck on the second to last boss and then got distracted by other games. It was a lot of fun, though. I will likely download this once it comes out...an upgraded version of it would be great and I never played Ys II at all...

Yeppie!!! It's about time a classic RPG comes out for the Turbo Grafx CD part... Do I hear a Dungeon Explorer II, and Dragon Slayer: Legend of Heroes maybe??? I only hope!!! Maybe "Exile", and Cosmic Fantasy... This will be the kickstart of RPG's I hope!!! It would be really cool if NEO-NECTARIS version would come out also... At any rate this has a 10 Star Vote for ME... The many hours of playing, and a killer soundtrack too... Wait until you reach Dark Fact with the Violin music... "You have no chance of defeating me without the silver eguipment, NAIVE prepair to die"... Yes, it's a in-game voice of Dark-Fact... ENJOY this game!!! Falcom is GRAND!!! Try Legend of Xanadu too!!!

Superb game! I know that this is not recommended, but I put this CD into my regular CD player just to listen to the music. Often.

The reason the music in this is so bloody good is because it's by Yuzo Koshiro (who also did Streets of Rage, Shenmue, Actraiser etc).

The only problem with these games is the combat which is a little dated. You basically have to just plow into your enemies and if your level isn't high enough you cop the damage. So quite a bit of monster hunting is required to get your levels up and also to earn enough money to buy some decent armour.
Realistically though it's still a great game, it did come out in 1987 (i think) after all so you can forgive any annoyances it might give you.
Now we just need better storage to hold all these cd based games that are coming out.

PS Trev - The pal version of Sonic CD has the correct music aswell.

I've wanted this one forever. Just about every other T-16 game has come out, so they're almost out of options before they let out what I almost universally hear is the best Turbo-16/Duo game, period.

Sheesh. Just let it release already. I promise that, uh, really bad thing you *think* is going to happen won't if you just do it, Hudson!

You know what this reminds me of? Soul Blazer for the SNES.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_Blazer
Now THAT needs to be on VC.

This game is in my personal top ten best video games of all time. Long games, great story, excellent music, and tons more. If it comes out 'GET IT!'

This game may not look like much but, trust me, it is. I can spot a good (action, strategy, or traditional) RPG from miles away!

I still have my original CD from the TG-CD era. I can't wait for this to hit the VC.

Looks like fun. I'll download it.

This game is fantastic. The only soundtrack I like better is the one from Ys III, though the story and overall gameplay of Ys I and II is better. The style of play is very "old school" so those of you who associate rpgs with the later final fantasy games may not be thrilled by it. This is definately going on my wii.

Is there a official re-release date for the US side? I look forward to download this game. I played before in the early 90s and I loved it.

600 points? With the reviews this gets, there's no way I'm missing out.

Ys Book I & II is outstanding. I still remember playing it the first time back when I had just bought my first TurboDuo. One of the great RPGs and while it might not look like much, you have to experience the game to fully appreciate what it's all about.

I wish they would release this already, but oh well - I'm juggling several games at once right now.

It looks like Zelda II with a Zelda 1 perspective which could be alright, for $6...except it's a TG-CD game, so it'll cost $8. I'd honestly rather spend $8 on Beyond Oasis, Landstalker, or even Light Crusader than this. I'm not saying it's a bad game, or games rather, it's just that it really doesn't seem like a "must-buy" to me, especially when considering the other games released in the same era.

And speaking of the whole two-games-in-one thing, it really just evokes the same problem I had with a game called Star Ocean: Till the End of Time - It's too damn long!!

OMFG!

If this game actually is possible on VC then we may vary well one day be seeing Lunar Silver Star & Eternal Blue on this list!!

Doesn't look like the best game ever but... It's the best we'll get. You get what you get and you don't pitch a fit. lol

Heard some good things about this one (er...i mean these ones). Looking forward to it (er, them).

Yah, the more I look at this, the more I want to play anything but it. Now all of a sudden I want Crystalis which at least has a sword swinging animation. Seeing that guy just run into the monsters is really annoying.

I keep reading the other posts and finding out about a lot of other games, and I hope they come out before this does.

Well... That is the problem with games that you missed the first time around...

Sometimes those feelings for the days of old are the only thing that keeps you coming back, And if you missed them well...

I don't know... This game looks just fresh enough for me to get my money, But I have VARY low standards for games that I'm willing to try...

But when it comes to my keep or throw list that's completely different...

I don't know simply from what I've seen & read so far as to rather if or if not once this game is on my System it will be staying there or will simply be deleted & ignored...

@Surgical Precision

I have very high standards for non-action games, and this game missed the mark. I don't even understand how this series became so popular, I mean, even Neutopia and Dragon Slayer look better than this game. It just looks so simplistic(not in an addicting way) and combat just seems so dull and unfair that I'd figure most people would stay away from the game. I'm glad your more open to try it, but I'd rather not waste my time and money on something that seems so mediocre compared to nearly everything else, RPG-wise.

Quite understandable...

As far as my keep list go's I draw the line at games comparable in quality to Lunar Silver Star Story Complete or Chrono Trigger...

Needlessly to say I don't own many RPG's...

But it's also because of that, That I find myself in these kinds of situations... (Board & have nothing better to do... SO...)

I'm actually still hlding onto my Wii for the sake of this game. I don't even own a TV anymore (gave it to the ex, it was an old tube TV). Still, I'm holdng on to my Wii for this game unless I desperately need the cash. Hurry up Nintendo and give us this game.

@Surgical Precision

Yah, except those are classics! What makes Ys so great, anyhow? I need to know, because all I see is a dumbed-down Zelda wanna-be, and considering there are a lot of good games in that catagory, it's going to have to do a lot to get my attention.

So, is this more of a "spur the moment", "You had to be there" kind of game, as in it was great at the time it released but doesn't stand the test of time well at all? cuz now that Mickeymac mentioned it, it DOES kinda look like some boring zelda/Crystalis clone, with good music I might add.

@ Mr. Cheez

Yes, that music is pretty damn good. Oh well. now that I rediscovered roms, I'm going to try that one and see if I can give you some feedback.

Edit: Okay, getting your hands on the rom of this game is really hard. I'm just gonna wait till it comes out, and like Surgical Precision said, if it's bad, I'll just delete it and ignore it. Of course, I will have to wait until I get Landstalker, Beyond Oasis, Neutopia I and II, Light Crusader, and Startropics before I even think of downloading this!

Edit again: and Crystalis.

@michinmuri

Yowch! Life took a turn for the worst, huh? I'm sure you'll pull through, and if not, can I have you're computer? I'm joking, I don't need a new computer. I do, however need a new mouse, so I'd be willing to take that off you're hands, should it come to that.

Edit: Nevermind, my mother got me a mouse, I don't need yours.

Cheez, It's prolly more of a 3-4 star game for you, but for us old-scool Y's fans, it's 5 stars all day and night long. Yeah, the game play is kinda boring having to bump into creatures to "fight" them, but the music is top-notch. For it's day, the music and voiced cut-scenes made this game shine. This will always be in my heart as one of my top-10 favorite games of all time.

Mickey, I have an extra mouse cuz I use a trackball. As for the computer, next time your in the market, try building your own. You can save money if you shop around, and the pride you get from doing it is awesome!

@michinmuri

Okay, or I could ignore it until my mother has to use the damn thing until she gets so ticked at it she gets me a new one.

I'll look online for the instructions.

Thanks for letting us know that this was one of those "great back in the day" games, so people nowadays should look at it more causiously. I still don't intend to get, as I have access to later games that have aged a little better, but I'm glad I finally got an explaination for the hype. The music is pretty damn good, isnt it?

Ever since Ys Book I & II first got ESRB-rated and I checked out a video of it, I was blown away by the music. A year or so later and I've rewatched a bunch of videos some crazy number of times and the soundtrack still never fails to impress. So. Flipping. Good! ^^

I guess this is never coming out...since we've been waitinf or 9 months...of course, if I say this it might come out just to be like "sic!"

@ Objection_Blaster — Yep.

Hey guys It's finally been anounced for the U.S. this August! I'll grab this one the first day it's available. finally!

@Jogurt YES!! My evil reverse psycology worked!

Hilarious.

Can't wait for this to hit the PAL stores (which will prob be sometime after August) since we are in desperate need of some more old school RPGs. I already have the Phantasy Star games on the Mega Drive Collection so they are pointless releases to me, and Breath of Fire 2 can only hold a persons attention for so long.

Gooooo Ys!

It's hard to believe that they could fit two RPG's of this quality on one Turbo grafx disc. Even more amazing is the price of only 800 Wii points on VC. This looks so awesome and I never even knew it existed. I just gotta have it.

@michinmuri

Oh, you ment build the computer! I even took classes for that, so I'll definitely be doing that, if I can't get this one to last me for the rest of my life.

I still don't quite understand what makes this game so special! It's seems like the SMRPG of the Turbografx, and aside from the music, it doesn't seem so impressive, and I've been running it through in my, and running into an enemy isn't too fun. It's basically just an drawn out game of chicken, which I never found heavily amusing. I think I'll just give it a skip and just ignore it from now on. I was planning on getting it along side Beyond Oasis, but that would just make it worse.

Edit: Now that I think about it, the gameplay is more like a game of Russian Roulette!

What is the big deal about this game(s)? The whole internet is abuzz about its release - I watched the video above and almost fell asleep. Do you really just walk into enemies and they die?

Ys Book I & II laid the foundation for what RPGs would be like from then on. When it came out it was like nothing else out there. Those who didn't experience it when it was new won't have nearly the appreciation of what the game brings to the table than those who did experience it the first time around.

So this is coming to America upcoming monday?

It's coming August 4th to the US Virtual Console.

It's $8. You could buy this or order take-out from a chinese restaurant. It's not a huge investment people!

BTW I love Ys I and II. Also Ys III is excellent, I hope that gets released in some fashion! I used to have the SNES cart of Ys III.... Can't remember what happened to it though

@Chipmunk777

They got some good Chinese up here.

I see what you're saying - I'm a sceptic myself, but I don't see much harm in getting it, so long as I get something I know will be good along with it.

@Mickeymac

Well if you do decide to pass on book I & II, and if Ys III is ever released on VC, you should check that one out. It's more interactive (check out some vids of that, you'll see). Also, there was a SNES port of Ys III so you might be able to find a rom to try it out, if you wanted to

Hmm, I don't really know what to expect from it. I have never seen anything like it before, I might get it considering all the praise it has gotten.

Ys III is to the Ys series what Zelda II is to the Zelda series. It's the odd stepchild of the series, but equally fun and engaging.

@Chipmunk777

Thanks, I grabbed it along with Earthbound( had trouble finding that one too) and the NES Ys.

I also got Crystallis earlier, and while the Rom I had was buggy, It was pretty good, can't wait till it arrives to the good ol' VC!

Edit: None of the Ys games should be played without a Manual! The NES one is even worse, it's in Japanese, I have no clue what's going on!

Edit again: Well, it's coming out tomorrow, and I've got a card, so I'll just get Ys and be surprised.

I hope it's out soon, it looks amazing

Surprise, it's not there! Gah, I'll bet I won't even care about it once it does finally come out! I'll try to get Landstalker and Beyond Oasis to tide me over, I just hope I'm able to adjust once( or should I say if) I do get it. Now I know how all the SMRPG worshippers feel .

Ya im not sure about thia cuz im the combat looks kinda sketch and im kinda thinking earthbound might be better to wait for but by the ratings i think i might check it out.

@Demon212 Keep up the good work with your video reviews, i always use yours whenever i look for titles im not sure about. Perhaps I'll wait for you to review this game lol anyway keep up the good stuff, props to ur bro too

Thanks DaDun, will do

I want to know what happened to Ys IV (both of them) and V. WHY did they not make it westward, all the way to this day? There were even remakes of some of this series and still they weren't localized. (And Japan-only remakes of the Phantasy Star series too)

For everyone skeptical about Ys--I've never played it either--isn't it also the timeless elements of story, artwork, and music that makes RPGs age better than most other genres? And relatively non-frustrating gameplay, too, which is another nice break.

As for the music, I also scored a few remix CDs of the stuff which is priceless ("Symphony Ys" and "The Best of Ys") and the orchestral arrangements are superlative, almost making it hard to hear the original sound version for me.

@Cally

I'd say you just described my least favorite parts of an RPG. Personally I'm in them for the gameplay and exploration, I just skip the cutscenes. Sadly, there doesn't seem to be much of either in this game, and what is there is pretty frustrating. Honestly, I have no idea what people see in this game, other than nostalgia. I'm afraid that any newcomer who fell for the hype are going to be disappointed. I suppose if they did get into this for the reasons you mentioned then it'd be okay, but man, couldn't they just read a book, or watch a movie or TV show? It'd a lot less of a hassle.

This is my all time favorite RPG. I had this game when it was first out on the Turbo and I loved it. I'm not a big RPG fan but I beat this game 5 times when I originally had it. It's been almost 20 years since I have played it, I can't wait to download it on the Wii VC and play it again. I'm sure it's just as Great! as I remember it.

Might have to check this out...

To those who may be skeptical, all I can say is at least give it a try. That video isn't bad, but it really doesn't capture the game all that well. Most of the music actually uses real violins, flutes, guitars, etc with a few having that synthy anime-ish sound to them (like the one above). If you want to see why we have games like FFVII, you should check out Ys. Sure its a bit dated now, but with its use of high quality music, cut scenes, voice acting, etc, it set the standard for a lot of J-RPGs today.

If you want to hear some great samples from the game, check out the links below (P.S. the link is not mine)

http://www.flyingomelette.com/smoosh/Ys_1_Overworld.mp3
http://www.flyingomelette.com/smoosh/Ys_Boss.mp3

Well, I tried the Rom again, and the whole "run into the enemy to kill it" is both frustrating, and annoying. It's like fighting LoZ's Darknut, only you don't have the White Sword[enemies take a long time to kill], and you can't stay a safe distance away from it in order to react when it randomly turns[lots of cheap deaths]. That was the last nail in the coffin for me. I don't have to worry about this one.

There are three games I never tire of. This collection is one of those.

@Mickeymac
Shame. Was there any specific part you needed help with, or was it just combat in general?

@Feral Spirits

In general Mac. I tried 3 different games in the series, and I still couldn't get over it. It was just too annnoying, and it just felt really cheap. The fourth game was the worst out of all of them, the enemies looked like blobs and I couldn't even figure out which side was the front and which was the back. I just tried the first game for the third time, and after dying 3 times in a row, I finally managed to kill a monster, and that effort went generally unrewarded. It's easily the most frustrating game I've ever played, and dealing with it feels pointless. I'm glad you people managed to deal with it, but I just can't stand a game that feels so cheap.

How the hell do you pronounce the name?

Ys is pronounced 'ease'

I thing "yis" sounds better, since it sounds like you're saying "yes" really fast.

You guys (in the US) finally got it (you lucky b*$+@*). Although I don't want the game myself (I can't stand RPG's) I still envy you for getting an awesome game. Still - we got SMRPG last Friday so now I suppose we're even, right?

@WiiloveitOnline

Yes, yes we are even. This game is even better in my opinion though. But that may be my inner TG16 talking.

Does anyone know how many blocks the download takes?

It's pronounced like "Geese" without the "G" sound.

@Rashoodeus

Probably 200+ blocks. No one knows for sure though.

@Adol: thanks for the music link; that boss music is grooovvy

Could somebody please tell me how the TG-16 version improves over the NES version? Some of the major complaints I have with the NES one are: enemies take forever to kill, and since enemy movement is sparatic, they become even difficult to kill because at any moment the enemy you're attacking would turn and knock off a third of your health. When you do get hit, it takes forever for your health to recover, so once you kill one single enemy( if that), then you're done for the day. You don't get much EXP for killing that one monster, so once your health does recover, you have to go back and try to kill one more enemy( if it doesn't kill you first), only to come running back to town so as to continue the process over and over again. I suppose you could just run from the enemies, but since the screen doesn't start moving until you've reached the the edge of the screen, so you're more than likely to get blind-sighted by enemies while you're trying to avoid them.

Please, somebody tell me the TG-16 version is not this bad! I want to like it, but every time I play the NES rom, I just get too frustrated and start playing Crystalis.

The TG16 CD version over the NES has these things going for it (from my memory as I owned the CD for a long time.)

• Level design is as intended (and it's better laid out)
• Enemies are better balanced (damage vs you getting damage)
• Enemies move random to a point, then will close on you.
• XP gain is based on what yours is so at a point you get nothing, but when you're getting 1-2xp a kill you either suck or should move on.
• Audio is an experience in itself, the musical score is up with modern stuff.
• Voice work is pretty darn good
• Visuals while basically colored are drawn nice.

Yeah, and I saw a different video and apparently the screen moves keeps you centered, and the health refills faster, so there shouldn't be as much of a problem. I'm still wary of it, but I'll give it a try someday. At the very least I've gone from hating it to admiting that it's a good game but not for me. I prefer the good old slashy-slashy, and I plan on getting StarTropics instead.

"when you're getting 1-2xp a kill you either suck or should move on." That hurt...

Wait, there's an NES and master system version?

Hmm, so it's aged better than I thought it did. Now I might get it, once I free up some space and get another pre-paid credit card that is.

It's about time. I'm glad I made a new friend down the street who has a nice flat-screen TV so I can now go to their place, download this, and play. AWESOME GAME!

This game blew my mind back in 1991. While it may be somewhat difficult to fully appreciate by today's standards, this game was ahead of its time. It had outstanding CD audio music, numerous spoken dialogue sequences, and cool anime cinematics. There was nothing else like it, at that time.

The game is pretty fun too, once a person gets acclimated to the combat mechanic (walking into enemies, similar to Hydlide on the NES, but WAY better). I still think this game has the best music ever in a video game. Final Fantasy 7 and Actraiser's music are a close second and third for me <G>.

Interestingly enough, Yuzo Koshiro was a member of the team who composed the music for Ys Book I & II. He was the composer for Actraiser, Streets of Rage (a.k.a. Bare Knuckles) and Super Adventure Island.

Of all the truly great things Ys Book I & II does, it's the voice work that stands out for me. Alan Oppenheimer (Skeletor), Michael Bell (Duke from G.I. Joe), Dan Gilvezan (Bumblebee), and Jim Cummings (Darkwing Duck) anchoring the voice cast, when the next decade saw amateurs fumbling through the same sort of work? Someone at Hudson or NEC was doing their homework in 1990, and forgot to share with the rest of the industry.

@GarrettCRW

Good call, sir.

Bell and Gilvezan? As a Transformers fan, thats certainly piqued my interest in this game.

You just bump into enemies to kill them? Sounds like it'd get repetitive.... i'm not sure about this one.

Has anyone noticed that this game is almost exactly like the SNES game Lagoon? Not Bahmut Lagoon, but Lagoon. Y's is a must get for me for I loved Lagoon, which nobody seems to remember/heard of.

Lagoon was fantastic aside from the fact that the play control was horrid. That sword didn't have much reach on it and made battles hit-or-miss. Also, the Thor boss near the end was brutally hard to beat. Many gamers think that Lagoon was developed with Ys in mind since they share so many similarities in look and feel.

@Tweek

It's not as bad as it sounds. Actually, it can be quite satisfying to plow through enemies as you level up.

Most of the time, it's a bit like a pushing match. It's actually pretty fun. It makes level-grinding a little less time-consuming and tedious.

Lagoon and Chrystalis both remind me a lot of Ys, but I think both are a bit inspired from Ys.

@Tweek

The combat system actually keeps it from getting repetitive. Spamming the same summons over and over again in certain FF games is repetitive. As mattrob mentioned it speeds things up a bit and let's you get on with the actual game rather than spending all your time grinding the same mobs over and over.

@mattrob24 - Love your avatar! Awesome game IMHO

Well, at the very least I can say that this game is now on my list. There very bottom, mind you, but the fact that I'm even considering it is a breakthrough for me( I was mortally opposed to it before).

@Sharecrow

Thanks. Now if only NES Willow would be released on Virtual Console. Never going to happen, I know. It's an old licensed game. Oh well.

Your avatar is excellent as well. I'm looking forward to Dragon Quest 4 on DS in the next few weeks. Then Chrono Trigger DS in late November, I believe.

Surprising no one has bothered to list the block count it takes in storage. I really do need to know this as I'm basically out of room so something is going to have to get rationed.

I really want to tear into it NOW, but I am working on Ys6 (Ark of Naphistim) right now which is truly epic and fantastic. It captures still the same dramatic challenging feel of Ys and can like all Ys be fairly unforgiving if you're not leveled enough, but in this one you can swing your sword.

@ J.K.
The block size is 273 I hear.

Is this your first time playing Ys Book I & II?

I'll trust you guys and I'll keep playing for awhile to see how it is. I just bought it tonight and so far it looks and plays more like a game from the early (pre-NES) 80's. I just don't see the appeal, yet...

@ Mattrob & Kriqz:

Wow! i didn't expect to get some feedback from fellow gamers! Thanks for telling me. I might get it if i can manage to find a Wii Points card. The darn things sell like crazy. Too bad i dont have a credit card...

Okay, I played the Master System version of this game, and now I'm sold! It was a lot less frustrating, and I was actually able to enjoy it. You don't take as much damage, enemies don't take forever to kill, and the graphics are actually more impressive than the TG-16 version in certain areas. I'm especially sold on the battle system, which does make level-grinding quick and easy. The only faults I have with that version is that it takes forever to level up( though you do get instant level ups simply by continuing the story), and the camera, while better than in the NES game, still isn't all that great, and you're still likely to get blind-sighted by an enemy in front of you.

Since the TG-16 version is apparently improved over the SMS version( or at least has the second game), I definitely intend on getting it.

@SteveW

It's a rerelease of a remake, it's bound to feel pretty old, but it's still it's pretty fun. It's not going to blow you away like it would've in 1991, but still, it's pretty enjoyable if you can get into it.

Gameplay is actually different enough to standout and I actually like it. You have to attack at angles to be effective, unless you have good armor/weapons and are leveled up against weaker monsters. Also through most of Ys 2 you get a fire wand that uses an attack button and can even heat seek with an idol item.

Most old school Action RPG used the standard Heart/Container life system, not this game. Exp points like a real RPG.

In mnay ways this is better than the Zelda games, better presentation, music, storyline. And its a fair comparison since it was a game from 1990. Zelda had the better dungeons, level design and overall gameplay though. But Ys does have its own gameplay and has things in its gameplay and desing Zelda 3 would later copy, the underground water switch level, turning into a monster to talk to other monsters, two part game (in Zelda 3 is was Dark World/Light World), etc.

Playing it now, its still every bit as good as then and still and all time classic. The best American TG-16 ever and one of the best games ever.

Ignore my last post. I said I didn't get the appeal of playing it... I guess I do because it just sucked up 3 hours of my time so far tonight!

I love this game. So great it's on Virtual Console now. Everybody play it.

I've only played Y's on the Master System and that was good.
This looks to be great!

@ Malachi

Its quite an upgrade from the SMS version, you're gonna be in for a bit of a shock when you hear all the music and voice acting.

Finally beat the game. I couldn't kill the boss even though I was at level 61 (with all the right gear on). I went back to Jira's basement, found a sweet spot across from the spawn spot and taped a coin to the magic button on the classic controller

At level 62, I trampled it. I know it's doable on 60, but I don't have the skill

Moral of the story: if a boss is kicking your ass, take a hint. Go level up.

yea im happy i got this game best purchase i made in awhile.

THANK YOU CUZIN MIKE!

I have forever been trying to figure out what the Nes game I played back then was. It was Crystalis! A boy with blue hard and a sword.

I really didn't see what all the fuss was about. Not saying I didn't like this game, but everyone made it sound so epic. So I tried it, beat it, and at the end of the day I found out that it's just a neat way to kill about 10-15 hours, probably less if you already know where everything is. I'd reccomend it to anyone who can get past the battle system, but if you don't feel you'll be able to, save your 600 points. Me personally tho, I enjoyed the hell out of it, and will probably play it again after I beat SMRPG.

Well, keep in mind it was pretty amazing for 1990. I mean, it had voice acting a real instruments in its music. Not even FF7 had that.

I wasn't sure about this game because of the battle system, but i tried the master system version of the book I, and it caught my interest.
Gona buy when hits europe.

Anyone know the size of this one? since it's an CD base (and i don't have any VC game of that kind) i don't know, and as almost everyone here i have lack of space on my wii.

Wow is this game really that good and worth 800 points?

273 blocks

Could someone answer this question. Is this game a traditional RPG, or does it have some quirks like EarthBound or SMRPG? I can't put my finger on it, but something about this title intrigues me.

I dl this title purely based on the review on comments that I saw on this website. Honestly, with it being a game from the late 80's, it's ultra simplistic combat, and its oddly one alpha numeric title, I was skeptical to say the least.

I can safely say after playing it for about 3 hours that my fears were completely unneeded. This is a wonderful package. It is hard to pigeon hole this game but perhaps that is part of it's appeal. It is very unique. Definitely worth the 8 dollars.

Tanks Adol!
Now i just need to wait until they release it here ^^ !

@ Badknux

Its more like Zelda, but you do have experience points and you do upgrade your weapons, armor, etc. So imagine Zelda with that and there you go.

Hm...it sounds good. I would like to add some color to my library of VC games, but I need to mind my remaining Wii Points. On top of that, I have to make sure I am filling up my blocks with titles that I would consider "worthy". I'll have to think about it, but I am leaning more towards yes.

Turbografx is awesome. Great to see the CD games too, considering the scarcity of the add ons / Duo systems. It would be great if they localized Snatcher, who knows?

sigh.... over 273 blocks. Come on Nintendo, do something about the Wii memory already!

@ Ry-Type:

Just get an SD card. All this "not enough memory" crap is making my head spin. I have an SD card for my digital camera that gives my wii an extra 2700 blocks. They're not even that expensive.

Just get an SD card.
Yeahp, I don't see what the problem is.
Games you're playing, you can keep on the Wii's system memory.
Put everything else on an SD card.

At no one point in time, is anybody playing 10-12 games at once.

Fair enough, but the process of copying VC/WiiWare games over to and from an SD card is fairly lengthy and tedious, especially with the bigger games...

Start the copying process, then go get yourself a bite to eat or use the restroom.

I tried this game, and I really wanted to like it. But sadly, it wasn't for me. But I did come across Lords of Thunder instead, and was extremely pleased. I might have lost a few hundred Wii points, but at least the experience wasn't a total loss for me!

@H hog. Or, if you're copying N64 or Wiiware games, go see a movie.

just a yoke.

One of the most awesome series in the world (according to me); Ys has amazing music, an exciting storyline, quick and fun (if simple) gameplay mechanics as well as beautiful character design and artwork and great equipment/inventory system.

Ys Book I and II is like a dream come true! It's a fantastic experience and it really deserves its five stars I hope it goes well so that Falcom and Konami bring more games in the series here!

Long live Ys!

Bought it today.

Brilliant game for it's time, I was amazed even now 18 years after its release with the opening. And I'm one of those who never even heard of the game until the last few months. The music is astounding, except for that crappy town music, and the voice acting is prety good. 1990, and a game with english voice acting that isnt the worst ever? Wow.

I like it better than Super Mario RPG, which was my other purchase

EDIT: It took up 280 blocks for me.

Finally downloaded it yesterday and its a superb game! Never played a Ys game before but I have to admitt, the game holds up really well today-But I guess I'm a sucker for oldschool action/adventure RPGs.

I'm stuck in Dharm tower though! anyone know how to break the pillar to stop the 'evil music' from playing?

How do you get past that frikkin snake boss??? I hit it like 3 times and it kills me in one go!

@ Ry-Type

You have to go to a lower floor (forget which one) and off to the left part of the floor is a boss to fight. If you beat him, you'll get a hammer a new book of Ys

@Outrunner

Sounds like you need to level up. If enemies are giving you more than 5 experience points, that's usually a good sign you need to level up to beat the next boss. Tinkering with the power ring or the armor ring should help too

just started playing. its good. love the music. good stuff.

Ys was very much a game of "buts" for me. The graphics were good in parts, but overall the environments and people weren't eye-popping. The music was fantastic but only until it started looping for the fifth time (unless you're a speed demon, you'll be hearing the song loop many times). The gameplay was unique and made grinding quick, but I couldn't help but wish it had more variety. Some boss battles were awesome to play, but other were just boring. The game took me about 15 hours to finish, but much of that time was spent navigating poorly-designed dungeon layouts.

You get the picture.

I certainly liked the game; I just wouldn't proclaim this as one of the greatest I played in ages. This game is definitely not for everyone, but I think those who have a slight interest in this game won't regret buying it.

For those who need a number to rate this game, I give it a 6...outta 7.5.

Ys Book I & II
Well I finally finished Ys Book I & II (mind=blown), and wanted to contribute a proper review for those on the fence.

For western audiences, this title undoubtedly fell relatively obscure for no other reason than that it was released for the Turbo CD. Many call Ys “ahead of its time,” although this is an understatement; the game is extremely playable for its age, never causing frustration because of some lack of innovation or common sense later realized in the genre. In general, Ys could be described as “minimalistic,” never over-complicating itself.

To get straight to the point, Ys must be experienced for its timeless story. Storytelling in games often comes in one of two approaches in general; some, such as the later Final Fantasy series, are written thoroughly as a story more observed, with its playable characters eschewing attempts at making the player feel like a participant for the sake of preserving a strong, full narrative. Other series, like the Dungeons and Dragons derivatives (the recent “Oblivion”), have personality-devoid, mute characters and basic scripts for making a player feel like such a participant and lose depth of story and character as a result. Incredibly, Ys manages to fall in between and get the best out of both—the main character is (almost) entirely mute, but implications of his character are very strong because of his/your (both are accomplished at the same time) actions and supporting character reactions. Another game that came to mind very strongly, as strange as it may sound, was Half-Life, in which the storytelling is implicitly revealed to the involved player. Likewise in Ys, the character's journey and experiences slowly reveal a story of epic scope; Ys is truly a two-part epic, with the first being satisfying on its own—Adol Christin investigates the legends of the lost city of Ys, and in doing so gradually gets involved in stopping the return of the same threat that caused the disappearance of the land 700 years ago. The interactive storytelling of the game medium is at its finest, here, laced with brief cutscenes, fantastic voicework (by any standard) and writing. The conflict and questions of Book I are resolved at the end, and Book II begins a new story. By the very end, however, threads of Book I are expertly tied into the second, expanding the overall scope into a two-part epic full of twists and revelation. By then, I felt the satisfaction of a distinct, expertly-told fantasy epic—an instantly classic story by any standard, and an "experience" of a videogame. Unlike most modern games, the dialogue and exposition are, as mentioned, “minimalistic” and not overstated, directing both the narrative and the gameplay without excess.

As an RPG, the battle system is best thought of as a sort of auto-battle, with encounters involving automatically-calculated outcomes, and the “action” involved abbreviates the stop-and-swing part of similar action-RPGs. While seemingly basic, the boss-battles, in particular, cater to the system making for unique (and often brilliant) scenarios involving avoidance of projectiles and approaching an enemy from the right angle. Book II almost immediately adds a fire magic attack to this as well, along with some other items and spells that carefully add layers of complexity, in much the same way that the story is expanded. Dungeon-crawling and exploration are nowhere near as hazardous or cumbersome as so many RPGs of its time, with just the right amount of challenge to navigate.

To those measuring this game by The Legend of Zelda series, consider: how many Zelda clones do you want? Ys's ease of play and straightforward direction—though managing to never feel forced or “linear”— make the game hard to compare directly to anything. Its unique approach to action-RPG lends itself to an emphasis on narrative, and in this case, gameplay and plot work closely together without compromising each other.
Quite simply, Ys Book I & II is one of the most fully-realized, air-tight packages in gaming, period. The times haven't put a scratch on the sheer impact of the experience, nor has anything since made it obsolete—as classic as games get. 5/5

. . . oh, and this is about as much bang for eight bucks as can be on the VC. It's one of the great RPGs of the 16-bit era along with the likes of Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI, Super Mario RPG, and maybe Secret of Mana.

As for Turbo games (I have 18 so far):

(1) Ys Book I & II . . . by FAR
(2) Gate of Thunder
(3) Castlevania: Rondo of Blood
(4) Lords of Thunder
(5) Ninja Spirit

^^Gosh darn it, what did I miss in Ys that warranted such a glowing review?

I'm in the camp that considers today's entertainment noisy and desensitizing. We need constant action and explosions. "Pacing" is a lost art. I like some of new stuff, but it's hard to appreciate subtle or nuanced art after some of it. O_o

I never did get this in the end, and probaly won't get it for a pretty long time, considering my "Love-hate" relationship with RPGs is currently set to "hate". Oh well.

Downloaded i love it.
Worth more than the 800 points i paid.

Just finished Y´s I in about 7-8 hours. Real good. I couldn´t stop playing it!!! It´s not the best rpg on VC, but it´s a very good one, well worth 800 wii points. I´ll get shinning force II and Secret of Mana too, they are better, but don´t miss Y´s.

How do you get past the door that hurts you?
I've been stuck since it came out, and really want to play book 2 >.<

@BananaJane
Go back to the 11th floor and talk to Luta Gemma to get the Blue Amulet. Wear it and you'll get through the door.

GameFAQs: best darn thing in the world if you get stuck.