| Ys I & II | |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Nihon Falcom Alfa System (TGCD) Team Digi (PS2) Dreams (DS) |
| Publisher(s) | Nihon Falcom Hudson Soft |
| Designer(s) | Masaya Hashimoto (director, designer)[1] Tomoyoshi Miyazaki (scenario writer)[1] |
| Programmer(s) | Masaya Hashimoto (original)[1] Hiromasa Iwasaki (remake)[2] |
| Composer(s) | Yuzo Koshiro (original) Mieko Ishikawa (original) Ryo Yonemitsu (arranger) |
| Series | Ys |
| Platform(s) | TurboGrafx-CD, PC, PlayStation 2, Virtual Console, Nintendo DS, PSP |
| Release date(s) | TG-CD Virtual Console Nintendo DS PSP |
| Genre(s) | Role-playing video game |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Everyone (Virtual Console) ESRB: Teen (Nintendo DS) |
Ys I & II (イースI・II Īsu Wan Tsū) is a Japanese role-playing video game compilation consisting of enhanced remakes of the first two Ys games, released for the PC Engine CD-ROM by Nihon Falcom and Hudson Soft in 1989. It was released as Ys Book I & II for the TurboGrafx-CD in North America in 1990, and was a pack-in title for the TurboDuo in 1992.
Ys I & II was released on the Virtual Console in Japan on October 16, 2007, in North America on August 25, 2008,[3] and in Europe and Australia on September 5, 2008.[4]
Contents |
Ys I & II consists of early enhanced remakes of the first two games released in the Ys series, Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished and Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished – The Final Chapter. It was one of the first video games to use CD-ROM, which was utilized to provide enhanced graphics, animated cut scenes,[5] a Red Book CD audio soundtrack,[2] and voice acting.[2][5] The game's English localization was also one of the first to use voice dubbing.[5]
In both games the player controls a red-haired swordsman named Adol Christin. In the first game he must seek out the six Books of Ys. These books contain the history of the ancient, vanished land of Ys, and will give him the knowledge he needs to defeat the evil forces currently sweeping the land of Esteria.
In Ys II Adol is transported to the floating civilization of Ys, and begins a quest to unravel the secrets of the land, and finally rid it and Esteria of evil. All English translations of Ys II were part of a compilation; no standalone version has been localized.
In 1990, the game received the Game of the Year award from OMNI Magazine, as well as many other prizes.[5] The game was reviewed in 1991 in Dragon #172 in "The Role of Computers" column, where the reviewers gave the game 5 out of 5 stars. The review praised many aspects of the game, including "important characters whose voices can actually be heard," the cinematic sequences being "well done" and "extremely satisfying to watch," and the animation being "the best we've seen" in a TurboGrafx game, concluding that it is "a great adventure game that offers long play value, music, cinematic sequences, and role-playing action."[6]
Ys I & II Complete was released in Japan for Windows PC on June 28, 2001. It contained updated graphics and FMV sequences.[7]
Ys I & II: Eternal Story was released on PlayStation 2 on October 7, 2003. Based on Ys I & II Complete, it also added new characters and items alongside the previous game's improvements.[8] Eternal Story was also a Japan-only release.[9]
Legacy of Ys: Books I & II was released on Nintendo DS in the United States on February 24, 2009.[10] The remake includes 3D graphics, updated sound, and multiplayer for up to 4 people.[10] Each copy of the first printing of the game also includes a bonus soundtrack CD.[11]
StageSelect.com awarded the Nintendo DS remake an 8 out of 10 and considers it a nostalgic addition to anyone's collection.[12]
Ys I & II Chronicles was released on PSP on July 16, 2009.[13] It is also based on Ys I & II Complete.[14] XSEED Games localized and published the game in North America, where it was released on February 22, 2011.[15] It was also released in Europe (only on PlayStation Network) on February 23, 2011. When starting a new game, the player can choose between two different game modes, which will display character portraits from the 2001 Windows release, or entirely new portraits created for this release. The soundtrack can be changed at any time during the game, between that of the PC88 release, the 2001 Windows release, or an entirely re-orchestrated soundtrack created for the PSP edition.
Ys I & II Chronicles was released in Japan for Windows PC on December 24, 2009.[16] It is also based on Ys I & II Complete.
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