Ys I & II
Encyclopedia
is a Japan
ese computer role-playing 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, and in Europe and Australia on September 5, 2008.
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, a Red Book CD audio
soundtrack, and voice acting. The game's English localization
was also one of the first to use voice dubbing
.
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 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.
award from OMNI Magazine, as well as many other prizes. The game was reviewed in 1991 in Dragon
#172 in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 5 out of 5 stars.
sequences.
on October 7, 2003. Based on Ys I & II Complete, it also added new characters and items alongside the previous game's improvements. Eternal Story was also a Japan-only release.
in the United States
on February 24, 2009. The remake includes 3D graphics, updated sound, and multiplayer for up to 4 people. Each copy of the first printing of the game also includes a bonus soundtrack
CD
.
StageSelect.com awarded the Nintendo DS remake an 8 out of 10 and considers it a nostalgic addition to anyone's collection.
on July 16, 2009. It is also based on Ys I & II Complete. XSEED Games localized and published the game in North America, where it was released on February 22, 2011. 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.
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese computer role-playing game compilation consisting of enhanced remakes of the first two Ys games, released for the PC Engine CD-ROM
TurboGrafx-16
TurboGrafx-16, fully titled as TurboGrafx-16 Entertainment SuperSystem and known in Japan as the , is a video game console developed by Hudson Soft and NEC, released in Japan on October 30, 1987, and in North America on August 29, 1989....
by Nihon Falcom and Hudson Soft
Hudson Soft
, formally known as , is a majority-owned subsidiary of Konami Corporation is a Japanese electronic entertainment publisher headquartered in the Midtown Tower in Tokyo Midtown, Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with an additional office in the Hudson Building in Sapporo. It was founded on May 18, 1973...
in 1989. It was released as Ys Book I & II for the TurboGrafx-CD
TurboGrafx-16
TurboGrafx-16, fully titled as TurboGrafx-16 Entertainment SuperSystem and known in Japan as the , is a video game console developed by Hudson Soft and NEC, released in Japan on October 30, 1987, and in North America on August 29, 1989....
in North America in 1990, and was a pack-in title
Pack-in game
- Characteristics :Pack-in games are intended to be system-selling games that make good use of the positive features of a given system. Sometimes a pack-in game will be changed to a more popular game, or another game will be added, along with the original pack-in, if it is perceived that a newer...
for the TurboDuo
TurboDuo
The TurboDuo was a video game console released in the United States. It was released on October 10, 1992 by 'Turbo Technologies Incorporated', a Los Angeles-based corporation consisting of NEC and Hudson Soft employees, established to market NEC consoles in North America after NEC Home Electronics...
in 1992.
Ys I & II was released on the Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
in Japan on October 16, 2007, in North America on August 25, 2008, and in Europe and Australia on September 5, 2008.
Overview
Ys I & II consists of early enhanced remakes of the first two games released in the Ys series, Ys I: Ancient Ys VanishedYs I: Ancient Ys Vanished
is the first installment of Ys, an action role-playing video game series developed by Falcom in 1987...
and Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished – The Final Chapter. It was one of the first video games to use CD-ROM
CD-ROM
A CD-ROM is a pre-pressed compact disc that contains data accessible to, but not writable by, a computer for data storage and music playback. The 1985 “Yellow Book” standard developed by Sony and Philips adapted the format to hold any form of binary data....
, which was utilized to provide enhanced graphics, animated cut scenes, a Red Book CD audio
Red Book (audio CD standard)
Red Book is the standard for audio CDs . It is named after one of the Rainbow Books, a series of books that contain the technical specifications for all CD and CD-ROM formats.The first edition of the Red Book was released in 1980 by Philips and Sony; it was adopted by the Digital Audio Disc...
soundtrack, and voice acting. The game's English localization
Language localisation
Language localisationThe spelling "localization", a variant of "localisation", is the preferred spelling in the US and Canada. is the second phase of a larger process of product translation and cultural adaptation to account for...
was also one of the first to use voice dubbing
Dub localization
Dub localization, also often simply referred to as localization, which is a form of a voice-over. It is the practice of voice-over translation altering a foreign language film, art film or television series by voice actors to further adapt the material for a "local" audience.Dub localization is a...
.
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 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.
Reception
In 1990, the game received the Game of the YearGame of the Year
Game of the Year is a title awarded by various magazines, websites, and shows to a deserving game. Many are only for PC or console video games...
award from OMNI Magazine, as well as many other prizes. The game was reviewed in 1991 in Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#172 in "The Role of Computers" column. The reviewers gave the game 5 out of 5 stars.
PC remake
Ys I & II Complete was released in Japan for Windows PC on June 28, 2001. It contained updated graphics and FMVFull motion video
Full motion video based games are video games that rely upon pre-recorded TV-quality movie or animation rather than sprites, vectors, or 3D models to display action in the game. In the early 1990s a diverse set of games utilized this format...
sequences.
PlayStation 2 remake
Ys I & II: Eternal Story was released on PlayStation 2PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
on October 7, 2003. Based on Ys I & II Complete, it also added new characters and items alongside the previous game's improvements. Eternal Story was also a Japan-only release.
Nintendo DS remake
Legacy of Ys: Books I & II was released on Nintendo DSNintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
on February 24, 2009. The remake includes 3D graphics, updated sound, and multiplayer for up to 4 people. Each copy of the first printing of the game also includes a bonus soundtrack
Soundtrack album
A soundtrack album is any album that incorporates music directly recorded from the soundtrack of a particular feature film or television program. In some cases, not all the tracks from the movie are included in the album; however there are rare cases of songs in the trailers that do not appear in...
CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
.
StageSelect.com awarded the Nintendo DS remake an 8 out of 10 and considers it a nostalgic addition to anyone's collection.
PSP remake
Ys I & II Chronicles was released on PSPPlayStation Portable
The is a handheld game console manufactured and marketed by Sony Corporation Development of the console was announced during E3 2003, and it was unveiled on , 2004, at a Sony press conference before E3 2004...
on July 16, 2009. It is also based on Ys I & II Complete. XSEED Games localized and published the game in North America, where it was released on February 22, 2011. 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
NEC PC-8801
The NEC PC-8801 was an early Zilog Z80-based computer exclusively released in Japan, where it became very popular, by NEC Corporation in 1981. It was informally called the "PC-88"....
release, the 2001 Windows release, or an entirely re-orchestrated soundtrack created for the PSP edition.
PC remake for Windows 7/Vista
Ys I & II Chronicles was released in Japan for Windows PC on December 24, 2009. It is also based on Ys I & II Complete.External links
- Official Legacy of Ys Books: I & II site (English)
- Ys I & II Strategy Guide (TurboGrafx-CD) at TurboPlayTurboPlayTurboPlay Magazine was a bi-monthly, U.S.-based video game magazine published by L.F.P. from June/July 1990 through August/September 1992. It was available via subscription only . A total of 14 issues were released, on schedule...
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