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| YS
I - II |
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| System: PC ENGINE |
| Format: 1 x CD-ROM |
| Hardware: CD-ROM-ROM SYSTEM |
| Released: 21.12.1989 |
| Label: HUDSON SOFT |
| Developer: ALFA SYSTEM | |
In June 1987 Falcom released the first episode of what
would turn out to be their most venerated saga, the first one placed outside Dragon Slayer's
universe. Ys debuted on the PC-8801 platform and was soon ported to the rest of the computer
standards that populated the 8-bit era in Japan. The truth is that it was just the first part of the
Ancient Ys Vanished sub-saga, so that its continuation would be released a few months later, closing the
first cycle of Adol Christin's adventures, one of the most popular heroes the video-game world has ever
produced.
The interest of Hudson Soft and NEC in feeding their
newborn CD-ROM-ROM System with titles of recognized prestige, capable also of taking advantage of the
possibilities the new storage medium offered, led them to acquire the license to convert Falcom's
emblematic ARPGs to their small add-on peripheral, grouping them into a single CD under the title Ys I
- II. Hudson Soft could count on the assistance of the original creators, but it would delegate the
reprogramming labour to Alfa System. They did not presume to change the game's characteristic graphical
style, even if the new hardware was capable of much more. But of course the CD format allowed for an
entirely new orchestration of the soundtrack, as well as the incorporation of new and more elaborated
narrative sequences accompanied by vocal interpretations, which were the most important aspects for Hudson
Soft when distinguishing their games from those of the rest of the platforms. Few imagined that the legend
was about to be reinvented. The combination of a classic story like only Falcom and few other companies
have known how to narrate, together with an unparalleled presentation presided by Yuzo Koshiro's and Ryo
Yonemitsu's inestimable soundtrack, resulted in one of those products that set a milestone. It was as if
the public was given just what they were expecting: the perfect meeting between the ancient and the
modern.
Ancient Ys Vanished does not have a very sophisticated plot nor an enormous multiplicity of interrelated
characters. Ys I- II's story is rather a small tale that speaks to us of ancient civilizations and
powerful priests out of which a handful of charismatic characters appear little by little and partake in
and keep shaping our hero's adventure. The mechanics also stand out by their simplicity. There are no
complicated menus to learn nor sophisticated actions to perform. The combat system can even seem
ridiculous in our days, since it consists in ramming yourself towards the enemy and avoiding him when he
tries to do the same against you. Spells will not make their appearance until the second episode, although
in an equally elementary way. The use of items, on the other hand, is a constant throughout the entirety
of the adventure, and constitutes the true challenge of a title whose structure evokes at all times and
unashamedly its origins as an 8-bit computer game.
Ys I - II wanted to be the first of a new generation. It was thanks to its magnificent reception
that NEC's compact disc system began receiving an abundant number of conversions of original games from
personal computers, and it was thanks to it that companies which had previously been limiting themselves
to the personal computer market began considering the home consoles as a domain as appropriate for their
games as the keyboard-based machines had been up to that moment. c
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Ys is a key name in the ARPG genre
with an overhead point of view. Its first installment established many of the conventions that
helped the genre flourish, instantly turning |
it into an indisputable classic and
propelling its creator company to a level of prestige that few others have managed to attain. This
version by Hudson Soft respects the essence of the original and at the same time introduces major
improvements, related, above all, with the presentation and the mise en scène. The
CD-ROM format has allowed for an incredible evolution of the entire sound department. The original
soundtrack already consisted of sublime musical compositions, but its interpretation with real
instruments is, simply put, masterly. The pleasure derived from wandering around Ys' world while
accompanied by such accomplished musical pieces makes the participation in this adventure a
necessary and unique experience.
If this wasn't enough, some of the dialogue has been endowed with vocal interpretations. Hearing
the voices of Ys' protagonists is an additional incentive to keep pressing on with the
narrative and demonstrates the affection that Hudson Soft put in the product. The two parts of Ys
have been unified through a connecting cinema that makes up the second chapter's intro, and which,
as all the rest of the cinemas, is realized with a succession of small images generated in real
time. They are sober sequences, but elegant and wonderfully evocative ones.
Graphically, Hudson limited itself to realizing a discreet update of the 8-bit versions. Apart
from a richer color palette and more detailed sprites, other changes were few. The game employs
the PC Engine's higher resolution mode, allowing for even closer accuracy to the original version.
Consequently the diminutive sprites, the reduced screen area allocated to the action and the
characteristic frame with vegetal motifs that surround it are still present in this remake. In
this regard it's just the original with a timid face washing, wasting the opportunity to carry out
an authentic restyling that took advantage of the graphical capabilities of NEC's system. In any
case, and in spite of their austerity, the graphics are charming and efficacious beyond doubt, and
superbly complemented by the soundtrack.
Ys I - II is a periplus full of intense and memorable action and exploration moments. The
dungeons and labyrinths have the right difficulty and the bosses require significant doses of
strategy in order to be defeated. This is what makes this game stand out from the majority.
Despite such an elementary repertoire of actions and such a basic combat system, the game's
mechanical conception is really brilliant. A short game, with limitations, but capable of leaving
a taste in the mouth as sweet as unforgettable.
Recap
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