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Ys Community Thread | "Do you know the name Adol Christin?"
- Thread starter Psxphile
- Start date
I started with Ys I and II Chronicles and I absolutely fell in love with them. I preferred most of the games I played afterwards(with the exception of Ys VI and possibly V when I get around to it) but they are still excellent games and I don't regret having started with them.
Sir Ilpalazzo
Member
Oath in Felghana and Origin are really incredible games. I like Origin's structure and multiple characters (especially Toal), but its standard enemies feel kind of weak. Felghana was better on that front.
1 and 2 are pretty cool games too, although I don't think they're quite on the level of the above two. 2 has awesome bosses but I don't really like its dungeons much. Together they probably have the best soundtrack in the series, though.
I hope Ys 6 comes to Steam someday; I'm pretty interested in trying it. I can't say I'm especially interested in Seven since it seems to have changed in exactly the way I wouldn't want, but I might try it eventually since I have a PSP still. I should get around to 4 and 5 too.
1 and 2 are pretty cool games too, although I don't think they're quite on the level of the above two. 2 has awesome bosses but I don't really like its dungeons much. Together they probably have the best soundtrack in the series, though.
I hope Ys 6 comes to Steam someday; I'm pretty interested in trying it. I can't say I'm especially interested in Seven since it seems to have changed in exactly the way I wouldn't want, but I might try it eventually since I have a PSP still. I should get around to 4 and 5 too.
I have a physical copy of the PC Oath In Felghana that I got back in the days coz I didnt think it would come out in america ever.
it's pretty cool.
and when I got it I took a picture and posted it in the pick-up thread back in the days,
but nobody cared.
nobody said "hey JEKKI nice pickup I love Ys too!" or nobody quoted it and commented something encouraging.
but it's okay coz I enjoyed the game and got to enjoy it before everyone else did!
it's pretty cool.
and when I got it I took a picture and posted it in the pick-up thread back in the days,
but nobody cared.
nobody said "hey JEKKI nice pickup I love Ys too!" or nobody quoted it and commented something encouraging.
but it's okay coz I enjoyed the game and got to enjoy it before everyone else did!
Hudson knew what was up. Lilia is Adol's One True Waifu, and the reason why Dawn of Ys is the best Ys and the true Ys canon, even if Falcom disagrees and ignores it forever.
Honestly I think I+II and PCE IV are the best games in the series. Complete/Chonicles is incredible and in my opinion the best place for anyone to start, although I will always have love for the PCE version too. Bump combat is great, feeling more like a kind of jousting where its all about maneuvering and positioning yourself at the best angle. Oath and Origin are a tossup for me. I kind of feel like I enjoy the bump combat in the originals as far as regular mobs go (these games feel really mashy in comparison), but the bosses are where they shine. Totally amazing.
I never played 5+6 and I just can't get in to 7+Celceta. I don't mind having maybe 2 or 3 playable characters, but I'd prefer it if you just picked one that you stuck with and balance the game in unique ways around each one like Origin.
Fuq Lilia, so annoying. Even Tarf, a freacking 10 years old, managed to be more useful.
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
I hate Tarf, if only because I hate that escort mission. Worst part of Ys II, was a much bigger pain than the one with Feena in Ys I.
Niiice... a place to call home. For a bit at least 
I'm gonna be starting both the fan translation of #5 (never played before, I'm excited!) and Memories of Celceta soon. Looking forward to playing them both... then I'll have the whole series finished. Aside from the Taito PS2 remakes of 4 and 5, and Ys Strategy... which apparently I'm better off skipping
Favorite games in the series, well this is a weird one. Probably Ys IV: The Dawn of Ys for classic action, and Ys Origin for the newer gameplay. That being said I loved nearly every game in the series. With the exception of 3 and I wasn't all too crazy about 6, but that could be due to the changes Konami made with the English PS2 release. Would love to see the original PC game get an English release one day.
Favorite songs?
Darm Tower - I love 80's synthpop and so OMG those hand claps...
Moat of Burndbless - more 80's synthpop, that bassline wouldn't sound that far out of place in a modern day house track.
The Boy's Got Wings - it's so uplifting, reminds me of classic anime.
Blazing Sword - 80's buttrock guitar, yesssss
Beyond the Beginning - Ys Origin really went back to that heavily synthesized 80's sound to it in a number of areas, especially this one...
I'm gonna be starting both the fan translation of #5 (never played before, I'm excited!) and Memories of Celceta soon. Looking forward to playing them both... then I'll have the whole series finished. Aside from the Taito PS2 remakes of 4 and 5, and Ys Strategy... which apparently I'm better off skipping
Favorite games in the series, well this is a weird one. Probably Ys IV: The Dawn of Ys for classic action, and Ys Origin for the newer gameplay. That being said I loved nearly every game in the series. With the exception of 3 and I wasn't all too crazy about 6, but that could be due to the changes Konami made with the English PS2 release. Would love to see the original PC game get an English release one day.
Favorite songs?
Darm Tower - I love 80's synthpop and so OMG those hand claps...
Moat of Burndbless - more 80's synthpop, that bassline wouldn't sound that far out of place in a modern day house track.
The Boy's Got Wings - it's so uplifting, reminds me of classic anime.
Blazing Sword - 80's buttrock guitar, yesssss
Beyond the Beginning - Ys Origin really went back to that heavily synthesized 80's sound to it in a number of areas, especially this one...
The archaic stuff about I and II is more how the game won't remind you where to go if you forget or track sidequests for you, so you may want to keep notes on what you've been doing in case you take a break for a while.
chaosblade
Unconfirmed Member
I might be mistaken, but I don't recall Ys I always being clear about what you need to do which is part of its archaic-ness. For example, I don't remember the "quest" for the silver sword ever being pointed out, its just something you have to find on your own.
And you can go through the entirety of Darm Tower without getting the Blue Necklace (might be the other blue thing, don't remember) only to get stuck at the door to the final boss and not know why you can't proceed.
Yeah, when I last tried to play it, I basically ended up taking notes every time an NPC said something that sounded remotely important, like if they were looking for an item or rumors about using X with Y, because they tended to be the only hints about what you needed to do and you were likely to forget them in the course of the game's rapidfire adventuring.
RadarScope1
Member
Good tip. I rarely am able to play a game straight through. Although these first two sound pretty short - something else I'm looking for in games right now.
Ok, today im going to talk about my 2nd favourite entry in the series
Nª2
Ys Origin has the most refined Napishtim style battle system as far as Im concerned, Falcom created an action RPG masterpiece by tweaking Oath already infinitely polished battle system to perfection.
The inclusion of three different protagonists each with it's own different playstyle was a welcome breath of fresh air. Even if not a lot was changed as far as level designs/bosses changed in each campaign they all had their ups and downs mostly due to the differing personalities and arcs of each character. The last campaign in particular was AWESOME, not only because the character is a badass wolverine like fighter but also for the extensive character development therein and the great plot twist at the very end, it's the canonical campaign of Ys origin and the one that truly bridges the gap between the events of this game and Ys I&II. The others are not very far behind, Hugo has a completely different playstyle since he is a ranged character and his storyline is very fitting of the overall Ys lore given his family name. Yunica was a little bit more bland but still had some great moments that make her campaign just as worthy.
Seeing what was behind the events of Ys I and II was a treat for fans of the already rich Ys lore and the setting of the darm tower was wonderfully realized with addictive and intricately crafted dungeon crawling levels.
Combat had a non stop frantic rythmn like most Ys games and the pacing was absolutely killer, some fun environmental puzzles are present to break up the pace. Bosses were another highlight even though they were generally less challenging than Oath's. Nevertheless they are still on the standard of the great Ys boss fights.
Of course it wouldnt be Ys without a badass soundtrack and Ys Origin certainly delivers in that regard:
Beyond the Beginning(intro) - This is easily the best intro in the entire series for me, very epic in scope not to mention that the game delivers on that scope!
Oboro - Awesome boss battle theme, dat violin..
Water Prison - This reminds me of Chrono Cross and anything that reminds me of Chrono Cross is an instant classic.
Scarlet Tempest - Badass synth dungeon crawling music. So good to explode monsters into a million pieces with this on the background.
Dreaming- A revamped version of one of the most iconic tracks from Ys I and II. Phenomenal take on it.
Silent Desert(aka Silent Sands) - Only the best desert music to ever be conceived by mankind. This is in my opinion one of the best pieces Falcom sound team ever made in any game period. The SAV is fantastic aswell.
Overdrive - Another brilliant boss battle theme.
Tension - Another excellent piece that somebody else already mentioned! This one is so good, so catchy.
Beyond the Beginning(final dungeon ver) - I could not contain the amount of awesome I felt when I realized they had another version of the intro theme for the final dungeon. It made me want to kick some serious ass, it was super powerful at making you feel like a badass and that this was truly the final stretch of the game.
Closing Remarks: I fucking love Ys, I mean it and Ys Origin is one of the defining entries in the series, it might even surpass my love for Ys Seven in time. One of the best stories in the series especially lore/character development wise, badass combat and an unforgettable soundtrack. That's Ys Origin in a nutshell for me.
Nª2
Ys Origin has the most refined Napishtim style battle system as far as Im concerned, Falcom created an action RPG masterpiece by tweaking Oath already infinitely polished battle system to perfection.
The inclusion of three different protagonists each with it's own different playstyle was a welcome breath of fresh air. Even if not a lot was changed as far as level designs/bosses changed in each campaign they all had their ups and downs mostly due to the differing personalities and arcs of each character. The last campaign in particular was AWESOME, not only because the character is a badass wolverine like fighter but also for the extensive character development therein and the great plot twist at the very end, it's the canonical campaign of Ys origin and the one that truly bridges the gap between the events of this game and Ys I&II. The others are not very far behind, Hugo has a completely different playstyle since he is a ranged character and his storyline is very fitting of the overall Ys lore given his family name. Yunica was a little bit more bland but still had some great moments that make her campaign just as worthy.
Seeing what was behind the events of Ys I and II was a treat for fans of the already rich Ys lore and the setting of the darm tower was wonderfully realized with addictive and intricately crafted dungeon crawling levels.
Combat had a non stop frantic rythmn like most Ys games and the pacing was absolutely killer, some fun environmental puzzles are present to break up the pace. Bosses were another highlight even though they were generally less challenging than Oath's. Nevertheless they are still on the standard of the great Ys boss fights.
Of course it wouldnt be Ys without a badass soundtrack and Ys Origin certainly delivers in that regard:
Beyond the Beginning(intro) - This is easily the best intro in the entire series for me, very epic in scope not to mention that the game delivers on that scope!
Oboro - Awesome boss battle theme, dat violin..
Water Prison - This reminds me of Chrono Cross and anything that reminds me of Chrono Cross is an instant classic.
Scarlet Tempest - Badass synth dungeon crawling music. So good to explode monsters into a million pieces with this on the background.
Dreaming- A revamped version of one of the most iconic tracks from Ys I and II. Phenomenal take on it.
Silent Desert(aka Silent Sands) - Only the best desert music to ever be conceived by mankind. This is in my opinion one of the best pieces Falcom sound team ever made in any game period. The SAV is fantastic aswell.
Overdrive - Another brilliant boss battle theme.
Tension - Another excellent piece that somebody else already mentioned! This one is so good, so catchy.
Beyond the Beginning(final dungeon ver) - I could not contain the amount of awesome I felt when I realized they had another version of the intro theme for the final dungeon. It made me want to kick some serious ass, it was super powerful at making you feel like a badass and that this was truly the final stretch of the game.
Closing Remarks: I fucking love Ys, I mean it and Ys Origin is one of the defining entries in the series, it might even surpass my love for Ys Seven in time. One of the best stories in the series especially lore/character development wise, badass combat and an unforgettable soundtrack. That's Ys Origin in a nutshell for me.
cj_iwakura
Member
My favorite tracks, apart from the obvious:
Ancient Land (Memories of Celceta): just screams 'endgame', and I love tracks that convey it so well.
Ice Ridge of Noltia (Ys II: PSP Version) Can't get enough of the violin. If there's no strings, it's not Ys.
Ancient Land (Memories of Celceta): just screams 'endgame', and I love tracks that convey it so well.
Ice Ridge of Noltia (Ys II: PSP Version) Can't get enough of the violin. If there's no strings, it's not Ys.
Ice Ridge of Noltia is legendary, one of my favourites in the entire series too.
RadarScope1
Member
Does the PSP version of I&II Chronicles have multiple soundtracks to select?
Yes. If I remember it right, it's either Chronicles, Eternal or PC-88.
AgentOtaku
Member
( stills pulled from Review here )
Ys - The Art Book
Definitely on my to buy list real soon and estatic that we FINALLY have a collection of the art from over the years.
I'm particularly partial to the 80s stuff myself (^__-)
AgentOtaku
Member
Also,
since we're dropping music, I shall post my favorite piece in the entire series:
Feena - Ys Complete
Every time I boot the game up, I have to listen to all of it. It's also been my alarm clock for months (^___^)
since we're dropping music, I shall post my favorite piece in the entire series:
Feena - Ys Complete
Every time I boot the game up, I have to listen to all of it. It's also been my alarm clock for months (^___^)
Yup, though the PC/Steam version is infinitely superior, because you can mod in custom soundtracks like the TG-16 versions that Falcom never seems to include.
There's a lot of miscellaneous trivia that I wanted to add to the OP but soon found I was completely out of room. I wanted to post more links to music, talk about the OAV series, go more in-depth on the changes between the original edition of Ys I Eternal and the subsequent versions (thankfully we have sites like Hardcore Gaming 101 that already did most of the work, which is why I linked it in the OP as it's an invaluable resource).
Also, I think you'll find I just posted about the artbook at the bottom of the last page as well as my first impressions. Although I didn't link any shots of the interior because I thought that was against the rules.
RadarScope1
Member
Thanks. I don't really have a PC much to speak of, though I'm putting together an Intel NUC for emulation and the retro/indie offerings on Steam and GOG. So this would be perfect for that. Will probably just jump on the PSP via Vita route though.
I didn't care for it either, but you should know most (all?) of the other entries do not play like that at all. At least not any of the other ones on Steam or PSN
Don't you just love it when programmers hide things in their games? I mentioned Ys I Eternal had interesting changes done to it once it became part of Ys I & II Complete and later Chronicles. What I found more interesting was the stuff that was left out. Eternal had a bunch of little quirks and touches that were left on the cutting room floor. Different animations for items like the Wing, an entirely different opening, animated text when opening a chest with an important item (the font text shines!), much rougher overall sprite/character portrait aesthetic, the choice of several midi versions of the soundtrack for sound card compatibility (Complete and Chronicles remaster versions wouldn't come until later) and of course the curiously-named staff room:
(credit for these pics go to Ancient Land of Ys member Red Hairdo)
And, in true Sonic CD-fashion, strange and wonderful sprite artwork was hidden away in the game files. Fortunately, you can view them easily in the hidden staff room:
Elena fans are everywhere.
(credit for these pics go to Ancient Land of Ys member Red Hairdo)
And, in true Sonic CD-fashion, strange and wonderful sprite artwork was hidden away in the game files. Fortunately, you can view them easily in the hidden staff room:
Elena fans are everywhere.
suikodan
Member
First of all, thanks OP for the great post.
My interest in the Ys series goes back a long way.
When the TG16 came out in the 90s, there was an electronic store that was selling it along with the CD add-on and had this on demo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpqiVA8pXw4
My cousin and I were always staring at this from the intro:
OMG, speech in a game! Naked lady! Instant hit (we were 10-12 yo approx.)
I also kept reading EGM who had screenshots of this game. I wanted to play that game so much!
Fast-forward to 1994. A school friend wants my SNES for his TG16CD. YEAH, bring it on!
I start playing Ys on top of other CD games he had then I come into this stage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp4NNv8LTmU
The music blew me off my chair! Wow! I was so amazed. I completed Ys 1 but not Ys 2.
I was set for the rest of my life that I'd play Ys games. I have not played the "unofficial" Ys 4s, Ys 5 and have yet to play Origins and Celceta.
I love Ys!
My interest in the Ys series goes back a long way.
When the TG16 came out in the 90s, there was an electronic store that was selling it along with the CD add-on and had this on demo.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QpqiVA8pXw4
My cousin and I were always staring at this from the intro:
OMG, speech in a game! Naked lady! Instant hit (we were 10-12 yo approx.)
I also kept reading EGM who had screenshots of this game. I wanted to play that game so much!
Fast-forward to 1994. A school friend wants my SNES for his TG16CD. YEAH, bring it on!
I start playing Ys on top of other CD games he had then I come into this stage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pp4NNv8LTmU
The music blew me off my chair! Wow! I was so amazed. I completed Ys 1 but not Ys 2.
I was set for the rest of my life that I'd play Ys games. I have not played the "unofficial" Ys 4s, Ys 5 and have yet to play Origins and Celceta.
I love Ys!
AgentOtaku
Member
Water Prison theme. My god, one of he best themes in any game in existsnce, ever. I love it so much.
Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
Yeah, I honestly think that's my favorite song in the whole series. I remember hearing it before Origin had come out in the US, and I was just like "holy shit, I need this game now."
PixyJunket
Member
So does starting with the TG16 Ys still count as OG for this?
Also, XSEED, stop futzing around with Trails in the Blah and get Ark of Napishtim on Steam.
Also, XSEED, stop futzing around with Trails in the Blah and get Ark of Napishtim on Steam.
I wonder if it has more to do with Konami being Konami and holding a potential release up due to their release(s).
Would love to see it though as my copy is a bitch to get to work on Windows 8.
PixyJunket
Member
They've already said that Konami is not involved.
Awesome, didn't know that (thanks for letting me know).
Get on it XSEED, I don't want to be stuck playing the PSP version forever (Still pissed at Konami for fucking that up. I shouldn't have to hack my PSP or Vita, dump my copy of the game just to get it somewhat playable).
And my favorite games in the series are Origins and I/II. I just love the setup and story with those games. Even with that said, I've yet to play an YS game that I don't like.
cj_iwakura
Member
Yep. The WiiVC version was my first dose, and I loved it. I prefer it, even.
bishopcruz
Member
That's not how you spell Ys III.
Glad to see a community thread up. Been a fan since the early 90s when the Turbografx version blew my mind.
Another bit of Ys Trivia:
Makoto Shinkai famed anime director worked for Falcom from 1996-2000. Ever wonder why the OPs to Ys Complete are so awesome, well there is your reason.
Ys II Chronicles Opening
Seriously, this is one of the best openings of all time. Still better than the openings to their later games, as much I I like some of those.
Oh, and the opening movie to Ys I Complete had an alternate audio track that was only included in the CD releases of the game. It actually had the "Theme of Adol" in it, but it was unconnected to the video itself. Though I did a video with them together.
Ys I Opening with Alternate Track
A little rough around the edges, but god I love Adol's theme.
As for the best game in the series, Oath is still my favortie. Origin is probably the best for straight up action, but Oath feels like a more complete Ys experience with towns, different areas, shops and the like. Still it's like choosing a favorite child between those two.
Then again, I'm someone who likes Mask better than Dawn so what do I know?
My dream game would be to see YS I/II remade (I know), using the Origins engine and just be one big adventure instead of one adventure split into two games.
Don't get me wrong, the Steam version is awesome, but that would blow me away.
It's not going to happen though.
Besides, Falcom needs to get on that YS V remake, it sorely needs it.
Don't get me wrong, the Steam version is awesome, but that would blow me away.
It's not going to happen though.
Besides, Falcom needs to get on that YS V remake, it sorely needs it.
arglebargle
Member
my first ys game was ark of napishtim. then i went back and played some PC version of I and II that i think i had to patch into english and fatally crashed right before the final boss battle of the second game (if people ask i say i have played through both games though i suppose i technically never finished II). i played 7 on psp and really liked it. oath is in the psp now, but i havent played it yet. great series.
and i like the bump combat in the early games. it makes it pretty painless to revisit early areas since you can just run through them when you are at a high level.
was it not well received? didnt sell well?
and i like the bump combat in the early games. it makes it pretty painless to revisit early areas since you can just run through them when you are at a high level.
was it not well received? didnt sell well?
You don't see weird little animations like this nowadays. Well... *I* don't. I must be playing the wrong games. :x
Sure. A lot of the earlier ports went a little nuts with rebalancing, level designs and in some cases presentation; and the ones that were faithful to the original PC-88 version were hardly any better graphically. And, of course, many went untranslated.
The neat thing about the TG-16 version did that I don't think any of the others did was splice the two games into one, Sonic 3 & Knuckles-style: when you finished Omens the game kept going and you were suddenly playing Final Chapter, with your levels and XP intact. You lose all your gold, items and equipment save for the Books though. :x
*!*
Don't let these folks hear you say that. We don want no trouble!
OH SHIT HERE THEY COME
Adol's theme makes everything better. I was pretty disappointed with Ys V's soundtrack on the whole... it wasn't terrible, just different. But when I finally heard Theme of Adol at the end...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7E_aEsMF8c
so_good.gif
The versions we got in the west were the PS2/PSP versions. They were the first Ys games to be localized since Wanderers from Ys (hence Konami dropping the 'VI' from the title), the series had long since dropped off the radar of the casual gamer. Also I don't think Konami promoted the series as well as they could have: I recall print ads in magazines but little else.
I agree, I wish they'd make a game like Oath with a bigger world.
The only woman that Adol ever loved was Feena. That's canon.
And this is the only explanation why Adol was so... 'without feeling' to all those women who basically threw themselves at him. For the love of god, his lover is mother fucking GODDESS. no mere human girl will ever reach his standard. =P
And this is the only explanation why Adol was so... 'without feeling' to all those women who basically threw themselves at him. For the love of god, his lover is mother fucking GODDESS. no mere human girl will ever reach his standard. =P
Danny Dudekisser
I paid good money for this Dynex!
I mean, Elena is pretty stonking cute, dude.
I agree with you, wholeheartedly. I'm just saying, she's no goddess.
You never forget your first.
A little upsetting to realize
she and her sister returned to stone to safeguard the Black Pearl.
Bel Marduk
Banned
I picked up Memories of Celeceta a few months ago and absolutely love it. Can't believe this series has been around since 1987 without me knowing about it.
You never forget your first.
A little upsetting to realizeshe and her sister returned to stone to safeguard the Black Pearl.
Yeah. that's true. But hey, think this way, it is highly unlikely that feena will be with another man either. =P
http://i.imgur.com/93w7Qow.jpg
Tizoc
Member
Chill bro, once they get Trails in the Sky done with this year, they'll focus back on Ys.