Listening to that opening track for the PCE-CD version, I can tell the inspiration for "The Boy Who Had Wings" from YS III. That's the sort of music that gets you PUMPED for a massive adventure.
The X68000 version you're playing here seems to be the PC-98 accurate modern version released by BEEP and Falcom themselves from 2021. The 1991 X68000 iteration is the one made by Dempa, with the title screen graphic by Yoshitaka Amano and an entirely different art style WITH pre-rendered bosses
Another excellent episode. I honestly had no idea there were so many ports or that it was released for the famicom in japan. I was only even aware of this game, thanks to the Master System release. I'm hoping there's an English translation for the SEGA Saturn, as that looks fantastic!!
A game inspired by the ancient city of Ys, a legendary city in Brittany who now lays under the sea in the middle of the Douarnenez bay. I grew up in Douarnenez, and at night, on some nights with no moon, you could still hear the bells of the city of Ys…. Actually my football team when i was young was ‘les Gas d’Ys’, the guys of Ys. And in Quimper, the big city next door, on the cathedral, there is a statue of King Gradlon, the legendary king of Ys.
I played this first on the Master System and then later on the Turbo Duo. It's a good early action RPG, but the music really takes it to another level. The last 10 minutes or so of the Turbo version is pure joy thanks to the music. There's excellent use of a Moog analog synthesizer in the final ending song. Ys is one of the best game series out there for music fans.
Same with me on the order that I played them; Master System version was good for its time and probably vying for second best adventure/RPG game on the console after Phantasy Star. (Better than Miracle Warriors but I have yet to play Golden Axe Warrior) The franchise really came into its own with the Turbo CD version paired up with Ys II, where it was a true gem for that console and of the 16-bit era in general. Ys is definitely the best series throughout its installments (OST and Arrange considered) and over time for game music to my ears, although there is no shortage of great VG music to go around from other franchises. I'll have to replay the SMS version with the FM sound at some point, as well as the English translated Saturn port in due time.
This is the BOTP I’ve been waiting for, as always amazing job! It’s a shame that you couldn’t get the Apple IIGS version working. The best emulator for the IIGS right now is MAME, but it does take a bit of setup to get it working right. The IIGS version has similar graphics to the PC-8801 version but the music is synthesized Ensoniq rather than FM. It’s like having a Roland MT-32 version of the soundtrack and is really unique. I was introduced to Ys with the IIGS version and it’s special to me. But I’m glad it’s represented here, thank you!!
For an early PCE/TG16 CD game, Ys 1 & 2 was very well done with the music and cut scenes. I really need to go back and play through it again sometime soon. I'm sure it will bring back all sorts of early 90s memories!
I remember when Ys Book I & II got released for the Wii Virtual Console, I bought it day one. I never had TG-16 as a kid but always wanted one and always read how great Ys was on the TG-CD. This game was hard near the end, but I had such a blast playing it! Oh yeah, the soundtrack is fantastic too!!
I loved the quiet, "Wait for it" moment when introducing the PC Engine/Turbografx 16 version. That's the first one I owned. I let the intro play over and over when I first popped the disc in back then. It was amazing!!!
I didn't know about the existence of the saturn version. Spectacular those menu sounds and tremendous music. It is worth playing in every way the best version. Greetings from Argentina 🇦🇷
My introduction to the Ys series was the Sega Mastersystem game. Played it so much during that era. At the time I didn't know how to pronounce the games title or anything about Falcom. Friend introduced me to the Turbo Grafx 16CD game Ys books 1-2 and I was beyond amazed! The music is so attached to me, that I find my self humming it randomly. I absolutely love the Palace theme from the TG16CD with the dripping water. Excellent review! Awesome to see that the series is still going strong.
Wow, one of the best episodes in recent months, YS I have always heard of but never played, even in a recent version, for the times it was really futuristic.
I have the Master System version, but when I bought the game it didn't come with the manual but it did come with painstakingly-drawn maps from (presumably) the last owner. Excellent video!
My 1st CD game was Ys Book I & II for the TurboGrafx CD. The soundtrack is so fine, that I kept my Ys games CDs solely for that. I also still have Ys III for TGCD.
Oo, a naked lady giving me the blue ball! I was taken back how nice that "Cave Music" sounds on the Sharp X1. I'll need to find emulated music from this.
I started Ys with Ys Seven on PSP and wanted to know more about this franchise I heard so much from french magazines when they talked about games that never came out here (aside for Ys 1 on the SMS). So I took Ys I & II Complete and then Felghana, Origins... and now I'm a big fan :p
What a fantastic soundtrack, when I think of the Western dungeon crawlers I was playing just a few years later which still had dead silent dungeons they really were missing something when it came to building atmosphere.
I remember seeing a video about the Ys series years ago and was amazed on what it was like. I eventually got the PC-CD version on the Wii VC but didn't get far into it as the combat was a bit different to me but was still immersed with the look and sound of the game. I eventually got into the series when the 7th game on the PSP came out.
Thanks for mentioning the soundtrack for this classic RPG, it's a high achievement for videogame history indeed. I love to listen to the PC-88's originals... It's a proof of Yuzo Koshiro's mastery of composition, along with his partner Mieko Ishikawa in here. The title screen theme still gives me chills to my spine... As for the game itself, I couldn't explore it that much, and back in the day, for me as a Brazilian, I first heard of it when it came to the Master System. Not my favorite version, though. That was the PC Engine CD one, for sure, until... Gosh, look at that Saturn port!!!!!!! I've got to try it someday. Thanks for the episode and, please, continue with the RPGs whenever you can!
Hah,outro brasileiro aqui. Já conheci Ys via emulação.Além da versão magnífica do PC Engine também completei a original do PC 8801 (há um ótimo emulador para ele no Sony PSP),além do remake para PC/PSP.
I'd love to cover more RPGs but they do take a very long time to record. The only version of this game I played to completion was the Saturn port. I had played the PC Engine version quite a lot though in the past.
Congratulations from Brazil. 🇧🇷 Seeing my beloved Master System on the list (which I have until this day) made my eyes shine. I didn't know how this game could be so fun. You got a subscription and a Patreon. Keep going with the Battle of the Ports!
Hi Frankz, thanks for subscribing and becoming a Patreon of the channel. I saw your Patreon entry on Monday. Thank you very much! Glad you like the show. There's a lot of content on the channel, please feel free to check it all out. 👍
God i love Ys its gotta be in my top 10 favorite games series also probably my favorite music of any series ever It really needs more love in the west cant wait for Ys X when it releases
I'm really happy for Falcom. The Ys and Legend franchises are finally getting the respect they deserved in the west. And collecting them is a good investment too. My current collection is worth up to 3x the price I originally paid.
I played the port on the original master system console several times. But when I saw the Sega Saturn version I was impressed by its great graphic and sound quality. Excellent game !!!
You can save anywhere in all versions of the game, unless you meant that X68k and PCE introduce more save slots. Could've also shown the odd X68k boss sprites in the footage, never seen them before. Btw you can sprint in the Saturn version which has heavy consequences on game balance. Still a neat little summary of the ports.
Great video, Mark. Though I saw Ys Book 1 & 2 in magazines and remember seeing the Master System version for sale at Sears (and you had the Saturn games in your early videos), the first time I actually played Ys 1 was with 1&2 Chronicles+ when it hit Steam a decade or so back. I really enjoyed it, and I regret not buying the Master System version in the 90s (I had/have a PBC but never a [working] SMS). I could have played it or the Turbo CD version via emulation too at some point, but never did (need to get back and play it some more on the TG16 mini...)... The only one in the series I played before the 2010s was Ys III, which I've owned since a bit after I saw it in a friend's SNES Nintendo Player's Guide. I remembered the Ys name and thought the side-view was cool, so I rented the Genesis version, loved it, and ended up buying a copy. I should play more of the series, but dedicating the time is always a problem...
Even though I've owned the Saturn games for years, I'd never completed them until this year. I also owned the Master System version at one point and still have my original PC Engine version which I really should try to complete.
Great video. The "bump" combat is not my favorite, however I have fond memories of the Ys series. As living in the US it's interesting to see the other versions in Japan
What a coincident. You put video about Ys (on which i was waiting eagery, by the way) in a day i started playing Turbogrfx version and experiencing Ys series first time :D Anyway, when counting everything this game have suprsingly for me many versions, ports and remakes.
I've first played this one on a Master System adapter for the Mega Drive in late 1992. The one thing that stuck with me was the Battle song. Every now and then I catch myself humming it without thinking. We all have some silly nerd blemish. xD
Hooray! One of my favorites! 😁 I personally feel they did a really good job with the music in the Famicom version, but maybe that's just me Also, the original PC-88 version allowed you to move faster by hitting the Caps Lock key and required a data disk to save your progress
I had this one on the Master System, my first RPG. What a fascinating game it was at that time. The hud is very simple on this version because it is made of sprites, so not much can be display. The Master System doesn't have a hardware vertical raster effect so it can't have a hud made of background with a vertical scrolling (or the vertical scrolling must be software coded which make it very choppy like in Shinobi)
Amazing video.I love the feeling of adventure and the sense of mystery from the original Ys trilogy, the same developers founded Quintet and created Soul Blazer, Illusion of Gaia and Terranigma. You only missed one version: the other Sharp X6800 release by Dempa,with more realistic sprites and new artwork by Yoshitaka Amano.Was it a remake?I only played it briefly via emulator half a decade ago but did not spot any major differences in gameplay.
Looks like youtube noticed I am a huge ys fan and recommended this video. Great comparisons. Didn't know there was a sega saturn port with new arrangements
Wow this sure did get a lot of ports. I've been waiting to play this on my PC Engine for a while now; as I wanted to play it in Japanese, I think I am now up to the task...What I have played of it though was a lot of fun.
Adol's seen so much adventure, yet never seems to age, those adventures must take place in a close proximity of time. Ys III has always been more my liking, but if I have to choose a favorite version of Ys 1, it would be the PCE CD version, though the Saturn version has some nice character portrait artwork. Not to mention you get the second game on the PCE on the same disc as well, pretty tough to top. Some day I do want Ys IV Mask of the Sun, V, and V Expert in my game collection, though with the Japanese language barrier, they could prove hard to play and beat.
The Ys series is so underrated! I am surprised how many jpn home computer ports there. I personally am more of a fan of the console ports though, but that may be because I discovered the early games through emulation.
Hi. There are two different x68000 versions of the gsme. The one you are showing wad a VERY recent port that came out a couple years back as a special release. The first x68000 version had completely different sprites and artwork and a title screen with art by Yoshitaka Amano.
I enjoyed a lot this BotP. I fell absolutely in love with the Master System port. Best RPG of the system next to Phantasy Star, of course. I have my PAL version of the game but don't have FM modul 😕. Saturn version is the best one for me.
Dang that 🍎 2GS emulation. Just like the one here I couldn't get Another World/Out of This World to function due to the controls. Really need that to work so I could record get it's soundtrack. Fortunately with The Ancient World of Ys I've been blessed that somebody uploaded a full OST. That helps allot.
I remember switching the PC version music with the saturn, there was a patch for translation the FMV & other stuff! Never played any of those old versions TBH, one thing to note I finished the last boss first try with only 1 HP !!!!! It was a blind playthrough where I died to scrubs because I didn't know how to hit them indirectly DUH🙃
@@RetroCore There are versions for almost all microcomputers of those years and a Nes version from Sunsoft. If I'm not mistake, it is the first game based on a war movie.
The Ys game are my favourete RPG series the best version of the first games i have played is the pc engine versions but i first completed Ys 1 on the master system and loved it, i just got 1 game left in the series to complete and that the stratagy game on the ds i have played seems ok but i need to play through it. the saturn version has got a translations now i need to play through it.
Kinda feels like the Saturn version was the prototype for the first remake version (Ys Eternal), at least graphically. Though I can see why the line was drawn where it was since the remakes start adding a lot of content.
I think You should include new ports like NDS too, they are part of YS history too. I was sure that Saturn version got unofficial English translation. Anyway awesome video, YS got great soundtrack.
Covering the original versions was a big job. After seeing how different the chronicles versions were I decided to skip them. By the way, I notice nobody asked where the Fujitsu FM77 version was 😅. I do have that but have no way to run it.
Hey is there two X68k versions? This one looks way different than the one I am familiar with. This one is more like the NEC PC versions and the one I have played was by Denpa and looks more like the Saturn version.
Ok there are a couple omissions here. A. The DOS port by Broderbund B. The ORIGINAL X68000 port by Dempa. The one you have here is actually the one done by Beep from two years ago.
I was waiting this one since long ago. Like others said, too bad the MS-DOS version (which is quite similar to the Apple II GS version, but with worse music) and the original X68000 version by Dempa are not present. Are you going to continue forward with Ys II and Ys III?
Wish Falcom classics made it over to the PS1 though but that’s just me. The OG PlayStation is the king of RPGs after all. As I can recall, this would have to be the first Ys game I ever played before becoming a fan of the IP like I am now.
The western Master System version actually tells you how to pronounce the name. On the title screen, to the right of the Ys logo, are the international phonetic alphabet symbols i: and s - when said together (i:s) they form the sounds of "ee" and "ss" as in Greece or peace. It is not like cheese or freeze because that would need the IPA symbol z to give the harder sound. I didn't realise this until some years later. I'd been pronouncing it as waɪz, like the word wise, thinking it meant more than one 'Y'. :-)
Sadly I can't feature any FM77 stuff because the good emulators for that system all require a PC running a 32bit version of windows. Out of the 4 PC's I own, all are 64bit. I really need to get a little windows XP 32bit system for stuff like the FM77.
Thanks for the great video, any reason you spelled it Y's (incorrectly), instead of Ys (correct) btw? I know some western releases had the wrong spelling, but the fanbase should know by now that was incorrect in those days 😁
An amazing game I played the SMS, TurboGrafx CD, DS, & PSP the only thing I didn't like about the game was that on the DS in PSP versions you had to play through Part 1 to get to part 2 they should have made separate games
For the Apple IIGS, I tried with GSPlus emulator and it worked. Had to use the numpad to move. Can probably remap that, but it's my first experience this emulator.
@@RetroCore oooooooh! lol Here's my review, it's pretty bad. Considering how complicated it is to run it, it's not worth it. Plus on the emulator there is massive screen tearing when moving laterally.
This was first ys game I played it back during ps3 and I played a little bit because I didn’t know Japanese language and yes it was free on Japanese ps+
The opening level has an enemy I like to call “Not Groot”. Adol bumps into him and says “I am not Groot”. Did Falcom get in trouble with Marvel for that? No! Because it didn’t even happen! I doubt Stan Lee had ever heard of Ys. Rest in peace legend.
I was about ready to say the Turbografix CD version slaughters the rest of the non-remake competition. However, the Saturn version seems not too shaby. Though I still prefer the remixes of the Turbografix CD.
There is a port of YS1 on the DOS in 1989 that you have not mention in the video, but that was not a good port, it use PC speaker beeping for music, which is really annoying while playing, and the graphic was on par with PC88
Are you sure that is the right footage for the X68 version? Because it looks nothing like the version I've seen before and didn't really match your description either.
The FC version of course it is the worse of all, it was developed by Advance Communication, who also made *Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde* and *Funky Horror Band* on MCD. They also ported Ys II and III to the system as well.
SNKs crystalis which a lot of people considered a ys 1 clone also had the same"bump" battle system the SMS had why didn't the us get the saturn version? ......and do you ever meet the girl holding the orb in the beginning?
That girl is a representation of the godesses of Ys. This may be a spoiler so I won't tell it outright, but you actually meet the godesses of Ys during the game.
I had thought the game title rhymed with "Hiss" originally until I learned it was supposed to rhyme with "Geese". I wonder if using a different emulator would help with the Apple IIgs version?
@@RetroCore I've been looking at numerous websites and there is widespread disagreement. Still, one thing that everyone (or at least most of us) can agree on is that it's a classic. One of my favourites!
