Recent Yet Passionate Fan of Ys

[Berhardt]

So last year, when Ys Seven came out, I was listening to all the love it got on the 1Up.com podcasts and decided I should give it a try.

But first I wanted an introduction, so I bought Ys I & II On the Wii Virtual Console.

Played it, loved it.

Then I picked up Ys Seven.

COMPLETELY in love. Didn't think it would get any better.

So I picked up Ys: Oath in Felghana.

Now one of my favorite games of all time.

Obviously, after all that, I picked up Ys I & II Chronicles and am playing it now. Loving it.

I've also downloaded that fun little Ys Typing Tutor that someone translated for us (not clear on who it was, heard a couple of names).

Going to have to download the translation of Ys IV soon. And maybe pick up Ys Strategy?

Until last year, I always said my favorite franchises were Mega Man (action games) and Castlevania.

Now I'm adding Ys to that. With those two franchises, I can be entertained for hours.

Glad to find more of a fandom for this. Is there any fanfic around, too?

[Deleted]

So you decided to play Ys Book I & II on the virtual console as your first Ys game? I love you man, and this is the first time I have ever loved another man

I played Ys Book I & II for the Turbo Duo back when it was released in like 1990 or something like that, I was just a little kid. It made me excited when it was released for the virtual console because I knew it would gather a larger fan base for those were were unaware of the series. I also consider Ys Book I & II the greatest game of all time. I have an interesting story I would really like to tell but I suck at storytelling so I choose not to. It just deals with how my copy of Ys broke when I was a kid and I searched for another copy for years before finally being reunited with the game, acquiring a brand new Turbo Duo in the process (used ones are expensive these days).

Unfortunately, since the Ys series is under the radar, it has in my opinion, a very small fan-base but I am proud be a part of it. My personal favorite Ys games are as follows: Ys Book I & II (which you played first), Ys IV The Dawn of Ys (only released in Japanese, English patch available, playable on Magic Engine emulator or Duo console), Ys Oath in Felghana (PSP version) and of course, Ys Seven.

But yeh, I just had to respond considering you chose the first Ys game I ever played as you first for the series I would strongly recommend you checking out Ys IV Dawn of Ys if you ever have the chance, definitely worth the play through. And just to give you an idea of what kind of gamer I am, my top three games of all time are as follows: Ys Book I & II, Super Mario Bros 3, Sonic 3 & Knuckles. Welcome to the board

[Mutagene]

Glad to see a new face such as yours around here! I think you'll get along with us just dandily!

While I haven't played the TG16 version of I&II, I plan on doing so eventually. In the meantime, though... well, I still need to finish Seven in English!

If you don't mind the thought of playing a game in Japanese, I HIGHLY recommend trying Origin. It's probably my favorite out of the series that I've played, solely for its terrific gameplay. I don't think I've seen better boss battles in any other game, period. I've heard that it's pretty story-heavy, though, so in that case you might want to wait for the English patch (or an official release from XSEED).

In any case... again, welcome aboard!

(On a side note: YES! YES! YES! So glad to see a Castlevania fan around these parts! I've been doing a series marathon lately, myself. I'd love to chat with you about it sometime! Lord knows I need the sanity!)

[schlagwerk]

I'll second Ys Origin. And though it having a fair amount of story, it can be fully enjoyed as an action game without the story.

As for Mega Man and Castlevania, I've said my pieces about both franchises before. You might enjoy this topic.
And I'm a bigger fan of classic 2D Castlevanias than post SotN stuff.

[Mutagene]

Origin is linear enough that you probably won't need a walkthrough for 98% of the game, only confusing part I can think of is the Devil's Corridor bit with Hugo.

On the topic of Castlevanias, I honestly like both types about equally, and both also have their entries that I hate (Harmony of Dissonance, I'm looking at you).

[Berhardt]

Thanks for the warm welcomes! Forgot to mention that of course I also did Ark of Napishtim - got it for Christmas after finishing Felghana and churned through that on the PS2, too.

I would LOVE to play Origin, but I'm wary of A) playing one on the PC (Yes, I realize that's where these games originated... but I've never been much of a PC gamer, so it's a hurdle), and also B) I really DO love getting involved in the stories. Even when they're so often similar, I actually freaking care. Call me silly. So I dunno if I should attempt Origin or not. I might have to when I run out of English games to play, which is rapidly going to happen.

Castlevania, yeah, I definitely have games I don't like in the series. And some that I love that... nobody else seems to like. I often have minority opinions about stuff, it seems. Anyway, my "Metroidvania" that I couldn't stand was Circle of the Moon. Ah well.

[Mutagene]

Circle of the Moon is definitely one of the love it or hate it entries... it was one of my first, and while it does have its issues (which are partly due to the fact that a completely different team made it), I think it's still one of my favorites in terms of atmosphere, level design, music, and gimmicks. The DSS system is so much fun to play around with, the levels are perfectly paced and make excellent use of the progressive mobility you obtain, and both the new themes and arrangements of old themes are very good. That being said, it's still a very dark game, the animations are pretty mediocre, and the grinding is an absolute chore. That, and the character development isn't nearly as good as I'd have liked (although I have Order of Ecclesia to fill that void, god I love that game).

[Rhyanna]

Welcome to the fold! I'm a huge megaman fan myself - actually trying perfect runs of Mega Man X mavericks right now on youtube. It's... exhausting, but rewarding.

Felghana is definitely my favorite of the translated, though Origin will probably steal it's thunder once it gets finished.

Always happy to see someone else enter the craze of Ys Fever!

[Lenalia]

Welcome, welcome! Sounds like you've come to the right place!

[Mizu]

Hiya! I love megaman games as well (especially the Zero games~).

My favorite Ys games are definitely Oath and Ark. The only thing I really have against the translated version of Ark is those faeries...But other than that I love it ^-^.