After I got my PC Engine(Japanese Turbografx 16) just about 2 years ago I became a huge fan of the Ys series. Ys Book 1 & 2(1989) and Ys IV: Dawn of Ys(1993) for the PC Engine/Turbografx 16 are action-rpg games that rival some of the best games of their era such as the Final Fantasy and Zelda games. I reviewed those also on this site for those interested.
After all this time I was pretty hyped to see that a new main series Ys game was being made. Ys VIII is obviously the eight game in the series but I missed Ys 5, 6 and 7 and will go play those soon.
I played the Ys IV remake “Memories of Celceta” on the Vita and I liked it a lot except that I feel like they butchered the great original story of the PC Engine original.
Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana was also released on the Vita in Japan in 2016 but more recently the game was released on the PS4 but also just in Japan.
I speak fluent Japanese (N2/N1 level) so i thought I would give Ys VIII a go and review it for English speakers before it releases internationally 12th of September 2017.
Continue reading Review – Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana (2017 PS4 JPN)
Tag Archives: Ys
Ys: Memories of Celceta (PS Vita/PC 2013) Comparing the Remake to the Original
After I acquired my PC Engine in 2012 I became a huge Ys fan. The series has some amazing titles on the PC Engine that made me want to go out there for more. Memories of Celceta is the newest game in the series and it was released on the PS Vita in 2013 and on PC in China a little later. Memories of Celceta is a remake of Ys IV: The Dawn of Ys for the PC Engine and they changed the game quite a bit. There is also a Ys IV for the SNES but I have never played it. Memories of Celceta supersedes those games and is now the canon of the series. I loved Ys IV: The Dawn of Ys so naturally I had to check this one out!
Instead of reviewing the basics of the game I will talk about it in relation to the PC Engine game, how it was changed and if the remake is worth playing. This is a new game so many reviews like that exist already so just google that if you are interested.
Continue reading Ys: Memories of Celceta (PS Vita/PC 2013) Comparing the Remake to the Original
Ys IV: Dawn of Ys (1993 PC Engine/Turbografx16)
Ys book 1 & 2 was ported to the Turbografx CD in 1989 and was received very well by most, even as a masterpiece by some. Because of Ys 1 & 2 being regarded that highly, people were a bit disappointed with the sequel. Ys III: Wanderers From Ys which departed from the first game in similar ways Adventure of Link departed from the 1st Original Legend of Zelda game. Even though Ys III has a phenomenal soundtrack the rest of the game failed to live up to its predecessor and has since often been called the “black sheep” of the series.
People were livid when they saw that Ys IV: Dawn of Ys was going to go back to the originals’ roots (Much like “A Link to the Past” did) and were starting to get hyped only to find out that the game would not be released outside of Japan. This was because of the Turbografx16 and its CD peripheral not doing very well in the western markets and were close to discontinuing the system.
Ys IV and the PC Engine did great in Japan though, so the game was released with critical acclaim. Many years later a fan dub/translation was done so us westerners could finally enjoy the game.
I speak fluent Japanese so i played the game like 50% in Japanese and 50% in English just for comparison. Read and see how I felt about Ys IV!
Continue reading Ys IV: Dawn of Ys (1993 PC Engine/Turbografx16)
Ys III: Wanderers from Ys (1991 Turbografx16/PC Engine)
After i played Ys Book 1 & 2 and was extremely impressed i could not wait to take on the sequel Ys III: Wanderers From Ys. Prior to actually playing the game i read that they take away the top-down Zelda 1-ish perspective in favor for the side scrolling action perspective like in Zelda 2: Adventure of Link. I had also heard that like Adventure of Link, Ys III was supposed to be the “black sheep” of the series. Well…. As a person who actually liked Adventure of Link i dove into Ys III with no prejudgment feelings about the new theme of the game and finished it to find out if it really is a “black sheep”.
Continue reading Ys III: Wanderers from Ys (1991 Turbografx16/PC Engine)
Ys Book 1 & 2 (1989 Turbografx/PCEngine)
On goes my grind through the Turbografx/TurboCD/PCEngine library and mehaaan did I pick a good one this time. I was finally in a mood to go through an RPG and I had heard from a couple of people that Ys was then a good way to go. The game is a compilation and a remake of Ys 1 and Ys 2 that were originally released for the NEC PC-88 in Japan. Most video gamers do not even know what Ys is! At least that is the case here in Europe where the Turbografx didn’t even get a proper release and it probably isn’t well known the states either since the TurboCD never really caught on which is a real shame because the CD format opens up so many possibilities including CD-quality music and cinematics.
All that aside, I played the game and now join the proud few who herald this little-known gem of a video game as a masterpiece that should be mentioned side by side with all-time great games like Final Fantasy or Zelda.
Cousin Gaming 