Despite the Wii Virtual Console's two years of availability, we have yet to see many classic RPGs available for download. Ys Book I & II (pronounced "ease"), is an RPG most people have never heard of (I'll admit, I was one of those), but it is one that should not be missed. Ys I and II were originally stand-alone titles that were released on the Sega Master System, but they were later released together as one adventure for Turbografx CD in 1990. This remake includes anime cutscenes (although they look rather dated today), excellent CD quality music, voices, and colorful graphics. The gameplay is easy to pick up, even for those that never played RPGs from that era. Unlike many RPGs that feature a steep learning curve, Ys is fairly basic--you run into enemies to hurt them. There is more to the gameplay than that, but I'll get to it in a bit. Even though I didn't play this game when it was originally released, it is evident that it influenced future RPGs in many ways. I can see that the Lunar games were influenced by this title--in everything from the voice acting to the music. Even though this RPG series was never popular in the U.S., it is important to recognize the impact this title had on other games.
Okay, so this game had a major influence on future RPGs, but many of you probably want to know, is it fun? Despite the seemingly basic gameplay, Ys is an enjoyable experience throughout. I've played many action-RPGs, including Secret of Mana, and while the combat is not up to par with that game, it is still solid. Running into enemies is your main method of attack in the first Ys. When ramming them, you have to be careful not to get hit yourself, so it is important to have plenty of space to attack enemies, and you'll occasionally want to back-pedal to dodge your foes. Despite this simple system, you equip swords, shields, and body armor, which influence your stats such as strength, defense, agility, etc. You gain levels just like most other RPGs, and your HP and strength will improve over time. Fighting enough battles is important to be able to tackle the more difficult foes and bosses in the game. You cannot fight the same enemies forever, otherwise you'll get a low amount of experience points, so once you gain enough levels and have the proper equipment, it is important to journey out and engage harder enemies.
One other system I should mention from Ys is the ring system. You can equip various rings--some give you healing powers, and others decrease the speed of your opponents, so you can evade their attacks with ease. These rings bring variety to the combat, and sometimes it is necessary to equip a certain ring to defeat your foes or to pass a dangerous area.
Ys II features a deeper combat system than its predecessor, as you'd probably expect. In addition to HP, you now have MP and the ability to cast spells. You can hurl fireballs at your foes, transform into other creatures, and warp to villages far from danger. Unlike many RPGs such as early Final Fantasy games, it takes a long time to run out of MP, so you can basically use spells to your heart's content. If you do have to fill up, just head for the nearest goddess statue, and your MP will be replenished. Another unique feature to the magic system in Ys II is that your spells can gain levels. It doesn't explicitly tell you this in the game, but you will notice after many repeated uses of fire magic, you'll gain larger fireballs, and even homing flame projectiles. The magic system of Ys II is a welcome addition, and brings much needed variety to the game.
Whenever you see an Internet discussion about Ys, the music is often the first thing mentioned, and for good reason. I was amazed by the awesome rock-themed soundtrack. The music reminded me of Mystic Quest and the Lunar Complete games, but of course this came first, and the sound quality is better than Mystic Quest thanks to the Turbografx CD. A few of the tracks such as the opening town theme are repetitive, but there are many memorable tunes that I would even joy hearing outside of the game. I do have a minor quip about the music though. Some of the dungeons in Ys are mazelike, and as a result, you'll spend a long time exploring a single area, so some of the music can get repetitive after being looped so many times. Still, the music is one of the best parts about Ys, and it is worth playing the game for the music alone.
Back in the late 80s and early 90s, stories weren't the most important feature of RPGs, so what you would find was usually basic, and Ys Book I & II is no exception. In the first game, you carry out simple quests for the most part, and your main goal is to gather the books of Ys and reach the top of Darm Tower to defeat Dark Fact who is threatening the populace. After accomplishing this task, the red-haired hero of the story, Adol reaches the floating land of Ys that is being threatened by demons. During your quest, you are tasked with delivering the books of Ys to the six priests and ridding the land of evil.
Most of the game is a pleasant experience, and isn't too difficult as long as you find the right equipment, but the final boss was a nuisance. I beat him partly by luck, and partly by skill, even though I had the best equipment in the game and had maxed out my HP. Another minor issue I had with Ys, was the occasional random goal that the game didn't explicitly state for you. Occasionally, you have to find a certain person to speak too, and there aren't any good clues available to help you. For gamers that experienced this age of RPGs, this was all too common, so it should come as nothing new for them. Still, these experiences are rare, and do little to tarnish this great game. If you have never played a Ys game before, or are itching for an action-RPG with a decent length, check out this game. After all, it is one of the best ways you can spend eight dollars on the Virtual Console.