Nihon Falcom - Ancient Land Of Ys (Gameplay)

This is a title I didn't play much when I was a small kid, but I actually grew quite fond of it after I had gotten bigger and better toys (namely a computer that could play something with more than 4 colors) but the moment I touched Ancient Land of Ys I was entrenched in the easygoing gameplay.

This is as actiony as action RPGs get, I believe Ys actually originates from some console titles (with the same sorts of titles) although I've only played a few of them and have never gotten quite far.

I start off in the city here, equip myself with a sword and some armor, and then talk to some people.
I was quite confused at first, I hadn't played in awhile and I'm still bewildered as to why the fortune teller won't speak to me, I remember having only to come with a sword and armor and she'd give you the main quest.

Or perhaps you needed a shield as well.
Anyhow, I wander around in town, then go out to kill some monsters.
Combat in Ys is quite simple, you just walk into monsters to hurt them, if you walk into them directly, front to front, you both will take damage, and it's all about who has more HP and better equipment. But attacking from the side and back will hurt them and not you.

This makes combat a bit more exciting since you need to maneuver, and later enemies jump around like crazy, so it gets heated.
One thing I liked about Ys was the simple inventory, but I really enjoyed the fact that your equipment would show up on your character, which was unusual for 1989 (I first played Ys in 1994).

This is a great game, and I actually ended up finishing it in 1997, three years after I had first gotten it, and a year after I really started playing it.

By that point I had already latched onto games like Diablo and Darksun, so it just goes to show that Ancient Land of Ys had some great spirit to it, I was always a sucker for a game with good charm.

The music in Ys is also something special, as the tunes are rather more enjoyable than most games of the era. I accredit this to the fact that Ys is a console cross-over, so more attention was payed to certain aspects of the presentation.

A fantastic game, I only wish I had integrated it as one of my "very young child" memories, since I'd hold its simplistic yet addictive gameplay even more dear.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• Ys
• Nihon
• Game
• Action

[xlibman]

I have this installed on my Windows XP computer. Sound is all crunchy in it but it's still awesome and brings back lot of memories. However it won't let me exit the game I have to press CTRL+Alt+Del

[BloodPigggy]

I usually don't help people out in these cases since I've met some unsavory people but you actually used proper grammar and punctuation so I'm going to give you a big tip that'll let you enjoy ALL DOS games perfectly.

Go to Google and type in DOSBox, you'll be able to play DOS games perfectly under WinXP, it's easy to use and it's been my favorite piece of software for years.

[boilerplate]

I played the first 3 Ys when I got them for Christmas in 1992. Very, very good times. My cousin was fortunate enough to have the Sega Master System version, so he got to play it about 6 years before me...it was his recommendation of it that caused me to want it.

One of those simplistic games that has a certain charm to it that more complex games sometimes lack.

Plus Adol was like a medieval James Bond. He had at least one, sometimes two chicks hanging on him every game. The guy was a gigolo.

[BloodPigggy]

The simplicity is what attracted me to it later on, I had grown tired of more complex RPGs and for a small period of time I stuck to action RPGs. Now I'm back in my oldschool CRPG mode.

[Arzgebargscher]

Was there only one sound channel in this version? Seems as if (at least) a second voice is missing.

[1TailedFox]

touche.....

[tjtaber1988]

Yep. But, which version would you prefer?

[1TailedFox]

this music is awesome lol....annoying and repetitive but awesome

[KennySheepPoo]

Beat it with a better crack a little after I posted that, ignore me.

[zelgreywards]

Did you get the Amulet from Luta Gemma? That's how you open the door to the final boss. I'm not sure which version of the game you're playing, but I'm referring to the COMPLETE (most recent PC iteration of the game) version.

[zelgreywards]

It's so weird seeing and hearing such an early version of Ys. The series has certainly come a long way even in the remakes of this particular game!

The music has surprisingly not changed much (in composition) in future iterations but has simply become more full with FAR better instrumentation.

Yes, Ys is just awesome, even with ancient computer graphics and sound!

[tjtaber1988]

The music on this version is terrible.