Immediate thoughts on the graphics aside, some background information is in order. The Ys series, though wildly popular in Japan, has never made an impact in the western hemisphere. Originally released ten months apart on the Japan-only NEC PC-8801, the first two games in the series tell one tale that was packaged together and enhanced in the TurboGrafx-CD version that hit the Americas in 1990. This new DS version adds even more enhancements that go beyond mere era-2009 visuals.
DG writes: "When Ys Book I & II was first released on the TurboGrafx-CD it was considered the first must-own game for NEC's fledgling console. Although it was largely ignored by the U.S. consumer, game critics of the time hailed it as one of the greatest role-playing games ever made. The game's revolutionary cinemas, amazing music and real voice acting (albeit ridiculously awful voice acting) set this game apart from the rest of the crowd, and may have been the reason why a very young Electronic Gaming Monthly handed out their first perfect 10 score to this adventure game."
When Ys Book I & II was first released on the TurboGrafx-CD it was considered the first must-own game for NEC's fledgling console. Although it was largely ignored by the U.S. consumer, game critics of the time hailed it as one of the greatest role-playing games ever made. The game's revolutionary cinemas, amazing music and real voice acting (albeit ridiculously awful voice acting) set this game apart from the rest of the crowd, and may have been the reason why a very young Electronic Gaming Monthly handed out their first perfect 10 score to this adventure game.
Stage Select:
The Legacy of Y's Books I and II is a reimagining of the classic, most closely aligning itself with the Turbo CD version of the game. While it compares favorably to that version, it also adds a few features that make sense given the passing of time. The addition of 3D graphics seems almost mandatory, and adding something simple like "press a button to swing your weapon" doesn't seem too out of place.
