After 37 years, one of the most influential JRPGs of all time is finally being rereleased in its original form - but there's a catch

2024-02-08

GamesJRPGAfter 37 years, one of the most influential JRPGs of all time is finally being rereleased in its original form - but there’s a catchWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: D4)

Ys 1

The original version of Ys, one of the most influential JRPGs ever created, is finally getting a proper rerelease that’s likely to launch worldwide - but it might not be in your native language.

Ys 1 - or as the original title screen calls it, Ancient Ys Vanished Omen - was first released for the Japanese PC-88 computer series way back in 1987. It stood out at the time for its action driven ‘bump’ combat system, where you basically just bump into enemies in the overworld and either deal or receive damage based on your positioning and stats. The system works surprisingly well, giving Ys a breezy pace that’s unusual in RPGs today and darn near unheard of back in the ’80s.

Since the PC-88 was primarily marketed and sold in Japan, the original version of Ys was never released in other territories. And, despite the fact that Ys would go on to become a well-loved series among JRPG fans worldwide, that PC-88 version never got a meaningful rerelease to introduce it to modern fans.

But don’t expect it to be translated. Ys has a decent amount of Japanese text, as you’d expect for an RPG, and other EGGCONSOLE games have not gotten English translations even when they’ve been released worldwide. That doesn’t matter much for the simple arcade-style titles that make up most of the series, but even more text-driven games like Marchen Veil still seem to be Japanese-only.

Of course, if you want to experience the story of Ys without regard to its original historical context, you’ve got plenty of options. Ys 1 has been remade several times over, typically bundled with its first sequel. The TurboGrafx-16 version is a classic, offering CD music and anime cutscenes that were extremely impressive at the time. Arguably the best way to play the game today, however, is with the Ys 1 & 2 Chronicles release, which remains available on Steam. TheSegaMaster System version of Ys 1 also got an English translation back in the day if you want something much closer to the original.

But if you’ve ever been curious about the ’80s Japanese PC gaming scene - I have to believe there’s at least one of you out there besides me - this new Switch port of Ys is likely to be the most convenient way to dive into one of the era’s most defining classics.

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