Ys Book I & II bound for Wii Virtual Console [2008]

[Sensei]

Time to get some more Wii points.

Or I suppose I could just fire up my Duo again.  Am I a sucker for buying the game yet again?

[theoakwoody]

I downloaded it today and I like the fact that its widescreen and doesn't look stretched but it does look rather pixely.  The sound is quite good and I can't say I'm an audiophile but I was expecting the mp3 quality to be a little muffled.  I didn't have a chance to do a comparison as my turbo is in storage on the moment(had to make room in the baby's nursey).  The colors did look very vibrant to me but I've never seen rgb in action so I don't know if it's up to that quality.  The pixely look I'm referring to is in the opening sequence during scrolling animations.  The actual gameplay seems a little faster but maybe its just been a while since I played.  Anything else different anybody has noticed?  I think they did a pretty good job.

[Dark Fact]

YES! It's about DAMN TIME!!!

Ys! For the VC!

Now everyone can marvel in the splendor of this game!

Oh yeah, 800 posts!

[TurboXray]

I read that they fixed the filtering issue.

Goody, no more blurry cataract filtering.  Is it a selectable option?  Are they going to extend it to the other games?

I think it should be an option.

[Dark Fact]

Doubtful that Hudson will make it an option.

Anyways, reviews are being put up all over the place and people really really don't like the collision combat in this game.

[NecroPhile]

Anyways, reviews are being put up all over the place and people really really don't like the collision combat in this game.

Weenies!

[Keranu]

I've only read the IGN review so far, which was a fair review and better than I was expecting, but I get the feeling that the reviewer didn't finish the game. He seemed to like the combat system, but he totally didn't talk about how compelling the story was and how cool the villians were. He also said the graphics lacked detail, which I disagree with considering how many unique tiles there are throughout the game with some delicate detail in spots (Bell Tower is a great example); totally a step above other RPGs for it's time that repeated the same graphics throughout the game. I also cringed a little when he said the games originated on Sega systems and how he went on about Yuzo Koshiro without mentioning Ryo Yonemitsu.

http://wii.ign.com/articles/902/902424p1.html

[guyjin]

gaming journalism is a bad joke.

[Arkhan Asylum]

leave it to a bunch of Wii totin kan00bies to complain about a retro game's combat system -_-

It reminds me of that time IGN said the remake of FF3 on DS sucked because it played like a 1990's RPG.

imaaaagineee that

[oldskool]

I DL'd it from VC a few days ago, I am liking it.  If you don't have it and you have a wii it's worth it!

[Arjak]

The storytelling is extremely primitive by today's standards, as is the combat...
-Nintendo Power

Sacrilege! Blasphemy! Narrow-mindedness!

[rag-time4]

The storytelling is extremely primitive by today's standards, as is the combat...
-Nintendo Power

Sacrilege! Blasphemy! Narrow-mindedness!

They're (Nintendo) still bitter about getting their ass kicked overseas by the PC Engine...

[Arkhan Asylum]

By todays standards?.........

What kinda dipshit comment is that?!

By todays standards, all of Nintendo's virtual console games have crappy graphics, poor storytelling (Zelda? rofl), and low quality music.

at the time, Ys I had some badass action.  Nintendo is just jealous that Zelda didn't have sweet anime cutscenes unless you count the CD-i....... ... riiiight.

todays standards: The worst way to examine a retro game.

[Arjak]

I agree 100 percent. A game has to be judged on its own merits and what it did at the time, not by the whole historical picture. The one exception that I see is when a game does something that revolutionizes the industry, and transcends its period in history.

Ys on the turbo transcended its time in its storytelling methods, use of music, and ability to stay interesting whether you're halfway through for the first time, or starting from the beginning for the 27th.

Ys kicks ass and it always will. Nintendo is just being biased because they see the game as similar to Zelda, and therefore, is a threat. IMO, anyway.

[geise]

Who the hell reads Nintendo power anyways?  The hardcore elite?...Tatsujin?  Well maybe Tats does, but that's about it.  Seriously though Ys is one of those games that will always be misunderstood.  Especially if you have never played it until now.  It also depends on the type of games a person has been playing before playing Ys.  If someone has always played recent RPG's, N64 Zelda - now, (insert popular game here "cough Final Fantasy *cough*) then they will most likely not understand Ys.  Back in the day Ys Book I-II got amazing reviews by most mags.  I remember EGM giving it a 10.  I think it was the first 10 a game has ever received by that mag at the time.  I remember at first wondering why I just run into the enemies during my first play.  When I figured out the gameplay and got what the game was trying to achieve I really got into it.  The whole presentation was just amazing for it's time.  It still is hands down my favorite gaming experience ever!  The only other game that comes close is Panzer Dragoon Saga.

[jlued686]

So charging into an enemy head on to attack isn't primitive by today's standards?

Ok guys... Keep drinking that kool-aid.

 

[NecroPhile]

So charging into an enemy head on to attack isn't primitive by today's standards?

Not really; it's just different.  Even if you must label it as primitive, then you have to admit that it was equally so when it was new and that "today's standards" are irrelevant (as they relate to controls anyway), for pressing a button to swing a weapon is most certainly not a recent invention.  In any case, the point is that it's futile to point out the less refined nature of classic games (they derided more than just the controls); considering the limitations of the hardware, of course they can't compare to today's games... except in being fun and replay value, two qualities rarely found in today's games.

[jlued686]

Back in my day...! ;)

I get the point, but I don't think the statement in that article was unfair.  Sure, you can put a whole bunch of "but, but, but" comments around it, but it's not a ridiculous thing to say.

[Arkhan Asylum]

the western gaming world always compares Ys/Hydlide/Dragon Slayer  to Zelda.   

Ys/Hydlide did it first! neenerneenerneener

and it had anime, even it it's most primitive forms.  Zelda only had that in the instruction manual.

I read Nintendo Power. Even if there are favoritism-style reviews.    theres free posters, and you get shirts and crap for being subscribed.

[Raizen1984]

Why does anybody care what some random reviewer has to say about an 18 year old game?

[Arkhan Asylum]

its mostly got to do with these are published reviews in magazines usually by people who were around "back in the day", so its annoying when they have a skewed "compare it to todays standards" view of the games.


or you get the youtube ones who misinform the viewer.  Thats annoying because then the ignorance multiplies with each view!

[TheClash603]

the western gaming world always compares Ys/Hydlide/Dragon Slayer  to Zelda.  

Ys/Hydlide did it first! neenerneenerneener

and it had anime, even it it's most primitive forms.  Zelda only had that in the instruction manual.

I read Nintendo Power. Even if there are favoritism-style reviews.    theres free posters, and you get shirts and crap for being subscribed.

I am very impressed by your correct spelling of neenerneenerneener.

[Emerald Rocker]

Games should always be compared to today's standards.  After all, anyone who buys a Virtual Console game is spending money and time on that, whereas they could have instead spent money and time on Darksiders or Heavy Rain or whatever.  It would be goofy to say "huh, this game sucks, but I bet it was cool ten years ago.  I MUST BE HAVING FUN".  Either it's a good game, or it's not.

By today's standards, Ys Book I & II is awesome.

There are people on this very board who never played the Turbo until after the year 2000 and ended up loving Ys.  If old games can't possibly live up to "today's standards", then how did that happen?  They never played Ys in 1990, so they can't judge it by some mythical "1990 standard".  All they know is that the game rules TODAY.  And I know it, too.

[geise]

So a game needs to have 5908723459087 buttons for playing, a 1 hour tutorial before starting to actually play the game, and crazy uber 3d graphics to be a good game by todays standards?  Well that's how I see most games these days.  If it's simple fun gameplay then it's obviously lame and so 1990's.

Games should be based on enjoyability.  Problem is, everyone enjoys games differently and has certain expectations from games.  Also, especially if they just started playing games when saturn, psx, n64 were around, or even the ps2/xbox/GC/DC era.

[esteban]

By today's standards, Ys Book I & II is awesome.

Truth.

Believe.

In fact, the battle system in Ys I & II creates a wonderful "flow" to the game that makes traveling/battling much less tedious than a standard "stop, position yourself, press button to attack, re-position, press button to attack, repeat" play mechanic.



Plus, it adds a whole new meaning to leveling-up (or should I say "bumping & grinding") in action-RPG's.

[Dark Fact]

So a game needs to have 5908723459087 buttons for playing, a 1 hour tutorial before starting to actually play the game, and crazy uber 3d graphics to be a good game by todays standards?  Well that's how I see most games these days.  If it's simple fun gameplay then it's obviously lame and so 1990's.

Dude, you just described EVE Online.

[_Paul]

So a game needs to have 5908723459087 buttons for playing, a 1 hour tutorial before starting to actually play the game, and crazy uber 3d graphics to be a good game by todays standards?  Well that's how I see most games these days.  If it's simple fun gameplay then it's obviously lame and so 1990's.

Dude, you just described EVE Online.

No, not even a 1 hour tutorial is enough to understand what the hell is going on in EVE.