Ys I & II

There are soundtracks that stay in your head for years and heroes who write themselves into the history of the genre – and the Ys series offers both. The MSX2 version of Ys I & II brought to Japanese home computers an action RPG that became one of the pillars of the entire genre and to this day ranks among the platform's most valuable titles.

The heart of Ys is its unmistakable „bump“ combat system: there is no attack button, instead you simply ram into enemies at the right angle and off-center. It sounds absurdly simple, but in reality it is a surprisingly fluid and satisfying system that keeps the action brisk and uninterrupted. Together with rapid progression and an immersive adventure, this creates a sense of constant forward motion that set Ys apart from the slower, more static RPGs of its time.

On the MSX2 the game shone on the technical side too – and above all musically. The soundtrack of the Ys series is legendary, full of energetic melodies that perfectly underscore the pace of the action, and it is precisely the music that is one of the main reasons fans still cherish this brand so much. The MSX2 version brought this phenomenal sound to home computers and helped cement the series' reputation as one of the best in the field.

The MSX2 had, especially in Japan, an exceptionally strong RPG library, and Ys held an honored place within it alongside other quality action RPGs such as Xak by the Micro Cabin studio. This wave of home-computer RPGs showed that the action take on the genre had its firm place, and it laid the groundwork for the long and successful future the Ys series still enjoys today on modern platforms.

For the Western player these MSX2 versions were long an exotic curiosity, which makes it all the more fascinating to return to them and see where one of the longest-living action RPG series of all was born. Ys I & II is a gateway into a world that hasn't stopped growing since its inception.

Why play: The roots of a legendary action RPG series with its unmistakable „bump“ combat and phenomenal music – one of the gems of the Japanese MSX2 library.