[img width=616 height=353]http://www.the-games-blog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Ys-Oath-in-Felghana-Re-Released-on-Steam-_.jpg[/img] The Ys name, while notorious for its confusing pronunciation, carries a lot of weight in the JRPG world. Ys has been around since the 8-bit era, and new iterations are still being made today. Most games in the series are critically well-received, and the series as a whole has a large cult following. Despite all of this, I had never played a Ys game until very recently.
My first exposure to the series was the original Ys Books I & II. There are many different versions of the original Ys, sporting many ports and remakes across almost every console, but I played the TurboCD version, which is often considered the definitive release of the game. What I found was a unique "old-school" RPG adventure that I highly enjoyed despite being somewhat primitive and its sometimes awkward combat system. Ever since completing Ys Books I & II, I have wanted to dive into the rest of the series but have been confused about where to start next. Cue Ys: The Oath in Felghana.
Continue reading Ys: The Oath in Felghana
[img width=700 height=437]http://i1029.photobucket.com/albums/y359/necrom99/Podcast/PlayCast_zpsmi6bsclk.jpg[/img] Join RF Generation Playcast hosts, Rich (singlebanana), Floyd (Fleach), Steven (Disposed Hero), and special guest, long-time member and RF Gen contributor, Addicted, as we discuss our April playthrough of Ys Books I & II. In this episode, we discuss the various versions of the games we played, the story, music, and the peculiar gameplay "bump" mechanic that makes Ys stand out among its contemporary RPGs. If you played Ys Books I & II with us last month, or are thinking of getting started on this classic series, this podcast will be a welcomed listen. As always, we are always happy to hear your thoughts on these games and our podcast on our discussion page (linked below) and are always happy to respond to and discuss the game more. So, how do these games match up to their contemporaries? Are the Ys games RPGs or do they take more from the classic action/adventure games of their time? And, what memory did one host "make" while finishing Book I? You can get the answers to these questions and more by listening to this month's podcast this month!
We hope you enjoy our show, and please join our discussion on the thread linked below. Also, be sure to rate and write a review of the show on iTunes to help us increase our listenership. Thanks for the listen!
Episode 25 discussion thread: http://www.rfgeneration.c...m/index.php?topic=16796.0
Get the show on Podbean: http://rfgenplaycast.podbean.com/ On iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/...ion-playcast/id1038953364 On YouTube: On Stitcher: http://www.stitcher.com/p...ation-playcast?refid=stpr And follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rfgenplaythroughs And Twitter: https://twitter.com/RFGPlayCast
Continue reading Episode 25 - RF Generation Playcast
[img width=450 height=600]http://i1029.photobucket.com/albums/y359/necrom99/RFGen%20Blog/Ys_zpsyercm9nt.jpg[/img] As playthrough hosts, we like to mix it up every once in a while. Some months we choose a hot title like Life is Strange, others we choose a "hidden gem" that we think others might enjoy (like Folklore), and most months, we to listen to the voice of the people by taking your suggestions into consideration. This month we do the latter. After carefully digging through the suggestion thread, we thought it was about time to go back to our roots and tackle a true, ole skool, classic RPG. This month, we have selected Ys: Books I & II as our playthrough. Unlike, typical, turn-based RPG's of the time, Ys employs a "bump" system in which the hero attacks enemies by running into them. The stats of your character and those of your enemy determine the damage dealt by each. However, bumping into enemies off-center deals more damage to the enemy than you take, whereas hitting an enemy head-on inflicts more damage to you.
Y's: Books I & II were originally released as two games: Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished (1987) & Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished - The Final Chapter. Over the years, both games have been re-released on various systems and even combined into a single cart/disc for a few consoles. The story follows Adol Christin, a young swordsman, who is called out by a fortuneteller and told that a great evil is spreading across the land. Legend states that the six Books of Ys hold the secret to defeating this evil and it is up to our hero to seek them out. This is where our young adventurer's (and your) quest begins!
Please join us for our playthrough of Y's: Books I & II in April by signing up for our discussion thread here: http://www.rfgeneration.c...m/index.php?topic=16469.0
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