Preliminary: I hadn't been able to get a faithful-to-the-original-release English version of the first two Yses that worked, so this exciting to get to play them. This is a remake/remaster that took advantage of CD! CD! That's so exciting! Truly the beginning of the 90s upon me.
This is really 2 games in one. Not really sure how to approach this but I'm thinking two separate reviews? And if they're drastically different in their ratings, maybe I return to the original games' pages and write em with disclaimer that doing it for a later version? I dunno.
Wow ok I just started this, and apparently you don't pick which game you want so Imma count this as one big game. I have chills all over my body and my eyes are watering..... This cinematic intro is so ahead of its time. This is 1989!! Nothing even compared to this. Now, I have a strong feeling that the game itself will still be very 80s, but wow that beginning cinematic sequence... the music... sooooo ahead of its time, makes me think of late 90s games. (the cheesy voice acting too ha). This is the first attempt at a cinematic sequence in a game that I actually sat through haha.
Now that I'm in the actual game, it looks and sounds a lot like the old MSX version I was able to attempt to play, but it crashed. 
Like this is for sure the same tune.
Uff okay so this still is very much the original game (I must've played longer into it than I realized). Like, later remakes have ways to haggle the Pawn Shop, get a free Short Sword etc. Not in this version! And only 50 exp from each of the things you can do in the first village. Hopefully I will push through the grinds, tho either way this is impressive for its time.
Argh please don't say another broken version! I did the Ring trick to get extra funds, bought a sword and armor. Fought for another 100 gold, and bought a Shield. Yet Sara keeps saying I need to be equipped? Ohhh lol okay they weren't equipped probly would've helped with my grinding for the gold >.< Pro-tip: click to the side to equip the equipment :-p Okay I will shut up now and truly embrace the game. Cheers 
Ys Book I
Day 1
I'm surprised to say that, despite not having a way to have fast forward help with them, the grinds have been enjoyable and fast-seeming so far. The guide recommended I be on Level 3 before the Mountain Path but I was already Level 4 without any intentional grinding. And was still having fun with the simple and odd, but pretty neat, combat system. The real issue I'm foreseeing is the money.
The game is full of great font, great music, great UI, great Look, great voice acting. Just thoroughly impressed. I am still intimidated but it seems it will be a manageable length and complexity.
Uff Wings (like a Return spell/item) cost 2000 gold in this version, but only 200 in the remakes heh. But it still feels so ahead of its time. I don't feel like I need an Inn function since I can recover health like in Hydlide by standing still. And I like how the grinding is balanced: you get more Exp (it seems) when you're lower level, so it was quite clear to me when I was at a point I should just buy whatever the best gear I can get and move on.
Nice! I got through the first boss without needing to use savestates at all. I love how actually balanced this feels (so far). That maintains joy which to me is what games are for after all. Imma probly grind during my graduate class tomorrow :-X lol.
Woops I bought the Middle Shield, then found the Silver Shield in the Shrine right after >.< Wow tho an RPG and/or adventure game I can actually figure out the puzzles for?! The Thief Leader guy told me the Mask reveals paths, and when I couldn't find my way through tada, I put it on and I saw the path!
Holy crap the Shrine boss is super hard... I wish I would've invested in the next stronger Sword instead of the Shield... Officially starting savestates heh. Savestated at start of boss to make this manageable
Argh, I wish I had been following this guide cuz he gave a tip on having Silver Armor already and how to train to really high level fast and early. Argh.
Well this is a huge bummer... the boss seems impossible right now... My character does so little damage and I move way too slowly compared to the boss... I'm Level 7 and mostly have the 2nd tier equipment. I think it's cuz the guide I was looking at seems to be based more so on the remakes.. I bet it was made easier.
Well, luckily the Game Over function is very forgiving and I think I like the game enough to train to a higher level and go get that gear the video recommended. Still, it's disappointing to see just how heavily your level and gear affect the bosses. Most the battling is reasonable and well-balanced, but based on the 2 videos I looked at, this is a boss people basically just say "be so leveled that he's easy" not "here's a great strategy." Plus, it seems like nobody else's boss was as smart as mine--it kept coming at me no matter what and I couldn't outrun or trick it with its big damage-causing head ha.
Lol! Welp yep the Shrine Boss was way easier at Level 12, with Silver Armor and Katana. Like to the point it was a joke. So that is too bad, probly my biggest complaint about the game so far. It's mostly well-balanced but some of the bosses basically demand rendering them cheesed (tho I suppose Castlevania sometimes does that and I love Castlevania...)
Day 2
Welp, after doing a bit more research, yep, looks like I gotta rely on this video walkthrough. None of the maps or walkthroughs I was looking at match this version. Why are there so many drastically different versions of this game lol. So, Imma have to get over my aversion to the slow pace of video guides (I prefer just a map and some "TIP: yada yada" type format).
Yep, I'm having a blast again. I figured out the Roda Trees on my own yada yada, rocking some great equipment now. I'm really enjoying this game. And it is forgivable that the boss was so hard--it's an RPG! It's supposed to communicate that you need to grind/upgrade your gear. Plus, the death mechanic when fighting a boss is very forgiving and the way they balance the Exp from enemies makes it clear when you're at the right level--I should've known when I was still getting high exp from regular enemies that I wasn't ready for the area's boss! I'm worried about the next boss tho cuz he said it's super hard. Time to delve into the Mines deeper.
This man has grinded! The bosses are definitely the weakest part of this game, it just feels very dependent on your gear and level, not your strategy. Often you cannot avoid damage from them, no matter what you do. But a grind is a good thing, so I'm not too mad about that. Plus, the boss music is heavy and epic \m/
I was distracted by OSRS bossing tonight but I loved every bit of this game I played. I dunno why I OSRS boss >.< Shady that they have that thievery in the final dungeon! Tho I'm still really enjoying the game, the combat is broken in some ways, even regular enemies can sometimes kill you so fast and the bump system is quite clunky. But it's still fun, even if a bit clunky and faulty. And some of the enemies have to damage you when you hit them the first time, just seems silly. There should always be a way to avoid damage imo. Oh and the infinite respawning is nice for grinding but annoying when trying to strategize in the Darm Tower.
That video walkthrough guy seriously knows his stuff. he knows this precise version of the game so well! And had so many good tips and training spots.
I love the reflections here. Tho this final dungeon is a bit too long for my taste, it's sort of Tower of Druaga-esque so it's forgivable. Plus, it's well-balanced where you can heal in the outer parts and there are many quests withing, not just one endless dungeon crawl.
Beautiful bridge here
Great dramatic music and Look for the final boss of Book 1. Very epic. I love that he makes a point to mention you need Silver equipment to defeat him. Finally a game that makes sense with how the potentially frustrating puzzles work. Very forgiving then if I had died, then just reload and explore the Tower for that equipment.
Kinda silly ending music, but the initial sequence/evil discussion was great as was the cinematic sequence after. I'm curious to see how my levels transfer over into Book II, really does make it feel like one big game. 
I love the blue of the sky in this one 
Ys Book II
Day 2 cont.
Wow absolutely amazing initial town music. I'm in love with this track. I definitely prefer the sweetsy/townsy tracks over the rocking ones but still cool they did the rocking ones. Harkening to the 90s rock and drum n bass video game soundtracks. Nice Wings are much more affordable in Book II, I wonder what other QoL things will come from it.
Day 3
Omg a Magic of Return! Finally! So many QoL things like Magic in general in Book II The music continues to be solid, the gameplay is a bit too dungeon crawling for me, but it has a nice Dark Cloud mechanic to it.
Omg that grinding spot in the basement is soooo me. And I love that the Turbografx has the turbo function built in.
The Transform spell is like, hm what was that game, where there was a Monster spell where you transform into an enemy and they wont mess with you? Oh right, Willow for NES with the Specter spell. The music continues to be great but again I used most my night up with OSRS bossing ugh and still no drop >.< Why do I do that to myself when I'm enjoying this game much more?
Day 4
Distracted again with OSRS Nex ugh but back focused on the game I truly enjoy--Ys! I love the grinding in this game especially with this guy's tips. He knows his stuff! That bottom left corner trick is nice for grinds for sure. And I love the UI of the inventory screen reminding me of the upcoming Link to the Past but also the Konami Goonies game 
I love the Metroidvania and Tomba-esque unlocking of areas by doing certain tasks like saving the bridge operator's son. Also, "a demon named Keith" lol. Nice. Nice and an evil voice.
The sacrificial bell part is evil sounding and cool (tho the music is quite funky haha). And this screen is beautiful 
Oh wow this got really evil and the voice acting was actually really good the bell sound and the voice reminded me of Hellraiser/horror films. And a main character death, nice. 
Day 5
I could've finished this in like 3 days if I wasn't distracted with OSRS >.< Anyway I know I already said this once but wow do I love the inventory UI 
Great music for what I assume is the final area ("The Core of Ys") but it's so loud that it drowned out poor Maria's voice lol (so I guess it wasn't a perm death... I suppose that fits in the lack of perm death in the game :-p)Epic return of Book I characters at the end of Ys Book II too, with a great tune starting in. Love it. And again, I love that the mechanics you need to know for the final boss is actually told to you. What an evil and great voice for the final boss 
I love all the niceties in this game, so advanced for 89. If you die in a boss, you start right outside of it. And it even skips the talking/cutscenes. Like wow. Even much later games didn't have that.
Beautiful ambient tune for the ending sequence. And then a deliciously cheesy ending sequence with great anime music and an upbeat late 80s tune for the credits. Just an all around amazing game and glad to finally play the first Ys games. 
Look: 9.5/10 Absolutely incredible for 89 and still a joy to look at
Sound: 9.5/10 Just wow. A couple ones were a bit too cheesily "heavy metal" for me haha, but otherwise these earns a 10
**Play: 9.5/10 ** I love the Turbo grafx/PC Engine so much, I wish I had had access to it as a kid. I love that a turbo feature is built in. I just love it. So ahead of its time too. I had the RPG hook throughout the game, never once considered dropping it, it has so many advanced niceties. I don't love the bump fighting but they do it as well as they could. And I probly would've gotten frustrated with the complex dungeons and whatnot if it weren't for reliable guides and maps. But with those conveniences, I absolutely loved this.
Feel: 10/10 Excellent Look, Sound, an addictive Play, and a precedent-setting game. The plot is admittedly quite absurd, but it's excellent for the RPG stories of its time. And the overall Feel makes me so anxious to play the other Ys games, I wish the original versions were easier to access in English but I am so grateful they re-released the first 2 in this form.
Attachment: 9/10 If I ever plan to return to ARPGs from this era, this is at the top of the list. It beats out so many of the NES ones I so love, because it has the advanced abilities and the niceties that you didn't see often till much later. Plus the bump mechanic was less frustrating than the precision demanded by the Zelda clones.
Overall: 9.5/10
Completion: 100%
Playtime: 8 hours, but used fast forward for some of the grinds once learned about the bottom-left corner trick, so not an accurate representation of how long to beat it
