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Ys (series)

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Ys
GenreAction role-playing
DeveloperNihon Falcom
PublisherVarious
Creators
  • Masaya Hashimoto
  • Tomoyoshi Miyazaki
ComposerFalcom Sound Team jdk
Platforms
First releaseYs I: Ancient Ys Vanished
21 June 1987
Latest releaseYs X: Proud Nordics
20 February 2026

Ys[a] is a Japanese series of action role-playing games developed by Nihon Falcom. Created by game designer and programmer Masaya Hashimoto and scenario writer Tomoyoshi Miyazaki, the series began with Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished, released for the NEC PC-8801 in June 1987.[1] Contemporary and retrospective histories have identified the original game as an important early refinement of the Japanese action role-playing genre, particularly for its accessible real-time combat and rapid pacing.[2]

The series is one of the longest running video game franchises featuring a single protagonist in a consistent game canon. Most games are presented as reconstructions of the travel journals of Adol Christin, a red-haired adventurer who is said within the series' framing narrative to have recorded more than one hundred journeys during his lifetime.[3] Individual installments generally follow one of those journeys and can be understood independently, although recurring characters, civilizations, artifacts, and historical events connect the games.

The games are known for real-time combat, rapid movement, large boss encounters, and prominent music. Its gameplay has been redesigned several times. The first games used contact-based combat in which Adol attacks by colliding with enemies at an angle; later groups of games used manual sword attacks and jumping, three-character parties with instantaneous character switching, and two-character combination combat.[1][4]

The series has remained active across nearly four decades and has appeared on Japanese personal computers, home consoles, handheld systems, Windows, mobile devices, and cloud-gaming services. Its latest release is the expanded action role-playing game Ys X: Proud Nordics, first released for the Nintendo Switch 2 in Japan in July 2025 and internationally for Switch 2, PlayStation 5, and Windows in February 2026.[5][6]

Common elements

[edit]

Framing and chronology

[edit]

Most numbered games follow the travels of Adol Christin, who leaves his home village at the age of 16 and begins his first major adventure at 17. The stories are framed as later adaptations or translations of the travel journals he wrote during his life. Falcom states that Adol left more than one hundred such records, allowing the company to depict his adventures in an order different from their internal chronology.[3]

The numbered titles are not arranged entirely in chronological order. For example, Ys X: Nordics, the tenth numbered game, takes place shortly after Ys II, while Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana occurs before Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim. Falcom selects settings according to the story and gameplay concept under development rather than advancing continuously through Adol's life.[7]

The following table lists the Falcom-recognized chronological order of the main adventures currently depicted in the games. The English journal names are descriptive translations of the Japanese titles shown on Falcom's series portal.[3]

Chronology of Adol Christin's depicted adventures
Order Games Setting
1 Ys I and Ys II Esteria and the ancient kingdom of Ys
2 Ys X: Nordics Obelia Gulf
3 Ys: Memories of Celceta Celceta
4 Ys: The Oath in Felghana Felghana
5 Ys V: Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand Sandria and Kefin
6 Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana Isle of Seiren
7 Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim Canaan Islands
8 Ys Seven Altago
9 Ys IX: Monstrum Nox Balduq

Ys Origin is set approximately 700 years before Ys I and does not depict one of Adol's journeys; it instead follows events in the ancient kingdom of Ys involving the twin goddesses and their search party.[8]

Adol is generally portrayed as a silent or minimally voiced protagonist during ordinary dialogue. Other characters respond to his selected answers, while later games give him short voiced reactions and battle dialogue. Falcom president Toshihiro Kondo has described Adol as a largely mute character whose personality is expressed through his actions, reactions, and the player's interpretation.[9]

Dogi is a recurring companion whom Adol first meets during his initial adventure. He accompanies Adol in several later games, including the journey to Dogi's homeland of Felghana and the investigation of Balduq in Ys IX: Monstrum Nox.[10][11] Individual installments generally introduce a new regional cast, with relatively few supporting characters continuing into the next adventure. Kondo has explained that this structure allows each game to begin with Adol meeting a new group of people and conclude with his departure from them.[12]

World and mythology

[edit]

The series uses altered geographic names and cultures that echo real-world regions. The games take place on the continent of Eresia, in a region called Europa, and describes journeys reaching Afroca and Orienta; individual games reinterpret rather than directly reproduce those places.[3] Ys X draws particularly on northern maritime cultures through its Norman seafarers and Obelia Gulf setting.[7]

The name of the series comes from Ys, the vanished civilization at the center of the first two games, which was inspired by the Breton legend of a submerged city.[1] The first games establish the twin goddesses Feena and Reah, the Black Pearl, the six priests of Ys, Darm Tower, and an ancient winged people. Ys Origin expands the history of those elements by depicting the final period of the ancient kingdom approximately seven centuries before Adol's arrival.[8]

Later games connect several ancient artifacts and winged figures through the civilization known as the Eldeen. Ys VI identifies the Ark of Napishtim as an Eldeen creation and links its history to mythology established in earlier installments.[13] Falcom does not require every installment to center on the Eldeen. Kondo has said that the company has considered restoring them to a more prominent role but has sometimes avoided doing so because extensive dependence on older mythology would make new games less approachable.[14]

Themes

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Although individual plots differ, exploration and the discovery of unfamiliar places remain central to the series. Kondo has described simple, immediately enjoyable action as a basic characteristic of Ys and has discussed moving its systems further toward adventure and traversal.[15] Xseed localization staff similarly described Adol as an adventurer whose role is to explore and participate in an existing world rather than impose a fixed viewpoint upon it.[16]

Many installments place Adol in an isolated region whose ruins, beliefs, or suppressed history affect the present. The journal framing allows those regional stories to remain largely self-contained while contributing to a broader chronology.[3][16]

Gameplay

[edit]

The Ys games use real-time combat and generally place greater emphasis on movement and direct control than on menu-driven battle commands. Falcom has repeatedly changed the combat system while retaining an emphasis on rapid encounters, exploration, character growth, and large boss battles.[1]

Contact-based combat

[edit]

Ys I and Ys II use a contact-based system commonly called "bump combat". The player damages enemies by moving Adol into them, with attacks being safer and more effective when he approaches from an offset angle rather than colliding directly with the center of an enemy's front. The system allows movement and attacking to be controlled entirely with the directional controls.[1]

The original designers intended the simplified controls to make the role-playing game accessible while preserving positional decision-making. Falcom staff later compared the rhythm of defeating groups of weaker enemies to popping the bubbles in protective packing material, turning repeated battles and level growth into a fast, arcade-like activity.[17]

Ys II retained the contact-based fighting and added projectile magic, utility spells, and an item that transforms Adol into a monster. In that form, he can communicate with ordinary monsters and obtain dialogue unavailable to him as a human.[1]

Ys IV: The Dawn of Ys and the original Ys IV: Mask of the Sun later returned to variations of contact combat. Because the two games were developed separately by Hudson Soft and Tonkin House from Falcom's shared planning materials, their mechanics, maps, and stories differ.[1]

Manual attacks and platforming

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Ys III: Wanderers from Ys changed to a side-view action format with manual sword attacks, jumping, crouching, and attacks performed from different positions. Falcom later remade its story as Ys: The Oath in Felghana, using the elevated three-dimensional action system introduced in Ys VI.[1]

Ys V: Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand returned to an overhead view but retained a dedicated attack button. It added jumping, active shield defense, maps with different elevations, separate physical and magical development, and an alchemy system used to create spells.[1]

Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim established another major design model. It combines three-dimensional environments with two-dimensional character sprites and gives Adol three elemental swords that provide different attacks, magic, and traversal functions. The Oath in Felghana and Ys Origin use revisions of the same engine and place greater emphasis on platforming, aerial attacks, and boss encounters.[1][18]

Party-based combat

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Ys Seven replaced the single-character system with a party of up to three active characters. The player controls one character while the others act automatically and can switch among them during combat. Characters use slashing, striking, or piercing attacks, and enemies may be weak or resistant to particular weapon types.[19]

The game also introduced weapon-linked skills, Extra Skills, stun gauges, and Flash Guard. A successful Flash Guard, performed immediately before an attack connects, negates damage and provides offensive benefits. Ys: Memories of Celceta added Flash Move, which rewards a precisely timed evasion by temporarily slowing enemies.[20]

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana expanded this structure with a castaway settlement, defensive raids, gathering and crafting, and exploration abilities associated with recruited characters and artifacts.[21] Ys IX: Monstrum Nox retained the party combat and added supernatural traversal abilities that allow the party to run up walls, glide, grapple to distant points, reveal hidden objects, and travel through restricted passages.[22]

Two-character combat and sailing

[edit]

Ys X: Nordics replaced the three-person party with Adol and Karja Balta. Solo Mode allows the player to control either character independently, while Combination Mode commands them together and emphasizes guarding, counterattacks, the Revenge Gauge, and paired skills.[4]

Kondo said the smaller playable cast allowed Falcom to devote more development resources to the actions, animations, and relationship of the two protagonists. The supernatural bond that keeps Adol and Karja physically close also provides a narrative explanation for their combination attacks.[7]

Ys X additionally introduces controllable sailing and naval combat. The player travels between islands aboard the Sandras, finds uncharted locations, improves the ship, attacks hostile vessels, and participates in battles to liberate occupied areas.[23]

Recurring systems

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Health recovery appears in several entries, although its conditions vary. In the first games, Adol gradually recovers health by remaining stationary in safe outdoor areas, while dungeons restrict that recovery; later entries use combinations of items, equipment, rest points, facilities, or automatic restoration.[24]

Exploration frequently provides permanent abilities that open previously inaccessible paths. Ys II gives Adol magic that includes projectile attacks, teleportation, and transformation into a monster, while Ys VI uses three elemental swords with different attacks and traversal functions.[1] Ys: Memories of Celceta and Ys VIII provide artifacts and character-specific actions used to overcome environmental barriers.[21][25] Ys IX introduces Monstrum Gifts that enable actions including wall-running, gliding, grappling, revealing concealed objects, and passing through narrow spaces.[26] Ys X similarly uses Mana Actions for grappling, high-speed movement, manipulating the environment, and revealing hidden routes or objects.[27]

Large boss encounters are another recurring feature. They commonly require the player to recognize attack patterns, maintain advantageous positioning, and use the movement, guarding, evasion, or traversal systems particular to each game.[28][29] Reviews of individual entries have frequently identified their boss battles as a defining strength of the combat.[30]

History

[edit]
Release timeline
1987Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished
1988Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished – The Final Chapter
1989Ys III: Wanderers from Ys
Ys I & II
1990–1992
1993Ys IV: Mask of the Sun
Ys IV: The Dawn of Ys
1994
1995Ys V: Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand
1996–2002
2003Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim
2004
2005Ys: The Oath in Felghana
2006Ys Strategy
Ys Origin
2007–2008
2009Ys Seven
2010Ys vs. Trails in the Sky
2011
2012Ys: Memories of Celceta
2013–2015
2016Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana
2017–2018
2019Ys IX: Monstrum Nox
2020–2022
2023Ys X: Nordics

Creation and early computer games

[edit]

Ys emerged during the formative period of Japanese action role-playing games. Earlier titles such as Falcom's Dragon Slayer and T&E Soft's Hydlide had already combined real-time action with role-playing statistics. Within that developing field, Ys emphasized rapid progression, low control complexity, and continuous real-time combat.[31][1][2]

Masaya Hashimoto and Tomoyoshi Miyazaki developed the original concept while working at Nihon Falcom. Hashimoto led programming and game design, while Miyazaki wrote the scenario.[17] They intended to create a role-playing game that remained approachable to players who found contemporary examples of the genre overly difficult or dependent on statistical complexity. The automatic contact-based battle system allowed Adol to attack through movement alone, while striking enemies off-center rewarded positioning without requiring a separate attack command.[1]

The first game's working concept was larger than Falcom could complete within its planned schedule and storage limits. The developers therefore divided the story between Ys I, released for the PC-8801 on 21 June 1987, and Ys II, released the following year.[17][1] Together, the games established persistent elements including a traveling protagonist, self-contained regional adventures connected by a broader mythology, real-time combat, prominent boss encounters, and an emphasis on music.

The games used colorful overhead graphics, automatic contact-based combat, rapid character growth, and music written for the sound hardware of Japanese computers.[1] Composer Yuzo Koshiro, who was still in his teens during his early work for Falcom, contributed music to both games alongside Mieko Ishikawa and other members of Falcom's sound staff.[17][32]

Ys III: Wanderers from Ys followed in 1989 and replaced the overhead contact-based system with side-scrolling action, manual sword attacks, and platforming.[1] Hashimoto and Miyazaki subsequently left Falcom and became founding members of Quintet, while Falcom retained and continued the series.[17][33]

Console adaptations and competing versions

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Falcom licensed the early games to several console developers and publishers. These adaptations sometimes differed substantially from the original computer releases in graphics, music, level design, balancing, and scenario content.[1]

Hudson Soft combined the first two games as Ys I & II for the PC Engine CD-ROM² in 1989, with Alfa System developing the combined adaptation.[34] The release used the CD format for arranged recorded audio, animated sequences, and extensive voice acting. Its 1990 North American edition, titled Ys Book I & II, replaced the Japanese dialogue with an English-language dub and was later included with the TurboDuo.[35]

For Ys IV, Falcom created planning materials and music but licensed separate adaptations to Hudson Soft and Tonkin House. Hudson's The Dawn of Ys and Tonkin House's Mask of the Sun were both released in 1993 and presented different versions of Adol's journey through Celceta.[1] Falcom later revisited the scenario in Ys: Memories of Celceta in 2012.[36]

Ys V: Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand, released in 1995, was Falcom's first internally developed game created specifically for the Super Famicom. It introduced manual sword attacks, jumping, and an alchemy-based magic system, further moving the series away from the contact-based combat of the first two games.[1] Falcom released Ys V Expert in March 1996 with increased difficulty and revised enemy balancing.[1]

Hiatus and the Napishtim engine

[edit]

Falcom did not release a new numbered entry for approximately eight years after Ys V. During that period, the company produced remakes and compilations for Windows, including Ys Eternal in 1997, Ys II Eternal in 2000, and the combined Ys I & II Complete in 2001.[1][37]

Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim was released for Windows in 2003. It maintained Adol as the sole playable protagonist and combined sprite-based characters with three-dimensional environments, manual attacks, jumping, and three elemental swords.[1] It also used recurring characters and ancient artifacts to connect previously separate parts of the series' mythology.[13]

Falcom reused an updated version of that game engine for Ys: The Oath in Felghana, a 2005 reconstruction of Ys III, and Ys Origin in 2006. Xseed Games later described the three releases as a related trilogy built around successive versions of the same engine.[18] Origin is the first major series game not centered on Adol and is set approximately 700 years before Ys I, following Yunica Tovah, Hugo Fact, and a third unlockable protagonist during the final period of the ancient kingdom of Ys.[8]

Konami developed and published PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable versions of Ys VI, releasing them outside Japan in 2005 and 2006, respectively. The PlayStation 2 version replaced the Windows release's sprite-based characters with polygonal models, added voice acting and additional challenges, and used a separate English localization.[38] Reviews of the PlayStation Portable version criticized frequent loading and other technical compromises.[39] Taito separately published licensed PlayStation 2 adaptations of Ys III, Ys IV, and Ys V in Japan.[1]

Party-system era

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Falcom developed Ys Seven as its first original Ys game for the PlayStation Portable. Released in 2009, it introduced a three-character party system, weapon-type relationships, learnable skills, Extra Skills, and Flash Guard, forming the principal combat framework used by the next several entries.[19][40]

The company revisited the Celceta story from the Ys IV games with Ys: Memories of Celceta for the PlayStation Vita in 2012. Kondo said the company had discussed producing its own version for more than a decade and chose the project partly because the series' 25th anniversary coincided with the launch period of the Vita.[36] The game retained the party and attack-attribute systems of Ys Seven while adding character-specific field actions and a map-completion system tied to Adol's exploration of Celceta.[41]

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana was released for the Vita in 2016 and expanded for PlayStation 4 in 2017. It added alternating playable protagonists, the Castaway Village, defensive raids, a larger interconnected island, and expanded exploration abilities.[21] Kondo later said that Falcom treated Ys VIII as the gameplay foundation for Ys IX: Monstrum Nox, while changing the setting and adding new movement systems.[42]

Ys IX, released in 2019, moved the series from the predominantly natural environments of the preceding games to the prison city of Balduq. Kondo said the development team first wanted to make greater use of vertical movement, then created the Monstrums and their supernatural Gifts to justify those abilities within the story.[14] The Gifts allow actions such as running up walls, gliding, grappling to elevated points, detecting concealed objects, and passing through narrow spaces.[43]

Cross Action and Ys X

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Falcom announced Ys X: Nordics in December 2022 as a project associated with the series' 35th anniversary.[44] The game was developed simultaneously for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Nintendo Switch and was released in Japan on 28 September 2023.[45]

Kondo said the company used the tenth numbered entry to reconsider the resource-intensive multi-character party structure. Falcom focused instead on Adol and Karja, connecting their developing relationship to the Solo and Combination modes of the Cross Action system.[7] Solo Mode emphasizes rapid movement and individual attacks, while Combination Mode allows the pair to attack and defend together at reduced movement speed.[4]

The maritime setting developed partly from an unused early proposal Kondo encountered after joining Falcom. The older notes referred to a seafaring Ys game and imagined Altago's Five Great Dragons as enormous warships. Falcom did not use the idea in Ys Seven, but it later contributed to the premise of Ys X.[7]

The expanded version Ys X: Proud Nordics added Öland Island, new characters and story material, additional Mana Actions, bosses, and the Muspelheim challenge dungeon.[5] Falcom released it for Nintendo Switch 2 in Japan on 31 July 2025 and for PlayStation 5 on 19 February 2026.[5] NIS America released PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch 2, and Windows versions in North America and Europe on 20 February 2026, followed by an Australasian release on 27 February.[6]

Historical significance and longevity

[edit]

The original Ys appeared during the formative period of Japanese action role-playing development. Although it was preceded by games including Dragon Slayer and Hydlide, contemporary and retrospective histories credit it with presenting the genre in a more accessible and polished form through rapid progression, positional contact combat, and a comparatively low control burden.[31][1][2]

The series has continued from 1987 into the 2020s while retaining Adol Christin and a shared fictional chronology. Rather than replacing its protagonist and setting with each numbered installment, Falcom has used the journal framing to depict separate episodes from Adol's life in a non-sequential order.[3][7]

Its longevity has not depended on preserving a single combat system. Falcom has repeatedly reconstructed the series around the capabilities and design conventions of different hardware generations. The contact-based combat of the first games gave way to side-scrolling action in Ys III, manual attacks and jumping in Ys V, the three-dimensional Napishtim framework in Ys VI, party switching in Ys Seven, expanded traversal in Ys VIII and Ys IX, and the paired Cross Action system in Ys X.[1][7]

The series has also moved through an unusually broad succession of platforms and publishing arrangements. It originated on Japanese personal computers, gained international recognition through console adaptations such as Ys I & II for the PC Engine CD-ROM², returned to Windows with Ys VI, and later shifted toward internally developed console and multiplatform releases.[35][1]

Kondo has said that continuing the series requires it to continue evolving as hardware, audiences, and expectations change. He has described Falcom's goal as retaining the identity of Ys while repeatedly revising its action and exploration systems for new players.[15]

International releases

[edit]

Early localizations

[edit]

Sega released the first game for the Master System outside Japan under the title Ys: The Vanished Omens.[46] The North American TurboGrafx-CD release of Ys Book I & II was particularly important to the series' early reputation outside Japan. It used voiced dialogue, animated scenes, and an arranged CD soundtrack, and was later included with the TurboDuo console.[35]

Several major 1990s entries did not receive official English releases. Neither version of Ys IV was localized at the time, and Ys V remained officially available only in Japanese. Fan translation projects later made versions of those games playable in English; the 2013 translation of Ys V meant that every numbered entry released at that point was available in English in some form.[47]

Konami and Xseed releases

[edit]

Konami developed and published ports of Ys VI for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable outside Japan. The PlayStation 2 version replaced Falcom's two-dimensional character sprites with three-dimensional models, added voice acting and other gameplay content, and used an English localization different from the one later produced by Xseed Games. The PlayStation Portable version included additional content but was criticized for frequent loading and other technical limitations.[18][38][48]

Xseed and Nihon Falcom announced a publishing agreement in 2010 covering six PlayStation Portable titles from the Ys and Trails series. The three Ys games included were Ys Seven, Ys: The Oath in Felghana, and Ys I & II Chronicles.[49] Localization producer Thomas Lipschultz said that he joined Xseed while the company was completing the English version of Ys Seven and worked as a co-editor on the game.[50]

Xseed subsequently licensed several of Falcom's Japanese Windows releases for English-language distribution through digital storefronts. It released Ys Origin and The Oath in Felghana for Windows in 2012, followed by Ys I & II Chronicles and a newly localized version of Ys VI.[51][18] These releases incorporated combinations of new translations, achievements, graphical and control options, and compatibility work for contemporary computers. Xseed's 2015 version of Ys VI added widescreen support, save-point warping, achievements, and the optional Catastrophe Mode.[18]

NIS America and multilingual releases

[edit]

NIS America became the principal Western publisher for new numbered entries beginning with Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana. It subsequently published Ys IX, Ys X, and later versions in North America, Europe, and Oceania.[21][22][6]

The original English localization of Ys VIII received criticism for inaccurate or unnatural text and voice direction. NIS America president Takuro Yamashita apologized publicly and announced a complete review using a new translator and editor. The company revised the script, rerecorded dialogue, and updated the English and French versions in January 2018.[52]

Clouded Leopard Entertainment has published Traditional Chinese, Simplified Chinese, and Korean versions of later Falcom games in Asian territories.[53] Dotemu and other external publishers have released additional console ports, including versions of Ys Origin for PlayStation, Xbox, and Nintendo Switch.[54]

Music

[edit]

Music has been a prominent part of the series since the original computer releases. The soundtracks have been credited to individual composers and to Falcom Sound Team jdk, the collective name used for Falcom's internal music staff.

Yuzo Koshiro, Mieko Ishikawa, Hideya Nagata, and other composers wrote the music for the first games. Koshiro's early work combined rock, fusion, classical, and contemporary game-music influences within the FM-synthesis capabilities of Japanese computers.[17][32]

Hudson Soft commissioned Ryo Yonemitsu to arrange music from the first games for the PC Engine CD-ROM² versions. The CD format allowed the adaptations to use recorded instrumental arrangements rather than relying only on synthesized playback from the console's sound hardware.[35]

Falcom has released soundtrack albums, arranged collections, vocal albums, drama recordings, and concert recordings. Early album series included Music from Ys, Perfect Collection Ys, and the annual Falcom Special Box compilations, while later releases have included complete soundtracks and acoustic, orchestral, and rock arrangements.[3]

Falcom jdk Band performs rock arrangements of music from Ys, Trails, and other Falcom games at concerts and promotional events. The company's portal lists original soundtracks and arrangement albums continuing through Ys X: Nordics and later releases.[3]

Recurring musical ideas are sometimes rearranged across games and versions. Tracks from the original Ys IV projects were reused or rearranged for Ys: Memories of Celceta, while remakes such as The Oath in Felghana retain melodies from their earlier counterparts with new instrumentation and additional compositions.[55]

[edit]

Animation

[edit]

The first two games were adapted into two original video animation series. The first, Ys, consists of seven episodes released in Japan between 1989 and 1991 and adapts the events of Ys I. The four-episode sequel, Ys II: Castle in the Heavens, was released between 1992 and 1993 and continues the story through the events of Ys II.[56][57]

The adaptations expand the comparatively concise stories of the games by adding scenes involving Adol's journey to Esteria and developing the roles of supporting characters. They retain central elements including the six Books of Ys, Darm Tower, the twin goddesses Feena and Reah, and the floating land of Ys.[56][57]

Both series were released on DVD in North America by Anime Works, an imprint of Media Blasters. They were sold individually and together in the three-disc collection Ys Legacy in 2004.[58]

Drama recordings and print works

[edit]

Falcom and its licensing partners have produced several audio dramas based on the series. Licensed releases include drama CDs adapting Ys I and Ys II, as well as Ys Seven Prologue: Adol's Unwritten Adventure, which depicts events associated with the beginning of Ys Seven.[59] Falcom Special Box '96 included a drama based on Ys V: Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand, with a cast led by Takeshi Kusao as Adol.[60]

The series has also received manga, novels, strategy guides, art books, and anniversary publications issued by Falcom and outside publishers. These include narrative adaptations of individual games, production artwork, character illustrations, musical commentary, and retrospective material covering the history of the series.[59][61]

Online and mobile games

[edit]

Licensed online games include Ys Online: The Call of Solum, a massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by the South Korean company CJ Internet. Set more than a century after Adol's adventures, it was launched in South Korea in 2007 and subsequently operated in China, Taiwan, Japan, and Europe before service ended in all regions.[62][63]

Ys Online: The Ark of Napishtim is a free-to-play mobile online role-playing game based on the setting and characters of Ys VI. It was first released for Android and iOS in Japan in July 2021, followed by Southeast Asian and international versions in 2022.[64][65]

Falcom announced a separate mobile adaptation of Ys VIII under license in 2019. Promotional versions showed reconstructed environments and an additional playable character named Rucol.[66][67] As of July 2026, Falcom continued to list the project as open for preregistration without a confirmed release date.[68]

Crossovers

[edit]

Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga, released for the PlayStation Portable in 2010, is a crossover fighting game featuring characters and locations from Ys and Falcom's Trails series. Its action system was adapted from Ys Seven for competitive battles involving as many as four characters.[69]

Adol, Dogi, and other Ys characters have also appeared in Falcom crossover and promotional games and in licensed collaborations with games operated by other companies.[59]

Reception and legacy

[edit]

The series has been recognized for its fast real-time combat, prominent music, and willingness to redesign its central mechanics while retaining a continuous protagonist and world history.[1][2]

The original games were developed during the formation of the Japanese action role-playing genre. Their contact-based combat simplified the input required for ordinary battles while rewarding positional movement, and their rapid pacing reduced some of the slower repetition associated with contemporary role-playing games.[17][1]

Ys I & II for the PC Engine CD-ROM² received particular attention for its use of CD audio, voice acting, and animated sequences. Its North American TurboGrafx-CD release helped establish the series' early reputation outside Japan.[35]

Retrospective coverage has highlighted the way the series' major combat models correspond to different production eras: contact combat in the earliest games, manual single-character action beginning with Ys V and Ys VI, party combat beginning with Ys Seven, and Cross Action in Ys X.[1][7]

Later entries broadened the international audience. Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana received generally favorable reviews across several platforms and was frequently praised for its combat, exploration, soundtrack, and castaway-settlement structure. Falcom reported that its worldwide sales exceeded 600,000 copies by 2019.[70]

The series' music has maintained a separate following through soundtrack albums, arranged recordings, concerts, and performances by Falcom jdk Band. Tracks from the early games have been repeatedly rearranged for remakes, animation, concerts, and anniversary releases.[3]

The structure of Adol's journals gives Falcom flexibility to revisit older regions and reinterpret previously licensed stories. The company replaced the competing Ys IV adaptations with its own Memories of Celceta and has discussed the possibility of similarly rebuilding Ys V. Kondo has said that a new version of Ys V would require substantial scenario revision rather than only updated graphics.[71]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ↑ Ys (イース, Īsu), pronounced /ˈiːs/.

References

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  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 Umemoto, Yukitaka (20 November 2012). アクションRPGの金字塔「イース」生誕25周年。四半世紀にわたって続くシリーズの歴史を振り返ろう [The 25-year history of the landmark action role-playing series Ys]. 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Fenner, Robert (26 September 2017). "So You Want to Get into the Ys Series..." RPGFan. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 イースポータルサイト [Ys series portal]. Nihon Falcom (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  4. 1 2 3 クロスアクション [Cross Action]. Nihon Falcom (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  5. 1 2 3 イースX -Proud NORDICS- [Ys X: Proud Nordics]. Nihon Falcom (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  6. 1 2 3 "Ys X: Proud Nordics". NIS America. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 「イースX」の魅力に迫りつくす、ファルコム近藤季洋氏ロングインタビュー [Long interview with Falcom's Toshihiro Kondo examining the development and appeal of Ys X]. Gamer (in Japanese). 19 December 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 イース・オリジン [Ys Origin]. Nihon Falcom (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  9. ↑ "Interview with Toshihiro Kondo from Nihon Falcom: Ys 35th Anniversary Special". RPG Spain. 18 October 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  10. ↑ "Ys Memoire: The Oath in Felghana". Nihon Falcom. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  11. ↑ "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox". NIS America. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  12. ↑ "Interview with Toshihiro Kondo-San, President of Nihon Falcom and Director of Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana". GameGrin. 19 September 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  13. 1 2 イースVI -ナピシュテムの匣- [Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim]. Nihon Falcom (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  14. 1 2 "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox – Post-Release Interview, Part 2". Frontline Gaming Japan. 1 February 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  15. 1 2 Stenbuck, Kite (24 May 2017). "Toshihiro Kondo Ponders the Next Ys Game". RPG Site. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  16. 1 2 "Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim – Localization Blog #2". Marvelous USA. Xseed Games. 17 April 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Ys – Developer Interview Collection, 1987–1998". Shmuplations. 3 January 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  18. 1 2 3 4 5 "Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim – Localization Blog #1". Marvelous USA. Xseed Games. 3 April 2015. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  19. 1 2 "Ys Seven". Marvelous USA. Xseed Games. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  20. ↑ "Avoiding Damage". World of Ys. Xseed Games. Archived from the original on 22 January 2014. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  21. 1 2 3 4 "Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana". NIS America. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  22. 1 2 "Ys IX: Monstrum Nox". NIS America. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  23. ↑ 大海原を航海 [Sailing the open sea]. Nihon Falcom (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  24. ↑ "Ys Book I & II". Hardcore Gaming 101. 15 August 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  25. ↑ 発売後だからこそ語れるエンディングに込めた意図も激白！ 『イース セルセタの樹海』ロングインタビュー 3ページ目 [Ys: Foliage Ocean in Celceta development interview, page 3]. Dengeki Online (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. 26 October 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  26. ↑ システム [System]. Nihon Falcom (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  27. ↑ マナアクション [Mana Actions]. Nihon Falcom (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  28. ↑ Clements, Ryan (20 August 2010). "Ys Seven Review". IGN. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  29. ↑ "Ys Origin". Nihon Falcom. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  30. ↑ Kemps, Heidi (11 December 2013). "Ys: Memories of Celceta Review". GameSpot. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  31. 1 2 Pepe, Felipe (10 October 2016). "1982–1987: The Birth of Japanese RPGs, Re-told in 15 Games". Game Developer. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  32. 1 2 "Yuzo Koshiro – 2001 Composer Interview". Shmuplations. 10 August 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  33. ↑ Kalata, Kurt (8 August 2017). "Quintet". Hardcore Gaming 101. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  34. ↑ 開発実績 [Development history]. Alfa System (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 9 February 1998. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  35. 1 2 3 4 5 Massey, Tom (9 February 2014). "Chronicles of Ys: A Series Retrospective". Eurogamer. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  36. 1 2 発売後だからこそ語れるエンディングに込めた意図も激白！ 『イース セルセタの樹海』ロングインタビュー [Ys: Foliage Ocean in Celceta post-release development interview]. Dengeki Online (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. 26 October 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  37. ↑ イースI・II完全版 [Ys I & II Complete]. Nihon Falcom (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  38. 1 2 Toyotomi, Kazutaka (11 March 2005). PS2ゲームレビュー「イース-ナピシュテムの匣」 [PlayStation 2 game review: Ys: The Ark of Napishtim]. Game Watch (in Japanese). Impress. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  39. ↑ "Ys: The Ark of Napishtim". RPGFan. 20 January 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  40. ↑ 会社沿革（2000年～2009年） [Company history, 2000–2009]. Nihon Falcom (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  41. ↑ "Ys: Memories of Celceta". Marvelous USA. Xseed Games. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  42. ↑ 「イースIX -Monstrum NOX-」近藤季洋氏インタビュー [Ys IX: Monstrum Nox interview with Toshihiro Kondo]. 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). 27 September 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  43. ↑ システム [System]. Nihon Falcom (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  44. ↑ Romano, Sal (15 December 2022). "Ys X: Nordics Announced for PS5, PS4, and Switch". Gematsu. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  45. ↑ イースX -NORDICS- [Ys X: Nordics]. Nihon Falcom (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  46. ↑ "Ys: The Vanished Omens". Sega-16. 8 July 2019. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  47. ↑ Cowan, Danny (5 December 2013). "Ys 5 Fan Translation Released, Full Series Now Available in English". Engadget. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  48. ↑ "Ys: The Ark of Napishtim". RPGFan. 20 January 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  49. ↑ "Xseed, Nihon Falcom Partner to Bring Ys, Legend of Heroes to North America". Game Developer. 14 May 2010. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  50. ↑ "Interview with Tom Lipschultz". Digital Emelas. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  51. ↑ "Ys Origin". Xseed Games. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  52. ↑ Yamashita, Takuro (10 October 2017). "Important Notice Regarding Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana". NIS America. Archived from the original on 26 January 2022. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  53. ↑ "Ys X: Nordics Traditional Chinese/Korean Versions to Be Released Simultaneously with the Japanese Version". Clouded Leopard Entertainment. 16 June 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  54. ↑ Nintendo Switch版『イース・オリジン』世界各国で2020年発売 [Nintendo Switch version of Ys Origin to launch worldwide in 2020]. Nihon Falcom (in Japanese). 8 July 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  55. ↑ 発売後だからこそ語れるエンディングに込めた意図も激白！ 『イース セルセタの樹海』ロングインタビュー 4ページ目 [Ys: Foliage Ocean in Celceta development interview, page 4]. Dengeki Online (in Japanese). ASCII Media Works. 26 October 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  56. 1 2 "Ys". Anime News Network. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  57. 1 2 "Ys II: Castle in the Heavens". Anime News Network. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  58. ↑ "Ys Legacy – Entire Series". Amazon. Anime Works. 11 May 2004. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  59. 1 2 3 "Licensee List". Nihon Falcom. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  60. ↑ ファルコム・スペシャルBOX'96 [Falcom Special Box '96]. Nihon Falcom (in Japanese). 21 December 1995. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  61. ↑ イース生誕25周年記念本 ～フィーナ～ [Ys 25th Anniversary Book: Feena]. Nihon Falcom (in Japanese). 28 September 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  62. ↑ "Ys: The Call of Solum". Hardcore Gaming 101. 17 December 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  63. ↑ 「YS Online ～古代シーマの鼓動～」のサービスが10月3日に終了に [Japanese service for Ys Online to end on 3 October]. 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). 2 August 2011. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  64. ↑ Romano, Sal (29 January 2021). "Ys VI Online: The Ark of Napishtim for iOS, Android Launches This Spring in Japan". Gematsu. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  65. ↑ "Ys Online: The Ark of Napishtim". App Store. ZlongGames. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  66. ↑ Romano, Sal (17 April 2019). "Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana Coming to Smartphones Worldwide". Gematsu. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  67. ↑ Romano, Sal (27 September 2020). "Ys VIII Mobile TGS 2020 Online Footage". Gematsu. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  68. ↑ イースVIII -Lacrimosa of DANA- モバイル [Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana Mobile]. Nihon Falcom (in Japanese). Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  69. ↑ 『イースvs.空の軌跡 オルタナティブ・サーガ』11周年ストーリーまとめ [Ys vs. Trails in the Sky: Alternative Saga 11th-anniversary retrospective]. Dengeki Online (in Japanese). Kadokawa Game Linkage. 29 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  70. ↑ 『イースVIII -Lacrimosa of DANA- モバイル』日本向けサービスの事前登録を開始 [Preregistration begins in Japan for Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana Mobile]. Dengeki Online (in Japanese). Kadokawa Game Linkage. 15 August 2023. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
  71. ↑ Lopez, Azario (3 March 2023). "Potential Ys V Remake Would Need to Revise Storyline, Says Falcom President". Noisy Pixel. Retrieved 15 July 2026.
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