Ys Book I and II

The first time I popped Ys Book I & II into my Turbo Duo, I knew I was in for the greatest videogame experience of my life.

I had never played a CD-ROM game before, so I was completely amazed when I heard an actual narrator (Alan Oppenheimer) telling me the story of a hopeless world oppressed by evil forces. The complete awe I felt watching the introduction never once dimmed as I made my way through the adventure.

The story may sound like countless others you've heard in you life, but Ys tells it with so much quality. A young man, Adol Christin, must gather the books of Ys in order to bring down the megalomaniac, Dark Fact (beautifully voiced by veteran cartoon man, Michael Bell). Once he recovers the books, Adol is then transported to the land of Ys where he must face the most powerful and frightening of foes - Boss Darm.

Without giving the entire story away, I must say that Ys presents one of the most sweeping adventures of all time; this includes movies, books and radio. I was absolutely mesmerized as I made my way through this enormous quest, never once wanting to put the controller down. When I finally beat the game, I was left speechless. The ending was moving and uplifting all at once. The game beautifully wrapped everything the player experienced throughout the adventure into an unforgettable denouement.

I can't begin to say how much this game moved me. It developed the characters into people you cared about, it swept you through a land filled with challenge and excitement, and at the end, it made you beg on your hands and knees for more. This is by far the greatest game I have ever played, and I can safely say that no game since has touched me the way this one has. The music and voice acting are second to none, and although the graphics appear dated, they still retain much of their charm to this day. If you love RPGs, videogames, or love epic tales, then by any means necessary, dig up a Turbo Grafx CD player and this disc. You will never look at videogames the same way again.