Ys I & II Chronicles (USA) (En) PSP ISO

ROM	Information
Game Name:	Ys I & II Chronicles
Scene Release:	Ys_I_And_II_Chronicles_USA_PSP-BAHAMUT
Region:	USA
Console:	Sony PlayStation Portable
Release Date:	2011-02-21
Genre:	Action RPG
Publisher:	XSEED Games
Image Format:	ISO
Languages:	English, Undub
Disc ID:	ULUS-10547
Users Score:	Rate this item: Rating: 4.2/5. From 9 votes.

Description:

Ys I & II Chronicles is a Action RPG video game published by XSEED Games released on February 21, 2011 for the Sony PlayStation Portable.

Review by CheeseCake:

Ys 1&2 Chronicles is the 5th remake of Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished and Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished – The Final Chapter. It was developed by Nihon Falcom Corporation and localized by XSEED games.

This remake is based on the 2nd remake, Ys 1&2 Complete from 2001 so they share very similar graphics and battle system.

When starting a new game, you may choose two game modes, Ys 1&2 Complete or Ys 1&2 Chronicles. The choice is irrelevant as they share the same gameplay and story, only difference is the character portraits since they drew new portraits for the PSP remake.
You also get a choice of music: The original PC-88, Ys 1&2 Complete, or Ys 1&2 Chronicles. This is actually relevant as it gives you the choice of what style of music you would like. The music can be changed anytime in the OPTION in the game menu.

The Story

The hero of the Ys series, Adol Christin leaves his unnamed hometown in search of adventure. He washes up on the beaches of Barbado Port in the land of Esteria and tended to by the port’s doctor. Esteria is a land where its waters is blocked by After updating himself on the situation by chatting with the townspeople, he receives a Short Sword from Slaff, the head of the local militia and Adol sets off into the outside plains full of treacherous monsters. In the town of Minea, a fortune teller named Sara tells Adol he must seek out the 6 Books of Ys in order to vanquish the evil in this land. Sara tells Adol to see his sister in the next village for more detailed information on the matter.

(ChesseCake: The story direction is a little vague in the beginning for this entry. They don’t really blatantly tell you “This is what you have to do next.” You have to talk to several NPCs, both story-related and general, with somewhat useful dialogue and you finally connect what you specifically need to do next. I usually just talk to all NPCs after story events to see if they have anything different to say.)

It’s not actually as bad as you think, they at least give you a goal like a location or character to meet but you should talk to NPCs afterwards in town for a more informative body of knowledge.

That Confusing Start to a Great Game
If you want that free Short Sword to defend yourself with, you have to literally talk to everyone including Slaff. These include roof and indoor NPCs. After finishing that, talking to Slaff again will get you that Short Sword. You can buy a Short Sword in the next town but you have to dodge all those monsters on the way to Minea.(About 2 or 3 maps full of monsters)
When you reach the town walls, it’s that not-very-noticeable entrance southward of the bridge. (I missed the town and grinded for a whole 6 minutes before I noticed it.)

Optional but Recommended Game Settings
When you regain control of Adol after waking up in the Doctor’s office, press Start and open the game menu. In OPTION/Settings, you should use these settings. It will make gameplay much smoother for you.
Display
EXP Display –> To Next Level. It is good to know when you level up. Total just tells you how much you accumulated.
Wall Transparency–> Adol Visible In caves and plains with trees, they can and will block your character if you set this to Solid.
Monster Stats –> Display You don’t actually make use of this until you consume a certain item you find in the plains areas. This gauges your enemies’ abilities.
Blood Effects: On or Off. Your choice, really.

For Sound, whatever you want. The music can be changed anytime. I think listening to the outdated versions at least once is great but Ys 1&2 Chronicles soundtracks are hands-down the best one.

Movement
Normal Movement–> Run. Move faster. You want fast gameplay.
Directional Movement–> 360 Degrees. More fluid movement than 8-Directional.

Equipment and Items
When you receive equipment, you obviously have to equip it. You might forget to do this though.
There is also shortcuts for items and accessories . Items such as a Wing to return to town or a Potion to heal one’s wounds.
Accessories is something you gain later. These aid you in battle such as doubling attack power or decreasing the damage you receive.

The Battle System

This is the only remake that retains the old Bump System from the old Ys games. Nihon Falcom went to hack and slash starting with Ys V: Kefkin, The Lost City in the Sand on the SNES, 8 years of the bump mechanic before they did the battle system overhaul.

Before you say “Why couldn’t they have done this in the first place?” There was very limited space in CDs back then for PC games and this battle system saved the developers alot of space they could devote to other parts of the game.
The remakes of Ys 1& 2 used the Bump System as a way to honor the older Ys games.

The Bump System is designed in a way where you have to literally touch enemies in order to inflict and receive damage. There are two touch areas, the front and side/back areas. Touching directly head on at the front side of the enemy will damage both you and the enemy. Attacking the sides or back area will attack the enemy without Adol being damaged at all. Simple enough.
The absolute best way to fight is to hit them at the side and continuously Run/Ram them to a wall until the monster dies. This is a legitimate tactic that I use all the time.

Level and Equipment actually matters in this game. The difference of one level and upgraded equipment is the gap between being slaughter by certain enemies and absolutely annihilating them. That slight increase in damage output actually helps when you are fighting higher leveled enemies.

Magic and Skillz

You don’t get magic until the second game, Ys II. Adol is a true flesh and blood human. He gets all his fancy black magic and powers either from magical items or transcendental beings from another dimension.(I’m serious about beings from another dimension. Go look at Ys Seven)

To obtain the power of magic, you have to offer the Rod of Divinity to a Goddess Statue to gain the power to wield magic. Afterwards you must collect magical staves to obtain actual magic. These go from offensive Flame Magic and Illuminating Light Magic to Transformation Magic.

Transformation Magic. Turns Adol into a Roo. He can chat with demons and avoid strife.

Flame Magic. Shoots Fire Balls. Can be charged for a more powerfull Fire Ball. A certain item allows you to Lock On with the Fire Balls.

As for skills, no skills exist in this entry. Only magic, skills came in Ys Seven and they kept that for Ys: Memories of Celceta.

Gameplay Video by XSEED Games showing the Bump System and the Music options.

Recommended Games

The other entries in the Ys Series.
Ys: Oath in Felghana – The remake of the 3rd game Ys III: Wanderers of Ys. This takes place in Dogi’s homeland, Felghana.
Ys Seven – The seventh game takes place in the lands of Altago.

All of the games are standalones. The stories aren’t directly connected with each other so you can play any of the games in any order. The only similarity is featuring the same silent protagonist, Adol Christin.