We’re ringing in Shmuppreciation Month with some very special guests! First off, Tiggermango, Apoch, Zinswin and Nanny Skeksis join us at the bar for the show. We also interview Dan Loosen and Gary Heil regarding the Midwest Gaming Classic. We review the new Ys remake for the DS as well as Watchmen: The End is Nigh and we talk shooter awesomeness with a look back at Einhander. The Shmopera returns with Act I and DJ Incompetent dishes out the SCIENCE!! It’s a long one, so hold on and enjoy this week’s show!

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SHOWNOTES

Shmuppretiation Month Kick Off!
DS Review: Legacy of Ys Book I & II
PS3 Review: Watchmen-The End Is Nigh
Retro Review: Einhander (PS1)
Interview with Dan Loosen and Gary Heil (Goatstore.com, MGC)
News: Infamous Dated
Beatles: Rock Band
Punch Out Controls
A Boy and His Blob
Mamonoro to Xbox
Release List
Shmopera 2009-Act 1
DJ Incompetent Presents: SCIENCE!
The Last Shot
DGR Mailbag

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DGR: 03.09.2009

Welcome to the Turbolog, an ongoing series intended to educate Robot Panic readers about the Turbografx-16 and Turbo Duo library. In each entry, I’ll be giving brief information about a game in the Turbo library as well as the game’s rarity and my personal rating, both on a scale of 1-5. We’ll be working backwards alphabetically by title. If you’d like to read all the entries in the Turbolog, simply click the “Turbolog” tag below each article.

(Image from VNotesChronicle.com) While I love the Turbo consoles, few games in the Turbo catalog have reached that “legendary” retro status. And though I contend that the Bonk series, Ninja Spirit, the “of Thunder” games, and the “Crush” titles stand up there with the best of the 8/16-bit era, none of them are widely regarded as top-tier games by the masses. Ys Book I & II, however, has earned a certain mystique over the years due to the fact that it was one of the first RPGs that was epic in both scope and presentation, thanks to the then-new CD format.. And that soundtrack. My God, man, the soundtrack!

Following two adventures and introducing Adol Christen, the Ys series protagonist, the game is actually comprised of the first two Ys titles, Ys: Ancient Ys Vanished, and Ys: The Vanished Omens. The game is a top-down action/RPG that plays similarly to the original Legend of Zelda, except with a far broader scope. There are dozens of dungeons to explore, a bunch of towns to get hints from, and the awesome music and animation scenes really make this a game worth experiencing. The actual gameplay combat, however, may be a bit too old-school for some. You see, instead of slashing with a sword or even utilizing turn-based battles, fighting an enemy in Ys consists of simply charging at that enemy head-on, and if you’re at the proper angle you’ll do damage. If not, you’ll take damage. It’s a head-scratcher these days, and even back in the day it seemed a bit archaic.

The game’s been released and re-released for just about every console under the sun, including the Master System, Saturn, Windows, and Nintendo DS. But I contend that the first great version was for the TurboGrafx-CD. For its time, it was epic, gorgeous, and provided a gameplay experience like none other.

Rarity/Cost (1-5): **
Ys Book I & II is a snap to find on eBay and in retro shops, if you’re lucky enough to have one. However, it seems that finding a mint copy for a decent price is getting more and more difficult. Fortunately, the game can be downloaded on the Wii’s Virtual Console for under $10, and at that price it’s an absolute must-buy.

Rating (1-5): *****
Alright, so the combat and gameplay are pretty archaic by modern standards. But this game is just so well done and epic that it must be experienced. If you’re planning on getting a TurboGrafx-CD or Turbo Duo, this should be one of the first games on your list. And if you own a Wii, there’s no reason not to have it so you can bask in the soundtrack and old-school gameplay.

Welcome to the Turbolog, an ongoing series intended to educate Robot Panic readers about the Turbografx-16 and Turbo Duo library. In each entry, I’ll be giving brief information about a game in the Turbo library as well as the game’s rarity and my personal rating, both on a scale of 1-5. We’ll be working backwards alphabetically by title. If you’d like to read all the entries in the Turbolog, simply click the “Turbolog” tag below each article.

After Ys Book I&II rocked the pants off of lucky Turbo-CD-owning gamers, the anticipation for Ys III was high. Released in 1991, Ys III’s plot took place three years after the events in Ys II. Red-haired protagonist Adol Christin returns to once again save the day. The biggest difference between Ys III and the rest of the series is that it’s more of a side-scrolling action-adventure game than the traditional top-down action-RPG. If you need a comparison, consider this to be the series’ Zelda II. While a decent game by most standards, Ys III is generally considered to be one of the lesser games in the series, simply because of this change in perspective.

Despite this stigma, Ys III offers a lengthy quest full of the usual RPG conventions like leveling-up and item upgrades. In addition, the Ys series is renown for its amazing soundtrack, and Ys III continues this legacy. If you scour eBay, you’re bound to find plenty of soundtrack CDs for sale.

In the United States, Ys III was also ported to both the SNES and Genesis, though these ports sacrifice much of the great music and presentation of the Turbo-CD version. The game was also completely overhauled for PC in 2005 as Ys: The Oath in Felghana.

Rarity/Cost (1-5): ****
You should be able to find Ys III pretty easily either on eBay or through specialty dealers. Copies won’t be abundant, but you’ll find one or two without too much searching. However, despite the ease of locating a copy, it seems that the prices are slowly reaching absurd levels. I’ve seen a complete copy of the game go for nearly $200, which is insane. If you have trouble locating an original Turbo-CD copy, I’d recommend either picking up one of the lesser ports or waiting for the Virtual Console release.

Rating (1-5): ***
Despite complaints from hardcore fans, Ys III holds up pretty decently these days. As I mentioned previously, it’s a relatively lengthy quest presented very well. Plus, I’m a sucker for side-scrollers.

In what is perhaps the most significant Virtual Console release in months, the Turbografx-CD classic Ys Book I & II has landed on the Wii’s Virtual Console service.

Ys Book I & II (TurboGrafx16 CD-ROM, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone-Mild Fantasy Violence, 800 Wii Points): Ys Book I & II chronicles the first adventures of Adol Christin, a young, red-haired swordsman on a quest to unlock the secrets of an ancient kingdom. As Adol, you search the island of Esteria, gathering clues to unravel the mystery of Ys. Fight monsters that lurk in caves and towers with physical or magical attacks, and use your brain to make your way through dangerous areas filled with traps. In Ys Book I & II, the first titles in the Ys series were put together as a single TurboGrafx CD-ROM. They awed players with their gripping story lines accompanied by fully orchestrated soundtracks, wonderful voice acting and amazing special effects. Don’t miss out on your chance to experience this wonderful piece of gaming history.

For those of you unfamiliar with the greatness of Ys, our good friends over at PCEngineFX have put together the following video of the incredible intro for the game.

That shit blew my 14 year-old mind.

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