CORBIE'S GAME BLOG

I hadn't originally planned on including Ys Book I & II on this list, but after dragging out the Turbo Duo the other day and playing this game again, it reminded me just how great a game this really is. Although the voice acting and CD quality soundtrack are common-place in most of today's RPGs, back when this game first came out for the Turbo CD, there was really nothing else like it. I find it funny that even after nearly 15 years, this game still holds up absolutely great, even against some of the advanced RPGs found on recent consoles. Not only did you get two games for the price of one, but you also got the type of epic role-playing quest that you just couldn't get anywhere else back then. Memorable characters, a beautiful and melodic CD soundtrack, and a simple action combat system all came together in one amazing RPG package that no role-playing game fan should miss.

As I already mentioned, having real voice actors narrate many parts of the game was unheard of when this game was first released, and although this added a unique touch to the game, it was the combat system that most fans probably remember the most. There was no complicated menu system or button mashing involved, instead you merely ran your character in the enemy to cause damage. Now while this might sound overly easy, you had to be careful how you did it. You couldn't just hit an enemy head on in many cases, you had to instead hit them from the side or behind in order to inflict damage to them without getting yourself hurt in the process. This came into play even more so when you faced many of the bosses in the game, as their patterns were important, but being able to attack them without getting yourself injured was the tricky part. The quest itself, spanning two games, was enormous and fulfilling once you were able to complete it. The dungeons in the game were some of the most intricate dungeons I've personally ever seen in an action-style rpg, and it definitely made you feel a strong sense of accomplishment when you were able to come out alive. Everything about this game is just so well-done that you can't help but be in awe of it. If you can somehow get ahold of a Turbo CD or Turbo Duo system, please do yourself a favor and give this game a try. It's a classic that deserves to be played by anyone that can appreciate what an amazing experience it really is.