Play Ys Book I & II - Ancient Ys Vanished Online

Summary

Ys Book I & II feels like a time capsule of early CD‑gaming ambition. The TurboGrafx‑CD version packs 732 MB of data, delivering animated cut‑scenes, Red Book CD‑audio, and even 24 minutes of voice‑acted dialogue—something rare for a 1990 release. The soundtrack, arranged by Ryo Yonemitsu from compositions by Yuzo Koshiro, Mieko Ishikawa and Hideya Nagata, still earns praise for its rich, stereo sound.

What really sticks with me is the combat’s odd charm: you literally ram Adol into foes, a “bump‑and‑grind” system that feels both primitive and oddly satisfying. It strips away complex combos, letting the game’s visual flair and music carry the tension. The graphics, upgraded for CD, are surprisingly vivid, especially when the animated sequences flash between battles.

Overall, the compilation isn’t just a nostalgic relic; it’s a showcase of how developers leveraged the CD format to push audio and visual boundaries, making every encounter feel like a small, unforgettable adventure.

Storyline

Ys Book I & II – Ancient Ys Vanished (often called Ancient Ys Vanished) follows the red‑haired swordsman Adol Christin as he battles demons on two linked islands.
In the first part, Adol washes ashore on Esteria after a storm‑wall isolates the island. He learns from the villagers of Barbado and Minea that six Books of Ys, containing the ancient kingdom’s history, must be recovered to stop the evil forces. With help from characters such as Slaff, Reah, Sara, and the blue‑haired girl Feena, Adol retrieves the first three books from the Shrine of Solomon, a mine in Rastin, and the Tower of Darm, confronting the dark‑cloaked antagonist Dark Fact and finally sealing the books’ power, which dispels the monsters on Esteria.
The story then continues on the floating island of Ys. Adol awakens after being lifted by the books’ magic and is rescued by a girl named Lilia. He is tasked with rescuing Dr. Flair from the Rasteenie mines, delivering a cure for Lilia’s illness, and returning the Books of Ys to statues of the six Priests scattered across the island.
Guided by the Priests’ spirits, Adol traverses the Glacier of Noltia, the lava‑filled Moat of Burnedbless, and the hostile Colony of Lava, eventually infiltrating the demon‑infested Shrine of Solomon. With aid from allies such as the friendly demon Keith, the poet Luta Gemma, and the returning Goban and Reah, he defeats the sorcerer Dalles, frees the imprisoned Goddesses Feena and Reah, and confronts the sentient Black Pearl, Darm.
After destroying Darm, the demons vanish, the floating island begins to sink back into the crater on Esteria, and the Goddesses retreat into a magical sleep, leaving Adol as the hero who restored peace to both Ys and Esteria.