Adol Christin's Journey Towards Smash (Cold Steel 3 on Switch!?)

[SharkLord]

Hmm, this could be a Terry situation. Albeit I went over many of the Ys osts, if I'd have to filter some of the best tracks from each entry, then I would consider the following tracks:

Ys I Chronicles

• First Step Towards Wars
• Palace of Destruction
• Dreaming
• Final Battle

Ys II Chronicles

• To Make the End of Battle

Ys Origin

• Genesis Beyond the Beginning
• Scars of the Divine Wing

Ys: Memories of Celceta

• The Foliage Ocean in Celceta
• Underground Ruins
• The Morning After the Storm
• Ancient Land
• Seeking the Vanished Mask

Ys: The Oath in Felghana

• The Theme of Chester
• A Searing Struggle
• Seal of Time
• Believe in my Heart

Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana

• Sunshine Coastline
• Gens d'Armes
• You'll See Out the End of the Tales

Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim

• Release of the Far West Ocean
• Mighty Obstacle
• Ultramarine Deep
• Mountain Zone
• The Ruined City 'Kishgal'
• Ernst

Ys Seven

• Innocent Primeval Breaker
• Vacant Interference
• Desert of Despair
• Crossing Rage!
• The Place Where Souls Return

Ys IX: Monstrum Nox

• Welcome to Chaos
• Cloaca Maxima
• Monstrum Spectrum
• Norse Wind
• The Cave of Groan
• Crossing A/A

Below is a bigger list just in case.

Spoiler: Big List

• First Step Towards Wars (Ys I Chronicles)
• Palace of Destruction (Ys I Chronicles)
• Chase of Shadow (Ys I Chronicles)
• Dreaming (Ys I Chronicles, Ys Origin)**
• Final Battle (Ys I Chronicles)**
• To Make the End of Battle (Ys II Chronicles)**
• Genesis Beyond the Beginning (Ys Origin)**
• Scars of the Divine Wing (Ys Origin)**
• Prelude to the Omen (Ys Origin)
• The Foliage Ocean in Celceta (Ys Memories of Celceta)**
• Burning Sword (Ys Memories of Celceta)
• In the Fires of Ignition (Ys Memories of Celceta)
• Underground Ruins (Ys Memories of Celceta)**
• Tower of Providence ~ A Kiss From Eldeel (Ys Memories of Celceta)
• The Morning After the Storm (Ys Memories of Celceta)**
• Ancient Land (Ys Memories of Celceta)**
• Seeking the Vanished Mask (Ys Memories of Celceta)**
• Black Wings (Ys Memories of Celceta)
• The Boy Who Had Wings (Ys The Oath in Felghana)
• Illburns Ruins (Ys The Oath in Felghana)
• The Theme of Chester (Ys The Oath in Felghana)**
• A Searing Struggle (Ys The Oath in Felghana)**
• Death Blitz (Ys The Oath in Felghana)
• Valestein Castle (Ys The Oath in Felghana)
• Seal of Time (Ys The Oath in Felghana)**
• Believe in my Heart (Ys The Oath in Felghana)**
• The Strongest Foe (Ys The Oath in Felghana)
• Deadly Temptation (Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana)
• Sunshine Coastline (Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana)**
• Overcome the Rocky Path (Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana)
• Gens d'Armes (Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana)**
• Next Step Toward the Unknown (Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana)
• You'll See Out the End of the Tales (Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana)**
• Release of the Far West Ocean (Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim)**
• Quatera Woods (Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim)
• Mighty Obstacle (Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim)**
• Ultramarine Deep (Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim)**
• Mountain Zone (Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim)**
• The Ruined City 'Kishgal' (Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim)**
• Ernst (Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim)***
• The Depth Napishtim (Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim)
• Innocent Primeval Breaker (Ys Seven)**
• Mother Earth Altago (Ys Seven)
• Vacant Interference (Ys Seven)**
• Desert of Despair (Ys Seven)**
• Smashing Through the Mountain Path (Ys Seven)
• Crossing Rage! (Ys Seven)**
• To Reveal the Way to Go (Ys Seven)
• The Place Where Souls Return (Ys Seven)**
• Welcome to Chaos (Ys IX: Monstrum Nox)
• Heart Beat Shaker (Ys IX: Monstrum Nox)
• Feel Force (Ys IX: Monstrum Nox)
• Cloaca Maxima (Ys IX: Monstrum Nox)
• Monstrum Spectrum (Ys IX: Monstrum Nox)
• Urban Terror (Ys IX: Monstrum Nox)
• Troublemaker (Ys IX: Monstrum Nox)
• Lacrima Crisis (Ys IX: Monstrum Nox)
• Full Moon Ceremony (Ys IX: Monstrum Nox)
• Norse Wind (Ys IX: Monstrum Nox)**
• The Cave of Groan (Ys IX: Monstrum Nox)**
• Crossing A/A (Ys IX: Monstrum Nox)
• Catch Me If You Can (Ys IX: Monstrum Nox)
• Glessing Way! (Ys IX: Monstrum Nox)

I feel like these songs should be in there as part of the bare minimum, but that's just me.

 

[YsDisciple]

Thinking outside from Smash DLC speculation, in regards to the legendary clash between Adol and Link, I believe Ocarina of Time's Adult Link would be the ideal choice. Other potential Links that could also be considered within a hypothetical travel between Worlds are,

• A Link to the Past
• A Link Between Worlds
• Twilight Princess
• Skyward Sword

 

[Perkilator]

I made a Challenger Pack and Classic Mode route for Adol:

Spoiler: Challenger Pack

Stage: Darm Tower

Music:

1. Feena
2. First Step Towards Wars
3. Theme of Adol
4. Theme of Adol 2001
5. Palace of Destruction
6. Tower of the Shadow of Death
7. Dreaming
8. Final Battle
9. To Make the End of Battle
10. The Boy Who Had Wings
11. Genesis Beyond the Beginning
12. Scars of the Divine Wing
13. The Theme of Chester
14. A Searing Struggle
15. Seal of Time
16. Believe in my Heart
17. Theme of Adol 1993
18. The Foliage Ocean in Celceta
19. Underground Ruins
20. The Morning After the Storm
21. Ancient Land
22. Seeking the Vanished Mask
23. Release of the Far West Ocean
24. Mighty Obstacle
25. Ultramarine Deep
26. Mountain Zone
27. The Ruined City 'Kishgal'
28. Ernst
29. Innocent Primeval Breaker
30. Vacant Interference
31. Desert of Despair
32. Crossing Rage!
33. The Place Where Souls Return
34. Sunshine Coastline
35. Gens d'Armes
36. You'll See Out the End of the Tales
37. Welcome to Chaos
38. Cloaca Maxima
39. Monstrum Spectrum
40. Norse Wind
41. The Cave of Groan
42. Crossing A/A

Spirits:

1. Dogi (, )
2. Feena & Reah (, )
3. Lilia (, )
4. Geis (, )
5. Hugo Fact (, ) -> Dark Fact ()
6. Dana (, )
7. Pikkard (, )
8. Estelle Bright (, )
9. Joshua Bright (, )
10. Rean Schwarzer (Adol, )
11. Parin (, )
12. Dragon Slayers (, )
13. Pipiro and Pokkle (, )

Spoiler: Classic Mode: Bump in the Road

(Fights characters whose attacks hurt themselves; this is a reference to Ys I and II's bump system, where you damage both yourself and the enemy when you attack head-on)
Round 1: x7 (horde battle) on Pokemon Stadium (First Step Towards Wars)
Round 2: on Prism Tower (Palace of Destruction)
Round 3: on Coliseum (Dreaming)
Round 4: on (Tower of the Shadow of Death)
Round 5: (free-for-all) on Boxing Ring (King Dedede's Theme (Brawl))
Round 6: Adol on Darm Tower (Theme of Adol)
Final Round:

(and

on 7.0 or higher) on Darm Tower Ω (To Make the End of Battle)

 

[Perkilator]

And now my moveset:

Spoiler

Intro: Adol regains consciousness, and gets into battle position.

Stance/Idle 1: Adol moves left and right in a 90’s anime-style movement, holding his sword two-handed.
Idle 2: Adol briefly strokes his sword with his left hand.
Idle 3: Adol wipes his head with his left hand.


Notable Palette Swaps:

• Classic Adol (default)
• Dogi (blue/green)
• Feena (cyan/white)
• Rhea (blue/red)
• Lilia (cyan/brown)
• Dark Fact (yellow/purple)
• Geis (green/black)
• Estelle Bright (brown/orange)

Walk: Adol treads carefully.
Dash: Adol dashes forward with his sword in one hand.
Damage: Adol leans backwards. When he’s not being hit, he glows red when the Bump System kicks in.
Jump: Adol jumps once in his two-handed position, then takes one of his hands off when double-jumping.
Crouch: Adol crouches like


Weapon of Choice: Adol carries a Longsword, which ties into the Bump System.

Normal Attacks
Jab: Adol swipes left and right constantly (2%-3% each, small knockback)
Forward+A: Adol jabs his longsword (5%, small knockback)
Down+A: Adol does an uppercut swipe (6%, small knockback)
Up+A: Adol does a backward slash above himself (5%, small knockback)

Aerial Attacks
Air+A: Adol does a full 360 slash around himself (9%, OK knockback)
Air Forward+A: Adol does a crescent slash (8%, OK knockback)
Air Back + A: Adol does a backward crescent slash (9%, OK knockback)
Air Up+A: Adol does an upward arc slash (7%, small knockback)
Air Down+A: Adol does a downward crescent slash (10% with a meteor effect, OK knockback)

Dash Attack: Adol does a dashing slash (7%, OK knockback)
Edge Attack: Adol thrusts his sword as he climbs back up (4%, small knockback)
Get-Up Attack: Adol swings left and right (5%, small knockback(

Smash Attacks
Forward+A: Adol stabs the enemy with his sword (22%, medium knockback); this can be slightly angled.
Up+A: Adol swings in an upward arc twice (21%, medium knockback)
Down+A: Adol swings his sword diagonally downwards (18%, medium knockback)

Grab Game
Grab: Adol grabs the opponent with one of his hands.
Pummel: Adol knees the opponent (1%)
Forwards+Throw: Adol does a slash that looks like it’s scooping up the opponent (9%, OK knockback)
Down+Throw: Adol spins ounce and swings his sword downward (11%, OK knockback)
Back+Throw: Adol turns around and kicks the opponent (6%, small knockback)
Up+Throw: Adol throws the opponent above himself (3%) then stabs them (9%, OK knockback)

Special Moves
B : Ignis Bracelet; Adol shoots fireballs by pressing and holding B (6% each, small knockback). Repeated uses weaken the attack over time.

• If B is tapped, Adol shoots one fireball.
• If B is held for 1.5 seconds, Adol shoots two fireballs.
• If B is held for 3 seconds, Adol shoots three fireballs.

B + Forwards : Terra Bracelet; Adol thrusts his sword and charges forward.

• If B is tapped, Adol charges forward and goes a long distance (14%, OK knockback; 6% recoil)
• If B is held, Adol performs a powerful thrust that goes slightly less distance (31%, far knockback; 13% recoil), leaving him to recharge for 2 seconds.

B + Up : Wing; Adol flies extremely high with a Wing, only able to move straight upward.
B + Down : Livart Slash; Adol does a two-handed 360 slash where wind blows out of his sword (20%, far knockback; 5% recoil)

Final Smash: Books of Ys; Adol charges forward in a beam of light (10%). Opponents are then taken into a cutscene where all six Books of Ys gather around Adol, and he charges into the opponent (20%) and the lights of the Books all form spires that do the same (4% each) (56% total, devastating knockback)

Gimmick: Bump System; if Adol attacks opponents when really close to them, he will take slight recoil damage (.1%-.5%); hence why he has a Longsword, because it can help to attack opponents without getting too close. The Bump System only kicks in when the opponent isn’t shielding.


Taunts
1: Adol briefly sticks out his left index and middle fingers while holding his sword in his right hand.
2: Adol mimics his pose from Ys I & II Chronicles.
1+2: Adol raises his sword and lets out a war cry.


Winposes
1: The Books of Ys all float around Adol.
2: The camera zooms around Adol, who then does a slash with his sword taken directly out of the scabbard.
3: Adol raises his sword and lets out a war cry as light shines down on him.

Applause: Adol simply claps.

Icon: The Ys series logo (which is a stylized Ys)

Boxing Ring Title: The Journeyman of Legend

Star K.O.: Adol lets out a cheesy 90’s scream.

Victory Music: https://youtu.be/wlO7XeVtFhg

Kirby Hat: Adol’s hair

 

[SNEKeater]

I recently finished Ys VIII. I ended having like 220? reputation, so I was worrying too much, I guess hahaha

Spoiler

The game was great!
Somewhat surprised with that ending. Not because Adol and the other castaways were able to escape the island, that was a given, but I'm talking more about everything surrounding Maia, the fight against the Origin of Life, Dana becoming a Goddess...
I like that instead of the usual "kill God to save the world" this time is more like "kill God to rescue our friend". Though I guess the battle with Theos de Endogram fits the first description hahaha

I was around level 74-78 in the final battle. Very cool battle, I honestly think I'll repeat the fight tonight but in hard mode, because I switched to normal mode because the regular Primordial enemies were quite difficult for me and I always ended wasting a lot of medicinal bottles against them lol

I figured out Dana wouldn't escape the island, but I think her ending was pretty cool. I mean with her new role she can at least watch over Adol and the others. Not like I'm expecting her to return in the future due to the nature of the series, returning characters doesn't seem a frequent thing as far as I have understood.
Also I must say the individual endings for each character and the extra artwork of each one of them during the credits were nice. That one where Sahad reunites with her wife and daughter was really cute.

The characters were nice as well. Dana was probably my fave and I think she was the best written character in the game. Special mention to Laxia, Sahad and Captain Barbaros as well. Hummel and Ricotta are cool but the "bad" thing is that both don't really evolve as a characters unless you max them out, specially in Hummel's case because well, in the end Ricotta is just a child and she's always like "yay!" so she has a pass. But Hummel had an interesting backstory that you only learn when you max him out, so not everyone will find that. I was honestly surprised because until that point I just saw him as the "cool guy" of the game.

Besides Adol and Dana, I think I ended playing a lot with Hummel in 2nd half, which is curious because at the start I wasn't really into his playstyle, to be honest.

I don't think I have to talk about the music, I'd say the final boss song was pretty amazing, but I wanted to highlight other songs that get less talk than A-to-Z:

The ****ing twist of Paro being Maia... lmao. Then I remembered that during in Paro's scene when you max his approval this song played during the dialogue. He also said something about "I dream of you guys", which is clearly a reference to Maia.

Also I really liked this track, I enjoy the calm feeling it has:

TL:DR Ys VIII is a very good videogame! A really good experience. 51 hours of fun combat, engaging world to explore, fantastic soundtrack and a nice story.

I already said this but I'm definitely going to keep an eye on Ys IX, which looks good from what I've seen. And I'm planning on playing some of the other entries. I'm feeling like playing Ys Seven next, though that might change so who knows haha. Celceta, I & II and Oath in Felghana are also in my list for the moment.

 

[Flik]

I recently finished Ys VIII. I ended having like 220? reputation, so I was worrying too much, I guess hahaha

Spoiler

The game was great!
Somewhat surprised with that ending. Not because Adol and the other castaways were able to escape the island, that was a given, but I'm talking more about everything surrounding Maia, the fight against the Origin of Life, Dana becoming a Goddess...
I like that instead of the usual "kill God to save the world" this time is more like "kill God to rescue our friend". Though I guess the battle with Theos de Endogram fits the first description hahaha

I was around level 74-78 in the final battle. Very cool battle, I honestly think I'll repeat the fight tonight but in hard mode, because I switched to normal mode because the regular Primordial enemies were quite difficult for me and I always ended wasting a lot of medicinal bottles against them lol

I figured out Dana wouldn't escape the island, but I think her ending was pretty cool. I mean with her new role she can at least watch over Adol and the others. Not like I'm expecting her to return in the future due to the nature of the series, returning characters doesn't seem a frequent thing as far as I have understood.
Also I must say the individual endings for each character and the extra artwork of each one of them during the credits were nice. That one where Sahad reunites with her wife and daughter was really cute.

The characters were nice as well. Dana was probably my fave and I think she was the best written character in the game. Special mention to Laxia, Sahad and Captain Barbaros as well. Hummel and Ricotta are cool but the "bad" thing is that both don't really evolve as a characters unless you max them out, specially in Hummel's case because well, in the end Ricotta is just a child and she's always like "yay!" so she has a pass. But Hummel had an interesting backstory that you only learn when you max him out, so not everyone will find that. I was honestly surprised because until that point I just saw him as the "cool guy" of the game.

Besides Adol and Dana, I think I ended playing a lot with Hummel in 2nd half, which is curious because at the start I wasn't really into his playstyle, to be honest.

I don't think I have to talk about the music, I'd say the final boss song was pretty amazing, but I wanted to highlight other songs that get less talk than A-to-Z:

The ****ing twist of Paro being Maia... lmao. Then I remembered that during in Paro's scene when you max his approval this song played during the dialogue. He also said something about "I dream of you guys", which is clearly a reference to Maia.

Also I really liked this track, I enjoy the calm feeling it has:

TL:DR Ys VIII is a very good videogame! A really good experience. 51 hours of fun combat, engaging world to explore, fantastic soundtrack and a nice story.

I already said this but I'm definitely going to keep an eye on Ys IX, which looks good from what I've seen. And I'm planning on playing some of the other entries. I'm feeling like playing Ys Seven next, though that might change so who knows haha. Celceta, I & II and Oath in Felghana are also in my list for the moment.

I got chills when Adol's epilogue mentions him travaling to west (cue this song suddenly playing in my head), since Ark of Napishtim was my first Ys game.

Edit: And as soon as I posted this, Release of the far west ocean starts playing in my playlist (this version)

 

[SNEKeater]

I got chills when Adol's epilogue mentions him travaling to west (cue this song suddenly playing in my head), since Ark of Napishtim was my first Ys game.

Edit: And as soon as I posted this, Release of the far west ocean starts playing in my playlist (this version)

So I assume VIII takes place before VI?

Random question: I came back to Ys VIII to at least try the secret dungeon that you unlock after beating the game and I love the song that plays in the dungeon, the thing is, I'm unable to find the song lol

Also... I just started Ys SEVEN. I couldn't help myself
I've just played the first hour but I must say I really like the artstyle of the artworks and the portraits. Also the combat seems more "primitive" (it was the first game with the new battle system if I'm not mistaken so that's understandable) but it is still pretty fun and responsive. I think I'd have been very surprised if I have played this game back when it was released on the PSP.

After SEVEN I'll probably go with some of the classic entries.

 

[SharkLord]

So I assume VIII takes place before VI?

Yes. The timeline goes like this:

• Ys Origin
• Ys I & II Chronicles
• Ys: Memories of Celceta
• Ys: The Oath in Felghana
• Ys V: Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand
• Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana
• Ys VI: Ark of Napishtim
• Ys SEVEN
• Ys IX: Monstrum Nox

 

[YsDisciple]

The thing about the chronological order is that to some (myself included), Ys Origin should be played after Ys I & II Chronicles. The order however really doesn't matter; even for many new to the series that may have started with Ys VIII. What's fascinating about this game series' lore is that it really doesn't matter which game you start off with because there will always be something within the games that will make reference to another (or others) within the series. By later delving into the other games, being led by the former's hints and references, exploring the Ys lore deeper becomes quite entertaining.

That being said, I hope Falcom eventually decides to make an Ys V remake (heck, they could make it using the Ys VI style).

 

[Perkilator]

That being said, I hope Falcom eventually decides to make an Ys V remake (heck, they could make it using the Ys VI style).

If anything, I'd like to see Ys I & II Chronicles ported to modern systems.

 

[YsDisciple]

If anything, I'd like to see Ys I & II Chronicles ported to modern systems.

Now that you mention that, with them having ported Ys Origin to the Switch, they could very well port Ys I & II Chronicles,... actually, they could port all of the other Ys games really. That would be a huge win for the Ys series if those games got ported to Switch.

 

[SNEKeater]

If anything, I'd like to see Ys I & II Chronicles ported to modern systems.

Now that you mention that, with them having ported Ys Origin to the Switch, they could very well port Ys I & II Chronicles,... actually, they could port all of the other Ys games really. That would be a huge win for the Ys series if those games got ported to Switch.

Assuming Ys VIII and Origin did well on the Switch, I think that's just a matter of when. I don't think it would be that hard to port I & II, Felghana, VI, SEVEN or Memories of Celceta to Switch, to be honest.
Even if they just release those games digitally, that would be better than nothing.

 

[DanganZilla5]

Yo, Adol is now the most wanted character according to the Rate Their Chances thread. Granted, the average score is skewed because it was mostly Adol's fans who participated that day, but it still says a lot about how people view Adol, at least on this website. You guys did a great job convincing people why Adol not only has a shot at DLC, but also explaining why he would be so cool. Because of all of you, Adol has won more people over.

Due to interest gained from my research, I decided to pick up Ys XIII recently. I will let you all know how I feel about it once I get a good ways into the story.

 

[SharkLord]

Yo, Adol is now the most wanted character according to the Rate Their Chances thread. Granted, the average score is skewed because it was mostly Adol's fans who participated that day, but it still says a lot about how people view Adol, at least on this website. You guys did a great job convincing people why Adol not only has a shot at DLC, but also explaining why he would be so cool. Because of all of you, Adol has won more people over.

Due to interest gained from my research, I decided to pick up Ys XIII recently. I will let you all know how I feel about it once I get a good ways into the story.

Glad to hear it! Looks like the ginormous Adolpost paid off.

 

[Captain Shwampy]

There was a problem fetching the tweet

Old JP only RTS Falcom/SEGA title was translated.
Its a remake of the original Lord Monarch, this time produced by the Sega-Falcom joint that also did a Sorcerian remake and Popful Mail.
Game was trying to mimic the look of a Shining Force game and it exceeded.

 

[SNEKeater]

Multiple Ys games are on sale on the Humble Bundle Store, for anyone who's interested!

The Humble Store: Great games. Fantastic prices. Support charity.

Choose from thousands of games for PC, Mac, Linux, and Android while supporting a charity of your choice. New games added every day!

www.humblebundle.com

I've just picked I & II, Oath in Felghana and VI.

 

[SNEKeater]

Just finished Ys SEVEN.

Really liked it. It obviously shows that in some aspects it was the first 3D Ys game, also being the first entry with an actual party and being able to change between characters.

I remember that while looking for info about the game, before I actually started playing it, I read a few comments saying the game wasn't really good... And I don't really agree at all? Like, it's not perfect, and as I said, it has some rough ideas that were polished in VIII (also Memories of Celceta, I guess), but I don't know. I found the game very enjoyable in general, with a decent pacing and a good length for what the game has to offer: not too short, not too long. In fact, I actually think Lacrimosa of Dana wouldn't lose a lot if it was a few hours shorter.

- As for the combat, it's obviously a "primitive" version of VIII's combat, but it's still very fun. I was never tired of fighting random enemies. To an extent, the ''simplicity'' of SEVEN's combat is somewhat charmful. Straight to the point, very functional, fun, and has enough things to not feel boring.

- Music is obviously great. Maybe it's a bit weaker overall speaking in comparison to VIII, at least for my taste, but it has a few tracks that are outstanding in my opinion. To mention a few of my favourites:
Innocent Primeval Breaker
Vacant Interference
Mother Earth Altago
Desert of Despair
Smashing Through the Mountain Path
Crossing Rage!
Lost Harmony Among People
Primitive Deep Leaves
The Place Where Souls Return
And also this one battle theme which I won't share it's name because it's probably a spoiler: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZwLYYJH23A

- In terms of graphics, considering this was a PSP game and all, I think it looks very decent. In fact the character models usually look pretty nice if we keep in mind the original hardware and all, so there's that.

- Story is entertaining, it isn't anything crazy and like most JRPGs it has a few tropes here and there. Though I must say the story had 2-3 moments or twists that, besides the fact I honestly didn't saw those coming, felt very surprising in a positive way:

Spoiler

1. Adol being imprisoned and essentially tortured was somewhat surprising for me, didn't expect to see that even if isn't that realistic because of the graphics and all.

2. Tia and Scias being the ""bad"" guys honestly caught me off guard. At that point of the game, for some reason, I was expecting the bad guy to be a completely new character. Raud or the Prime Minister were the closest thing to "evil" characters, and it was pretty much obvious that these 2 weren't going to have a role that big as being the main villain.
So, Tia and Scias being the antagonists was a cool move, in my opinion.

3. While the story isn't anything crazy, as I already mentioned, and for the most part it just works and entertains, I'd say it has some cool subversions of what you usually see, or at least, subversions for what I was expecting while I played:
- The adventure soon falls into the "you're the chosen one" thing, then all builds up around Adol being the destined warrior and how he will save Altago and all. But then you reach the big twist part and you discover that the Dragon Warrior's role is basically to work as a sacrifice for the whole process of destruction and rebirth, and the characters don't learn this until things are essentially down.

So, I've enjoyed the story. It didn't change my life, but it was cool and personally, it was entertaining enough for me, without dragging things too much.

- About the characters, my opinion is similar to what I've said about the story. I think it has a cool cast of main characters, Specially Aisha, Tia and Geis (which I honestly loved lol, I loved his design and his fighting style). Tia and Maya's relationship was good.

- Dungeons and maps, I feel like were nice and fun to explore. Dungeons, for the most part, were pretty much straight to the point without feeling boring or anything like that. Some of the dungeons had a few clever ideas as well, and the actual map or overworld you explore is also fun to explore. No complains at all here, to be honest.

I also liked the art, like the actual artwork and sprites, a lot. It has a cool style in my opinion. The design and the art directionfor the characters and the locations are pretty good as well.
I beated the game at almost 22 hours. I see myself easily coming back to this game in the future, to be honest. Maybe I'll try the game in Hard or something if I decide to play it a second time. Good, good game!

 

[YeppersPeppers]

After delaying for too long, I decided to try out some Ys...and I can confidently say that I am hooked. Over the past couple of months I have played through Ys 1 & 2, Oath, Seven, Origin (all 3 characters), and am currently in the middle of Dana. I am having an absolute blast playing these games, and I fully support Adol Christin joining Smash.

 

[Flik]

Recently finished a World of Light Nuzlocke Run, and for the final battle I decided to play Ys songs over the final boss theme. To say it was epic would be an understatement.

• "Gens d'armes" for the initial climbing part because it fits;
• Vacant Interference, Scars of the Divine Wings (Super Arrange) and Cloaca Maxima for the boss rush part (the last one kept my blood pumping and my determination alive even after Dracula got me at 200 damage);
• The Strongest Foe for the Final showdown against Galeem and Darkhon, probably by far the best Ys song for a battle of this proportions (and much better than the original).

I hope the next time I try Nuzlocke again, Adol will be part of the team

Edit: Wait a second, Cloaca Maxima is a dungeon and not a boss theme? Damn, it's Gens d'armes all over again lol

 

[KirbyWorshipper2465]

I though that you lot might appreciate this:

 

[YsDisciple]

I though that you lot might appreciate this:

Yeah, Jonny always delivers with covering music from games that might seem niche to many. A few years ago he did one for La-Mulana (Indiana Jones-esque indie game with deep lore), and more recently another from two battle themes from Ogre Battle 64. Silver Will to me is one of the (if not THE) best track in the Trails in the Sky trilogy.

 

[Deleted member]

Pretty much done with my (almost) 100% blind run of Ys 8 on hard, and hot damn was it amazing. Think I got everything except some of the last few S Ranks on raids/hunts & haven't touched time attack yet. It's my first Falcom game and tbh I kinda sucked at first but I grew into it super well and the personal progression that fostered felt amazing. Honestly a masterpiece & I fully support Adol now, also please send me recs for other Falcom games that I might like .

 

[LucKekkai]

Pretty much done with my (almost) 100% blind run of Ys 8 on hard, and hot damn was it amazing. Think I got everything except some of the last few S Ranks on raids/hunts & haven't touched time attack yet. It's my first Falcom game and tbh I kinda sucked at first but I grew into it super well and the personal progression that fostered felt amazing. Honestly a masterpiece & I fully support Adol now, also please send me recs for other Falcom games that I might like .

I'm assuming you have access to Steam or a PS4 as well with this, lol.

The next Ys game I'd recommend trying is one of these three: Ys 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ys: Memories of Celceta or Ys: Oath in Felghana.

I'd recommend Ys Origins(because it is available on the Switch), but some say it is better to play Ys 1 & 2 Chronicles first. Ys Seven is also pretty good, but I'd wait until playing Ys VI before playing that game(for story reasons).

If you want to try a different Falcom game with action RPG elements, Tokyo Xanadu eX+ or Gurumin: A Monstrous Adventure are also options. I haven't played Gurumin yet, but I've heard good things from those who have.

And then of course there is the option of Trails in the Sky or Trails of Cold Steel if you want to give a turn-based RPG with an emphasis on storytelling and character development a go. Just make sure you're starting with the first game in whichever arc you start(in other words, don't start with Trails in the Sky SC or Trails in the Sky the 3rd, instead just start with the one called Trails in the Sky).

There are other titles out there on Steam. Actually, here is a list of all the games Falcom has on Steam:

Falcom Steam Library

Keep in mind that I've yet to play the Zwei games or Xanadu Next, so I don't have any opinion on those just yet.

 

[SNEKeater]

Pretty much done with my (almost) 100% blind run of Ys 8 on hard, and hot damn was it amazing. Think I got everything except some of the last few S Ranks on raids/hunts & haven't touched time attack yet. It's my first Falcom game and tbh I kinda sucked at first but I grew into it super well and the personal progression that fostered felt amazing. Honestly a masterpiece & I fully support Adol now, also please send me recs for other Falcom games that I might like .

Congrats! I also played the game on hard, but not gonna lie, I switched to normal a few times lol

As for other suggestions, I don't know which platforms you have at your disposal, but if you want more of the party member combat, you have Ys SEVEN and Ys Memories of Celceta. Haven't played the second one yet, but the first one is quite fun. It was the first entry with the party member system, so expect some differences. Both games are on Steam. Celceta is also on PS4.

If you only have a Switch then your other option is Ys Origin, which is a prequel of the first 2 games. I haven't played it yet but as far as I understood, it is best to play Origin after beating I and II, which obviously are quite different in terms of gameplay in comparison to VIII.

Most of the series is available on Steam. Personally, I'll start Ys II soon and after that I was thinking going into Ys VI: Ark of Napishtim, which was the first 3D game if I'm not mistaken, then Oath in Felghana and finally, Origin. Those 3 games share the same engine and main mechanics, I think.

If you want to go into Trails, I'll say starting with Trails in the Sky is the way to go. But so far it's only available on Steam. Well, also on the PSP and the Vita. Though a good amount of people started with the Cold Steel saga without problems.

 

[SharkLord]

Pretty much done with my (almost) 100% blind run of Ys 8 on hard, and hot damn was it amazing. Think I got everything except some of the last few S Ranks on raids/hunts & haven't touched time attack yet. It's my first Falcom game and tbh I kinda sucked at first but I grew into it super well and the personal progression that fostered felt amazing. Honestly a masterpiece & I fully support Adol now, also please send me recs for other Falcom games that I might like .

Ys Origin is the only other game on the Switch, but as others have mentioned, it makes more sense if you play Chronicles first. Every game from Ys VI onwards is on Steam; I would recommend Ys Chronicles to see where it all began, Ark of Napishtim to see the start of the modern era, or Oath in Felghana for what's considered the other best game in the series. I'm currently on Ys I. It's pretty fun once you get a hang of the bump system, but it can be kinda confusing in some parts.

 

[SNEKeater]

Ys Origin is the only other game on the Switch, but as others have mentioned, it makes more sense if you play Chronicles first. Every game from Ys VI onwards is on Steam; I would recommend Ys Chronicles to see where it all began, Ark of Napishtim to see the start of the modern era, or Oath in Felghana for what's considered the other best game in the series. I'm currently on Ys I. It's pretty fun once you get a hang of the bump system, but it can be kinda confusing in some parts.

Yeah, the first Ys game has a few parts where I was a bit lost to be honest.

Also, a tip: if you're unlucky the final boss might be a pain in the ass. It's already fairly hard, but for some reason the PC version seems to have a bug for some people: it will make the boss attacks faster and your movement will be slower. Saying this because it was what happened to me. I'm not lying if I say that in my first try I was OBLITERATED in 3 or 4 seconds lol

To solve this, if it happens to you, you will have to change the fresh rate of your monitor which probably will be at 144hz. I lowered mine to 60hz for the final boss and it worked, then after beating the game I restored my settings.

 

[Flik]

I though that you lot might appreciate this:

Yeah, Jonny always delivers with covering music from games that might seem niche to many. A few years ago he did one for La-Mulana (Indiana Jones-esque indie game with deep lore), and more recently another from two battle themes from Ogre Battle 64. Silver Will to me is one of the (if not THE) best track in the Trails in the Sky trilogy.

A reminder that he also covered Solomon Shrine (and a bit of First Step Towards Wars) a few years ago

 

[MattX20]

While others have already brought up some nice options, I personally see it being a remix of the 1993 version of Adol's Theme.

Alternatively, I could also see it being a remix of The Boy Who Had Wings.

That's some pretty solid music

 

[SNEKeater]

New Ys IX trailer released. It's about the story:

Renowned adventurer Adol “the Red” Christin and his companion Dogi arrive at Balduq, a city annexed by the Romun Empire, only for Adol to be detained before setting foot inside. While imprisoned, he meets a mysterious woman named Aprilis who turns him into a Monstrum, a being with supernatural Gifts and the power to exorcise monsters. Now, Adol must ally with his fellow Monstrums to fend off the fearsome threats emerging from a shadowy dimension called the Grimwald Nox, as well as unravel the mysteries of the Monstrum curse, and the truth behind the unrest within Balduq.

Key Features

• Feared Protectors – Play as any of the six notorious Monstrums, each with their own unique Gifts that grant abilities such as scaling sheer walls or detecting hidden objects to protect the city from shadowy creatures.
• The World Within the Walls – Explore the massive city, accept quests to aid the townsfolk, and enter the Grimwald Nox to vanquish the threats to Balduq.
• Strength of the Night – Familiar mechanics such as Flash Dodge and Flash Guard allow you to outmaneuver your foes、while new additions such as Gifts and Boost Mode further augment your ability to fight.

Source: https://www.gematsu.com/2020/12/ys-ix-monstrum-nox-story-trailer

 

[YsDisciple]

Hold up... just saw the trailer and when the screen faded back to the party looking at what seems to be a centipede boss... is that the Nygtilger boss from Ys Origin?

EDIT: This boss

 

[ShrimpScampi]

New Ys IX trailer released. It's about the story:

Renowned adventurer Adol “the Red” Christin and his companion Dogi arrive at Balduq, a city annexed by the Romun Empire, only for Adol to be detained before setting foot inside. While imprisoned, he meets a mysterious woman named Aprilis who turns him into a Monstrum, a being with supernatural Gifts and the power to exorcise monsters. Now, Adol must ally with his fellow Monstrums to fend off the fearsome threats emerging from a shadowy dimension called the Grimwald Nox, as well as unravel the mysteries of the Monstrum curse, and the truth behind the unrest within Balduq.

Key Features

• Feared Protectors – Play as any of the six notorious Monstrums, each with their own unique Gifts that grant abilities such as scaling sheer walls or detecting hidden objects to protect the city from shadowy creatures.
• The World Within the Walls – Explore the massive city, accept quests to aid the townsfolk, and enter the Grimwald Nox to vanquish the threats to Balduq.
• Strength of the Night – Familiar mechanics such as Flash Dodge and Flash Guard allow you to outmaneuver your foes、while new additions such as Gifts and Boost Mode further augment your ability to fight.

Source: https://www.gematsu.com/2020/12/ys-ix-monstrum-nox-story-trailer

Wait that centipede at the end looked just like the one from Ys Origin. That was a pleasant surprise. I wonder if there’s any major story connection between those two games or if that boss fight is just a nod to Origin

Edit: ’d

 

[SharkLord]

New Ys IX trailer released. It's about the story:

Renowned adventurer Adol “the Red” Christin and his companion Dogi arrive at Balduq, a city annexed by the Romun Empire, only for Adol to be detained before setting foot inside. While imprisoned, he meets a mysterious woman named Aprilis who turns him into a Monstrum, a being with supernatural Gifts and the power to exorcise monsters. Now, Adol must ally with his fellow Monstrums to fend off the fearsome threats emerging from a shadowy dimension called the Grimwald Nox, as well as unravel the mysteries of the Monstrum curse, and the truth behind the unrest within Balduq.

Key Features

• Feared Protectors – Play as any of the six notorious Monstrums, each with their own unique Gifts that grant abilities such as scaling sheer walls or detecting hidden objects to protect the city from shadowy creatures.
• The World Within the Walls – Explore the massive city, accept quests to aid the townsfolk, and enter the Grimwald Nox to vanquish the threats to Balduq.
• Strength of the Night – Familiar mechanics such as Flash Dodge and Flash Guard allow you to outmaneuver your foes、while new additions such as Gifts and Boost Mode further augment your ability to fight.

Source: https://www.gematsu.com/2020/12/ys-ix-monstrum-nox-story-trailer

I still can't get over how Adol becomes an edgelord because somebody shot him with the edgelord gun.

Hold up... just saw the trailer and when the screen faded back to the party looking at what seems to be a centipede boss... is that the Nygtilger boss from Ys Origin?

EDIT: This boss

Yep, that's Nygtilger, alright. It actually debuted in the first Ys game, which I just beat recently. Seeing as Origins is a prequel to the first two games, Nygtilger's probably a call-forward. If it's showing up here, though...

I wonder what it means...

 

[SNEKeater]

I still can't get over how Adol becomes an edgelord because somebody shot him with the edgelord gun.

Yeah, when I saw that for the first time (and that was during the New Game Plus Expo event from last June) I was like "bro wtf"

Ys IX certainly does have an edgy aesthetic. Not a great fan of some of the character designs but gameplay wise looks great and the locations seem to be very fun to explore.

 

[Flik]

I modded a few Ys songs to my Smash Bros Ultimate and, unsurprisingly, it sounds EPIC.

Sunshine Coastline
Red Line -021-
All-Out Attack
Glessing Way!
Monstrum Spectrum
Cloaca Maxima
Solomon Shrine (cover by GaMetal)
The Boy's Got Wings (cover by Dr. Manhattan)
Release of the Far West Ocean (cover by M-H)

There is a lot more but these are the only ones I modded myself (the others were made by other people)

 

[SharkLord]

I modded a few Ys songs to my Smash Bros Ultimate and, unsurprisingly, it sounds EPIC.

Sunshine Coastline
Red Line -021-
All-Out Attack
Glessing Way!
Monstrum Spectrum
Cloaca Maxima
Solomon Shrine (cover by GaMetal)
The Boy's Got Wings (cover by Dr. Manhattan)
Release of the Far West Ocean (cover by M-H)

There is a lot more but these are the only ones I modded myself (the others were made by other people)

Hearing Sunshine Coastline in there makes me wonder if the Isle of Seiren could work as Adol's stage. I've seen an idea that Adol's intro could just be him wrecking another ship, so it would certainly work out if we're going for that angle.

 

[SNEKeater]

Ys II completed. A fun adventure, I enjoyed it more than the first one. Maybe is just me but the Bump System works better in II.
The story was nice and the music, as always, great. Oh and I liked the variety of locations, specially when compared to I.

Next: Ys VI: Ark of Napishtim.

Hearing Sunshine Coastline in there makes me wonder if the Isle of Seiren could work as Adol's stage. I've seen an idea that Adol's intro could just be him wrecking another ship, so it would certainly work out if we're going for that angle.

Adol's reveal trailer should be him in a ship. Said ship wrecks and Adol wakes up in a mysterious island... The Island of Smash Bros.

 

[TCT~Phantom]

I picked up Ys III for the Genesis, I know it is a bit of a black sheep but I heard it is alright. Plan on getting more into the franchise as a whole.

 

[THE 6r]

Hey, throw me on the supporters list. I throughly enjoy Ys VIII on the Switch and already pre-ordered Ys IX

 

[SNEKeater]

I picked up Ys III for the Genesis, I know it is a bit of a black sheep but I heard it is alright. Plan on getting more into the franchise as a whole.

I want to play Oath in Felghana first but maybe I'll try the older versions of Ys III and IV. Hope you enjoy Ys III.

Hey, throw me on the supporters list. I throughly enjoy Ys VIII on the Switch and already pre-ordered Ys IX

That's good to hear :D

Ys IX looks very fun, I'm also waiting for it.

 

[Nietona]

I'll definitely support Adol. Been trying to get through Ys SEVEN for the past while, I just struggle since I'm not all that fond of the party-based gameplay. I really loved the solo gameplay, Oath in Felghana was my absolute favourite. Love that game so much. Later Ys games look so pretty, I can't wait to give them a shot.