Ys (Japan) is a landmark action role-playing game originally released by Nihon Falcom and later ported to the NES in Japan. Taking on the role of the adventurous swordsman Adol Christin, players explore the expansive land of Esteria in search of the six Books of Ys to defeat the forces of Dark Fact. The game is renowned for its distinctive “bump combat” system, which replaces a traditional attack button with physically running into enemies, and its legendary, sweeping chiptune soundtrack.
How to Play
Your objective is to explore the overworld and dungeons, upgrade your equipment, and recover the Books of Ys. The game relies on straightforward NES controls mapped to your browser: move Adol using the directional pad (Arrow Keys). Instead of pressing an attack button, you deal damage by walking directly into enemies. Use the Start button (Enter) to pause the game and access your inventory screen to equip weapons, armor, and rings. The A and B buttons (Z and X) are used to navigate and select items in the menus.
Tips
- The half-step offset: When engaging in bump combat, never approach enemies directly face-on, as you will take damage. Always try to hit them off-center or from the side to deal damage safely.
- Level up early: Spend time gaining experience points just outside the first town. Reaching level two or three early on will drastically increase your survivability and make exploring much easier.
- Save often: Ys can be quite unforgiving, so take advantage of the ability to save your progress at any point while in the overworld.
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