Legacy of YsTM: Books I & II – A Legend Reborn

Discover How One of Gaming’s Longest-Running Series Was Made Anew for Nintendo DSTM

November 24, 2008
As magical as the storied land of Ys is itself, the heritage of this original action RPG franchise spans over two decades and a number of different platforms. Definitive in design, story, and gameplay, the two introductory Books of Ys have long been etched in the memories of hardcore gamers. At a time when few other games attempted such grand scope and scale, Ys delivered on the promise of a sweeping narrative, fast-paced action, and a stunning musical score that to this day still rises to the top of all-time greatest lists.

In early 2008, Books I & II, completely remade for Nintendo DS™, were released in Japan. Separated into individual games, Ys I and Ys II for Nintendo DS introduced a number of new features and innovations to the series canon, including touch screen support and multiplayer for up to four. In bringing the titles to North America, Atlus worked closely with the developer to put both games on a single cartridge, rejoining the two first Books of Ys. Moreover, Atlus is endeavoring to add one more monumental enhancement to the release: an entirely new localization.

Sam Mullen, Project Lead: “Early on, it became clear to us that we had an opportunity to do something very special with this—only the second time in nearly two decades—that the series has come to North America.”

The only other version of Ys: Books I & II released in North America was for NEC’s TurboGrafx 16 (known as the PC-Engine in Japan and Europe). Brought to America in a very different era in gaming, the translation is elegant in its simplicity and directness. Still, with so many exciting new changes for the Nintendo DS version of the game, it became clear early in production that the North American release of this franchise revitalization needed an equal degree of attention.

Sam Mullen: “We understand how important this series is to some gamers, how for many it was their very first action RPG. We’re not taking this lightly, but we also see this as an opportunity to give the game a 21st-century localization, a new script to match the game’s remade features.”
Legacy of Ys: Books I & II is currently scheduled for release on February 3, 2008, with an MSRP of $34.99.
For more information on Legacy of Ys: Books I & II, please visit the official website.

About Atlus U.S.A., Inc.
Located in Irvine, California and founded in 1991, Atlus U.S.A., Inc. is renowned for its proud tradition of publishing exceptional role-playing games with strong niche appeal. The Atlus library of critically acclaimed video games includes Odin Sphere, Trauma Center series, and the award-winning Shin Megami Tensei series. For more information, visit http://www.atlus.com.