Ys (or Y's, as it was wrongly called on the Sega Master System) was one of the first role-playing games I ever played some thirty-five years ago. I still remember the feeling of wonder to this day. The music was probably the biggest factor in that wonder – it was and still is probably the most memorable music ever created for a video game. Even with the very limited sound abilities of the Sega Master System (SMS), I was enthralled, hearing pounding drums, soaring guitars and epic synths instead of the tinny PCM sounds that the SMS was actually putting out. Now, in this version, I can actually hear the sounds how I imagined them all those years ago. The graphics too are much, much improved, believe it or not. Yes, they still look extremely basic by current standards, but they are perfect for what is, after all, a very simple game: talk to everyone, explore everywhere, and kill as many monsters as you can. The “Bump System” combat is also extremely simple, involving little more than hitting enemies in any way except head-on. Once you are powered up enough, you can plough through enemies like you have a chainsaw, although you still have to pay attention in the final few areas of the game. So all in all, despite its age, I'd say this is still a fun, good old game and the obvious start to your adventures in the world of Ys.
