Random Game O' the Day: Y's Vanished Omens

[digitalpress]

The DP Random Game Generator of Alphabetic Proportions (tm) has chosen the letter "Y" today. And you know what that means.

Hailed by critics and fans as one of the greatest role-playing series' ever, Y's: The Vanished Omens on Sega Master System is surely one of the great stumpers of all time. That ending!

What's your opinion of this game? One of "the great RPGs" or just an overblown dungeon crawl? The gamers want to know!

DP Guide sez:

Y's: The Vanished Omens (Sega Master System, by Sega) $20/R5 +
Another popular action/adventure game for the SMS, this one probably will suck more of your time up than any other SMS game. Can you find the correct tower to hit with the hammer? Yeah? Ok, how the HE double hockey sticks do you beat the last boss? #7501.

[Keir]

I played this for a little while but gave up because you had to do waaaaay too much leveling up. The last person to own mine had saved the game at the final boss, so I tried it out. What the hell?!?!?

[swlovinist]

I remember getting this game as a young teen at a toy liquidators store. I got a master system II(gosh I wish I still had one) and this game. The game was long and stole the very life force that I had within me. I never finished it, but one day, now that I own it again, oh yes victory will be mine!!!!!!!!!

[NE146]

Random thoughts: I don't remember too well.. but it was either Y's or Phantasy Star that were my first console RPG experiences. What I do remember was reading a review of Y's in EGM and it said how it was an adventure.. so I said 'that's for me!" and went out and bought it. I'm glad I did.. it's a unique RPG in that you fight by simply bumping into enemies. It definitely enthralled me at the time. I'm not sure how much I'd enjoy playing it today though. Some of the SMS tunes still stick in my mind like that flute melody at the title screen.

When the Turbografx CD version came out, although apparently it was awesome, I wasn't too excited since I had beaten the game ad-naseum already.. but I regret not checking it out back in the day. The turbocd version is playable on the XBox now via emulation, and I have tried it a bit. But there's no way I'd go through the game again. Dated game, but fond memories.

[Raccoon Lad]

I got pretty far in this game on an emulator several years back (1999-ish) I remember both enjoying, and being a bit frustrated by it. It certainly had potential to create a great series, but I wouldn't know...I only played this one on the SMS.

[Kid Fenris]

The Sega Master System version of Ys always struck me as a hollow shell of the PC-Engine/TurboGrafx (and PC) game. The SMS game is ugly, the control is unreliable, the story is lifeless, the anime feel that made the PC Engine title so memorable is seldom found, and running into your enemies just isn't much fun. I suppose that the game could have been worthwhile in the late '80s, when many players had few RPGs and little knowledge of what they were missing, but in this age, Ys: The Vanished Omens has nothing more than a nice title screen.

If you need a decent overhead action/RPG for your SMS, try Golvellius or Golden Axe Warrior. And If you want to play Ys as it should be, get a Turbo CD or try the remakes.

[DDCecil]

The only thing I like about the SMS version than the Turbo CD version is that the water moves in the field. It played too slooooow for me and I couldn't even beat the first boss (even with massive leveling up).

[Raccoon Lad]

Just a note* this game also came out on the Famicom.

[rbudrick]

I think I almost made it through this game. And while I liked it, my friend that let me borrow it liked it way more, and I only played cuz he said it was awesome. Y's 2 I never really played much.

But Y's 3!!!! I love that game so much.

---ROb

[christianscott27]

i know not everybody can lay their mitts on a turbo cd/duo but this game really shines with the cut screens and, why has no one mention this already, the music! i love the music for the mine levels, brilliant mood sounds. i think the game is fun, although yeah its a lot of dull work to level up, just hang around the mountain level beating up people...lalala

the thing that drives me nut, i've posted about this a million times, is the final boss. mr. space tiles, people i need a cheat here. HELP i want to get to book 2.

[Arqueologia_Digital]

I didn´t play this game yet, but i will do it thanks to MEKA :P

[slurpeepoop]

While I didn't play the SMS version of this game, I have very fond memories of playing this on the TG-16.

At a time when my RPG tastes were satiated with games like Wizardry and Dragon Warrior, I get this game. Mind-blowing soundtrack, full screen animated cutscenes, and the game TALKED TO YOU! And not like the Intellivoice or the Magnavox add-on, but movie-quality voiceovers.

Y's is the reason the NES was abandoned prematurely by myself and my friends. In fact, Y's was my little circle's standard for RPG excellence that every other game was compared to until the PSX and the Saturn came out.

BTW, The main boss in Book 1 is really easy to beat.

All you have to do is equip yourself with all silver equipment.

i.e. the silver sword, the silver shield, and the silver armor.

If you've leveled up enough, the boss can be beaten in 2 or 3 hits.

Wasn't the main boss of Book 1 called Dark Pact or something like that? I haven't loaded up that game in quite a while......

[christianscott27]

everytime you hit the boss a part of the floor goes away and you have less room to move, how do you work around that? i've got the silver armor and am leveled up...its the floor man, what about the floor?

[The Unknown Gamer]

I still remember the first and last time I ever payed that horrid game.
The level ups nearly take forever, it took me 5 days of fighting just
to be in a high enough level just to beat the 3rd boss. But the game
play...its confusing. True story, I contacted SEGA to get a walk through
for the game, simply I could not beat the Vampire or bat boss. It seemed
like forever as I worked my way through the game, and yes, I did miss
a boss (a hidden one). Then the final boss, I tried for a solid month
before giving up. I just could not beat it, to this date it is the only
RPG I ever played that I never was able to beat the final boss.

[Dire 51]

I enjoyed the SMS version, but I absolutely loved the TG CD version.

[adaml]

I loved the SMS version. I remember seeing tips in old Gamepro mags and finally got around to buying an SMS and the game in the late 90s. I played through it and after getting used to the awkward Hydlide-style fighting, really got into it.

I had the TGCD version, but had to sell the system and all my games (including DracX and Downtown Nekketsu Monogatari, which George Palamara got me from Japan back when I was on the Turbolist) to make money when I was in a bind.

Played some of the Famicom version on an emu, but got trapped in one of the dungeons and could not find my way out to save my soul.