Sorry, I have to disagree with Seldane here on a lot of parts (a lot of other folks would too, so please listen to all of our opinions).
First off, I believe the TGCD version of Ys Book I & II is the best? Why? First off, it's a console port and from the sounds of it, you prefer playing on consoles anyway.
Secondly, it has the best soundtrack by far. The original versions and the Sega Master System versions might sound too primitive for some and the arrangements in the TGCD version are extremely well done and it often considered the best soundtrack of all time. The Saturn version in the Falcom Classic discs have some decent tunes, but not quite as exciting as the TGCD version. In my opinion, Ys Eternal sounded very weak. It wasn't bad by all means, but it just lacked so much flavor since they were trying to abandon the 80's touch.
Thirdly, the TGCD version offers two extra cinematic scenes: one for when you boot the game that tells the story of Ys (it's actually handy and is very cool to watch after beating the game) and one awesome kicked up cinema for when you first start the game (this cinema was especially well designed by the fact that you will appreciate it so much when you complete the game, and it's just awesome to watch!). Not only that, but the cinema when you first start a game offers a new song that kicks ass and is reused in the other Ys games. Also I didn't like the cinemas in Ys Eternal so much, so it's nice to have the sprite and tile based cinemas in the TGCD and earlier versions.
Fourthly, the gameplay is a lot smoother in the TGCD version compared to the older versions. The older versions might play too slowly for some and the combat feels smoother in the TGCD version, as oppose to the Master System version. This is however where Ys Eternal shines with the combat system allowing you to go in 8 directions and run and makes the bump attack system more modern and smooth. For this reason alone and the nice 2d visuals, I would recommend it to newcomers, but I still insist the TGCD version being the best for all the other aspects.
Fifthly, the TGCD version is one of the few translated versions of the game and it was actually brought to America and to top it off, the translation was well done. Some Ys fans might complain because a lot of names were altered a bit from the original, but lets admit, that was for the better of the American ENGLISH speaking audience
. What really makes the translation nice though is how well written it is with perfect English grammar use and stunning dialog.
Sixthly (yes we are at six already
), the TGCD version, from what I know, is the only version of Ys I & Ys II to have voice acting, and it's in English! You might be thinking that the voice acting is going to suck since it is dubbed in English, however that is far from the case for the TGCD version of Ys Book I & II. The TGCD version offers outstanding voice acting for the most part. There are a few voice actors who I thought could definitely use room for improvement, but then there are voice actors, specifically the three main villians (and this adds so much more depth to them), is incredible; I've never heard better voice acting for villians in my life. I can't recommend it enough and if you're like me, you'll actually remember the speeches word by word!
And lastly, the TGCD version is a bit of a novelty to have. It was the very first RPG to come out on CD format and it was an amazing game to show off CD hardware at the time. It's also a must have game for your Turbo collection and is one of the titles that really shines on the Turbo. Also it's one of the few Ys games to come to America!
I hope this helps
.
