Thursday, March 19, 2009

Ys 7, I & II Chronicles Confirmed as PSP Titles

So Falcom sort of announced Ys 7 and Ys I & II Chronicles a little while ago. They didn't mention a specific platform for either title, but based on the company's previous work, I assumed that they would be PC titles.

However, it appears to be not so, as Falcom just announced today that both titles are actually slated for release on PSP this year.

Ys I & II Chronicles has been confirmed to be an enhanced port of Ys I-II Kanzenban (Perfect Edition) that was released for PC back in 2001. The PSP port will feature updated graphics and remixed music among other updates. It is scheduled for release this July in Japan.

Ys 7 (alternately spelled Ys Seven) is the latest entry into the series' main installations, and is a direct sequel to the 2003 PC game Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim (which was ported to PlayStation 2 in 2005 and PSP in 2006 by Konami). It is slated for a September release in Japan.

This is somewhat surprising to me. Ys I & II Chronicles isn't really shocking as its a remake of a remake of a remake, and such games often find their way to handhelds (Falcom's own Brandish remake is a prime example of this). However, Ys 7 skipping the PC to head straight to PSP is a first for the company.

I know the Ys series doesn't have much presence in the West, but are there any Falcom fans out there a little surprised (or happy or furious or whatever) by this news?

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Im a HUGE Ys and Falcom fan and TBH this news doesn't bother me one bit. Most Ys fans are in an uproar over the transition of the series but I actually like this transition. JRPGs on the go is a plus in my eyes.

Brandon said...

I think the series' migration to a handheld platform was an inevitability. Ys really only has a significant following in Japan, and Japanese gamers are continually moving away from consoles. (And PC gaming has never really been strong in Japan to begin with.)

For Ys to survive, it would eventually have to either find an audience in the West, or go handheld.

That said, I don't see why they wouldn't release a PSP version and a PC version at the same time. This seems like they just kind of sprung it on everyone, which can only make long-time PC fans a little put out.