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While the Ys series has evolved quite dramatically since its inception in 1987, fans of the series may find themselves pining for older, more familiar times.
And so if you have caught yourself wishing for more of the simple, addictive bump-based combat of Ys I, II, and IV: Mask of the Sun, here are eight bump-adjacent games from the classic and modern eras to whet your appetite.
Classic Games
- Dragon Slayer (1984)
- Predating Ys by three years, Nihon Falcom’s Yoshio Kiya arguably began the Action RPG genre as we know it by releasing this classic for the PC-8801. As RetroXP’s Marc Normandin says: “Dragon Slayer, as said, utilized bump combat, but you didn’t need to hold down a button to attack. Instead, the emphasis here was on learning when to engage in battle, and when to avoid it.”
- Hydlide (1984)
- Of course, Dragon Slayer was not the only game released in Japan in 1984 with claims over the beginnings of the ARPG genre. Seminal favorite Hydlide allowed the player to switch between attack and defend mode. It sold more than 2 million copies in Japan but failed to make a splash outside of it.
- Tower of Druaga (1984)
- Yes, a third 1984 ARPG, this time a Namco arcade entry. It is credited with being a massive inspiration for games like Ys and The Legend of Zelda, but also struggled to find a North American audience.
- Xak (1989)
- Two years after Ys took Japan by storm, developer Microcabin released Xak on the MSX2 (and several other engines). All you have to do is check the screenshot above to guess at how much it might have been directly inspired by the Ys games.
Modern Games
- Angeline Era (Upcoming 2025)
- This as-yet unreleased game has a Steam demo available, and bills itself as a “Bumpslash Action Adventure Game” – all of which reads to me as bump-combat for the modern era. While it’s not a one-to-one equivalent to Ys’s original bump combat, it may well serve as a close enough facsimile to satisfy your whims.
- Fairune Series (2018-)
- The four games of the Fairune series (1, 2, Origin, and Blast) can be had for less than $10 USD and offer simple combat styled heavily after the bump system. It has pleasing 8-bit-inspired graphics and catchy chiptune music to boot.
- Half-Minute Hero (2012)
- While this game, which I first played on the PlayStation Vita, is much more than a simple bump combat simulator, its fighting is indeed quite similar to that of Ys I combined with the profile view of Ys III: Wanderers from Ys. It’s great for short gameplay sessions and has a sequel available on Steam as well.
- Witch & Hero (2016)
- Like the Fairune series, Witch & Hero is a heavily 8-bit-inspired game featuring bump combat. It’s a short game that can be yours for $5 or less (depending on what sales Steam has going on), and well worth a try if you’ve got a bump-based itch to scratch.
I hope that you enjoy playing through some of these excellent bump-based games!
And if you have any other suggestions, I’d love to hear them in the comments.
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