SNES

Ys III: Wanderers from Ys

An above average side-scrolling RPG similar to Zelda 2. The music is great but the difficulty can be unforgiving

However, those times have passed. We now have a wide variety of games to choose from. There have certainly been some astounding platformers and action RPGs produced since. Super Metroid and Castlevania: Symphony of the Night are two examples of games similar in design to this, but imbued with a lot more of the 'right stuff.' If you've played through those already, though, and you happen to find Wanderers From Ys III available in some bin for a decent price, a purchase is a no-brainer. Even if you don't like it, chances are you'll find someone else who has been itching to add it to his collection. And if you do like it, well, you've got a nice little title and a showpiece. Either way, you're a winner.

Once you learn how to fight back, though, Ys is an interesting enough adventure, until it becomes somewhat tedious: Since you have to follow a prearranged story line, there's little room for surprise or experimentation, and after a while the battles (even against more evolved creatures than bugs) start to seem awfully repetitive.