The Ancient Land of Ys
Also released as Ys: The Vanished Omens (Sega Master System)
The Ancient Land of Ys — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is The Ancient Land of Ys on?
- The Ancient Land of Ys was released on Apple IIGS, PC-9800 Series, PC-8800 Series, Sharp X1, DOS, FM-7, Turbografx-16/PC Engine CD, Sega Master System/Mark III, PC-88, PC-98, MSX2, Famicom, Sharp X68000, Sega Saturn, PC (Microsoft Windows), Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Entertainment System.
- When did The Ancient Land of Ys release?
- The Ancient Land of Ys was first released on June 21, 1987.
About The Ancient Land of Ys
The hero of Ys is an adventurous young swordsman named Adol Christin. As the story begins, he has just arrived at the Town of Minea, in the land of Esteria. He is called upon by Sara, a fortuneteller, who tells him of a great evil that is sweeping the land. Adol is informed that he must seek out the six Books of Ys. These books contain the history of the ancient land of Ys, and will give him the knowledge he needs to defeat the evil forces. Sara gives Adol a crystal for identification and instructs him to find her aunt in Zepik Village, who holds the key to retrieving one of the Books. With that, his quest begins.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Platforms
- Apple IIGS, PC-9800 Series, PC-8800 Series, Sharp X1, DOS, FM-7, Turbografx-16/PC Engine CD, Sega Master System/Mark III, PC-88, PC-98, MSX2, Famicom, Sharp X68000, Sega Saturn, PC (Microsoft Windows), Nintendo Switch, Nintendo Entertainment System
- Developer
- Nihon Falcom
- Publisher
- Kyodai Software Marketing
- Game modes
- Single player
- Themes
- Action, Fantasy
- Series
- Ys
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sega Master System | 1989 | $48 | $81 | $158 | 14 reviews | Medium (look-alike) |
Also released on: Apple IIGS · PC-9800 Series · PC-8800 Series · Sharp X1 · DOS · FM-7 · Turbografx-16/PC Engine CD · Sega Master System/Mark III · PC-88 · PC-98 · MSX2 · Famicom · Sharp X68000 · Sega Saturn · PC (Microsoft Windows) · Nintendo Switch · Nintendo Entertainment System. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Master System · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-28
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| European (PAL) release | $48 | $117 | — |
| Japanese release (Ys) | $516 | $1,135 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a month
- Complete: about once a week
- Sealed: about 2 times a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-28.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $12.74 in Jul 2009, $72 five years ago, and $48 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2010 | $13.50 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $12.98 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $14.99 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $19.99 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $17.26 | $41 |
| Jan 2015 | $16.58 | $22 |
| Jan 2016 | $25 | $39 |
| Jan 2017 | $31 | $50 |
| Jan 2018 | $29 | $48 |
| Jan 2019 | $38 | $51 |
| Jan 2020 | $47 | $63 |
| Jan 2021 | $51 | $78 |
| Jan 2022 | $63 | $99 |
| Jan 2023 | $57 | $99 |
| Jan 2024 | $54 | $78 |
| Jan 2025 | $45 | $80 |
| Jan 2026 | $38 | $80 |
| Oct 2026 | $48 | $81 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Product number |
|---|---|---|
| North America | March 1989 | — |
| Europe / PAL | 1989 | — |
| Japan | 15 October 1988 | G-1370 |
- Region
- NA+EU+JP
- Released
- 1989
- Authenticity
- Med
The English-language Master System version of a computer RPG classic, a deep, battery-saved adventure that ACE ranked among the system's best.
Ys: The Vanished Omens is the Master System version of Ys, an action RPG that began as a Nihon Falcom computer game. It was released by Sega in Japan on October 15, 1988 as Ys, and in North America in March 1989 and Europe in 1989. In the story you play Adol Christin, who collects six books to fight off a coming darkness in the land of Esteria.
The Master System version received positive reviews. ACE magazine in 1989 listed it as the second best Master System game then available, praising its huge scrolling world, characters who can be questioned, and a good deal of role-playing depth. Compared with the computer original, some dungeon areas are flipped horizontally here, along with some other minor differences.
How it was made
The game was first made by Nihon Falcom for Japanese computers, with Masaya Hashimoto as director, programmer and designer. Sega developed and published the Master System version.
What the press said at the time
| Sega Pro Issue 18 | April 1993 | 84% |
| Sega Pro Issue 21 | July 1993 | 84% |
| Sega Pro Issue 22 | August 1993 | 84% |
| Sega Pro Issue 23 | September 1993 | 84% |
| Sega Pro Issue 24 | October 1993 | 84% |
| Sega Pro Issue 25 | November 1993 | 84% |
| ACE | 920/1000 | |
| Computer and Video Games | 92% | |
| Famitsu | 31/40 | |
| Mean Machines Sega | 88% | |
| The Games Machine | 90% | |
| Tilt | 16/20 | |
| Shin Force | 8.9/10 | |
| S: The Sega Magazine | 89% |
“is not an action game, but rather a game that taxes your memory and your ingenuity. … Adventure gamers will definitely enjoy this one.”
“An excellent RPG, but doesn’t háve the playability of the big three - Ultima, Phantasy Star and SpelICaster. Even so, iťs a reál puzzler.”
“An excellent RPG, but doesn’t háve the playability of Ultima, Phantasy Star and SpelICaster. Even so, iťs a reál puzzler.”
“An excellent RPG, but doesn’t háve the playability of Ultima, Phantasy Star and SpelICaster. Even so, iťs a reál puzzler.”
Undated scores are from the review table in the game's Wikipedia article, limited to reviews of the Sega Master System version.
How the Sega Master System version differs
Some of the dungeon areas are flipped horizontally compared with other versions, along with some other minor differences.
Also on other platforms
PC-88 · Sharp X1 · PC-98 · FM-7 · MSX2 · Famicom · MS-DOS · Apple IIGS · X68000 · Sega Saturn · Windows · Nintendo Switch · NES
- Famicom. The Famicom edition is a vast departure from the original, with entirely new layouts for the towns, field and dungeons, a number of replaced music tracks and a new final battle sequence.
- MSX2. The MSX2 version has a handful of new music tracks that replaced part of the original soundtrack.
How the other versions reviewed
| NES | Famitsu | 30/40 |
These are the other versions’ scores, not this one’s. Ports of this era were frequently built by different studios, so they do not transfer.
Before you buy
The US and European carts are close in price loose, and a complete European copy costs somewhat more. The Japanese cart is listed for far more than the US price, loose and complete, but it is a different, smaller shape that does not fit a Western console without an adapter, so a Western buyer rarely needs it. For any of the pricier copies, ask for a photo of the board. The game saves to a battery inside the cart, so check that a save holds. A replaced battery is a normal repair, not a sign of a fake.
The Ancient Land of Ys screenshots
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