I played through the DS version last summer, and I enjoyed it quite a bit. (Although, I will agree that the stylus controls are pointless.) Your character does swing a sword if you use the d-pad controls, but the sword is so ridiculously short that you might as well be ramming into the enemies. Moreover, you do considerably more damages if you hit the enemies from the back or sides, and the best way to hit them without taking damages is by quickly running up to the enemies and "ramming" them while swing your sword. Finally - if i recall correctly - you get pushed back a bit whenever you hit an enemy; so, you cannot just stand in one spot swinging your weapon. (It would not reach anything anyway...)DJGoodNews wrote:From the article:
Since the DS version is listed among the recommended ports, it probably should be pointed out, somewhere in the article that the controls are changed quite a bit.Battles are not turned based. And there’s no swinging swords. Instead you literally ram into enemies. Running into them off-center or from the side or back will increase your chances of getting a hit rather than taking damage.
There are two control options: Normal and Stylus.
In normal mode, you move Adol around with the D-Pad, but the whole running into enemies to hurt them mechanic is gone. Instead you have to press a button to swing your sword. This completely changes combat, making it much more similar to most other action RPGs.
In stylus mode, Ys signature combat mechanic is restored, however you can't use the d-pad to move around. You have to point to where you want Adol to move with the stylus.
Stylus control is complete shit, and there is no way to use a d-pad and still have the classic style combat.
In any event, I thought that the basic gameplay and story had aged very well; so, if this is your first time through the game, you are in for a treat.
(Also, if you enjoy Part I, I suggest moving directly on to Part II. The gameplay is very similar and they form both parts of a larger story arc.)
