The CD-ROM Ys IV, with voice acting and animated cutscenes. Hudson built it for PC Engine. The definitive version.
Ys IV: The Dawn of Ys was developed by Hudson Soft and released for PC Engine Super CD-ROM in 1993 — an original Ys IV storyline developed by Hudson rather than Falcom, featuring Adol returning to Celceta. The game used the CD-ROM format for full voice acting, animated cutscenes, and a full orchestrated soundtrack. Hudson's version — created simultaneously with Tonkin House's Ys IV: Mask of the Sun for Super Famicom — is considered the more complete and technically impressive version. It remains a Japan-exclusive; no official English localization exists for either 1993 Ys IV version.
About this game
Ys IV: The Dawn of Ys is the PC Engine Super CD-ROM² exclusive entry in Falcom's celebrated action RPG series — a title distinct from the Super Famicom 'Ys IV: Mask of the Sun' released the same year, with a different story, different areas, and different content. Developed by Hudson Soft under license from Nihon Falcom, The Dawn of Ys takes full advantage of the CD-ROM² format: full-screen portrait art with lip-synched voice acting, a fully orchestrated arrangement of Falcom Sound Team JDK's compositions, and storytelling depth beyond what cartridge-based Ys releases offered. Red-haired adventurer Adol Christin investigates the continent of Celceta, a location that would later become the setting for Ys: Memories of Celceta.
Key Features
The Dawn of Ys uses the bumping combat system from earlier Ys entries — Adol attacks by running into enemies — combined with the visual and audio capabilities of the PC Engine CD-ROM². Full voice acting brings NPC characters to life across the adventure. The Super CD-ROM² format provides extended storage for the orchestrated soundtrack and cutscene art. The game explores Celceta, a region mentioned but unexplored in previous Ys titles, in a story that diverges substantially from the Super Famicom version released the same year.
Gallery
The Story Behind
In 1993, Falcom licensed Ys IV to two different developers simultaneously — Hudson Soft for the PC Engine version and Tonkin House for the Super Famicom — resulting in two distinct games with the same overarching premise but different executions. The PC Engine version's use of the Super CD-ROM² format for voice acting and orchestration made it the more technically ambitious release; the format allowed a richness of presentation unavailable on cartridge. This situation — two officially licensed but divergent Ys IV experiences — remained unusual in the franchise until the 2012 Vita release Memories of Celceta revisited the same setting.
Tricks & Tales
Two entirely different games were released as Ys IV in 1993 — the PC Engine 'Dawn of Ys' by Hudson and the Super Famicom 'Mask of the Sun' by Tonkin House — representing an unusual situation where Falcom licensed the same IP to competing developers simultaneously. Neither version is considered 'canon' by Falcom; the events of Celceta were eventually retold from scratch in Ys: Memories of Celceta (2012). The PC Engine version's full voice acting was an exceptional feature for a 1993 action RPG, afforded by the Super CD-ROM² format.
Collector's Guide
Region & Compatibility
Japan-exclusive PC Engine Super CD-ROM² release. No official Western release. Requires the Super CD-ROM² expansion to play. The game represents one of two simultaneously developed and released 'Ys IV' titles in 1993, the other being the Super Famicom version.
Maintenance Tips
HuCard contacts are the most common maintenance point on the PC Engine and TurboGrafx-16. The card's edge connector oxidizes over decades of storage, causing failure-to-read and graphical glitches. Cleaning with 90%+ isopropyl alcohol on a cotton swab—gently wiping the gold contacts on the card itself—resolves most contact issues; stubborn oxidation responds to dedicated contact cleaners such as DeoxIT. Never blow into the card slot with your mouth, as moisture accelerates the very corrosion you are trying to remove. On systems equipped with the CD-ROM² or Super CD-ROM² add-on, the optical drive is subject to the same age-related laser and sled degradation seen in any CD system of that era; the laser assembly uses a KSS-220a-type unit on the Super CD-ROM² and replacement parts remain available.
Going deeper
Explore the machine this game ran on, and what to check before you buy or care for one:
What to Watch Out For
Before buying, these are the points worth knowing — from someone who handles original Japanese Ys IV: The Dawn of Ys copies regularly.
Will this Japanese PC Engine game work on a North American TurboGrafx-16?
Not without a hardware adapter. The TurboGrafx-16's data bus lines are wired in reverse compared to the PC Engine, making the two regions physically incompatible at the cartridge (HuCard) slot level. A passive adapter such as the dbElectronics Turbo PC-Henshin bridges this gap for HuCard titles. For CD-ROM² software, the TurboGrafx-CD drive will run Japanese discs if they do not carry a software region check, but compatibility varies by title. In both cases, Japanese PC Engine software is designed for the Japanese market and carries no English text.
Will Ys IV: The Dawn of Ys run on an original CD-ROM² unit?
No — it needs Super CD-ROM², and an original unit will simply refuse the disc. The Dawn of Ys was built for the Super CD-ROM² standard, which requires System Card 3.0 (or a Duo, Duo-R or Duo-RX with the card built in) for the extra buffer RAM the format depends on. A System Card 1.0 or 2.0 machine shows an incompatibility message instead of loading the game. Confirm your hardware handles Super CD-ROM² before buying this 1993 release.
I found an English copy of Dawn of Ys for sale — is that official?
No. Treat it as a fan-made reproduction, not an original Hudson or Falcom product. No official English version of the PC Engine Dawn of Ys exists. Any English text or voice comes from two separate fan projects — a 2004 text patch and a 2012 English dub — which some sellers press onto physical discs and sell as though they were releases. Price it, and trust it, accordingly.
Before You Buy
Things worth knowing before you buy Ys IV: The Dawn of Ys
A short checklist for buying used PC Engine software wisely — useful with any seller, anywhere.
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Choose a seller who tests it before shipping
A copy that has actually been powered on and checked is a known quantity. An untested one is a gamble you only settle after it arrives.
Look for a seller who states it was function-tested and says what they confirmed. A serious seller can tell you exactly what was checked.
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Make sure it fits your console
Japanese PC Engine HuCards and CDs are not compatible with the North American TurboGrafx-16 — the formats differ. Use a Japanese PC Engine system.
Play it on a matching Japanese console or a region-free system, and confirm the listing states the region.
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HuCard or CD-ROM² — know which you're buying
PC Engine games come on HuCard chips or on CD-ROM². CD titles also require the right CD system and a working System Card.
Confirm the format in the listing, and for CDs check the disc surface and that saves are supported.
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Check that the contacts are clean
Dirty edge contacts are the most common cause of startup and sound trouble in cartridges of this age.
Choose a seller who cleans the contacts before shipping. A note that it was tested and cleaned means the basics were handled.
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Read the seller's reviews and return policy
A 100% positive record across thousands of sales is close to a guarantee — packing, communication and problem-solving all work for everyone. A return policy protects you if something is off.
Read the feedback and confirm a clear return window before you buy.
The last step before buying anywhere is knowing what it's worth.
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Rooms this game lives in
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Memories from around the world
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