That changed in late 1995 when I got my first internet connection, 14,000 bits per second of bliss. It didn't take long to start searching for pages about Ys. In no time I rediscovered excitement for the series. Falcom's site was amazing, they offered free Ys-related downloads like screen savers, wallpapers, stationery, and MIDI files. It was beyond what the average company was doing then, even what most are doing now.

I also found sites selling imported soundtracks from the Ys series. Ys Symphony 95 and The Very Best of Ys were two I ordered immediately. Yes, I'll admit I also downloaded many soundtracks from web sites and usenet (although if the US version of iTunes sold Falcom soundtracks I would gladly purchase them). Yes, I even downloaded a copy of Ys for DOS. This all got me playing the couple Ys games I had again while wishing that new ones would someday cross the ocean.

From late 1996-1999 I took a hiatus from gaming to focus on finishing college. The Ys soundtracks kept me going through many cram sessions. Overall though I didn't spend much time on video games in that period. Post-college I downloaded a copy of Ys Eternal (which I would also purchase if available) and played it the best I could without being able to read anything. It was nice to see the series evolve.

On spring break in 1997, while trying to teach myself Visual Basic, I attempted to create an Ys fan game. Turns out I wasn't exactly qualified and the project didn't get much farther than a crude map of the first town. I suppose I'll try again someday.