Ys III: Wanderers from Ys is the third game in the Ys series. It was first released on the PC-88 and PC-98 in 1989 with ports to the MSX2, Sharp X68000, TurboGrafx-CD, Famicom, Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis later down the line.
It follows Adol and Dogi heading to the land of Felghana after the latter was absent for so long. But after witnessing the fortune teller's crystal ball shatter and vaguely speak of Galbalan, they find themselves travelling to Redmont where they hear of the monster problems plaguing it and the townsfolk were being harrassed by men from the castle of Valenstein. Taking matters into his own hands, Adol must seek out the statues that the men were hunting down.
The game would later receive two Video Game Remakes; one for the PlayStation 2 by Taito in 2005 and one for the Windows computer and PlayStation Portable titled Ys: The Oath in Felghana, the latter of which builds the game from the ground up and rewrites the story.
This game provides the following examples:
- Adaptation Dye-Job: Galbalan usually is colored red. In the Super NES version, he is colored blue. In the Playstation 2 version, he is colored green.
- Adapted Out: Dogi's friend he and Adol saves from wolves? While Adol did cut down a wolf in the Super NES version, said friend was nowhere in the scene and we see him being saved in the Sega Genesis version which used the manual art from the original computer release.
- Bowdlerized: The localization of the SNES version removes the crucifix from the back wall in Valestein Castle.
- Broken Bridge: Your passage through Valestine Castle is blocked by a statue that later becomes a boss; you must find the Bracelet first to pass.
- Canon Discontinuity: Ys: The Oath in Felghana, a remake of the game, shifted the original Ys III out of canon.
- Covers Always Lie: The cover of the TurboGrafx-16 CD displays a Viking-type Barbarian Hero with a winged helmet instead of the series' redheaded hero Adol, who has never worn helmets.
- Early Installment Character-Design Difference: The Stodarts were blonde with a light shade and had been depicted with blue eyes, the remake changes their hair to a flaxen shade and purple eyes.
- Early-Installment Weirdness: The intro of the Turbografx 16 version and a cutscene from the Playstation 2 version shows Genos as a pure human. Starting with the remake, he has been established as a member of the Eldeen.
- Evil Is Not a Toy: McGuire finds out the hard way that Galbalan cannot be anyone's pawn and every horrible act he did was due to Garland lying to him as part of the latter's schemes to bring back Galbalan who was his master.
- Flat Character: Unlike the remake, Dularn just appears out of nowhere for a boss fight and is ever referenced again. They are never even given a gender.
- He Was Right There All Along: A statue in a bubble blocks your path in Valestine Castle, and you must find the Plot Coupon to make it disappear. Later, it returns as a boss.
- Oddball in the Series: Wanderers from Ys is the only side-scrolling game in the series. It also differs from its two predecessors by having a dedicated "attack" button, rather than attacking by ramming.
- Plot Tunnel: Adol is captured shortly after entering the Ilberns Ruins and cast into the Lava Zone, where to obtain the item required to cross the lava river to the exit, you have to run a gauntlet of firebirds and lava waves, then defeat a difficult boss.
- Suddenly Speaking: This is one of the few times we get to see Adol with dialog and he does it plenty over the game.
