Valis

First Game: Mugen Senshi: Valis
Japanese Title: 夢幻戦士 ヴァリス

English Title: Valis: The Fantasm Soldier

Airdate: December 1986

Platforms: PC-8801, PC-9801, Family Computer, FM-77, Mega Drive/Sega Genesis, PC Engine (Super CD-ROM²), PlayStation 3 (PC Engine Classics), Microsoft Windows, S!Appli, X1

Plot
The Valis series stars a Japanese schoolgirl named Yūko Asou (麻生 優子 Asou Yūko?), who uses a mystical sword called Valis to defend Earth, the spirit world and the dream world.

Game design
Valis: The Fantasm Soldier is a side-scrolling platformer. Wielding the game's titular sword, the main character fights through each level's enemies while jumping across ledges, then confronts a boss at the end of each level. At certain points in the game, gameplay pauses, and cinema scenes regarding the game's storyline play.

Famicom version
Released only in Japan, the Famicom version of Valis differs considerably from the Mega Drive or CD versions of the game. While the basic plot remains the same, gameplay has moved from linear stage design to larger maze style levels with multiple paths. Because of this, the game's overall difficulty is much higher.

Mega Drive/Genesis version
Like other side-scrolling games of the era, the four D-pad buttons move the character, and the three fire buttons perform three actions for the main character: sliding, jumping, and swinging her sword. The player can view a list of usable magic by pressing the Start button.

Second Game: Mugen Senshi: Valis II
Japanese Title: 夢幻戦士 ヴァリスⅡ

English Title: Valis: The Fantasm Soldier II

Airdate: June 23, 1989

Platforms: PC-8801, MSX, PC-9801, PC Engine/TurboGrafx-16 (CD-ROM²/TurboGrafx-CD), Playstation 3 (PC Engine Classics)X68000

Story
Time passes since the events of Valis and Vecanti is set to rule under its next emperor after Rogles. This new emperor, Megas, wishes to stamp out any trace of the former tyrant, to the point of murdering any supporters Rogles might have had. Furthermore, his bloodthirsty tendencies recognize Yūko and the Valis sword as viable threats to his claim of the throne, and he targets his minions to eliminate her first before she has the chance to thwart him.

Gameplay
Like the other titles of the series, Valis II requires the player to navigate through two-dimensional levels, battling enemies, jumping from ledge to ledge, and running until you face a boss character at the end of each level.

Version History
The original version of Valis II was released on the PC-88, PC-98, and MSX in August 1989. Later that year it was ported to the Sharp X68000 as well. Both of these releases were Japan-only.

An updated version of the game with enhanced graphics and anime cutscenes was released for the PC Engine CD-ROM² in Japan and for the TurboGrafx-CD in North America.

As mentioned above, another port of the game was released for the Sega Mega Drive in Japan (as SD Valis) and for the Sega Genesis in North America (as Syd of Valis). This title featured the same gameplay and plot as the original, but the character design was changed to a super deformed format. The North American version of the game incorrectly identifies Yūko as "Syd", and also reuses for the front cover the boxart of Naritore the Sugoroku '92.

Third Game: Valis III
Japanese Title: ヴァリスⅢ

Airdate: September 7, 1990

Platforms: PC Engine Super CD-ROM²/TurboGrafx-CD, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis

Plot
Somewhere in the Dark World, evil rears its ugly head once again...

A black-hearted man named Glames, possessor of a sword named Leethus, threatens the Human World, the Dream World, and the Dark World with complete and utter destruction. A young girl from the Dark World named Cham escapes from Glames, and seeks help to destroy him.

She comes to the Human World, searching for the Valis Warrior, Yūko Asou, and more importantly, the Valis Sword.

Yuko must now help Cham defeat Glames before the three worlds are torn apart.

New improvements over the previous two Valis games include 3 playable characters, 3 unique weapons for each character, and greater, more powerful magic spells. Yuko uses the sword, the close range weapon, Cham uses a whip, for a mid range attack, and Valna, a character obtained in the second stage, uses a staff with magic for possible long range attacks.

Fourth Game: Super Valis IV: Akaki Tsuki no Otome
Japanese Title: SUPERヴァリスIV赤き月の乙女

English Title: Super Valis IV: Red Moon Rising Maiden

Airdate: March 27, 1992

Platforms: PC Engine Super CD-ROM², Super Nintendo

Story
Following on the events of Valis III, Yūko has become the goddess of the world of Vecanti and has watched over the world in peace since the death of Glames (Ramses). Trouble brews, however, when a prince of Vecanti named Galgear begins to search for a magical ring. This ring increases his powers, but to the loss of control he could have maintained under its effects, and the gods of Vecanti recognize this and enslave the reckless prince inside a crystal, its mass sinking into the ocean. Fifteen years pass, and Galgear manages to break out of his prison, kidnapping the former heroine Valna and being pursued by troops led by Cham as a result. A member of her band, named Rena Brant, requests permission to infiltrate Galgear's stronghold and free Valna on her own; Cham initially disagrees, but a disembodied voice convinces her to allow this, and Rena brings her twin sister Amu with her. They both succeed in reaching Galgear's inner sanctum, but are stopped by the prince and his ring, who is about to obliterate them when they are teleported away by a magic force—that of Asfer, the prince's father, who tells them that only the Valis sword, no longer in this world, can stop him. Both girls journey day and night to reach the heavens of Vecanti and claim the sword, which is bequeathed onto them by Yūko herself, sent with her blessings in stopping the power-hungry prince. They return to Vecanti and use the mystic blade to defeat Galgear.

Gameplay
Valis IV is a side-scrolling action platformer. Picking one of three characters (only one character is available in Super Valis IV), the player fights through a 2D level, jumping from platform to platform and battling enemies, before confronting a boss character at each stage's end. Animated sequences and in-game dialogue help move the story along periodically throughout the game.

Version Differences
Similar to the adaptation of the PC Engine game Akumajou Dracula X: Chi no Rondo into the Super Nintendo Entertainment System title Castlevania: Dracula X, extensive edits were made to Valis IV when it was ported to the Super Nintendo. The playable characters from the original (Asfar, Amu, and Rena) were left to just one (Rena). Also removed were the animated sequences from the original version. Though several levels were removed, a new level (Castle Vanity is actually based on the second half of the original Valis IV's first stage) was designed for this version.