Bump System

Bump System
Bump System tutorial screen in Ys I & II Chronicles
Games	Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished Ys II: Ancient Ys Vanished – The Final Chapter Ys I & II Ys IV: Mask of the Sun Ys IV: The Dawn of Ys

The Bump System (半 (はん) キャラずらし, literally "Half-Character Shift"), or Bump Combat, is a combat system where the player attacks enemies by repeatedly running into them. It is the first ever combat system of the Ys series, and one of its most recognizable and defining features.

Appearances in Games

Ys I & II

Although Adol learns magic in Ys II, the majority of combat in Ys I and Ys II is fought using the Bump System. Adol attacks enemies by running into them without pressing any buttons. The success of his attack is determined by his trajectory and/or the angle of impact; a head-on strike will likely cause Adol to take damage, but if the enemy is struck off-center or from an odd angle, attacks against it will prove successful.

Enemies can also be struck from behind or from the side with little risk — though this technique can backfire if Adol is pitted against an enemy with a large amount of health, since it will quickly turn to face its attacker. In Ys II, Adol is able to strike enemies successfully almost 100% of the time by approaching from a diagonal direction.

Appearances in other media

Bump System parody in Falcom Gakuen Episode 4

Minna Atsumare! Falcom Gakuen

In the comedy manga Minna Atsumare! Falcom Gakuen and its animated adaptation, the Bump System is referenced when Adol attacks Dark Fact as a gag.

Legacy

• The Bump system was replaced since Ys V: Lost Kefin, Kingdom of Sand with active battle activated by the player with an attack button. The system further developed into the Three weapons system in Ys VI: The Ark of Napishtim, and eventually become the party system from Ys SEVEN forward.
• The Gear Gale Shoes, Gale Feather, and Gale Boots from Ys: Memories of Celceta, Ys VIII: Lacrimosa of Dana, and Ys IX: Monstrum Nox respectively, not only increase the player's running speed, but also let the player damage enemies by bumping into them, mimicking the Bump System.