If you want to see other posts or join in there, I made a thread for it a while back here: https://selectbutton.net/t/ys-y-duz-it/
The most boojicore post possible is coming.
The game you are looking for is Hydlide (not the NES version). That is where Ys comes from. Like directly. It’s a straight line almost. Well, that and then Dragon Slayer 1, probably.
There are, but officially only like three of them are in English, including this one, but you can play most of them fanslated. I think checking out the PC88 version (available in Japanese on Switch, but if you’ve played through it once in English, you can stumble through it pretty easily) is pretty worth it as well.
The Turbografx version is interesting for how it just makes the first two games into one game, which effectively removes the level cap from the first game, a decision with good/bad consequences. I mean, they sorta have the cap there, in that enemies in 1 stop giving good experience amounts by a certain level, but you could still super grind more if you want to. I still gotta finish 2 in this version as well. It’s good though!
Also, don’t believe Falcom’s later official retconning of it and actually play Ys III next (preferably the Genesis version, but the PC88 version is coool if you don’t mind using a phone to poorly translate it; but the Genesis version has that soundtrack).