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Old-school Phantasy Star appreciation thread [SPOILERS IN OP]
whuppins
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Later this year, we'll see the twentieth anniversary (holy shit, 20 years? Really?) of the initial release of the original Phantasy Star for the Sega Master system. Though Phantasy Star was a seminal game that introduced dozens of console JRPG conventions that are still widely observed today, it was overshadowed from the beginning by the more popular Dragon Quest/Warrior and Final Fantasy series.
Rightly so, many would say. Through the years, Square, Enix, and others continually produced well-crafted RPGs for competing console systems that were, by and large, better. As a diehard Phantasy Star fan I have no problem admitting it: Final Fantasy was richer, Chrono Trigger was prettier, etc. Despite dozens of playthroughs of other JRPGs and the hours of fun and entertainment they provided, none of them hold that special place in my heart that Phantasy Star holds. Some brief notes and info on each of the four games follows, and I'll probably return to this thread as I remember more details that I wanted to share. Any fellow Phantasy Star I-IV fans are encouraged to come out of the woodwork and share in the appreciation; PSO stuff isn't really the focus of the thread as it's a complete departure from the original series, but I'm not going to tell you what you can and can't discuss. Hell, folks who played PS Adventure/Gaiden on the Game Gear or the telemodem games, represent.
The series
First, the obligatory Wikipedia link: The Phantasy Star Series
Phantasy Star takes place in the Algol solar system, which initially consists of three planets. In each installment, a band of warriors confronts a sinister figure who eventually is revealed to be the agent of an even greater force of evil, Dark Force. Pretty standard stuff. What really sets the series apart from its contemporaries, though, are the motifs and thematic elements that were, at the time, almost unheard-of. While other RPGs took place in pseudo-medieval settings and had the player slaying dragons and wizards or rescuing princesses, Phantasy Star games inhabited a world with advanced technology that permeated all aspects of the games, from plot to battle mechanics. Genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, space travel, artificial climate management, cryonics, and myriad other futuristic arts and sciences played major roles, yet these aspects lived happily alongside the swords and sorcery of traditional RPGs.
Several distinct and fully developed races inhabited the various climes of the Algol system, and most party members were fleshed out with fully realized personalities. While Phantasy Star I in particular was less dialogue-driven than the others, by the time PS IV arrived players were treated to colorful, kinetic manga cutscenes throughout the game as the story unfolded. Even in the original game, Alis had a first and last name, two more names than many RPG heroes had at the time. While the ultimate plot of "save the world from an evil force" wasn't anything new in any of the installments, the way in which the stories were executed and the unique sci-fi/fantasy blend gave the series a different, refreshing feel that perhaps endeared it more to those who played it. This type of setting was largely unexplored, at least among popular RPGs, until steampunk elements began creeping into the Final Fantasy games after 3 sequels or so. Although this is only one example of the many elements that are no longer unique in the RPG landscape of today, the Phantasy Star series still enjoys a reputation as an imaginative, finely crafted JRPG series that strays off the beaten path just enough to stand out among the other, more mundane offerings of its time.
Phantasy Star (Sega Master System, 1987 [JP], 1988 [EU/US])
The original Phantasy Star was released at the dawn of the console RPG days, a year and a half after Dragon Quest 1 and a mere 2 days after the original Final Fantasy (although it made its American debut before either of these titles). It told the story of a young woman, Alis, who sets out to avenge the death of her brother. Her journey takes her to distant planets in the Algo system and through many treacherous dungeons. Along the way she's joined by several party members, each of whom have their own backstory.
The Owl Bear is neither an owl nor a bear... discuss.
Phantasy Star introduced dozens of JRPG conventions that are taken for granted today, and many others that are still somewhat unique. It was one of the first console RPGs to have 3D, first-person dungeons, and holy hell, were they hard. Like, buy-a-stack-of-graph-paper-and-try-to-walk-through-random-walls hard. It was among the very first games to implement a battery backup. Some monsters found in random encounters were sentient and you could talk to them in battle instead of fighting them. Sometimes they'd just walk away if you talked to them.
I could be wrong about this, but I believe Phantasy Star is the first RPG to use the 'caterpillar' effect to have your party members on screen at all times, following your every step. I still prefer this to many modern games where your party members only appear in battle or when they have something to say. Even with all the groundbreaking stuff that Final Fantasy 7 did, you still had to watch cutscenes where Barret would emerge from Cloud's body, say something, and then walk back into Cloud and be absorbed. I still like the caterpillar effect.
Hey, that's pretty good-looking for a 20-year-old game.
Another thing that Phantasy Star is famous for -- not just in RPGs, but video games in general -- is possibly the first bona fide heroine with a fully realized personality who wasn't just eye candy. Instead of the traditional knight in shining armor, the player assumed the role of Alis, a strong, independent woman who was subject to the minimum of female character cliches found in games to this day. I'm not convinced that this is such a groundbreaking thing that some people make it out to be, but I do believe that Alis' appearance in Phantasy Star is every bit as significant to the role of women in games as more popular choices like Samus from Metroid.
All in all, Phantasy Star was a great game by any definition: Ahead of its time, rich, challenging, and brimming with innovations that would go on to help define the JRPG genre. It's unfortunate that its Master System release didn't get as much exposure as other games -- if it had been released for the NES, the series may well have become more popular than any RPG series today.
Trivia Time: A Phantasy Star game screen was put into GTA: Vice City, which is of course set in the mid 80's when the game came out. At your pad, there's a table with some magazines strewn across it. Use the sniper rifle to zoom in on one of the magazines and you'll see a picture of Palma's overworld, with a headline to the effect of "The hot new games of 1987". I haven't been able to find anything on the Internet that mentions this, but it's in there, I swear.
Phantasy Star II (Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, 1988)
The series' second installment was the first to be produced for the 16-bit Mega Drive/Genesis hardware. Of all the games in the series, this one is arguably the most science fiction-y, with almost all dungeons being a mess of industrial architecture, stasis pods, robot drones, and oh so many blinking lights. The story follows Rolf as he tries to determine the cause of the instability of Motavia's (referred to as "Mota" in-game) ecosystem. Eventually he and his several fellow adventurers learn of a rogue AI that is threatening not just the stability of the climate, but the fate of the Algol system itself. This is awesome as it sounds.
Even PS II had some manga-style visuals, God bless it.
Many fans of the series call PS II their favorite; it contains several memorable scenes and characters.
PS II featured a large cast of characters, many of which could be swapped out for one another at the player's choosing. Though this feature is somewhat common today, PS II was among the first JRPGs to do it. Despite a less-than-stellar translation, PS II managed to tell a sprawling story centered on a malevolent computer system that ultimately leads to the destruction of an entire planet (!) and a stunning, where-the-hell-did-that-come-from cliffhanger/twist ending. Wikipedia notes that the game's plot stood out for its dark and somewhat hopeless tone, and I'm inclined to agree. Just as PS I introduced an alternative to the medieval Europe millieu, so did PS II stand in contrast to other series steeped in a more lighthearted or positive tone. By the end of PS II, not all battles have been won, and the player is presented with a sobering view of the results of his sacrifices for his friends and his planet.
Rolf and Nei, tooling around town.
Phantasy Star II is remembered fondly as one of the best games on the Genesis, and deservedly so. Its dungeons are long and can be maddening, possibly even moreso than PS I's aimless first-person crawls. Players who relish the challenge of old-school console RPGs will enjoy its labyrinthine dungeons and its brutal combat (I've never done so much resurrecting -- err, sorry, cloning -- in my life), while others will quickly become frustrated with its unforgiving difficulty and how it seemingly encourages extended level-grinding sessions. It all pays off, though, thanks to a memorable story and a unique game experience.
Trivia Time: Rika from PS IV is Nei's 'daughter'. PS IV's script specifically mentions this when Holt/Seed talk about how Rika was created from a thousand-year-old specimen, but a lot of people still miss this point for some reason.
Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom (Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, 1990)
PS III is the 'black sheep' of the family. It was made by a different design team than the other 3 titles and was very obviously rushed out the door in an unfinished state. It has a weird-ass system for learning magic spells and has only sparse plot exposition in what many feel is a step backward from Phantasy Star II. Overall, it just doesn't 'feel' like a Phantasy Star game as much as the others do. There are many reasons for this, from simple things (it's the only PS title that doesn't use the classic stylized "Phantasy Star" logo) to major issues (there are multiple endings, none of which reconcile with the continuity of the rest of the series). While some fans claim PS III as their favorite in the series, most will acknowledge that it's best served when considered on its own, as opposed to a Phantasy Star title. It's a decent-to-good RPG that is a little on the dull side, although its heart was in the right place: Most of its flaws can be attributed to designers simply being too ambitious.
Er, yeah... think they needed some more time to work on the battle UI.
On paper, the game sounds fantastic. Indeed, it did introduce several, uh, ambitious features that were unique for the time. The game was divided into three 'acts', each of which represented a generation of heroes. After conquering the challenge facing the current generation, the player was given a choice of two women he had met along the way. One of these he would choose for his bride and their resulting offspring became the main character for the next generation's events. Because of this, there were a total of four possible final characters, each with his own ending. Other significant aspects of the game were affected by the player's choices as well and it was definitely neat to see the consequences of your actions have real effects further down the road.
Other contributions to the series included being able to party with a Wren android, the kind that had previously only been an enemy inside AI-controlled dungeons. Wren went on to become a fan favorite in Phantasy Star IV and even had a significant impact on PC designs for the later PSO series. There were also attempts to tie PS III's story into the continuity of the other games, but no such references are made until fairly late in the game, as what is meant to be a stunning revelation (instead of a planet in the Algol system, your party is actually inhabiting a "worldship" traveling through space in the wake of Palma's destruction) ultimately packs little punch because of the sparse dialogue and storytelling.
Choose wisely!
All in all, PS III isn't a bad game in and of itself, but it was definitely a missed opportunity to build upon the lore of the first two games. Overall design and production values just didn't seem up to par (see this page for enemy graphics -- some are just plain silly) and most people acknowledge that this was due to the game being rushed into production before it was really ready. It's unfortunate, because PS III contained enough novel ideas for a really wonderful, imaginitive game.
Trivia Time: Hmmmmm... PS III trivia? Let me think... oh, hey, I know. Go to that page with the enemy sprites and check out the Irisa monster and her palette swap sisters Rosa and Viola. Yep, topless women emerging from flowers. And their attack animation is to clap their hands. All you have to do is pause at the exact right moment and you'll be treated to some 16-bit nipple goodness. Awwwww yeah.
Phantasy star IV: The End of the Millenium (Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, 1993 [JP/US], 1995 [EU])
Phantasy Star IV, oh man, where do I start. PS IV is almost certainly my favorite game on the Genesis, and possibly my favorite game of all time. It came out just when the Playstation was emerging and it was the last great RPG from a console that didn't get nearly enough of them. It was also the last of the traditional, 2D, turn-based, console JRPG goodness of the initial series, before PSO came out and went all MMO on us.
Wren is such a fucking badass. You don't even know.
Here are some of the things that make this game great: Even moreso than the previous entries, PS IV was so effective in its use of the fantasy/sci-fi hybrid setting. The original lead designer from PS I and II returned, and the Algol system once again became a vibrant realm where pulse cannons and laser knives fought alongside Laconia swords and carbon claws. The story followed Chaz, a young hunter from Motavia, as he went from taking menial jobs from the Hunters' Guild to confronting a powerful black magician and several malicious computer networks that are slowly killing the planet. Again, Chaz and his companions find that the sinister Dark Force is behind it all, but this time there appears to be an even greater force behind Dark Force itself.
PS IV brings back all the best-loved aspects of previous installments: Genetic experiments gone awry, evil wizards with mysterious powers, bucketloads of mutants, mechs, and demons to fight, space travel among the planets in Algol as well as an artificial satellite overrun by Dark Force's minions, vehicles, androids, a host of colorful, fully realized characters, and tons more. The story is told through top-notch manga cutscenes, and there are tons of them as opposed to the scant handfuls found in previous installments.
See, it is possible to put cool shit like this in an RPG.
Perhaps it's because of this more robust storytelling, but the plot of Phantasy Star IV seems so much more engrossing than other entries. Even the sound and music are top-notch (which is saying a lot, given the Genesis' awful sound capabilities) and help drive the story along. It all culminates in a final standoff against the forces of evil with the fate of the Algol system hanging in the balance. The ending is top-rate, done entirely in a good 5 or 10 minutes worth of manga cutscenes, and it really rewards the player by drawing the story to a close.
For long-time fans of the Phantasy Star series, one of the best things about PS IV is the generous amounts of references it contains to earlier games; fan service in the best possible sense of the words. From PS I alone: You can meet musk cats (including, presuably, Myau, in the flesh -- err, fur) and a present-day incarnation of Lutz (AKA Noah), visit the quiet town that Alis retired to (complete with a statue of her), confront Lassic/Lashiec again (inside his Air Castle, complete with remixed PS I music, of course), and just tons of other things. Your party will consist of native Motavians and Dezolisians for the first time, another Wren android and his dimunitive female counterpart,
Lovely Rika, Numan babe.. where would I be without you?
Despite being released alongside such acclaimed RPG classics as Final Fantasy 6 and Earthbound, Phantasy Star still managed to innovate: A macro system that allowed you to automate your party's actions during random encounters, optional side quests available through the Hunters' Guild, a Skill system to complement the tech (magic) system, combination attacks later made popular by Chrono Trigger and the SaGa series, and a highly interactive environment for a 16-bit title: nearly every object could be inspected and would prompt a conversation between party members. Remember, kids: It's not nice to open people's cabinets without their permission... unless it's your house, and you need to get to your underwear. The last neat little thing I'll mention (though there are more) is the "Talk" feature, similar to the hint guy in Earthbound. If you got stuck and forgot what you were doing or where you were going, you could have your current party talk amongst themselves, thereby revealing the task at hand. It was a nice, helpful, natural way of steering you in the right direction that didn't make you feel like too much of a moron.
One of the many manga cutscenes.
All in all, PS IV was a great game, given the state-of-the art programming and solid design that the series had always deserved. Optional areas and side-quests abound. Slick anime headshots accompanied every spoken line, even those from minor characters. A wealth of offensive, restorative, buff, and debuff spells and techniques were available, and almost every one was useful. And there were go-go dancers shakin' it to the Fantasy Zone theme! What more could you ask for?
Trivia Time: A lot of folks know about the "fission mailed" moment in PS III where you can sell your gear at the beginning of the game to buy an Escapipe and escape from the dungeon, at which point the game tells you to reset the game and start over. PS IV has a similar moment, though admittedly not as cool and easter egg-y. At the beginning of the game, Chaz, Alys, and Hahn are stuck in Piata and not allowed to leave until they take care of the boss mutant in the basement. The guards at the edge of town just stand in their way if they try to leave. However, if you have the patience, you can grind levels in the basement without killing the boss until Chaz gets to level 8 (if I recall correctly), he'll learn the Ryuka technique, which deposits the party just outside any town they've visited previously. Ryuka yourself to Piata and you'll be forcibly sucked back into town, and receive a stern lecture from one of the guards.
OK, that's it
Hats off to the original Phantasy Star series! I'm glad I was able to waste away my boyhood summers playing these games, and I'm glad they still entertain me today. If anyone else is a fan of the series, share in the worship here.
Rightly so, many would say. Through the years, Square, Enix, and others continually produced well-crafted RPGs for competing console systems that were, by and large, better. As a diehard Phantasy Star fan I have no problem admitting it: Final Fantasy was richer, Chrono Trigger was prettier, etc. Despite dozens of playthroughs of other JRPGs and the hours of fun and entertainment they provided, none of them hold that special place in my heart that Phantasy Star holds. Some brief notes and info on each of the four games follows, and I'll probably return to this thread as I remember more details that I wanted to share. Any fellow Phantasy Star I-IV fans are encouraged to come out of the woodwork and share in the appreciation; PSO stuff isn't really the focus of the thread as it's a complete departure from the original series, but I'm not going to tell you what you can and can't discuss. Hell, folks who played PS Adventure/Gaiden on the Game Gear or the telemodem games, represent.
The series
First, the obligatory Wikipedia link: The Phantasy Star Series
Phantasy Star takes place in the Algol solar system, which initially consists of three planets. In each installment, a band of warriors confronts a sinister figure who eventually is revealed to be the agent of an even greater force of evil, Dark Force. Pretty standard stuff. What really sets the series apart from its contemporaries, though, are the motifs and thematic elements that were, at the time, almost unheard-of. While other RPGs took place in pseudo-medieval settings and had the player slaying dragons and wizards or rescuing princesses, Phantasy Star games inhabited a world with advanced technology that permeated all aspects of the games, from plot to battle mechanics. Genetic engineering, artificial intelligence, space travel, artificial climate management, cryonics, and myriad other futuristic arts and sciences played major roles, yet these aspects lived happily alongside the swords and sorcery of traditional RPGs.
Several distinct and fully developed races inhabited the various climes of the Algol system, and most party members were fleshed out with fully realized personalities. While Phantasy Star I in particular was less dialogue-driven than the others, by the time PS IV arrived players were treated to colorful, kinetic manga cutscenes throughout the game as the story unfolded. Even in the original game, Alis had a first and last name, two more names than many RPG heroes had at the time. While the ultimate plot of "save the world from an evil force" wasn't anything new in any of the installments, the way in which the stories were executed and the unique sci-fi/fantasy blend gave the series a different, refreshing feel that perhaps endeared it more to those who played it. This type of setting was largely unexplored, at least among popular RPGs, until steampunk elements began creeping into the Final Fantasy games after 3 sequels or so. Although this is only one example of the many elements that are no longer unique in the RPG landscape of today, the Phantasy Star series still enjoys a reputation as an imaginative, finely crafted JRPG series that strays off the beaten path just enough to stand out among the other, more mundane offerings of its time.
Phantasy Star (Sega Master System, 1987 [JP], 1988 [EU/US])
The original Phantasy Star was released at the dawn of the console RPG days, a year and a half after Dragon Quest 1 and a mere 2 days after the original Final Fantasy (although it made its American debut before either of these titles). It told the story of a young woman, Alis, who sets out to avenge the death of her brother. Her journey takes her to distant planets in the Algo system and through many treacherous dungeons. Along the way she's joined by several party members, each of whom have their own backstory.
The Owl Bear is neither an owl nor a bear... discuss.
Phantasy Star introduced dozens of JRPG conventions that are taken for granted today, and many others that are still somewhat unique. It was one of the first console RPGs to have 3D, first-person dungeons, and holy hell, were they hard. Like, buy-a-stack-of-graph-paper-and-try-to-walk-through-random-walls hard. It was among the very first games to implement a battery backup. Some monsters found in random encounters were sentient and you could talk to them in battle instead of fighting them. Sometimes they'd just walk away if you talked to them.
I could be wrong about this, but I believe Phantasy Star is the first RPG to use the 'caterpillar' effect to have your party members on screen at all times, following your every step. I still prefer this to many modern games where your party members only appear in battle or when they have something to say. Even with all the groundbreaking stuff that Final Fantasy 7 did, you still had to watch cutscenes where Barret would emerge from Cloud's body, say something, and then walk back into Cloud and be absorbed. I still like the caterpillar effect.
Hey, that's pretty good-looking for a 20-year-old game.
Another thing that Phantasy Star is famous for -- not just in RPGs, but video games in general -- is possibly the first bona fide heroine with a fully realized personality who wasn't just eye candy. Instead of the traditional knight in shining armor, the player assumed the role of Alis, a strong, independent woman who was subject to the minimum of female character cliches found in games to this day. I'm not convinced that this is such a groundbreaking thing that some people make it out to be, but I do believe that Alis' appearance in Phantasy Star is every bit as significant to the role of women in games as more popular choices like Samus from Metroid.
All in all, Phantasy Star was a great game by any definition: Ahead of its time, rich, challenging, and brimming with innovations that would go on to help define the JRPG genre. It's unfortunate that its Master System release didn't get as much exposure as other games -- if it had been released for the NES, the series may well have become more popular than any RPG series today.
Trivia Time: A Phantasy Star game screen was put into GTA: Vice City, which is of course set in the mid 80's when the game came out. At your pad, there's a table with some magazines strewn across it. Use the sniper rifle to zoom in on one of the magazines and you'll see a picture of Palma's overworld, with a headline to the effect of "The hot new games of 1987". I haven't been able to find anything on the Internet that mentions this, but it's in there, I swear.
Phantasy Star II (Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, 1988)
The series' second installment was the first to be produced for the 16-bit Mega Drive/Genesis hardware. Of all the games in the series, this one is arguably the most science fiction-y, with almost all dungeons being a mess of industrial architecture, stasis pods, robot drones, and oh so many blinking lights. The story follows Rolf as he tries to determine the cause of the instability of Motavia's (referred to as "Mota" in-game) ecosystem. Eventually he and his several fellow adventurers learn of a rogue AI that is threatening not just the stability of the climate, but the fate of the Algol system itself. This is awesome as it sounds.
Even PS II had some manga-style visuals, God bless it.
Many fans of the series call PS II their favorite; it contains several memorable scenes and characters.
Players are introduced to Nei, a fringe genetic experiment regarded as half-human and half-monster ("Numan") who just so happens to take the form of a beautiful youg girl with cat ears. Almost a decade before Aeris got skewered, Nei's sudden and irrevocable death about halfway through the game still ranks as one of the most poignant moments in the minds of many kids who were on the Sega side of the console wars.
PS II featured a large cast of characters, many of which could be swapped out for one another at the player's choosing. Though this feature is somewhat common today, PS II was among the first JRPGs to do it. Despite a less-than-stellar translation, PS II managed to tell a sprawling story centered on a malevolent computer system that ultimately leads to the destruction of an entire planet (!) and a stunning, where-the-hell-did-that-come-from cliffhanger/twist ending. Wikipedia notes that the game's plot stood out for its dark and somewhat hopeless tone, and I'm inclined to agree. Just as PS I introduced an alternative to the medieval Europe millieu, so did PS II stand in contrast to other series steeped in a more lighthearted or positive tone. By the end of PS II, not all battles have been won, and the player is presented with a sobering view of the results of his sacrifices for his friends and his planet.
Rolf and Nei, tooling around town.
Phantasy Star II is remembered fondly as one of the best games on the Genesis, and deservedly so. Its dungeons are long and can be maddening, possibly even moreso than PS I's aimless first-person crawls. Players who relish the challenge of old-school console RPGs will enjoy its labyrinthine dungeons and its brutal combat (I've never done so much resurrecting -- err, sorry, cloning -- in my life), while others will quickly become frustrated with its unforgiving difficulty and how it seemingly encourages extended level-grinding sessions. It all pays off, though, thanks to a memorable story and a unique game experience.
Trivia Time: Rika from PS IV is Nei's 'daughter'. PS IV's script specifically mentions this when Holt/Seed talk about how Rika was created from a thousand-year-old specimen, but a lot of people still miss this point for some reason.
Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom (Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, 1990)
PS III is the 'black sheep' of the family. It was made by a different design team than the other 3 titles and was very obviously rushed out the door in an unfinished state. It has a weird-ass system for learning magic spells and has only sparse plot exposition in what many feel is a step backward from Phantasy Star II. Overall, it just doesn't 'feel' like a Phantasy Star game as much as the others do. There are many reasons for this, from simple things (it's the only PS title that doesn't use the classic stylized "Phantasy Star" logo) to major issues (there are multiple endings, none of which reconcile with the continuity of the rest of the series). While some fans claim PS III as their favorite in the series, most will acknowledge that it's best served when considered on its own, as opposed to a Phantasy Star title. It's a decent-to-good RPG that is a little on the dull side, although its heart was in the right place: Most of its flaws can be attributed to designers simply being too ambitious.
Er, yeah... think they needed some more time to work on the battle UI.
On paper, the game sounds fantastic. Indeed, it did introduce several, uh, ambitious features that were unique for the time. The game was divided into three 'acts', each of which represented a generation of heroes. After conquering the challenge facing the current generation, the player was given a choice of two women he had met along the way. One of these he would choose for his bride and their resulting offspring became the main character for the next generation's events. Because of this, there were a total of four possible final characters, each with his own ending. Other significant aspects of the game were affected by the player's choices as well and it was definitely neat to see the consequences of your actions have real effects further down the road.
Other contributions to the series included being able to party with a Wren android, the kind that had previously only been an enemy inside AI-controlled dungeons. Wren went on to become a fan favorite in Phantasy Star IV and even had a significant impact on PC designs for the later PSO series. There were also attempts to tie PS III's story into the continuity of the other games, but no such references are made until fairly late in the game, as what is meant to be a stunning revelation (instead of a planet in the Algol system, your party is actually inhabiting a "worldship" traveling through space in the wake of Palma's destruction) ultimately packs little punch because of the sparse dialogue and storytelling.
Choose wisely!
All in all, PS III isn't a bad game in and of itself, but it was definitely a missed opportunity to build upon the lore of the first two games. Overall design and production values just didn't seem up to par (see this page for enemy graphics -- some are just plain silly) and most people acknowledge that this was due to the game being rushed into production before it was really ready. It's unfortunate, because PS III contained enough novel ideas for a really wonderful, imaginitive game.
Trivia Time: Hmmmmm... PS III trivia? Let me think... oh, hey, I know. Go to that page with the enemy sprites and check out the Irisa monster and her palette swap sisters Rosa and Viola. Yep, topless women emerging from flowers. And their attack animation is to clap their hands. All you have to do is pause at the exact right moment and you'll be treated to some 16-bit nipple goodness. Awwwww yeah.
Phantasy star IV: The End of the Millenium (Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, 1993 [JP/US], 1995 [EU])
Phantasy Star IV, oh man, where do I start. PS IV is almost certainly my favorite game on the Genesis, and possibly my favorite game of all time. It came out just when the Playstation was emerging and it was the last great RPG from a console that didn't get nearly enough of them. It was also the last of the traditional, 2D, turn-based, console JRPG goodness of the initial series, before PSO came out and went all MMO on us.
Wren is such a fucking badass. You don't even know.
Here are some of the things that make this game great: Even moreso than the previous entries, PS IV was so effective in its use of the fantasy/sci-fi hybrid setting. The original lead designer from PS I and II returned, and the Algol system once again became a vibrant realm where pulse cannons and laser knives fought alongside Laconia swords and carbon claws. The story followed Chaz, a young hunter from Motavia, as he went from taking menial jobs from the Hunters' Guild to confronting a powerful black magician and several malicious computer networks that are slowly killing the planet. Again, Chaz and his companions find that the sinister Dark Force is behind it all, but this time there appears to be an even greater force behind Dark Force itself.
PS IV brings back all the best-loved aspects of previous installments: Genetic experiments gone awry, evil wizards with mysterious powers, bucketloads of mutants, mechs, and demons to fight, space travel among the planets in Algol as well as an artificial satellite overrun by Dark Force's minions, vehicles, androids, a host of colorful, fully realized characters, and tons more. The story is told through top-notch manga cutscenes, and there are tons of them as opposed to the scant handfuls found in previous installments.
See, it is possible to put cool shit like this in an RPG.
Perhaps it's because of this more robust storytelling, but the plot of Phantasy Star IV seems so much more engrossing than other entries. Even the sound and music are top-notch (which is saying a lot, given the Genesis' awful sound capabilities) and help drive the story along. It all culminates in a final standoff against the forces of evil with the fate of the Algol system hanging in the balance. The ending is top-rate, done entirely in a good 5 or 10 minutes worth of manga cutscenes, and it really rewards the player by drawing the story to a close.
For long-time fans of the Phantasy Star series, one of the best things about PS IV is the generous amounts of references it contains to earlier games; fan service in the best possible sense of the words. From PS I alone: You can meet musk cats (including, presuably, Myau, in the flesh -- err, fur) and a present-day incarnation of Lutz (AKA Noah), visit the quiet town that Alis retired to (complete with a statue of her), confront Lassic/Lashiec again (inside his Air Castle, complete with remixed PS I music, of course), and just tons of other things. Your party will consist of native Motavians and Dezolisians for the first time, another Wren android and his dimunitive female counterpart,
Also Alys, your mentor, whose death is done so much better than Nei's (or Aeris', for that matter),
as well as another Numan who just might be cuter than Nei:Lovely Rika, Numan babe.. where would I be without you?
Despite being released alongside such acclaimed RPG classics as Final Fantasy 6 and Earthbound, Phantasy Star still managed to innovate: A macro system that allowed you to automate your party's actions during random encounters, optional side quests available through the Hunters' Guild, a Skill system to complement the tech (magic) system, combination attacks later made popular by Chrono Trigger and the SaGa series, and a highly interactive environment for a 16-bit title: nearly every object could be inspected and would prompt a conversation between party members. Remember, kids: It's not nice to open people's cabinets without their permission... unless it's your house, and you need to get to your underwear. The last neat little thing I'll mention (though there are more) is the "Talk" feature, similar to the hint guy in Earthbound. If you got stuck and forgot what you were doing or where you were going, you could have your current party talk amongst themselves, thereby revealing the task at hand. It was a nice, helpful, natural way of steering you in the right direction that didn't make you feel like too much of a moron.
One of the many manga cutscenes.
All in all, PS IV was a great game, given the state-of-the art programming and solid design that the series had always deserved. Optional areas and side-quests abound. Slick anime headshots accompanied every spoken line, even those from minor characters. A wealth of offensive, restorative, buff, and debuff spells and techniques were available, and almost every one was useful. And there were go-go dancers shakin' it to the Fantasy Zone theme! What more could you ask for?
Trivia Time: A lot of folks know about the "fission mailed" moment in PS III where you can sell your gear at the beginning of the game to buy an Escapipe and escape from the dungeon, at which point the game tells you to reset the game and start over. PS IV has a similar moment, though admittedly not as cool and easter egg-y. At the beginning of the game, Chaz, Alys, and Hahn are stuck in Piata and not allowed to leave until they take care of the boss mutant in the basement. The guards at the edge of town just stand in their way if they try to leave. However, if you have the patience, you can grind levels in the basement without killing the boss until Chaz gets to level 8 (if I recall correctly), he'll learn the Ryuka technique, which deposits the party just outside any town they've visited previously. Ryuka yourself to Piata and you'll be forcibly sucked back into town, and receive a stern lecture from one of the guards.
OK, that's it
Hats off to the original Phantasy Star series! I'm glad I was able to waste away my boyhood summers playing these games, and I'm glad they still entertain me today. If anyone else is a fan of the series, share in the worship here.
whuppins on
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that's retarded.
And I swear to God, I will never forgive Sega for botching their chances for a real sequel. As in Phantasy Star V. PSO and PSU pretty much felt like Sega was spitting on one of their best creations. It hurt. Because the PS series was, and still is, my favorite RPG series of all time.
BTW I think part 3 was pretty good, for what it was.
because anybody who cares about these games already knew that?
It's not like the game could come out again today where people who haven't played the game could or anything.
Man, I love this series. Love it. Even paid (well, I didn't, it was bought for me) $100 for III (ah, cartridge game prices). Too bad that turned out to be such a disappointment for me.
PSIV is the best RPG on the Genesis. So much love for that game.
RETARDED.
Especially with the SEGA Genesis Collection out. Guess who's playing
EDIT: Er wait, that didn't include PSIV. Nevermind.
It's a HUGE spoiler. Like, the one big twist in the game. One that I really didn't see coming.
Shoot! I was reading that as dies (dias) not dies!
THIS ISN'T FUNNY LIKE AERIS!
Must! Purge! Mind!
Dude, spoiler that shit.
Anyway, I kinda feel bad for the OP. He's going to be devastated when he comes back online and finds out everyone that cares about the thread's subject now hates him.
Which we do. Hate.
I'm maybe a fourth of the way through the game right now.
I'm going to frikkin' kill him! KILL HIM!
Edit: I just loaded up PS4, and now I remember who that character is.
I'm so pissed right now.
And PS1 dungeons? Pfft, I beat them on my own. PSII's are crazy.
What?
SHOOT WHY DID I GO LOOK FOR IT!? CURSE MYSELF!
The difference is Aeris's death is an internet meme.
I won't have that OP ruining them.
I can play III on either GBA or PS2, but IV = PS2.
I've been stuck on PS2 @ GBA forever. Stupid science lab dungeon.
I seriously think I need to handwrite a map to get through it.
PS1 was so good.
FFVII was also more widely played.
Good to see you changed it. Great thread otherwise. Phantasy Star was my 2nd favorite RPG series (behind only Shining Force).
Yeah, thank god it came with a strategy/hint guide/walkthru. I probably would never have finished the game without it.
I hate mapping stuff out. (Only did it for Metroid, Revenge of Shinobi, and Zelda.)
My Collection
Quite a few people don't believe in the statute of limitations for video game spoilers at all. I've played the games myself, but thanks for going back and spoilering the appropriate things.
I never actually managed to complete any of these games, but I got quite far in 2 and 4. In 2 (which I played on my GBA, so no free hint guide), the battles (and the dungeons) got to be just ridiculously long and I eventually just put it down. I don't remember what caused me to stop playing 4, but I remember the gameplay being top-notch for a turn-based RPG. I loved the macros and I loved how the techs and the skills were separate. I also did weird shit like I equipped my mage with two shields and put him in the first party slot because that made his defense WAY higher than anyone else's in my team.
Why the HELL was it left out of the GBA collection?! Really, I would have been perfectly fine with them leaving Phantasy Star 3 off instead.
Inside my body I've got like six gallons of jizz in reserve for the second Phantasy Star V is announced. What's the holdup, Sega?
Steam / Bus Blog / Goozex Referral
They don't give a damn anymore. The Phantasy Star "brand" is now associated with online play. On the bright side, the team behind the 16-bit Phantasy Star games (or at least the main designer, Reiko Kodama) went on to create Skies of Arcadia, which was brilliant.
Steam / Bus Blog / Goozex Referral
I personally would rather have a sequel to Skies of Arcadia than Phantasy Star. I mean, IV tied up the series pretty damn well.
Of course, we aren't going to get either, so whatever.
Pokémon HGSS: 1205 1613 4041
Anyway, I have to agree with PS4 being the best RPG of the era. It was able to keep a consistent feeling throughout the game whereas some of Square's stuff from the era got really inconsistent at times (ie, the huge change in style between the WoB and WoR in FF6). Plus, it's the only RPG from the era that let you traveling the countryside in a massive tank lasering sandworms to death.
The way every event felt connected and the blending of sci-fi and fantasy without being goofy and light-hearted just sucked you in. I regret that I never got my PS4 cart back from a friend that was borrowing it after his little brother accidentally erased my saved game and was made to restore it as much as possible. The series needs to come to the VC badly.
Steam Profile
3DS: 3454-0268-5595 Battle.net: SteelAngel#1772
Hmm.
HMM.
Steam ID : rwb36, Twitter : Werezompire,
I'm sad now.