Phantasy Star
Encyclopedia
is the first installment in Sega
's renowned series of the same name
. It was released for the Sega Master System
in Japan
on December 20, 1987, and then in North America and Europe in 1988. It is considered one of the pioneers amongst console role-playing games, both for its advanced graphics technology, and for being one of the first story-driven games released in the west. It is also notable for being one of the first games featuring a female protagonist
.
The game was ported
a decade later as part of the Phantasy Star Collection
, which was released for the Sega Saturn
and PlayStation 2
in Japan and for the Game Boy Advance
in North America, where critics deemed it as a historically relevant step for its genre. It was also released for Virtual Console
on the Wii
in 2009.
Phantasy Star introduced the Algol solar system, where many of the events in the series would take place. Alis Landale, a young woman, swears revenge on the cruel King Lassic for killing her brother. The game follows her quest to defeat the king, meeting new companions along the way. Although her quest begins only as a means of enacting revenge, Alis realizes that she must save the entire Algol system from an evil being.
maps, complete with interactive towns, and sprawling dungeons. The player engages in random enemy encounters, both on the overworld map and in dungeons, which saw a change from the top-down perspective to a first-person view
. Unique amongst all games of the time was the faux 3-D graphics
of Phantasy Star's Dungeons, a widely praised technological feature. Also notable were the animation
s of the enemy sprites
, which featured considerably more frames than were common at the time. Battles featured the now standard turn-based format, with each player using a combination of weapons and magic to destroy enemies. As the game progresses, the weapons and magic get increasingly more impressive. The option to talk, which would be scrapped in later games in the series, was sometimes a useful alternative, but only for the few enemies that were able to communicate with Alis.
consisting of three planets. There is the lush and green Palma, the arid and barren Motavia, and finally, the icy and desolate Dezoris. As the story begins, Algol is ruled by King Lassic, who while originally benevolent, becomes a cruel dictator
after converting to a new religion
. After a string of harsh political changes, small pockets of rebellion
emerge, but are mostly ineffective against Lassic's iron rule. When Nero, the leader of one such rebellion, is killed by Lassic's robot-cops, his sister Alis swears revenge. As she travels and witnesses the many victims of Lassic's oppression, Alis' objective becomes less about revenge and more about liberation for the people of Algol. Joined by Myau, a talking cat, Odin, once a member of Nero's rebellion, and the Esper magician Noah (Lutz in the Japanese version and further English games), Alis embarks on an adventure spanning all three planets. She encounters many personalities, from the well-meaning Governor of Motavia to the eccentric Dr. Luveno, and faces off against an evil Medusa that can turn one to stone at one look and who seems to work for Lassic. Also, other countless enemies on the way to find the weapons and other items are needed to eventually engage King Lassic and determine the fate of Algol.
him. Alis uses sword
s as her weapon of choice, can equip light armor and shields, and also uses offensive and curative magic.
is an intelligent, talking, cat-like creature called a Musk Cat. Alis meets him in a pet store
on Motavia, where the owner is trying to sell the Musk Cat for an exorbitant amount of money, but instead trades him in exchange for a valuable Laconian pot from Alis. Myau is on a mission to save his friend Odin, who has been turned to stone by the creature Medusa
. He has the medicine
to cure Odin, but cannot open the bottle, for he has no fingers, and so requests Alis' help to save him. Myau uses claws as weapons, can use stronger curative magic than Alis, and can disarm traps in dungeons. Musk Cats also have an interesting "reaction" to the Laerma nuts found on Dezoris, a fact which makes Myau even more valuable.
is the common warrior archetype of the game, able to wield many weapons that Alis cannot, but in exchange is unable to use any magic. Alis finds him in an underground maze, turned to stone after attempting to destroy Medusa. After being restored to normal, he willingly follows Alis in her bid to dethrone King Lassic. In addition to heavy armor, shields, axe
s, and sword
s, Odin can use gun
s, which inflict a set amount of damage, attack entire groups, and never miss, regardless of the enemy's speed or defensive power. They make him consistently useful in spite of the fact that he has the weakest overall stats of any character in the game.
is the final character to join the party. A member of the powerful Espers, humans endowed with incredible magic proficiency, Noah wields a great variety of spells. In their first encounter, his arrogance causes him to refuse Alis' request to join the group. Only after a request by the Governor of Motavia does he finally decide to help. Initially the diametric opposite of Odin, a frail magic-user who is poor at hand-to-hand combat, Noah eventually becomes one of the strongest overall characters due to his powerful magical abilities.
is an evil sorceress and one of King Lassic's monsters that help him in taking control over Algol. She is one of the first bosses that Alis encounters after freeing Odin from a prison of stone within a cave on Palma. Her tower is huge and confusing and contains many enemies willing to stop anyone from finding her.
King Lassic (King Reipard La Shiec in the Japanese version) is the primary villain
of the game. Once a benevolent ruler of Algol, Lassic has become twisted by a sinister new faith that has begun to spread throughout Algol. Under his rule, tax
es have risen and monsters roam freely on the planets. Life has become miserable for the citizens of Algol, and Lassic's robotcops ruthlessly kill anyone who opposes him.
Dark Force (Dark Phallus in the Japanese version and sometimes romanized
as "Dark Falz") is an evil ancient being and recurring enemy throughout the series. It is the force behind the new religion and crushing political reforms, and through Lassic it extends its influence throughout the Algol solar system.
programmed Phantasy Star, and Rieko Kodama
served as lead designer.
in Japan
on December 20, 1987, with localized ports following in the United States in 1988 and Brazil
in 1991
. In Japan, it was re-released for the Sega Mega Drive
in a limited-edition cartridge. Later, it was released in three compilations for the Sega Saturn
and Game Boy Advance
, and, most recently, the PlayStation 2
under the name of The Phantasy Star Collection
. Phantasy Star also appears as an unlockable game
in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection
for the Xbox 360
and PlayStation 3
. It was also made available for the Wii
via download from the Wii shop.
Curiously, a woman who looks exactly like Alis on the Master System versions cover art also appears on the cover art of the Sega Genesis Collection, complete with shield and flaming sword. However, Phantasy Star 1 was not included in this collection.
). The remake remains largely faithful to the original game, with it still being rendered in 2-D, but with a smooth, colorful quality. Also, the characters now talk to each other, bringing out their personality and flavor to the player. The second and fourth installments in the series were to receive the same treatment, and were to be released to the North American market as a single collection. After Sega shelved work on the Phantasy Star IV remake, however, the North American release of the trilogy was canceled. It was the first game to be released under the Sega Ages
line-up.
music. An IPS patch
, to be applied on the Japanese ROM, is available.
It is also worth noting that the Japanese release took advantage of the FM sound capabilities provided by the Yamaha YM2413
chip available in an add-on module for Sega Mark III, and in the Japanese Sega Master System. However, as the North American and PAL hardware lacked this chip, the releases outside of Japan feature only the PSG soundtrack. The Japanese Virtual Console release however, gives the player the option to switch between the two soundtracks, even for those living outside of Japan. (The North American/European Virtual Console release is the same as the original release in their region and so does not contain the FM sound).
placed it at number 26 in their article "The Greatest 200 Videogames of Their Time," which puts it as the #2 RPG on the list, ahead of Phantasy Star Online
at #21.
Nintendo Power's
staff has praised the game, saying that Phantasy Star "was the first RPG to break out of the Dragon Quest
/ Dungeons & Dragons
mold of generic Arthurian fantasy by introducing sci-fi elements. Among its many other accomplishments were the inclusion of characters with actual personalities, the introduction of event scenes, and the presentation of pseudo-3-D dungeons that were a technical marvel at the time."
On a lesser note, most game critics and fans alike also are keen to note that Alis is one of the first female heroine's for the genre, alongside Samus Aran of Metroid and Chun Li or Street Fighter who didn't journey for love or treasure but for personal vengeance. She widely seen now as a great example of a well crafted lead female.
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
's renowned series of the same name
Phantasy Star
is the first installment in Sega's renowned series of the same name. It was released for the Sega Master System in Japan on December 20, 1987, and then in North America and Europe in 1988. It is considered one of the pioneers amongst console role-playing games, both for its advanced graphics...
. It was released for the Sega Master System
Sega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on December 20, 1987, and then in North America and Europe in 1988. It is considered one of the pioneers amongst console role-playing games, both for its advanced graphics technology, and for being one of the first story-driven games released in the west. It is also notable for being one of the first games featuring a female protagonist
Protagonist
A protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
.
The game was ported
Porting
In computer science, porting is the process of adapting software so that an executable program can be created for a computing environment that is different from the one for which it was originally designed...
a decade later as part of the Phantasy Star Collection
Phantasy Star Collection
Phantasy Star Collection's North American release was met with generally favorable reviews, earning an aggregate score of 76 out of 100 on MetaCritic. Critics noted that although the game was outdated, it still held up with its innovations to the genre. They praised the games' uniqueness upon their...
, which was released for the Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
and PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
in Japan and for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
in North America, where critics deemed it as a historically relevant step for its genre. It was also released for Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
on the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
in 2009.
Phantasy Star introduced the Algol solar system, where many of the events in the series would take place. Alis Landale, a young woman, swears revenge on the cruel King Lassic for killing her brother. The game follows her quest to defeat the king, meeting new companions along the way. Although her quest begins only as a means of enacting revenge, Alis realizes that she must save the entire Algol system from an evil being.
Gameplay
Phantasy Star was one of the pioneers of the traditional console RPG format, featuring fully traversable overworldOverworld
An overworld is, in a broad sense, an area within a video game that interconnects all its levels or locations. They are mostly common in role-playing games, though this does not exclude other video game genres....
maps, complete with interactive towns, and sprawling dungeons. The player engages in random enemy encounters, both on the overworld map and in dungeons, which saw a change from the top-down perspective to a first-person view
First person (video games)
In video games, first person refers to a graphical perspective rendered from the viewpoint of the player character. In many cases, this may be the viewpoint from the cockpit of a vehicle. Many different genres have made use of first-person perspectives, ranging from adventure games to flight...
. Unique amongst all games of the time was the faux 3-D graphics
3D computer graphics
3D computer graphics are graphics that use a three-dimensional representation of geometric data that is stored in the computer for the purposes of performing calculations and rendering 2D images...
of Phantasy Star's Dungeons, a widely praised technological feature. Also notable were the animation
Animation
Animation is the rapid display of a sequence of images of 2-D or 3-D artwork or model positions in order to create an illusion of movement. The effect is an optical illusion of motion due to the phenomenon of persistence of vision, and can be created and demonstrated in several ways...
s of the enemy sprites
Sprite (computer graphics)
In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene...
, which featured considerably more frames than were common at the time. Battles featured the now standard turn-based format, with each player using a combination of weapons and magic to destroy enemies. As the game progresses, the weapons and magic get increasingly more impressive. The option to talk, which would be scrapped in later games in the series, was sometimes a useful alternative, but only for the few enemies that were able to communicate with Alis.
Story
Phantasy Star is set in Algol, a solar systemSolar System
The Solar System consists of the Sun and the astronomical objects gravitationally bound in orbit around it, all of which formed from the collapse of a giant molecular cloud approximately 4.6 billion years ago. The vast majority of the system's mass is in the Sun...
consisting of three planets. There is the lush and green Palma, the arid and barren Motavia, and finally, the icy and desolate Dezoris. As the story begins, Algol is ruled by King Lassic, who while originally benevolent, becomes a cruel dictator
Dictator
A dictator is a ruler who assumes sole and absolute power but without hereditary ascension such as an absolute monarch. When other states call the head of state of a particular state a dictator, that state is called a dictatorship...
after converting to a new religion
Religion
Religion is a collection of cultural systems, belief systems, and worldviews that establishes symbols that relate humanity to spirituality and, sometimes, to moral values. Many religions have narratives, symbols, traditions and sacred histories that are intended to give meaning to life or to...
. After a string of harsh political changes, small pockets of rebellion
Rebellion
Rebellion, uprising or insurrection, is a refusal of obedience or order. It may, therefore, be seen as encompassing a range of behaviors aimed at destroying or replacing an established authority such as a government or a head of state...
emerge, but are mostly ineffective against Lassic's iron rule. When Nero, the leader of one such rebellion, is killed by Lassic's robot-cops, his sister Alis swears revenge. As she travels and witnesses the many victims of Lassic's oppression, Alis' objective becomes less about revenge and more about liberation for the people of Algol. Joined by Myau, a talking cat, Odin, once a member of Nero's rebellion, and the Esper magician Noah (Lutz in the Japanese version and further English games), Alis embarks on an adventure spanning all three planets. She encounters many personalities, from the well-meaning Governor of Motavia to the eccentric Dr. Luveno, and faces off against an evil Medusa that can turn one to stone at one look and who seems to work for Lassic. Also, other countless enemies on the way to find the weapons and other items are needed to eventually engage King Lassic and determine the fate of Algol.
Protagonists
is a 15-year-old girl who witnesses the death of her brother, Nero, at the hands of King Lassic's vicious robot-cops. With his dying breath, Nero tells Alis about a man named Odin, who could help her in her quest. Alis takes on her brother's mission to defeat Lassic (La Shiec) and avengeRevenge
Revenge is a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. It is also called payback, retribution, retaliation or vengeance; it may be characterized, justly or unjustly, as a form of justice.-Function in society:Some societies believe that the...
him. Alis uses sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
s as her weapon of choice, can equip light armor and shields, and also uses offensive and curative magic.
is an intelligent, talking, cat-like creature called a Musk Cat. Alis meets him in a pet store
Pet store
A pet store or pet shop is a retail business which sells different kinds of animals. Pet stores also sell pet food, supplies, and accessories....
on Motavia, where the owner is trying to sell the Musk Cat for an exorbitant amount of money, but instead trades him in exchange for a valuable Laconian pot from Alis. Myau is on a mission to save his friend Odin, who has been turned to stone by the creature Medusa
Medusa
In Greek mythology Medusa , " guardian, protectress") was a Gorgon, a chthonic monster, and a daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. The author Hyginus, interposes a generation and gives Medusa another chthonic pair as parents. Gazing directly upon her would turn onlookers to stone...
. He has the medicine
Medication
A pharmaceutical drug, also referred to as medicine, medication or medicament, can be loosely defined as any chemical substance intended for use in the medical diagnosis, cure, treatment, or prevention of disease.- Classification :...
to cure Odin, but cannot open the bottle, for he has no fingers, and so requests Alis' help to save him. Myau uses claws as weapons, can use stronger curative magic than Alis, and can disarm traps in dungeons. Musk Cats also have an interesting "reaction" to the Laerma nuts found on Dezoris, a fact which makes Myau even more valuable.
is the common warrior archetype of the game, able to wield many weapons that Alis cannot, but in exchange is unable to use any magic. Alis finds him in an underground maze, turned to stone after attempting to destroy Medusa. After being restored to normal, he willingly follows Alis in her bid to dethrone King Lassic. In addition to heavy armor, shields, axe
Axe
The axe, or ax, is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood; to harvest timber; as a weapon; and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol...
s, and sword
Sword
A sword is a bladed weapon used primarily for cutting or thrusting. The precise definition of the term varies with the historical epoch or the geographical region under consideration...
s, Odin can use gun
Gun
A gun is a muzzle or breech-loaded projectile-firing weapon. There are various definitions depending on the nation and branch of service. A "gun" may be distinguished from other firearms in being a crew-served weapon such as a howitzer or mortar, as opposed to a small arm like a rifle or pistol,...
s, which inflict a set amount of damage, attack entire groups, and never miss, regardless of the enemy's speed or defensive power. They make him consistently useful in spite of the fact that he has the weakest overall stats of any character in the game.
is the final character to join the party. A member of the powerful Espers, humans endowed with incredible magic proficiency, Noah wields a great variety of spells. In their first encounter, his arrogance causes him to refuse Alis' request to join the group. Only after a request by the Governor of Motavia does he finally decide to help. Initially the diametric opposite of Odin, a frail magic-user who is poor at hand-to-hand combat, Noah eventually becomes one of the strongest overall characters due to his powerful magical abilities.
Antagonists
MedusaMedusa
In Greek mythology Medusa , " guardian, protectress") was a Gorgon, a chthonic monster, and a daughter of Phorcys and Ceto. The author Hyginus, interposes a generation and gives Medusa another chthonic pair as parents. Gazing directly upon her would turn onlookers to stone...
is an evil sorceress and one of King Lassic's monsters that help him in taking control over Algol. She is one of the first bosses that Alis encounters after freeing Odin from a prison of stone within a cave on Palma. Her tower is huge and confusing and contains many enemies willing to stop anyone from finding her.
King Lassic (King Reipard La Shiec in the Japanese version) is the primary villain
Villain
A villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
of the game. Once a benevolent ruler of Algol, Lassic has become twisted by a sinister new faith that has begun to spread throughout Algol. Under his rule, tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
es have risen and monsters roam freely on the planets. Life has become miserable for the citizens of Algol, and Lassic's robotcops ruthlessly kill anyone who opposes him.
Dark Force (Dark Phallus in the Japanese version and sometimes romanized
Romanization of Japanese
The romanization of Japanese is the application of the Latin alphabet to write the Japanese language. This method of writing is known as , less strictly romaji, literally "Roman letters", sometimes incorrectly transliterated as romanji or rōmanji. There are several different romanization systems...
as "Dark Falz") is an evil ancient being and recurring enemy throughout the series. It is the force behind the new religion and crushing political reforms, and through Lassic it extends its influence throughout the Algol solar system.
Development and release details
Yuji NakaYuji Naka
, is a video game designer and programmer, best known as the former head of Sonic Team, a group of Sega programmers/designers, where he was the lead programmer of the original Sonic the Hedgehog....
programmed Phantasy Star, and Rieko Kodama
Rieko Kodama
is a video game designer. She has been involved with some of Sega's high profile projects such as Alex Kidd, the Phantasy Star series, Sonic The Hedgehog, Shinobi, Skies of Arcadia, and several other A-list games.-Education:Born in Kanagawa, Japan, she began her education undecided between art and...
served as lead designer.
Release history
Phantasy Star was first released for the Sega Master SystemSega Master System
The is a third-generation video game console that was manufactured and released by Sega in 1985 in Japan , 1986 in North America and 1987 in Europe....
in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
on December 20, 1987, with localized ports following in the United States in 1988 and Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
in 1991
1991 in video gaming
-Notable releases:*Microprose creates Civilization, Sid Meier's most successful game .*Electronic Arts releases James Pond 2 and Road Rash for Sega Genesis/Mega Drive, starting a series of games that were popular in the 1990s....
. In Japan, it was re-released for the Sega Mega Drive
Sega Mega Drive
The Sega Genesis is a fourth-generation video game console developed and produced by Sega. It was originally released in Japan in 1988 as , then in North America in 1989 as Sega Genesis, and in Europe, Australia and other PAL regions in 1990 as Mega Drive. The reason for the two names is that...
in a limited-edition cartridge. Later, it was released in three compilations for the Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
and Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
, and, most recently, the PlayStation 2
PlayStation 2
The PlayStation 2 is a sixth-generation video game console manufactured by Sony as part of the PlayStation series. Its development was announced in March 1999 and it was first released on March 4, 2000, in Japan...
under the name of The Phantasy Star Collection
Phantasy Star Collection
Phantasy Star Collection's North American release was met with generally favorable reviews, earning an aggregate score of 76 out of 100 on MetaCritic. Critics noted that although the game was outdated, it still held up with its innovations to the genre. They praised the games' uniqueness upon their...
. Phantasy Star also appears as an unlockable game
Unlockable games
The term unlockable games refers to full video games that can be unlocked within another video game, often as easter eggs. Often these unlockable games are earlier entries in the series of the game in which they are hidden, and they become available after beating the game or meeting other...
in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection
Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection
Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection, known as the Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection in PAL regions, is a compilation of video games developed by Backbone Entertainment for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles...
for the Xbox 360
Xbox 360
The Xbox 360 is the second video game console produced by Microsoft and the successor to the Xbox. The Xbox 360 competes with Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
and PlayStation 3
PlayStation 3
The is the third home video game console produced by Sony Computer Entertainment and the successor to the PlayStation 2 as part of the PlayStation series. The PlayStation 3 competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Nintendo's Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles...
. It was also made available for the Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
via download from the Wii shop.
Curiously, a woman who looks exactly like Alis on the Master System versions cover art also appears on the cover art of the Sega Genesis Collection, complete with shield and flaming sword. However, Phantasy Star 1 was not included in this collection.
Pricing
In the United States, Phantasy Star sold for the then-high price of $69.99, with some retail outlets such as Toys R Us selling for as much as $80.00. This made it the most expensive video game ever sold at the time. When the Sega Master System received a price drop in the form of the Master System II hardware, the game was only $10 less than the console itself.Remake
In 2003, Phantasy Star received an enhanced makeover, and was released for the PlayStation 2 in Japan under the title of ファンタシースター generation:1 (Phantasy Star Generation 1Phantasy Star Generation 1
Phantasy Star Generation:1 is a role-playing game released in 2003 for the PlayStation 2 and is an enhanced remake of Phantasy Star, originally released for the Sega Master System in 1987....
). The remake remains largely faithful to the original game, with it still being rendered in 2-D, but with a smooth, colorful quality. Also, the characters now talk to each other, bringing out their personality and flavor to the player. The second and fourth installments in the series were to receive the same treatment, and were to be released to the North American market as a single collection. After Sega shelved work on the Phantasy Star IV remake, however, the North American release of the trilogy was canceled. It was the first game to be released under the Sega Ages
Sega Ages
Sega Ages refers to a number of compilations or re-releases of classic video games from developer and publisher Sega.-Saturn version:Sega-AM2 released several Sega Ages games for the Sega Saturn in Japan:...
line-up.
Fan translation
Phantasy Stars English translation was subject to criticism due to the changing of certain plot details and character names. In response, several hacks were done by fans attempting to rectify those issues. The most complete one is a full translation released on December 20, 2006 by group SMS Power!. The group purports their version to be faithful to the original Japanese, including the FM-synthesizedFrequency modulation synthesis
A 220 Hz carrier tone modulated by a 440 Hz modulating tone with various choices of modulation index, β. The time domain signals are illustrated above, and the corresponding spectra are shown below ....
music. An IPS patch
ROM hacking
ROM hacking is the process of modifying a video game ROM image to alter the game's graphics, dialogue, levels, gameplay, or other elements. This is usually done by technically inclined video game fans to breathe new life into a cherished old game, as a creative outlet, or to make essentially new...
, to be applied on the Japanese ROM, is available.
Technical details
The game used four megabits (512 kilobytes) of ROM, which was several times as much as most early Master System games. In addition, five games could be saved with a battery-backed RAM chip. The game was relatively large at the time it was released.It is also worth noting that the Japanese release took advantage of the FM sound capabilities provided by the Yamaha YM2413
Yamaha YM2413
The YM2413, aka OPLL, is a cost-reduced FM synthesis sound chip manufactured by Yamaha Corporation and based on their YM3812 . To make the chip cheaper to manufacture, many of the internal registers were removed...
chip available in an add-on module for Sega Mark III, and in the Japanese Sega Master System. However, as the North American and PAL hardware lacked this chip, the releases outside of Japan feature only the PSG soundtrack. The Japanese Virtual Console release however, gives the player the option to switch between the two soundtracks, even for those living outside of Japan. (The North American/European Virtual Console release is the same as the original release in their region and so does not contain the FM sound).
Reception and legacy
Phantasy Star is widely regarded as one of the benchmark role-playing video games, and has been well-received by players since the time of its release and into the present. Electronic Gaming MonthlyElectronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
placed it at number 26 in their article "The Greatest 200 Videogames of Their Time," which puts it as the #2 RPG on the list, ahead of Phantasy Star Online
Phantasy Star Online
Phantasy Star Online is an online multiplayer action RPG title, originally released for the Dreamcast in 2000, bundled with a demo of Sonic Adventure 2. Another edition, entitled Phantasy Star Online ver.2, was released for Dreamcast the following year...
at #21.
Nintendo Power's
Nintendo Power
Nintendo Power magazine is a monthly news and strategy magazine formerly published in-house by Nintendo of America, but now run independently. As of issue #222 , Nintendo contracted publishing duties to Future US, the U.S. subsidiary of British publisher Future.The first issue published was...
staff has praised the game, saying that Phantasy Star "was the first RPG to break out of the Dragon Quest
Dragon Quest
, published as Dragon Warrior in North America until 2005,Due to the inconsistent usage by sources since Square Enix obtained the naming rights to Dragon Quest in North America. Dragon Quest has been used by sources to refer to games released solely under the Dragon Warrior titles...
/ Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
mold of generic Arthurian fantasy by introducing sci-fi elements. Among its many other accomplishments were the inclusion of characters with actual personalities, the introduction of event scenes, and the presentation of pseudo-3-D dungeons that were a technical marvel at the time."
On a lesser note, most game critics and fans alike also are keen to note that Alis is one of the first female heroine's for the genre, alongside Samus Aran of Metroid and Chun Li or Street Fighter who didn't journey for love or treasure but for personal vengeance. She widely seen now as a great example of a well crafted lead female.
External links
- Phantasy Star on Phantasy Star Cave.