Phantasy Star (video Game)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

is a 1987
role-playing video game Role-playing video games, also known as CRPG (computer/console role-playing games), comprise a broad video game genre generally defined by a detailed story and character advancement (often through increasing characters' levels or other skills) ...
(RPG) developed and published by
Sega is a Japanese video game company and subsidiary of Sega Sammy Holdings headquartered in Tokyo. It produces several List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises for arcade game, arcades and video game cons ...
for the
Master System The is an 8-bit Third generation of video game consoles, third-generation home video game console manufactured and developed by Sega. It was originally a remodeled export version of the Sega Mark III, the third iteration of the SG-1000 series ...
. One of the earliest Japanese RPGs for consoles, it tells the story of
Alis Alis may refer to: People * Alis (given name) * Román Alís (1931–2006), Spanish composer * Abdulla Aliş (1908–1944), Soviet writer Places * Alis, Greece * Alis District, Yauyos, Lima, Peru Other uses * ''Alis'' (film), a 2022 docum ...
on her journey to defeat the evil ruler of her star system, King Lassic, after her brother dies at his hands. She traverses between planets, gathering a party of fighters and collecting the items she needs to avenge her brother's death and return peace to the star system. The gameplay features traditional Japanese RPG elements including
random encounter A random encounter is a feature commonly used in various role-playing games whereby combat encounters with non-player character (NPC) enemies or other dangers occur sporadically and at random, usually without the enemy being physically detected ...
s and
experience point An experience point (often abbreviated as exp or XP) is a unit of measurement used in some tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's life experience and progression through the game. Experien ...
s. All the characters have predefined personalities and abilities, a unique element compared to the customizable characters of other RPGs of the era. Sega launched the development of ''Phantasy Star'' so their Master System could compete with the burgeoning popularity of console RPGs, particularly ''
Dragon Quest previously published as ''Dragon Warrior'' in North America until 2005, is a series of role-playing video games created by Japanese game designer Yuji Horii (Armor Project), character designer Akira Toriyama (Bird Studio), and composer Koi ...
'' (1986) on the
Famicom The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...
. Designer Kotaro Hayashida and programmer
Yuji Naka , credited in some games as YU2, is a Japanese video game designer and programmer. He is the co-creator of the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series and was the president of Sonic Team at Sega until his departure in 2006. Naka joined Sega in 1984 and w ...
formed a team, staffed by a large number of women for the time, including graphic designer
Rieko Kodama , also known as Phoenix Rie, was a Japanese video game artist, director, and producer employed by Sega from 1984 until her death. She is primarily known for her work on role-playing video games including the original ''Phantasy Star'' series, t ...
. The team wanted ''Phantasy Star'' to be a unique RPG experience, so they added elements like 3D
dungeon crawling A dungeon crawl is a type of scenario in fantasy role-playing games (RPGs) in which heroes navigate a labyrinth environment (a " dungeon"), battling various monsters, avoiding traps, solving puzzles, and looting any treasure they may find. Video ...
, a female protagonist, and ample animation. The game's setting was a fusion between
medieval fantasy Historical fantasy is a category of fantasy and genre of historical fiction that incorporates fantastic elements (such as magic (fantasy), magic) into a more "realistic" narrative. There is much crossover with other subgenres of fantasy; those c ...
and
science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
, an idea inspired by ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
''. The team had to use several techniques to fit all their content on a four
megabit The bit is the most basic Units of information, unit of information in computing and digital communication. The name is a portmanteau of binary digit. The bit represents a truth value, logical state with one of two possible value (computer scie ...
cartridge, a large game size for the time. The game was released for the Master System two days after ''
Final Fantasy is a Japanese fantasy Anthology series, anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi which is owned, developed, and published by Square Enix (formerly Square (video game company), Square). The franchise centers on a series of fanta ...
'' arrived for the competing Famicom. It was praised for its grand sense of adventure due to its advanced visual effects and deep gameplay. The battery backup system drew praise but also contributed to the game's notably high retail price which made it difficult for some critics to recommend. The game was re-released on several platforms in the following years, including a series of ''Phantasy Star'' compilations. In 2003, a
remake A remake is a film, television series, video game, song or similar form of entertainment that is based upon and retells the story of an earlier production in the same medium—e.g., a "new version of an existing film". A remake tells the same s ...
titled was released for the
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...
. ''Phantasy Star'' is considered a landmark RPG for its use of predetermined characters and a
science fantasy file:Warhammer40kcosplay.jpg, Cosplay of a character from the ''Warhammer 40,000'' tabletop game; one critic has characterized the game's setting as "action-oriented science-fantasy." Science fantasy is a hybrid genre within speculative fiction ...
setting. Sega launched a series of sequels, some of which were developed by staff who worked on the original. Kodama directed '' Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium'' (1993) and Naka produced ''
Phantasy Star Online ''Phantasy Star Online'' is an online role-playing game (RPG) developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega in 2000 for the Dreamcast. It was the first successful online RPG for game consoles; players adventure with up to three others over the ...
'' (2000).


Gameplay

''Phantasy Star'' is a traditional
Japanese role-playing game While the early history and distinctive traits of role-playing video games (RPGs) in East Asia have come Video games in Japan, from Japan, many video games have also arisen Video games in China, in China, Video games in South Korea, developed ...
. It alters between a
top-down perspective A variety of computer graphic techniques have been used to display video game content throughout the history of video games. The predominance of individual techniques have evolved over time, primarily due to hardware advances and restrictions ...
when the player is exploring the overworld, and changes to a first-person view when engaged in battle or exploring dungeons. The dungeons are long and twisted, and require the player to map most of them on paper. When exploring the overworld, the player can venture into a town to buy items and weapons. Outside the towns, monsters may randomly engage the player in battle. The player controls the main character
Alis Alis may refer to: People * Alis (given name) * Román Alís (1931–2006), Spanish composer * Abdulla Aliş (1908–1944), Soviet writer Places * Alis, Greece * Alis District, Yauyos, Lima, Peru Other uses * ''Alis'' (film), a 2022 docum ...
, and as the game progresses, other characters are recruited to her party: a wizard named Noah, a warrior Odin, and a talking cat-like creature named Myau. Each character has different strengths, weaknesses, and abilities. The party has a shared inventory of items and equipment. When encountering enemies, all party members enter into battle. Battles are handled using a menu system which allows the player to fight or attempt to talk and negotiate with an enemy. When an enemy is defeated, party members gain
experience point An experience point (often abbreviated as exp or XP) is a unit of measurement used in some tabletop role-playing games (RPGs) and role-playing video games to quantify a player character's life experience and progression through the game. Experien ...
s and are rewarded with a treasure chest that may contain money or a booby trap. As the characters gain experience points, they increase in level, gaining access to new magic spells and raising their offensive and defensive statistics.


Plot

''Phantasy Star'' is set in the Algol star system which consists of three planets: the lush and green Palma, the arid and barren Motavia, and the icy and desolate Dezoris. Algol is ruled by King Lassic, who while originally benevolent, becomes a cruel, sociopathic tyrant. After a string of harsh political changes, small pockets of rebellion emerge but are mostly ineffective against Lassic's iron rule. One such rebel named Nero is killed by Lassic's forces, and his sister Alis swears revenge. Alis builds a party of adventurers including a warrior named Odin (), a wizard named Noah (), and a catlike creature named Myau. Together, they embark on an adventure spanning the three planets, meeting with townspeople, battling enemies, and finding special items that will help in the fight against Lassic. Eventually, the party engages and defeats Lassic, after which an ethereal voice tells them to return to Motavia. There, they encounter a more evil force, Dark Falz, and after destroying him, finally return peace to the Algol system.


Development


Background

Role-playing games A role-playing game (sometimes spelled roleplaying game, or abbreviated as RPG) is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, eith ...
(RPG) were beginning to gain popularity with console players in Japan in the late 1980s. Many Japanese game designers were inspired by Western RPGs such as ''Ultima'' and ''
Wizardry Wizardry may refer to: * ''Wizardry'' (video game series), role-playing video game series, originally published by Sir-Tech ** '' Wizardry: Proving Grounds of the Mad Overlord'', the first game of the series, released in 1981 * ''Wizardry'' (The ...
.'' Chunsoft and
Enix was a Japanese multimedia publisher who handled and oversaw video games, manga, guidebooks, and merchandise. It was founded in 1975 by Yasuhiro Fukushima as Eidansha Boshu Service Center, initially as a tabloid publisher and later attempting t ...
's ''
Dragon Quest previously published as ''Dragon Warrior'' in North America until 2005, is a series of role-playing video games created by Japanese game designer Yuji Horii (Armor Project), character designer Akira Toriyama (Bird Studio), and composer Koi ...
'' series was proving to be very popular on the
Famicom The Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) is an 8-bit home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was first released in Japan on 15 July 1983 as the and was later released as the redesigned NES in several test markets in the ...
,
Translation
inspiring other developers to design similar games.
Falcom is a Japanese video game developer, best known for their '' Ys'', '' The Legend of Heroes'', and ''Trails'' series. They are credited with pioneering the action role-playing and Japanese role-playing game genres, as well as popularizing the us ...
began development on '' Ys I: Ancient Ys Vanished'', as
Square In geometry, a square is a regular polygon, regular quadrilateral. It has four straight sides of equal length and four equal angles. Squares are special cases of rectangles, which have four equal angles, and of rhombuses, which have four equal si ...
was doing the same with ''
Final Fantasy is a Japanese fantasy Anthology series, anthology media franchise created by Hironobu Sakaguchi which is owned, developed, and published by Square Enix (formerly Square (video game company), Square). The franchise centers on a series of fanta ...
''. Around the release of ''
Dragon Quest II ''Dragon Quest II: Luminaries of the Legendary Line'', titled ''Dragon Warrior II'' when initially localized to North America, is a 1987 role-playing video game developed by Chunsoft and published by Enix for the Nintendo Entertainment System as ...
'' in January 1987,
Sega is a Japanese video game company and subsidiary of Sega Sammy Holdings headquartered in Tokyo. It produces several List of best-selling video game franchises, multi-million-selling game franchises for arcade game, arcades and video game cons ...
felt they needed an RPG for their
Master System The is an 8-bit Third generation of video game consoles, third-generation home video game console manufactured and developed by Sega. It was originally a remodeled export version of the Sega Mark III, the third iteration of the SG-1000 series ...
to compete in this emerging market.
Translationarchived
They believed they could not rely on third-party support because Sega's hardware market share was only one-tenth that of Nintendo's. They looked internally and found designer Kotaro Hayashida and programmer
Yuji Naka , credited in some games as YU2, is a Japanese video game designer and programmer. He is the co-creator of the ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series and was the president of Sonic Team at Sega until his departure in 2006. Naka joined Sega in 1984 and w ...
were interested in creating an RPG. They had previously been recognized for their work within Sega — Hayashida for '' Alex Kidd in Miracle World'' (1986), and Naka for his
8-bit In computer architecture, 8-bit integers or other data units are those that are 8 bits wide (1 octet). Also, 8-bit central processing unit (CPU) and arithmetic logic unit (ALU) architectures are those that are based on registers or data bu ...
home console conversions of arcade games like ''
Out Run (also stylized as ''OutRun'') is an arcade driving video game released by Sega in September 1986. It is known for its pioneering hardware and graphics, nonlinear gameplay, a selectable soundtrack with music composed by Hiroshi Kawaguchi, and ...
'' and ''
Space Harrier is a third-person arcade rail shooter game developed by Sega and released in 1985. It was originally conceived as a realistic military-themed game played in the third-person perspective and featuring a player-controlled fighter jet, but techni ...
''. With Sega's approval, Hayashida and Naka began forming a team to develop an RPG. The team consisted of around ten people. Hayashida was lead designer and Naka was lead programmer. Other staff members from ''Miracle World'' joined the project including lead graphic designer
Rieko Kodama , also known as Phoenix Rie, was a Japanese video game artist, director, and producer employed by Sega from 1984 until her death. She is primarily known for her work on role-playing video games including the original ''Phantasy Star'' series, t ...
, and composer Tokuhiko Uwabo. There were more women on the development team than was typical at the time. Among them were Kodama, who drew most of the artwork, designer Miki Morimoto, who did much of the
playtesting A playtest is the process by which a game designer tests a new game for bugs and design flaws before releasing it to market. Playtests can be run "open", "closed", "beta", or otherwise, and are very common with board games, collectible card games, ...
and enemy statistics configuration, and Chieko Aoki, who wrote the game's original story and script. Aoki had already been working on an original story with most of the dialogue already completed, and this became the first draft for the RPG project. The game would be character designer
Naoto Ohshima (born February 26, 1964) is a Japanese video game designer and artist, best known for designing Sonic the Hedgehog and Dr. Eggman from Sega's ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' franchise. Although Yuji Naka made a tech demo around which ''Sonic'' gameplay ...
's first project at Sega. Although there was no team director, Hayashida believes he had the largest role in shaping the game as lead designer and scenario writer, although Ohshima recalls Naka leading the project. The name "Phantasy Star" was formed after Naka took the word "Fantasy" from a song he enjoyed titled "Nagisa no Fantasy" by
Noriko Sakai is a Japanese singer and actress. Under her former stage name , Sakai released her first single, on February 5, 1987, nine days short of her sixteenth birthday. Over 40,000 copies of the single were sold. She is particularly popular in Hong Kong ...
. The team shared the same room, so they could see each other's work. They were given the freedom to build the game how they wanted without restrictions, which Hayashida believes led to them enjoying themselves more and producing a higher quality game in the end.


Production

The team wanted ''Phantasy Star'' to be different from other RPGs. They took many new approaches to the design of the game and its art to provide a unique experience. One approach was with the setting. The team was strongly influenced by ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' and how it combined Western culture with Japanese touches, such as how clothing resembled
judo is an unarmed gendai budō, modern Japanese martial art, combat sport, Olympic sport (since 1964), and the most prominent form of jacket wrestling competed internationally.『日本大百科全書』電子版【柔道】(CD-ROM version of Encyc ...
uniforms, and
lightsaber A lightsaber is a fictional energy sword featured throughout ''Star Wars''. A typical lightsaber is shown as a luminous laser sword about in length emitted from a metal hilt around in length. First introduced in the original ''Star Wars'' ...
s were used like
samurai swords The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...
. Kodama took this approach and designed the world of ''Phantasy Star'' using a
science fiction Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, space ...
motif mixed with
medieval fantasy Historical fantasy is a category of fantasy and genre of historical fiction that incorporates fantastic elements (such as magic (fantasy), magic) into a more "realistic" narrative. There is much crossover with other subgenres of fantasy; those c ...
elements. Rather than use an
airship An airship, dirigible balloon or dirigible is a type of aerostat (lighter-than-air) aircraft that can navigate through the air flying powered aircraft, under its own power. Aerostats use buoyancy from a lifting gas that is less dense than the ...
to navigate over mountainous landscape, something common in other games, they added in a vehicle that could mow down impassable terrain. The team also added detailed event scenes, and animated monsters to help set the game apart. Their philosophy was to use extensive animation, so the ocean and walkways on the world map are always moving. Because the Master System could not draw large sprites, some parts of large characters were drawn to the background and only the animated portions were drawn as sprites. Another unique addition to ''Phantasy Star'' was the 3D dungeons. They became a central concept in the game's early planning stages, in part because the Famicom was incapable of handling them. The team drew inspiration from Western
dungeon crawl A dungeon crawl is a type of scenario in fantasy role-playing games (RPGs) in which heroes navigate a labyrinth environment (a "dungeon"), battling various monsters, avoiding traps, solving puzzles, and looting any treasure they may find. Video g ...
ing RPGs like ''Wizardry'' and wanted to add animated navigation to help the player know their location and orientation more easily. Naka had experimented with creating dungeons inspired by these RPGs. Typically these scenes were rendered in small boxes, so Naka was motivated to engineer a full-screen dungeon that could be used for an action game or an RPG. Originally the artists were drawing full 2D backgrounds using a 3D perspective, but the number of frames necessary to achieve the animated effect used too much space on the cartridge. Naka solved this by programming true wireframe 3D dungeons. The artists then used a program by Naka to superimpose their art on top of the wireframes. They also saved three-quarters of the memory they would normally need by making each quadrant of the screen identical. The new dungeons scrolled faster than expected and needed to be slowed down. The female heroine, Alis, was a sharp contrast compared with the typical male protagonists of other RPGs. Kodama had designed female characters before but never one in a strong and prominent role. This was an uncommon portrayal when games at the time usually had a
damsel in distress The damsel in distress is a narrative device in which one or more men must rescue a woman who has been kidnapped or placed in other peril. The "damsel" is often portrayed as beautiful, popular, and of high social status; she is usually depicted ...
. Kodama went through about a dozen designs until she achieved a strong but feminine character, one with whom female gamers could empathize. Noah was also designed by Kodama, as a mysterious and intelligent character. In the original draft, Noah was an androgynous character and would become male or female depending on how the player progressed. Eventually, it was decided the character would be male. Ohshima designed Odin because Kodama did not enjoy drawing muscular men. Kodama envisioned the visual contrast between Noah and Odin as comparable to that between
Raistlin Majere Raistlin Majere is a fictional character from the ''Dragonlance'' series of books created by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Raistlin played an extensive role in the two main series of books, particularly in ''Dragonlance Legends'' in which he ...
and
Caramon Majere Caramon Majere (326 AC - 38 SC) is a fictional character from the Dragonlance books. He is depicted as a fighter and is one of the main characters in Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's first Dragonlance trilogy, the ''Dragonlance Chronicles''. Ca ...
in the ''
Dragonlance ''Dragonlance'' is a shared universe created by Laura and Tracy Hickman, and expanded by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis under the direction of TSR, Inc. into a series of fantasy novels. The Hickmans conceived ''Dragonlance'' while driving i ...
'' book series. Ohshima was also responsible for a third of the monster designs, at most. The lead monster designer enjoyed classic fantasy monsters such as
golem A golem ( ; ) is an animated Anthropomorphism, anthropomorphic being in Jewish folklore, which is created entirely from inanimate matter, usually clay or mud. The most famous golem narrative involves Judah Loew ben Bezalel, the late 16th-century ...
s and
Medusa In Greek mythology, Medusa (; ), also called Gorgo () or the Gorgon, was one of the three Gorgons. Medusa is generally described as a woman with living snakes in place of hair; her appearance was so hideous that anyone who looked upon her wa ...
, so these types of characters appeared in the final game. Myau was designed by Takako Kawaguchi. At four
megabit The bit is the most basic Units of information, unit of information in computing and digital communication. The name is a portmanteau of binary digit. The bit represents a truth value, logical state with one of two possible value (computer scie ...
s (500K), the game's data was large for the time. ''Phantasy Star'' was only the second game for the Master System to use a chip this large. It was one of four games where it would be used. In spite of the chip's capacity, the team made many compromises to save space. The original story featured four planets, but this was reduced to three. The artists had to make compromises with the backgrounds and battle animations. Background scenes were mirrored vertically to save space. This created inconsistencies with shadowing. There were plans for a password system to save progress, but this was cut due to memory limitations; batteries were used instead. The team wanted to have a password feature as a
failsafe In engineering, a fail-safe is a design feature or practice that, in the event of a failure of the design feature, inherently responds in a way that will cause minimal or no harm to other equipment, to the environment or to people. Unlike inherent ...
in case saving the data corrupted it as was often the case in playtests. Instead, Naka programmed a backup of the save data that could be used to restore a corrupted save file. Composer Uwabo noted that the game was developed during the Japanese economic bubble, which fueled his enthusiasm which he believes is reflected in the music.
Translation
)
The game was compatible with the Master System
FM synthesis Frequency modulation synthesis (or FM synthesis) is a form of sound synthesis whereby the frequency of a waveform is changed by modulating its frequency with a modulator. The (instantaneous) frequency of an oscillator is altered in accordance wi ...
expansion unit which housed a
Yamaha YM2413 The YM2413, a.k.a. OPLL, is an FM synthesis sound chip manufactured by Yamaha Corporation. It is related to Yamaha's OPL family of FM synthesis chips, and is a cost-reduced version of the YM3812 (OPL2). Technical details Based on the YM3812, ...
chip that added nine more mono channels to the console's
programmable sound generator A programmable sound generator (PSG) is a sound chip that generates (or synthesizes) audio wave signals built from one or more basic waveforms, and often some kind of noise. PSGs use a relatively simple method of creating sound compared to other m ...
(PSG), the
SN76489 The Texas Instruments SN76489 is a programmable sound generator chip from the 1980s, used to create music and sound effects on computers and video game systems. Initially developed by Texas Instruments for its TI-99/4A home computer, it was later ...
. The expansion gave the soundtrack a wider range and heavier bass. The unit was not released outside Japan.


Release

''Phantasy Star'' was first released in Japan for the Master System on December 20, 1987, two days after ''Final Fantasy'' was released for the Famicom. The game was released in the West in November 1988, introducing players outside Japan to the emerging JRPG scene, having been localized before ''Dragon Quest'' or ''Final Fantasy''. It was the most expensive game for the Master System in every market, its price being driven by the large 4 megabit chip, the save battery, and a concurrent chip shortage across the industry. In Japan, the game was difficult to find in stores. Sega often got requests from fans for a
Mega Drive The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master Sys ...
port, so they eventually shipped a limited release for the Mega Drive as part of a contest in 1994 under the title ''Phantasy Star Fukkokuban'' exclusively released in Japan. This version was identical to the Master System version but lacked FM sound enhancements.
Tec Toy Tec Toy S.A., trading as Tectoy since 1997, is a Brazilian toy and electronics company headquartered in São Paulo. It is best known for producing, publishing, and distributing Sega consoles and video games in Brazil. The company was founded b ...
translated the Master System version to Portuguese and released it in Brazil in 1991. Since the original Western release retained the text formatting of the Japanese version, it used fewer characters than a proper English translation required. In 2008, fans modified the text engine to fit longer lines of dialogue, and released a newly translated version with the Japanese FM soundtrack as well. A series of ''Phantasy Star'' compilations were released for the
Sega Saturn The is a home video game console developed by Sega and released on November 22, 1994, in Japan, May 11, 1995, in North America, and July 8, 1995, in Europe. Part of the fifth generation of video game consoles, it is the successor to the succes ...
,
Game Boy Advance The (GBA) is a 32-bit handheld game console, manufactured by Nintendo, which was released in Japan on March 21, 2001, and to international markets that June. It was later released in mainland China in 2004, under the name iQue Game Boy Advanc ...
, and
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...
. The Saturn version was released in 1998. It includes both
hiragana is a Japanese language, Japanese syllabary, part of the Japanese writing system, along with ''katakana'' as well as ''kanji''. It is a phonetic lettering system. The word ''hiragana'' means "common" or "plain" kana (originally also "easy", ...
and
katakana is a Japanese syllabary, one component of the Japanese writing system along with hiragana, kanji and in some cases the Latin script (known as rōmaji). The word ''katakana'' means "fragmentary kana", as the katakana characters are derived fr ...
alphabets, an improvement from the original which had only katakana due to limited memory. The 2008 PlayStation 2 version is based on the Saturn version and has additional features. The Game Boy Advance compilation was a straight emulation and was the only compilation released outside Japan. ''Phantasy Star'' also appeared in emulated form on ''
Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection ''Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection'' (''Sega Mega Drive Ultimate Collection'' in PAL regions) is a Video game compilation, compilation of video games developed by Backbone Entertainment and published by Sega for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. The ...
'' for the
Xbox 360 The Xbox 360 is a home video game console developed by Microsoft. As the successor to the Xbox (console), original Xbox, it is the second console in the Xbox#Consoles, Xbox series. It was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detail ...
and
PlayStation 3 The PlayStation 3 (PS3) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Computer Entertainment (SCE). It is the successor to the PlayStation 2, and both are part of the PlayStation brand of consoles. The PS3 was first released on ...
, and on the
Wii The Wii ( ) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America, and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, f ...
via the
Virtual Console The Virtual Console was a line of downloadable retro video games for Nintendo's Wii and Wii U home video game consoles and the Nintendo 3DS family of handheld systems. The Virtual Console lineup consisted of titles originally released on pa ...
in 2009. In 2018, a port developed by M2 was released through the ''
Sega Ages is a series of video game Porting, ports, Video game remake, remakes, and compilations published by Sega. It consists of Sega arcade games and Home video game console, home console games, typically those for the Sega Genesis and Master System. Th ...
'' label for the
Nintendo Switch The is a video game console developed by Nintendo and released worldwide in most regions on March 3, 2017. Released in the middle of the Eighth generation of video game consoles, eighth generation of home consoles, the Switch succeeded the ...
. This version includes enhancements such as options to make the game easier and faster, guides for items, spells, and monsters, the Japanese Mark-III FM soundtrack, hiragana support, and a dungeon auto-mapping feature. Naka's tricky programming efficiencies to save memory in the original proved difficult for the programmers handling the port. ''Phantasy Star'' was
remade Bas-Lag is a fictional universe in which several of China Miéville's novels are set. Bas-Lag is a world where both magic (referred to as thaumaturgy) and steampunk technology exist, and where many intelligent races live. This world and the nove ...
for the
PlayStation 2 The PlayStation 2 (PS2) is a home video game console developed and marketed by Sony Interactive Entertainment, Sony Computer Entertainment. It was first released in Japan on 4 March 2000, in North America on 26 October, in Europe on 24 Novembe ...
as ''Phantasy Star Generation: 1'' and released on August 28, 2003, in Japan. It was the inaugural release in the ''
Sega Ages 2500 is a series of video game ports, remakes, and compilations published by Sega. It consists of Sega arcade games and home console games, typically those for the Sega Genesis and Master System. The series was launched on the Sega Saturn in 1996. Ent ...
'' series, Sega's budget label for re-releasing old games for the PlayStation 2. The remake features new graphics,
real-time Real-time, realtime, or real time may refer to: Computing * Real-time computing, hardware and software systems subject to a specified time constraint * Real-time clock, a computer clock that keeps track of the current time * Real-time Control Syst ...
3D dungeons, new music, and more
cutscene A cutscene or event scene (sometimes in-game cinematic or in-game movie) is a sequence in a video game that is not interactive, interrupting the gameplay. Such scenes are used to show conversations between characters, set the mood, reward the ...
s with extended dialogue. The battles now depict all the characters.
Conspiracy Entertainment Conspiracy Entertainment (formerly Conspiracy Games) is an American third-party developer and video game publisher, publishing games from smaller companies that would face difficulties distributing games themselves. The company has also develop ...
planned an American release as part of a ''Phantasy Star Trilogy'' pack, including remakes of ''
Phantasy Star II is a science fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis. It was released in Japan in 1989 and North America and Europe in 1990. It was later ported to a variety of different platforms. An updated remake ...
'' and '' IV'' but it never happened. After the remake of ''II'' was released in Japan, the remake of ''IV'' was canceled, thus the trilogy set was also canceled. The two remakes were released on the
PlayStation Network PlayStation Network (PSN) is a digital media entertainment service provided by Sony Interactive Entertainment. Launched in November 2006, PSN was originally conceived for the PlayStation video game consoles, but soon extended to encompass smartp ...
in Japan as PS2 Classics in 2014. A complete fan translation of ''Phantasy Star Generation: 1'' was released by fan site Phantasy Star Cave.


Reception

''Phantasy Star'' was well received. ''
Computer Gaming World ''Computer Gaming World'' (CGW) was an American Video game journalism, computer game magazine that was published between 1981 and 2006. One of the few magazines of the era to survive the video game crash of 1983, it was sold to Ziff Davis in 199 ...
'' called it "the big shot in the arm for Sega ..who was, at that time, being buried under a ton of NES titles and aggressive marketing". '' Electronic Game Player'' felt the game was leading the industry into a new era of console RPGs. ''
Sega Pro ''Sega Pro'' was the first publication from Paragon Publishing and catered for the Sega consoles: the Master System, Game Gear and the Mega Drive. Early editorial staff included Dominic Handy (editor), Les Ellis (games editor), Dave Perry (de ...
'' called it the best RPG on the Master System, and ''
Zzap! Zzap! may refer to: * Zzap!64 ''Zzap!64'' is a computer games magazine covering games for computers manufactured by Commodore International, especially the Commodore 64 (C64). It was published in the UK by Newsfield Publications Ltd and later by ...
'' called it a must-have for RPG fans. ''
Boys' Life ''Scout Life'' (formerly ''Boys' Life'') is the monthly magazine of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). Its target readers are children between the ages of 6 and 18. The magazine‘s headquarters are in Irving, Texas. ''Scout Life'' is published ...
'' wrote that along with ''
The Legend of Zelda is a media franchise, video game series created by the Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo; some portable installments and re-releases have been outsourced to Flags ...
'' series, "''Phantasy Star'' may represent the future of home video games" by combining "the graphic quality of arcade games with the complexity of computer games". ''
Computer and Video Games ''Computer and Video Games'' (also known as ''CVG'', ''Computer & Video Games'', ''C&VG'', ''Computer + Video Games'', or ''C+VG'') is a British-based video game magazine, published in its original form between 1981 and 2004. Its offshoot web ...
'' felt it was a massive and sprawling game, and were left impressed visually and aurally. The game was commended for its strategy, puzzles, and challenge. ''
VideoGames & Computer Entertainment ''VideoGames & Computer Entertainment'' (abbreviated as ''VG&CE'') was an American magazine dedicated to covering video games on computers, Video game console, home consoles and Arcade game, arcades. It was published by Larry Flynt Publication ...
'' and '' S: The Sega Magazine'' praised the game for being easy to play and not relying on quick action reflexes. Critics liked the variety of monsters and the combat system. ''Computer Gaming World'' wrote that "not since '' Dungeon Master'' had such a good and explicit graphic combat system been seen". ''
Computer Entertainer ''Computer Entertainer'', also known as ''The Video Game Update'', was an American video game newsletter. Based out of Los Angeles, California and edited by Celeste Dolan, it was published monthly between 1982 and 1990. It regularly featured news ...
'' felt the game's large scope and deep gameplay was more typically seen in computer games than on consoles. This large scope made critics thankful for the cart's battery back-up, an unusual hardware feature at the time. The save battery and complex gameplay led some critics to compare ''Phantasy Star'' to ''
The Legend of Zelda is a media franchise, video game series created by the Japanese game designers Shigeru Miyamoto and Takashi Tezuka. It is primarily developed and published by Nintendo; some portable installments and re-releases have been outsourced to Flags ...
'' (1986). Critics praised the game for its presentation, building a grand sense of adventure and atmosphere. ''VideoGames & Computer Entertainment'' commended the mix of science fiction and fantasy elements, and felt it had a grander scale than other RPGs. ''Electronic Game Player'' wrote that the atmosphere was "simply breathtaking by current video game standards". The graphics were enjoyed by many reviewers, especially for their vivid colors and animation; the monster animations, in particular, received considerable positive attention. Many reviewers enjoyed the dungeons, thinking the lighting and perspective effects made for a realistic presentation. ''Electronic Game Player'' called ''Phantasy Star'' a "visual tour-de-force" and "so technologically superior in graphics, that the Nintendo titles pale by comparison". ''Zzap!'' called it a technical achievement considering the Master System's hardware limitations. It was awarded Best Graphics for 1988 by ''
Electronic Gaming Monthly ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' (''EGM'') is a monthly American video game magazine. It offers video game news, coverage of industry events, interviews with gaming figures, editorial content and product reviews. History The magazine was fou ...
''s Player's Choice Awards. The game was difficult to recommend for some because of its high price. ''Computer Entertainer'' found the purchase difficult to justify as it was the highest price they had ever seen for a game on any cartridge-based system or disk-based computer. ''Computer and Video Games'' felt they could only recommend it for hardcore RPG fans for this reason. ''VideoGames & Computer Entertainment'', however, called it "such a remarkable video game that it may justify its existence as the most expensive cartridge on the shelf."


Retrospective reviews

''Phantasy Star'' was reviewed again for its re-releases. Most critics continued to hold the graphics in high regard. ''
GameSpot ''GameSpot'' is an American video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information on video games. The site was launched on May 1, 1996, created by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady, and Jon Epstein. In addition ...
'' and ''G-Force'' wrote that the graphics pushed the Master System to its limits, and helped set the game apart in its time. ''RPGFan'' and ''
Nintendo Life Gamer Network Limited (formerly Eurogamer Network Limited) is a British digital media company based in London. Founded in 1999 by Rupert and Nick Loman, it owns brands—primarily editorial websites—relating to video game journalism and ot ...
'' called the 3D dungeons "revolutionary". ''Nintendo Life'' felt that the graphics did show their age, but noted that it "looks much better than an 8-bit RPG has any right to and it easily surpasses any NES effort of the era". ''1UP.com'' and ''
IGN ''IGN'' is an American video gaming and entertainment media website operated by IGN Entertainment Inc., a subsidiary of Ziff Davis, Inc. The company's headquarters is located in San Francisco's SoMa district and is headed by its former e ...
'' agreed, writing that it outclassed both the original ''Final Fantasy'' and ''Dragon Quest''. Some critics commented that the game felt too standard compared to modern RPGs. Some also felt it was more difficult and dull than modern offerings due to heavier grinding. The Game Boy Advance version was commended for being a good emulation but criticized for poor sound and missed opportunities for enhancements. ''Nintendo World Report'' praised the Switch release for adding FM sound and enhancements to make for a more streamlined experience.


Legacy

''Phantasy Star'' is considered a landmark RPG; it has been called "revolutionary", "pioneering", and "ahead of its time". It is credited with helping to define the genre and introduce the West to console RPGs. ''IGN'' wrote: "''Phantasy Star'' was the game that defined an entire generation's early experiences with the RPG genre as a whole, a role-playing adventure without equal at the time of its initial debut ..a time when competition was virtually non-existent in the category". It has been called one of the best games on the Master System. ''Nintendo Life'' called it a
killer app A killer application (often shortened to killer app) is any software that is so necessary or desirable that it proves the core value of some larger technology, such as its host computer hardware, video game console, software platform, or operati ...
which "not only tested the hardware but also the boundaries and expectations of the genre". ''
Retro Gamer ''Retro Gamer'' is a British magazine, published worldwide, covering Retrogaming, retro video games. It was the first commercial magazine to be devoted entirely to the subject. Launched in January 2004 as a quarterly publication, ''Retro Gamer'' ...
'' called it "a key release for the genre's popularity in the West and a key reason to own a Master System". In 1996, ''
Next Generation Next Generation or Next-Generation may refer to: Publications and literature * ''Next Generation'' (magazine), video game magazine that was made by the now defunct Imagine Media publishing company * Next Generation poets (2004), list of young ...
'' listed the entire series as number 72 on their " Top 100 Games of All Time", opined that "the best game in the series is still the first ... There was a lot more variety in the settings, a deeper storyline, and just plain more of everything." The following year it was ranked the 62nd best console video game of all time by ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'', the only appearance of a Master System game on the list. Note: Contrary to the title, the intro to the article explicitly states that the list covers console video games only, meaning PC games and arcade games were not eligible. In 2001, ''
Game Informer ''Game Informer'' (''GI'' is an American monthly Video game journalism, video game magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of video games and video game console, game consoles. It debuted in August 1991, when the video game reta ...
'' included it on its own list of greatest video games at #94. The staff praised it for its innovation and graphical superiority (specifically to ''
Dragon Warrior previously published as ''Dragon Warrior'' in North America until 2005, is a series of role-playing video games created by Japanese game designer Yuji Horii (Armor Project), character designer Akira Toriyama (Bird Studio), and composer Koic ...
''). In 2006, ''
1UP In video games, a life is a play-turn that a player character has, defined as the period between start and end of play. Lives refer to a finite number of tries before the game ends with a game over. Sometimes the euphemisms chance, try, rest an ...
'' and ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' placed it at #26 on "The Greatest 200 Videogames of Their Time" list, which puts it as the second highest-ranking RPG on the list, behind only ''
Phantasy Star Online ''Phantasy Star Online'' is an online role-playing game (RPG) developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega in 2000 for the Dreamcast. It was the first successful online RPG for game consoles; players adventure with up to three others over the ...
'' at #21. In 2023, Time Extension included the game on their "Best JRPGs of All Time" list, noting that it "had some of the best visuals and grandest sense of adventure" among its contemporaries. The game introduced many elements that later became staples of the RPG genre. Its fusion of science fiction with
medieval fantasy Historical fantasy is a category of fantasy and genre of historical fiction that incorporates fantastic elements (such as magic (fantasy), magic) into a more "realistic" narrative. There is much crossover with other subgenres of fantasy; those c ...
contrasted with the traditional fantasy seen in other RPGs of its era. ''
Nintendo Power ''Nintendo Power'' was a video game news and strategy magazine from Nintendo of America, first published in July/August 1988 as Nintendo's official print magazine for North America. The magazine's publication was initially done monthly by Ninte ...
'' explained that ''Phantasy Star'' "was the first RPG to break out of the ''Dragon Quest'' / ''
Dungeons & Dragons ''Dungeons & Dragons'' (commonly abbreviated as ''D&D'' or ''DnD'') is a fantasy tabletop role-playing game (TTRPG) originally created and designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. The game was first published in 1974 by TSR (company)#Tactical ...
'' mold of generic
Arthurian According to legends, King Arthur (; ; ; ) was a king of Britain. He is a folk hero and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain. In Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a leader of the post-Ro ...
fantasy by introducing sci-fi elements". The inclusion of pre-defined characters with unique personalities and abilities in the game is also considered revolutionary when compared to the customizable characters in other RPGs. The graphics are considered ahead of their time, particularly the 3D dungeons and monster animations. It was also one of the earliest video games to feature a female protagonist, which ''Nintendo Life'' called "perhaps tsmost revolutionary aspect". ''Phantasy Star'' launched the careers of its staff. Some worked on a series of sequels starting on the
Mega Drive The Sega Genesis, known as the outside North America, is a 16-bit Fourth generation of video game consoles, fourth generation home video game console developed and sold by Sega. It was Sega's third console and the successor to the Master Sys ...
, known as some of the best RPGs of their era. Both programmer Yuji Naka and artist Rieko Kodama worked on the sequel ''
Phantasy Star II is a science fantasy role-playing video game developed and published by Sega for the Sega Genesis. It was released in Japan in 1989 and North America and Europe in 1990. It was later ported to a variety of different platforms. An updated remake ...
'' (1989),'''' and Kodama directed '' Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium'' (1993), considered by some industry journalists to be one of the
greatest games ever made This is a list of video games that video game journalists or magazines have considered among the best of all time. The games are included on at least six separate best-of lists from different publications (inclusive of all time periods, platfor ...
. She later served as producer on ''
Skies of Arcadia ''Skies of Arcadia'' is a 2000 role-playing video game developed by Overworks and published by Sega for the Dreamcast. Players control Vyse, a young air pirate, and his friends as they attempt to stop the Valuan Empire from reviving ancient weapo ...
'' (2000), a critically acclaimed RPG for the
Dreamcast The is the final home video game console manufactured by Sega. It was released in Japan on November 27, 1998, in North America on September 9, 1999 and in Europe on October 14, 1999. It was the first sixth-generation video game console, prec ...
. Meanwhile, Naka served as producer on ''
Phantasy Star Online ''Phantasy Star Online'' is an online role-playing game (RPG) developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega in 2000 for the Dreamcast. It was the first successful online RPG for game consoles; players adventure with up to three others over the ...
'' (2000), the first online RPG for home consoles. Character designer Naoto Ohshima went on to create the character
Sonic the Hedgehog is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese developers Yuji Naka, Naoto Ohshima, and Hirokazu Yasuhara for Sega. The franchise follows Sonic the Hedgehog (character), Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battle ...
and collaborated with Naka on several games including the ''
Sonic the Hedgehog is a video game series and media franchise created by the Japanese developers Yuji Naka, Naoto Ohshima, and Hirokazu Yasuhara for Sega. The franchise follows Sonic the Hedgehog (character), Sonic, an anthropomorphic blue hedgehog who battle ...
'' series, ''
Nights into Dreams is a 1996 action game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Sega Saturn. The story follows the teenagers Elliot Edwards and Claris Sinclair, who enter Nightopia, a Dream world (plot device), dream world where all dreams take pl ...
'' (1996), and ''
Burning Rangers is a 1998 action game developed by Sonic Team and published by Sega for the Sega Saturn. Players control one of an elite group of firefighters, the Burning Rangers, who extinguish fires and rescue civilians in burning buildings in a futuristi ...
'' (1998);
Sonic Team , doing business as , is a Japanese video game developer owned by Sega. Sonic Team is best known for its ''Sonic the Hedgehog'' series and games such as '' Nights into Dreams'' and '' Phantasy Star Online''. The initial team, formed in 1990, c ...
would later take over the series''.''


Notes


References


External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Phantasy Star (Video Game) 1987 video games Fiction set around Algol Phantasy Star video games PlayStation 2 games Role-playing video games Sega video games Master System games Sega Genesis games Single-player video games Tectoy games Turn-based role-playing video games Video games about revenge Video games featuring female protagonists Virtual Console games Video games developed in Japan Virtual Console games for Wii