History VideoGame / TalesOfPhantasia

There are English patches for the SFC and PSX versions available online. There are also two versions for [[UsefulNotes/PlayStationPortable PSP]], one being the "Full Voice Edition" and the other being paired with an UpdatedRerelease of the UsefulNotes/GameBoyColor sequel, Narikiri Dungeon. Recommended in general, but especially for people who liked ''Symphonia'', just to play "spot the continuities." [[NoExportForYou Unfortunately, neither version was released outside of Japan...]]

... until an [=iOS=] port (based off the "Full Voice Edition") was released in September 2013 in Japan, which was followed by an English translation in January 2014. However, Namco Bandai eventually shut down the game servers and quietly pulled it from the App Store later in 2014, leaving the game completely unplayable. Namco Bandai cited ''poor response'' as its official reason (expected given [[AllegedlyFreeGame what they turned the game into]]).

[[http://a0t.co/phantasia The most well-known PSX translation is available here.]] [[http://tales-cless.org/ An alternative translation - completed on December 31st, 2012, after 12 years of work - is available here.]]

''Tales of Phantasia'' is the first game in [[Creator/BandaiNamco Namco]]'s VideoGame/TalesSeries, debuting on the Super Famicom in 1995.

* TheUnReveal

* WaifFu: Suzu. She's a little girl, both in terms of age and size, but easily the most deadly physical fighter.

* WhipSword: Rondoline in ''Narikiri Dungeon X'' wields one.

* WrongSideAllAlong: See AlasPoorVillain above.
* {{Wutai}}: The village of Japoni.

* CutsceneIncomptence: Early in the game, Cless knells over to a slug while protecting Mint after fighting his way out of Mars' mansion. This is despite the slugs you face in the mansion not posing any real threat.

... until an [=iOS=] port (based off the "Full Voice Edition") was released in September 2013 in Japan, which was followed by an English translation in January 2014. However, Namco Bandai eventually shut down the game servers and quietly pulled it from the App Store later in 2014, leaving the game completely unplayable. Namco Bandai cited ''poor response'' as it's official reason (expected given [[AllegedlyFreeGame what they turned the game into]]).

* TheCameo: The PSX port onward added a cameo fight with [[VideoGame/TalesOfDestiny Lilith Aileron]], Stahn Aileron's sister. Beating her earns you the "Swordian Dymlos" weapon as well as Stahn's "Final Fury/Satsugeki Bokouken" arte for Cress.

* ChasteHero: Cress. It happens when Arche is explaining why she left Mint alone in the White Forest to meet the Unicorn.
--->'''Arche''': Because... well... once, there was this guy, and...
--->'''Cress''': ...and what?
--->'''Arche''': ...and... you know! So I thought the Unicorn wouldn't see me!
** And much earlier into the game, Cress seems to struggle with understanding the implications of Mint and he sharing the same bed.

* CompressedAdaptation: The first half of the game is crammed into the first half of episode 1 of TheAnimeOfTheGame.
** Ironically, the OVA actually does a pretty good job of telling the story- many fans believe it makes more sense than the game does.

* CosmeticAward: The titles your characters can earn in this game are purely for aesthetic purposes, unlike titles in some of the later Tales games.
** Although one title does allow Cress to use his [[LimitBreak ultimate attack.]]
* CuteWitch
* LittleMissSnarker: Suzu.
* {{Determinator}}: Chester [[LevelGrinding level grinds]] himself while the others sleep so he can catch up to them. Only in PSC version and onwards.

* LimitBreak: In the [=PlayStation=] version, Cress, and only Cress, received the first Mystic Arte in the series, the "Meikū Zanshouken/Dark Blade". Due to EarlyInstallmentWeirdness, it worked more like a DesperationAttack, as Cress needed to be at full health and THEN lose enough of it to be on critical levels to use it. He also needs a special title in the [=GBA=].
** Although he can also obtain "Satsugeki Bukouken/Fatal Fury" by beating [[BonusBoss Lilith]], it counted as a normal Arte at the time.

No relation to Disney's ''Disney/{{Fantasia}}''.

* CutsceneIncomptence: Cless knells over to a slug while protecting Mint after fighting his way out of Mars' mansion. The slugs you fight in the mansion have no such insta-faint attack.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: no cooking, no Dark Wings, no skits. The battle system of ''Phantasia'' also comes as a little odd for modern ''Tales'' players — Chibisized sprites, a slightly slower-paced battle system, a lack of primary attack combos, and a few other things. The art style is musty, muted and more realistic than the pastel style that would later define the series' aesthetic. Later console versions implemented cooking and skits among other things, bringing Phantasia more in line with the rest of the series.

* TheCameo: The PSX port onward added a cameo fight with [[VideoGame/TalesOfDestiny Lilith Aileron]], Stahn Aileron's sister. Beating her earns you the "Swordian Dymlos" weapon as well as Stahn's "Final Fury" arte for Cress.

* SirNotAppearingInThisTrailer: Ishrantu is seen briefly fighting Cless and Klarth in the anime's opening, but he never actually shows up.

* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: no cooking, no Dark Wings, no skits. The battle system of ''Phantasia'' also comes as a little odd for modern ''Tales'' players — Chibisized sprites, a slightly slower-paced battle system, a lack of primary attack combos, and a few other things. The art style is musty, muted and more realistic than the pastel style that would later define the series' aesthetic.

Over the course of the rest of the game, Cress and Chester continue acting vengeful and manly. Arche kicks off the ''VideoGame/{{Tales Series}}''' fine tradition of [[FantasticRacism exploring racism through elves]]. Claus redefines long-distance relationships with the help of the Spirit of Creation. Dhaos sets the standard for VideoGame/TalesSeries villains as {{Well Intentioned Extremist}}s. Also, there's a minor [[TimeyWimeyBall time paradox]] in there.

There was a remake for the GBA, which was the first version to get an official English release. While there are a few incredibly awful spots in the localization, such as the "Kangaroo War" for Ragnarok [[https://legendsoflocalization.com/how-did-a-kangaroo-sneak-into-tales-of-phantasia/ (apparently the result of autocorrect)]] and the poor quality of the voice casting and acting, most of the fanbase's issues with it are a result of Nintendo ''not'' taking... liberties... with the script that the best-known FanTranslation did. (If they ''had'' done so, the game almost certainly wouldn't have got by with anything less than an "M" rating.)

There was a remake for the GBA, which was the first version to get an official English release. While there are a few incredibly awful spots in the localization, such as the "Kangaroo War" for Ragnarok and the poor quality of the voice casting and acting, most of the fanbase's issues with it are a result of Nintendo ''not'' taking... liberties... with the script that the best-known FanTranslation did. (If they ''had'' done so, the game almost certainly wouldn't have got by with anything less than an "M" rating.)

* ShoutOut: [[LordOfTheRings The Moria/Morlia Gallery, an ancient cave where the dwarves used to live.]]

->''"Truly, if there is evil in this world, it lies within the heart of mankind."''

* LargeHam: Edward D. Morrison and Dhaos in the English GBA opening. See {{Narm}} and GoodBadTranslation for more information.

* AntiVillain: Although a major jerk, Dhaos, as it turns out, is only trying to [[spoiler: save his ''own'' homeworld from destruction]]. A noble and [[strike:some]]''everybody'' would say heroic motivation. It's only too bad he considers it so far above ''this'' one that he regularly {{Beam Spam}}s everyone with no regard for the consequences. Hey, it's not [[spoiler:''his'' planet he's screwing up]] now, is it?
** Dhaos [[spoiler:orders the total and absolute elimination of any communities he deems has any remote connection whatsoever to magitek development. This often includes completely clueless children who are murdered for the sole reason of being the unlucky offspring or relatives of magitek scientists. Aseria's magitek research was rushed into unstable development to (whoops) combat Dhaos's own pre-emptive threats against the planet. Furthermore, when the party rushes Dhaos's palace following the Valhalla battle, he puts on his trollface and simply questions them--a group of soldiers clearly representing a society he has already threatened to annihilate--on what their reasons are for coming to kill him. This is a problem on its own, since he already brainwashed Meia to personally assassinate the party earlier in the game. Dhaos consciously decides to exert a form of omnipotent racial discrimination and become the judge, jury, and executioner of Aseria to benefit Derris Kharlan.]] In all practicality, he is utterly clueless to the ramifications of his actions at every level. The famous "If there is evil in this world..." quote is less thoughtful social commentary and more just illustrating Dhaos's ridiculous mindset that self-defense is a form of evil and mindraping people to commit atrocities somehow proves natural human malevolence.
** Dhaos ''is'' a very good candidate for AntiVillain, but this isn't obvious to Cress' party or the player due to ever only seeing him when he's in the middle of JumpingOffTheSlipperySlope. In the prequel novel ''Katararezaru Rekishi'', it's revealed that Midgard had been developing magitek weapons since before he arrived on Aselia, to combat the hordes of demons ''already hostile'' toward it. Dhaos attempted to talk down the head of the magitek research, Reisen, but Reisen suspected him of being a demon due to his alien mana and refused to listen to him. He then proceeded to ''attack Dhaos'', and although Dhaos escaped, his close friend Winona is severely injured in the attack, and Reisen claimed Dhaos attacked first, making him a fugitive and a wanted man, hunted by the guards of Midgard. Left with no other choice and no option to negotiate, Dhaos aligned himself with the demons attacking Midgard, in the hopes of stopping magitek development as quickly as possible. However, although he commands loyalty over his demons, ''he is not omnipotent or omniscient,'' and several of his demons went out of control, resulting in far more body counts than Dhaos would have liked; Demeter was only supposed to assassinate Rhea's parents for their role in magitek development, Rhea herself would have been spared as she was a close friend of Winona. Instead, Demeter went mad with the power granted to him by Dhaos, and slaughtered the entire town.

* AcrophobicBird: Averted. One puzzle requires leaving Arche behind to stand on a switch so that she can fly out of a hole later, and in a scene after defeating Volt she's asked to go fetch treasure chests that are normally inaccessible.

* PointOfNoReturn: None for the endgame, you can save anywhere in the final dungeon and still leave, but once you reach the last room of the Underground Crypt, you're sealed off from [[spoiler:the Present]] and the same applies for [[spoiler:the Past]] when you set sail for Thor's nautical location.