History VideoGame / PhantasyStarZero

Shortly after the release of ''[[VideoGame/PhantasyStarUniverse Phantasy Star Portable]]'' on the UsefulNotes/PlaystationPortable, Creator/{{Sega}} decided to not leave UsefulNotes/NintendoDS owners out in the cold. Thus came ''Phantasy Star Zero'' (written as ''Ø'' in North America), the second game of the VideoGame/PhantasyStar franchise on a Nintendo handheld console. (After the CompilationRerelease of ''[[VideoGame/PhantasyStarI I]]'', ''[[VideoGame/PhantasyStarII II]]'' and ''[[VideoGame/PhantasyStarIII III]]'' on the GBA, of course.)

* LighterAndSofter: To go with the ArtShift, the story is notably a lot tamer than ''Phantasy Star'' standards, even if the threat of death still lurks around every corner out there and the story takes place AfterTheEnd. [[spoiler:Even the Great Blank caused by Mother Trinity, despite implying she basically caused a proverbial dark age after wiping out Coral's society, is depicted more as a nefarious UtopiaJustifiesTheMeans villain, and Dark Falz borders on GiantSpaceFleaFromNowhere as a possessive god monster, compared to the nightmarish EldritchAbomination nature of Dark Falz in the rest of the franchise.]]

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

Released in late 2008 in Japan and late 2009/early 2010 for North America and Europe, ''Phantasy Star Zero'' brings back much of ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline'''s game mechanics and style (it is, after all, abbreviated ''[=PS0=]''), with some minor improvements. Like both ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline'' and ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarUniverse'', it is a [[MassivelyMultiplayerOnlineRolePlayingGame Massively Multiplayer Online]] {{Action RPG}} (on the DS!), but has a monthly cost of $0 (YES!).

* BuxomIsBetter: Ogi makes mention of the fact that Ana is quite well-endowed for a Newman. [[ACupAngst Sarisa]] is not pleased.

* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: The newmans of ''Zero'' get all the crazy hair colors.

** Per tradition, the Psycho Wand from ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarIV'' appears as the InfinityPlusOneSword for Rods.
** The FinalBoss also drops [[VideoGame/PhantasyStarIV Rika's Suit]], a Newearl-exclusive armor, as a RareRandomDrop on the highest difficulty.

* GettingCrapPastTheRadar: Assuming you pick the right dialogue options, it is possible to watch Sarisa get assaulted by NaughtyTentacles prior to the Octo Diablo fight. Luckily it's in text only, but it's not hard to imagine what's happening. The hilarious part is that the localizations ''kept it in!''

* BigDamnHeroes / TheCavalry: In the Human storyline, [[spoiler: Kai and the entirety of Dairon City's Hunter's Guild, ''including'' the Guilds of nearby cities, come to the rescue of the player's party and the newman resistance just when all seems lost.]] Also something of a a GondorCallsForAid moment, because [[spoiler: Lindow comments that the mayor and a large number of hunters left town a chapter or two before they make their rescue.]]

* CannotSpitItOut: Sarisa, after the ending credits.

* [[ChekhovsGun Chekhov's Gun]]: The ability for a [=CAST=] to BodySurf becomes an important plot point.

* DefrostingIceQueen: Lindow, the [=CASEAL=] assistant to Dairon City's mayor, if you talk to her before every story-related mission and tell her "I wanted to see you!"

* DisneyDeath: [[spoiler: Kai, who appears to sacrifice himself fighting off monsters in the Makara Ruins. He sets up the BigDamnHeroes and TheCavalry moment toward the end of the story.]]

* DualBoss: Chaos and Mobius, Reve's personal combat vehicles.
** CombiningMecha: They combine to form [[ThatOneBoss Humilias]].

* FriendlySniper: Professional though he is, Ogi is also rather personable. Kai comments on Ogi's glibness in the Human mission "Clockworks," [[spoiler: where Ogi doesn't seem all that bothered by the fact that Octo Diablo had just eaten his entire body save for his head just earlier]].
** He shows the same attitude in the newman and [=CAST=] versions of said mission too. He ties with Kai for the title of 'Most Personable NPC'.

* [[IdenticalGrandson Identical Descendant]]: [[spoiler:The human character in a nutshell, compared to the human hero of the Great Blank. [[VillainousBreakdown Mother Trinity takes this just about as well as you'd expect]].]]

* MarathonLevel: The Eternal Tower is easily the longest area in the game. It will literally take you ''hours'' to complete it, especially on the higher difficulties. You'll be thanking Nintendo for the [=DS'=] [[AntiFrustrationFeatures built-in sleep mode]], since you can't save and quit in the middle of it without abandoning the entire run. And did we mention that you need to complete it at least once on Hard to unlock Super Hard offline? Or that there are ''many'' rare weapons that are only available at the tower? Have fun...
** Not to mention if you want to expand your inventory slots this is the only way to do so meaning you have to do it a minimum of three times to max your inventory slots ''per character''. Luckily if you look at the bottom screen, you can sometimes skip rooms. Even still, [[FakeLongevity have fun with your 8-15 hour runs...]]

* MasterComputer: [[spoiler: Mother Trinity.]]

** MemoryGambit / FlingALightIntoTheFuture: [[spoiler: One of the [=CASTs=] who lived on the moon during the Great Blank pulls a form of this before he died; he committed all he knew about Mother Trinity and her actions to the sub-memory in his body, in hopes that a CAST in the future would find his body and [[ExpositionBeam download the knowledge]].]]

* ThePioneer: Kai happened to be this in his childhood. He related his DarkAndTroubledPast in the form of an unrelated story to the player character and Sarisa. Only Ogi realizes that Kai was talking about himself.
** Something of an informed stupidity moment on the part of the player character though, as many players cottoned on very quickly indeed.
* PhenotypeStereotype: Among the Human characters, ''Zero'' doesn't allow the player to choose a custom eye and hair color combination. You're stuck with either blond hair/blue eyes, red hair/green eyes, or black hair/brown eyes. Granted, you ''can'' mix and match these with [[DarkSkinnedRedhead different]] [[DarkSkinnedBlond skin]] [[EeriePaleSkinnedBrunette tones]] ...
* PowerEqualsRarity: Just ask anyone searching for a Zero Rifle or a Psycho Wand.

** RobotGirl: [=RAcaseals=] and [=HUcaseals=], as with ''PSO.''

* SuspiciouslySimilarSubstitute: Phantasy Star Zero's name. If abbreviated to [=PS0=], it can be hard to distinguish it from ''[[VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline PSO]]''. [[NominalImportance Keep that in mind.]]
** Compare the example image on this article with the one on ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline.'' Notice that everyone in the ''Zero'' artwork is grouped the same way as in the ''PSO'' picture. [[labelnote:Examples]]''Zero's'' [=HUmar=] and Ash (''PSO's'' [=HUmar=]); ''Zero's'' [=RAcast=] and Gilliam (''PSO's'' [=RAcast=]); ''Zero's'' [=RAcaseal=] and Elanor (''PSO's'' [=RAcaseal=]) ([[VisionsOfAnotherSelf and they even look similar]]); ''Zero's'' [=FOnewearl=] and Rupika (''PSO's'' [=FOnewearl=]); ''Zero's'' [=FOmarl=] and Alicia (''PSO's'' [=FOmarl=]); ''Zero's'' [=RAmar=] and [=RAmarl=] and Bernie (''PSO's'' [=RAmar=]); ''Zero's'' [=HUcast=] and [=HUcaseal=] and Kireek (''PSO's'' [=HUcast=]); Sarisa and Sue (''PSO's'' [=HUnewearl=])[[/labelnote]]

* VariableMix: Another ''PSO'' feature brought back for ''Zero,'' with two additional variations for rare enemy battles and encounters with {{Ridiculously Cute Critter}}s.

** The FinalBoss also drops [[VideoGame/PhantasyStarII Rika's Suit]], a Newearl-exclusive armor, as a RareRandomDrop on the highest difficulty.

** Per tradition, the Psycho Wand from ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarIVTheEndOfTheMillenium'' appears as the InfinityPlusOneSword for Rods.

* ShoutOut: The music theme that plays whenever a "nest" of {{Ridiculously Cute Critter}}s is encountered is titled "Rappy Fever," which was also the name for the jackpot used by Casino Voloyal slot machines in ''PSU.''
** [[https://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=YcFqTEoEmmk One of the battle themes for the Eternal Tower]] contains the opening beat of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch#!v=K3AdN80WKXw Olga Flow's first form theme from PSO]] slowed down.

** The KaizoTrap that occurs if someone happens to let the dying [[OurDragonsAreDifferent Reyburn]] fall on them is a ShoutOut to ''PSO's'' Dragon boss(es).
** Booma Origin and Gigobooma Origin monsters... enough said.
** And indeed the Rappies themselves, the little yellow fellas being the series equivalent of chocobos or moogles.