Phantasy Star in general

So, we have a thread for Phantasy Star Zero, but nothing for the rest of the Phantasy Star series. Since I'm a complete whore for the the later games in the series, I thought I'd set this up.

Obvious questions to start things off: Which games have you played/are you playing? Favorite game in the series? Thoughts on the switch from JRPG to Diablo-esque action RPG? Friend Code/Hunter IDs for PSO-PSZ?

As for me, so far I've played a very tiny amount of PSI, III, and PSOnline: Episode 3, played about a quarter of PSII, and I've beaten PSOnline Episodes 1&2 for the Gamecube on normal (and I've played both Dreamcast versions as well) and both PSUniverse and PSU: Ambitions of the Illuminus for the 360. I'm still occasionally playing PSO: Blue Burst (on a TOTALLY LEGIT SERVER) and Phantasy Star Zero. My favorite so far is probably PSO: 1&2, although PSZ comes close. Obviously I liked the switch.

As for my Hunter ID and all that, I'll fish that out later.

edited 26th Nov '09 3:50:09 PM by Miijhal

Phantasy Star IV was the first RPG I ever played, and one I played to death. I cried when Alys died and again during the ending, and had a major crush on Rika in the third grade. I have a lot of nostalgia for that game, as you can tell.

I never got very far in the first two games. I got to Motavia in the first, and just after Teim's murder in the second. Never played the third. For some reason, I played Phantasy Star Online to completion, even though I didn't have a modem and it was completely solo. I had way too much time on my hands back then.

In spite of not having played any of the later games, I still prefer the JRPGs to the mumorpegers.

edited 26th Nov '09 4:00:21 PM by English Ivy

Hmm. PSIV had a lot more story to it that PSII, right? One of the things that made me stop playing PSII was the general lack of direction and story. It had a good framework for a plot but was almost empty in between...

The other reasons were the grind and the absence of strategy...

And, yeah... I'd be lying if I said I hadn't had PSL for Nei... Even made a Nei-clone in PSO, complete with a Nei Claw someone game me WHICH THEY TOTALLY DID NOT GET THROUGH ACTION REPLAY.

Also, PSOBB Hunter ID: 22678211. SCHTHACK server. Level 17 HUnewearl

PSZ Friend Code: 0990 1853 2188. I have both a level 50 HUnewearl and a level 20-something FOmarl.

...Which reminds me that I should probably look into getting my Gamecube characters onto SCHTHACK as well...

edited 26th Nov '09 4:29:46 PM by Miijhal

The only one I played was Phantasy Star IV. I loved that game, played it through, got all the secrets I could (on my own, even!) and recently played it through again with help from a guide. I liked it a lot, and would actually recommend it above the Final Fantasy games released around the same time.

Just finished 1, and playing through 2. I got the PS collection for the GBA, and PS 4 for Genesis. Going to play them in order. (Despite how 3 is said to be the worst.)

I played Phantasy Star Online religiously back in middle school. Got a lot of the special weapons and shit. I haven't been able to touch it and I try not to think about it after my file was corrupted. That was...despairing. It's also one of the reasons I haven't played on the BB thing, Miij.

Also, as Miij already knows, I do plan on getting PSZ, but I'm not sure when that'll happen.

Ah, yeah... I had my entire inventory deleted from someone causing a BSOD in Ep 1&2...

However, I don't believe that's possible in Blue Burst. Your characters are stored server-side rather than client side in BB, which was a change from the original PSO games. Your file shouldn't be corruptible anymore. Plus, unlike the old official servers, SCHTHACK actually moderates its servers.

edited 26th Nov '09 4:55:31 PM by Miijhal

PSI & II were some of my favorite games when I was younger. II has, unfortunately, really not aged well—the pace is slow, and there's a lot of grinding to be done if you want to survive, especially early on. If I remember right, as well, there wasn't a whole lot of direction in terms of the game telling you where to go (This could be due to the translation, or the fact that the game originally shipped in the US with a strategy guide).

I could never get into III, despite repeated attempts. Played just about all the way through IV, but never did beat the Profound Darkness.

Well, apparently the English PS 2 and PC servers for Phantasy Star Universe are being shut down.

...I'm...very bitter towards Sonic Team for how they handled things over here...

Oh my. They've been shut down? Damn.

Phantasy Star Universe for the 360 is still up, but it's doubtful that it will receive further updates.

Unfortunately for the PS 2 and PC players... The characters are stored server-side... Which means all their hard work is gone now.

That makes another Phantasy Star game that Sonic Team and SOA has killed...

edited 21st Jan '10 10:24:12 PM by Miijhal

Well damn. I am still waiting a Phantasy Star akin to the classic games...Please Sega...I want my grinding and turnbased combat and so on! I want it from you!

...I frankly wouldn't trust Sonic Team to do another Phantasy Star in classic RPG style.

edited 21st Jan '10 11:36:59 PM by Miijhal

There has to be a fangame out there, somewhere.

As I recall, there are a handful of Phantasy Star games that didn't make it to the US.

There are also remakes of the first two Phantasy Star games for the PS 2 that never got translated because the fourth remake fell through. The Phantasy Star 2 remake actually allowed you to revive Nei.

Edit: Yup. Three games weren't released in the US. Phantasy Star Gaiden for the Game Gear as well as two text adventure games.

edited 21st Jan '10 11:57:03 PM by Miijhal

The original Phantasy Star was the first rpg I ever played, so I have a soft spot for it, even though it's evil.

Phantasy Star II...I could barely walk out of the first town without getting slaughtered by the first enemies. Suffice to say, I didn't play that one very far.

Phantasy Star IV, on the other hand, might be my favourite rpg ever.

I love IV, I did enjoy I and II. VI has a spot in my heart for being one of the first RP Gs I played that was totally awesome (I would play I and II after discovering it). Also you could have a whopping five party members at once and the Arbitrary Headcount Limit was at least hand waved every time.

Fantasy Online was fun; I loved the character I made for that.

Playing Phantasy Star Universe at the moment. I’ve…I’ve never seen anything THAT cliché in my LIFE! The game play is still fun to play however, and having a a bunch of weapons to switch back and forth between on the fly is hella’ fun in an RPG.

Cliche isn't the least of it.

Oh dear god the voices the voices...

Phantasy Star Universe has one truly redeemable thing about it. The existence of the De Ragann. Just...god...Even when the translators are newer Phantasy Star still falls victim to such silly names...

Hehehe…”Starship Earth”.

It also has implied lesbian twincest due to absolutely horrible writing.

And nothing can be Dark Phallus. Not even Bunny-Falz or reskinned De Rol Le Dark Falz◊.

edited 24th Jan '10 11:44:40 AM by Miijhal

ARISE MY MINION, ARISE!

One of these days I'd like to set up a Troper Schthack meetup.

For a kid who was deprived a SNES growing up, Phantasy Star IV was a more than welcome compensation.

I didn't like Chaz I thought Alys was the main character until... well, she died but the story and art were solid and the other characters were cool.

And that one infamous scene had a far greater emotional impact than that other infamous scene.

Phantasy Star III was actually the first one I played. I agree that it was the worst one of the series, and the whole "multiple routes, multiple endings" thing was complete bullshit. Only the 2nd gen characters were significantly different from each other—the 3rd gen plots are basically the same (except the sons of Ayn get to have the half of Nial's storyline glued to the beginning of their journeys, oh joy!)

And Phantasy Star II was way too brutal to be fun. I got stuck in the original after I landed in Dezoris.

Yeah, PSII is kind of ridiculous...

Phantasy Star 2 had so much grinding needed just to survive, and the dungeons were real nasty. I also don't get why sometimes your party will just keep attacking until you stop them manually. That got kind of annoying.

One thing that always bugged me in Phantasy Star 1, and I'm sure it's probably more due to fault of translation than anything else, but why did they name an eyebat Owl Bear? It looks remotely nothing like an owl or a bear. It's the only palette swap of the eyebats with a weird name too. The others makes sense.

Agreed with PSIII being the best(it's one of my favorite RPGs even today) and PSIV the worst. I didn't like chaz either but Rune was my hero. And with two shields(which is okay since he relies on magic/techs anyway and his attack power is lousy) he's tougher than Chaz in some battles.

edited 21st May '10 12:32:07 AM by Vertigo_High