History VideoGame / PhantasyStar

Creator/{{Sega}}'s answer to the RPG craze of the late 1980s, the ''Phantasy Star'' series was a classic contemporary to ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'' and ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' with a ScienceFantasy spin on the genre. Having been in the hands of several of Sega's development studios - in chronological order: Sega [=RD4=], Sega [=AM7=] (Overworks/Sega Wow), and Sega [=AM8=] (Creator/SonicTeam) - the franchise has taken several different forms since its inception.

Three {{Gaiden Game}}s, mostly focused on ''Phantasy Star II'', were released as well. ''Phantasy Star II Text Adventures'' and ''Phantasy Star Adventure'', a duo of text-based {{Adventure Game}}s, explored the past of the ''PSII'' cast and told an unrelated story set in the same era of the Algol system's history, respectively. ''Phantasy Star Gaiden,'' an {{Eastern RPG}} for the UsefulNotes/GameGear, took place roughly halfway between ''I'' and ''II'' in the Copto star system, a sector of space colonized by the Algolians. The protagonists are two colonists, Alec and Mina--the latter being a clone of ''I'''s heroine, Alis Landale. [[NoExportForYou None of these games were released outside of Japan.]]

A number of times, the games of the tetralogy have been ported to newer consoles. At one point, there was even a [[VideoGameRemake Remake]] of the first two games in the tetralogy--''Phantasy Star Generation 1'' and ''Generation 2''--for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation2. On top of a more fleshed-out story (''far'' more in ''Generation 1'''s case) and updated graphics, there were a few additional quests and tweaks made to the remakes. [[NoExportForYou Of course, nobody outside Japan got to see these either]]. A similar remake of ''IV'' was planned and a US release bundling the three was announced, but the remake of ''IV'' disappeared and the US release along with it.

All four games from the original series are available on ''Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection'' for the Xbox 360 and [=PlayStation=] 3, though the first installment (because it isn't a Genesis game) must be unlocked, which isn't that hard to do.[[note]]Defeat the first boss of ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog2'' in two-player mode.[[/note]] As of 3 May 2012, the original versions of ''Phantasy Star II'', ''III'', and ''IV'' for Sega Genesis can also be purchased and played on PC via UsefulNotes/{{Steam}}, and as of 2018, the three Genesis games are available on ''Sega Genesis Classics'' for the UsefulNotes/PlayStation4, UsefulNotes/XboxOne and UsefulNotes/NintendoSwitch.

** ''Phantasy Star Gaiden'' (1992): Following the events of the original ''Phantasy Star'', Alis founded a new colony on the distant planet of Copto, where she sealed an ancient evil to protect the people - an evil now threatening to re-emerge.

* ClarkesThirdLaw: Throughout the series, the explanations for the games' equivalent of magic, "Techniques", has differed. For instance, the manual for ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarII'' describes the fire Technique "Foi" as compressing oxygen into a small space until the molecules ignite and create a fireball, suggesting they are technological or psychic in nature. Meanwhile, ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarUniverse'' describes [[SpellMyNameWithAnS TECHNICs]] and their melee equivalent, Photon Arts, as computer programs uploaded to weapons on discs.
* CompilationRerelease: No shortage of these with the original series. The UsefulNotes/SegaSaturn and UsefulNotes/PlayStation2 both offered collections which combined all four original games into one package, the UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance offered one which combined the first three, and compilations of Genesis games tend to contain at least the three for that system (the collection for the [=PlayStation=] 3 and Xbox 360 contains all four, albeit requiring the first to be unlocked).

* FightingAShadow: [[spoiler:Dark Force's relationship to the Profound Darkness--especially true in ''PSIV''. Lassic also has a "shadow" fought partway through his castle in ''PSI.'']]

* NintendoHard: All four games of the tetralogy, although ''PSII'' is the most punishing, even with LevelGrinding.

* SpellMyNameWithAnS:
** Localization teams lacked consistency with translations; as an example, the name of the Algo/Algol System's planets (as well as the system itself, as noted here) have ''plenty'' of variations on their names (Palma/Parma/Palm/Parm, Motavia/Motabia/Mota, Dezoris/Dezolis/Dezo).
** The translation for "Dark Falz" has varied across the series. The tetralogy referred to it as "Dark Force" (and "Dark Phallus" at one point), while every game from ''Online'' onwards stuck to "Dark Falz".

** ''Phantasy Star Portable 2 infinity'' (2011): The UpdatedRerelease of ''Portable 2'', released exclusively in Japan on the PSP. Shortly after the subspace incidents, a new race called "Deumans", human-SEED hybrids, begin to appear across the Gurhal system. Emilia and the player join a Deuman named Nagisa and seek to discover her connection to an ancient evil that threatens the universe.

[-[[caption-width-right:330:Saving the universe from [[EldritchAbomination Dark Force]] since 1987![[note]][[/note]]Center: [[VideoGame/PhantasyStarI Alis Landale]]. Clockwise from bottom: [[VideoGame/PhantasyStarI Myau]], [[VideoGame/PhantasyStarII Nei]], [[VideoGame/PhantasyStarUniverse Ethan Weber]], [[VideoGame/PhantasyStarIV Rika]], [[VideoGame/PhantasyStarIV Wren]], [[VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline Sil'fer]], [[VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline default HUmar]], [[VideoGame/PhantasyStarIII Mieu]], [[VideoGame/PhantasyStarUniverse Laia Martinez]], [[VideoGame/PhantasyStarIV Chaz Ashley]], [[VideoGame/PhantasyStarII Rolf]]]]-]

[-[[caption-width-right:330:Saving the universe from [[EldritchAbomination Dark Force]] since 1987![[note][[/note]]Center: [[VideoGame/PhantasyStarI Alis Landale]]. Clockwise from bottom: [[VideoGame/PhantasyStarI Myau]], [[VideoGame/PhantasyStarII Nei]], [[VideoGame/PhantasyStarUniverse Ethan Weber]], [[VideoGame/PhantasyStarIV Rika]], [[VideoGame/PhantasyStarIV Wren]], [[VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline Sil'fer]], [[VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline default HUmar]], [[VideoGame/PhantasyStarIII Mieu]], [[VideoGame/PhantasyStarUniverse Laia Martinez]], [[VideoGame/PhantasyStarIV Chaz Ashley]], [[VideoGame/PhantasyStarII Rolf]]]]-]

[-[[caption-width-right:330:Saving the universe from [[EldritchAbomination Dark Force]] since 1987!]]-]

Creator/{{Sega}}'s answer to the RPG craze of the late 1980s, the ''Phantasy Star'' series was a classic contemporary to ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'' and ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' with a ScienceFantasy spin on the genre. Having been in the hands of several of Sega's development studios (in chronological order: Sega [=RD4=], Sega [=AM7=] (Overworks/Sega Wow), and Sega [=AM8=] (Creator/SonicTeam), the franchise has taken several different forms since its inception.

* ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline2'' (2010): The long-awaited and highly successful continuation of the ''Online'' series, released for free on PC, Playstation 4, and Nintendo Switch in Japan, and Xbox One in North America. As members of ARKS, the military organization of the Oracle Fleet, players must contend with a dangerous breed of monsters known as "Falspawn" that threaten all life in the cosmos. This game has become notable for the TroubledDevelopment that entailed in attempting to release it outside of Japan, with an official English-language version failing to materialize for several years until 2020.

* ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline2'' (2010): The long-awaited and highly successful continuation of the ''Online'' series, released for free on PC, Playstation 4, and Nintendo Switch in Japan, and Xbox One in North America. As members of ARKS, the military organization of the Oracle Fleet, players must contend with a dangerous breed of monsters known as "Falspawn" that threaten all life in the cosmos.
** ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarOnline2NewGenesis'' (2021): The sequel to ''Phantasy Star Online 2'', released for the [=PlayStation 4=], PC, and Nintendo Switch in Japan and for the Xbox One and Xbox Series X in North America. A millennia after the end of Oracle's war against the Falspawn, players join a new generation of ARKS and their fight against the DOLLS that populate their new world.

* AnyoneCanDie: This series is not even slightly shy about killing off its main characters. ''PSIV'''s WhamEpisode had [[spoiler:Alys dying from the effects of the Black Wave]]. ''PSIII'' never killed anyone in the active party, but was absolutely murderous to the heroes of the first and second generations. And [[KillEmAll then there was]] ''PSII''.

* TheMultiverse: The concept of a ''Phantasy Star'' multiverse was introduced in ''Portable 2'', where [[spoiler:Lumia and Vivienne build a dimension-traversing spaceship and subsequently try to "resolve problems" in other ''Phantasy Star'' games, such as punching the daylights out of Olga Flow in ''Phantasy Star Online'']]. This was given a nod in ''Online 2'', which featured the aforementioned characters in special cutscenes (which tread LooseCanon territory). The same game also introduces the idea that the Akashic Record has access to the ''Phantasy Star'' multiverse, which is why Alis and Lutz appear in Omega.

* BecomeARealBoy: Nearly all robots in the quadrilogy avert this. Even if they're RidiculouslyHumanRobots who have emotions and act like people, they're ultimately tools created to serve a purpose, not human beings. Their ''modus operandi'' when they lack masters is to continue in their final mission until it becomes completely impossible or irrelevant, then [[DrivenToSuicide shut down permanently]].

** ''Phantasy Star Portable 2 infinity'' (2011): The UpdatedRerelease of ''Portable 2'', released exclusively in Japan on the PSP. With the appearance of a mysterious new race called the "Deumans", players join a Deuman named Nagisa and seek to discover her connection to an ancient evil that threatens the universe.

** ''Phantasy Star Portable 2'' (2009): With resources in Gurhal growing scarce, an expedition is made to colonize a new planet of Clad 6.
*** ''Phantasy Star Portable 2 infinity'' (2011): The UpdatedRerelease of ''Portable 2'', released exclusively in Japan on the PSP. With the appearance of a mysterious new race called the "Deumans", players join a Deuman named Nagisa and seek to discover her connection to an ancient evil that threatens the universe.

* AwesomeMcCoolname: The Japanese versions have some ''seriously'' WTH-worthy choices for character names. For just a small sampling throughout the series: Rolf was "Eusis", Rhys was "Kein Sa Riik", Crys was "'''Noin'''", and Kyra was "Shess".

Creator/{{Sega}}'s answer to the RPG craze of the late 1980s, the ''Phantasy Star'' series was a classic contemporary to ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'' and ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' with a ScienceFiction spin on the genre. Having been in the hands of several of Sega's development studios (in chronological order: Sega [=RD4=], Sega [=AM7=] (Overworks/Sega Wow), and Sega [=AM8=] (Creator/SonicTeam), the franchise has taken several different forms since its inception.

Creator/{{Sega}}'s answer to the RPG craze of the late 1980s, the ''Phantasy Star'' series was a classic contemporary to ''VideoGame/DragonQuest'' and ''Franchise/FinalFantasy''. Having been in the hands of several of Sega's development studios (in chronological order: Sega [=RD4=], Sega [=AM7=] (Overworks/Sega Wow), and Sega [=AM8=] (Creator/SonicTeam), the franchise has taken several different forms since its inception.

* ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarIII: Generations of Doom'' (1991): A young prince of the kingdom of Orakio is to marry a MysteriousWaif when she is abducted by the forces of Laya, setting into motion events that would determine the fates of not only both kingdoms, but his descendants. Developed by a completely different team from the previous console iterations, the game was ambitious in its scope, but the end result is what many consider the black sheep of the original console [=RPGs=].
* ''VideoGame/PhantasyStarIV: End of the Millenium'' (1994): The GrandFinale of the original console RPG series. A thousand years after ''Phantasy Star II'', Chaz Ashley, a rookie Hunter, embarks on an adventure that will not only see him contend with the root of the evil plaguing the Algol System, but unearth the very nature of the Star System he calls home! Notable for its sheer scale, the improvements made to the series's battle system, and its comic book-style cutscenes, making it one of the most essential [=JRPGs=] of the 1990's.

* KnifeNut: Twin Daggers are a commonly available weapon in the setting, but the "Nut" part tends to be notably averted. You're more likely to find daggers in the hands of graceful acrobats (even villainous ones like Dark Falz Apprentice) than grinning sadists. (It helps that they're usually pointed at rampaging monsters and not other people.)

* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: In addition to blue, purple, and pink, the series has some of the most impossible hair colors ever. To this day, very few video games and anime use a color best described as "electric laser limeade" for hair even once, let alone ''five'' times.