Phantasy Star
Template:Current-GCOTW Phantasy Star (Japanese: ファンタシースター) is the most famous RPG series by Sega. It has had many incarnations, including an online version. Contrary to most other RPGs, it has a futuristic/fantasy setting where the player battles monsters using a variety of guns in addition to the usual staple of melee weapons and magic that are found in similar games.
History
The first Phantasy Star was for the Sega Master System. It was first released in Japan on December 20, 1987, and was one of the first cartridges to include battery backed RAM for saving game positions. The game featured an amazing (at the time) set of 3D like dungeons which were like mazes, which you traversed in real time in a first person mode.
The Phantasy Star series is noteworthy in that all of the games take place in the same universe, as opposed to many RPG series such as Final Fantasy where each successive game takes place in an entirely different alternate universe than the previous one did with brand new characters and plot with the only thing tying the games is gameplay. Each major Phantasy Star game adds a bit more to the series' overall story, culminating in Phantasy Star IV which ties all of the series' plot elements together into a final, epic conclusion.
The Phantasy Star Online games are their own sub-series in that they continue the trend of taking place in the same universe, but a different one than the original games.
Games
Phantasy Star series games have been released on the Sega Master System, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega Dreamcast, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo GameCube, Xbox and PC. These include:
- Phantasy Star (Sega Master System, 1987/Sega Mega Drive, 1992)
- Phantasy Star II (Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, PC (RealArcade) 1989).
- Phantasy Star: Anne's Adventure (Sega Meganet modem, 1991)
- Phantasy Star: Huey's Adventure (Sega Meganet modem, 1991)
- Phantasy Star: Kind's Adventure (Sega Meganet modem, 1991)
- Phantasy Star: Shilka's Adventure (Sega Meganet modem, 1991)
- Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom (Mega Drive/Genesis, 1991)
- Phantasy Star Adventure (Japanese Game Gear, 1992)
- Phantasy Star Gaiden (Japanese Game Gear, 1992)
- Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium (Mega Drive/Genesis, 1994)
- Phantasy Star Collection (Japanese Sega Saturn, 1998).
- Phantasy Star Online (Dreamcast, PC, 2001)
- Phantasy Star Online ver.2 (Dreamcast, 2002)
- Phantasy Star Collection (Game Boy Advance, 2002)
- Phantasy Star Online: Episode I & II (GameCube, Xbox, 2002)
- Phantasy Star Generation 1 (PlayStation 2, 2003 Japan, soon in North America)
- Phantasy Star Online: Episode III: C.A.R.D. Revolution (Nintendo GameCube only), 2004)
- Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst (PC only), 2004
- Phantasy Star Universe (PC, Playstation 2) -- Due December 2005 in Japan, February 2006 in North America
Phantasy Star Generation 1 is a remake of the original Phantasy Star.
Phantasy Star Generation 2 is a remake of the original Phantasy Star II.
A Taiwanese pirate of Phantasy Star IV called Wai Xing Zhan Shi (Wai Hsing Chan Shih) was made for the Famicom. The pirate is incomplete and has many bugs.
Fictional universe
Algol planetary system
The Algol planetary system is the setting of the series. It has four planets - Palma, Motavia, Dezoris and Rykros - as well as many orbital space stations. The planet names are sometimes spelled differently from game to game.
Palma/Parma
Palma is a green planet, and apparently the original homeworld of the Palmans, Algol's most widespread species. Palma is the center of the Algol system's government until AW 1284, when the space satellite Gaira malfunctions and causes the planet's destruction.
Motavia/Mota
Motavia was originally a desert planet, but it was radically transformed by extensive forestation and irrigation. In Phantasy Star II, the planet is green and water is abundant thanks to the Mother Brain and the Climatrol Center, but it returns to its former desiccated state in the fourth game.
Motavia is inhabited by indigenous Motavians, owl-like intelligent humanoids with blue feathers, as well as refugees from Palma
Dezoris/Dezolis/Dezo
Dezoris is an ice planet populated by green-skinned intelligent humanoids and yellow, talking Musk Cats. Because of the planet's harsh environment and dangerous native creatures, very few Palmans and Motavians live on the planet; it is for this reason that the Espers live here in the hidden Esper Mansion.
Rykros/Ryucross
Rykros is a mysterious planet on an extremely elongated orbit, such that it only approaches the other planets once every 1000 years. It may only be seen by looking through the Aeroprism, and its exact location is unknown to any living being.