What's the best Phantasy Star for Genesis?
- Thread starter TunaLover
- Start date
I played all four Phantasy Star games for the very first time in 2007, and PS1 is still my favorite!Dragmire said:
And I hate PS3 with a passion. Nothing about it was good to me. The music is so annoying that I had to mute the TV. :| I don't regret playing it, though, because I was able to catch all of the references to it in 4 when I got to that one.
echoshifting
Banned
IV. I could never hope to relate to someone who thinks II is better. I don't understand it at all.
Yeah, I don't think it's even a contest. PS1 still does a lot of interesting things - it's very open-ended in the order you can approach the objectives - and stands out among games of its era. But there's no story or characters to speak of, just a string of very obscure objectives to cobble together before you can tackle the last boss. And some brutal fucking dungeons, by any standard.
PSII is still a favorite of mine, though it's a very hardcore dungeon crawl and grinding machine more than anything. An interesting if brief story in four parts.
PSIII is a bit of a mess, and way too easy and short. The fragmented story lines meant each suffered.
I played through PSIV for the first time last year, on the Genesis Collection. Still a brilliant game: great main quest, lots of side quests, strong characters, an interesting and absolutely sprawling story (compared to the rest of the series, at least), very strong music and graphics and good but not excessively complex dungeons. Puts up a decent challenge after the first several hours, as well. A very complete package that puts together all the core ideas from the series and expands on them. Lots of fan service too: remixes of classic tracks from the first two games make appearances, and the basement levels of the castle near the end have the exact layout as Lassic's castle from the first game (which I also played through last year as part of a series romp). My only wish is that PSIV returned to the first person dungeons from the first game.
Oh how I crave a true PS sequel.
PSII is still a favorite of mine, though it's a very hardcore dungeon crawl and grinding machine more than anything. An interesting if brief story in four parts.
PSIII is a bit of a mess, and way too easy and short. The fragmented story lines meant each suffered.
I played through PSIV for the first time last year, on the Genesis Collection. Still a brilliant game: great main quest, lots of side quests, strong characters, an interesting and absolutely sprawling story (compared to the rest of the series, at least), very strong music and graphics and good but not excessively complex dungeons. Puts up a decent challenge after the first several hours, as well. A very complete package that puts together all the core ideas from the series and expands on them. Lots of fan service too: remixes of classic tracks from the first two games make appearances, and the basement levels of the castle near the end have the exact layout as Lassic's castle from the first game (which I also played through last year as part of a series romp). My only wish is that PSIV returned to the first person dungeons from the first game.
Oh how I crave a true PS sequel.
KittenMaster
Member
I didn't find PS1 or 2 grind heavy. PS1 was at first, but after you get a good weapon it stops being so and that's just at the beginning of the game.
I haven't finished PS2, but I didn't find the battles as hard as people claim, but this is because I was playing without a guide so I had to work through the dungeons and map them out on paper, meaning I was fighting more encounters getting lost = more level ups = less grinding by moving back and forth in one place. That, and Dimates are really good in PS2.
I wasn't able to play PS1 fully because of a bug in how Ultimate Sega Genesis Collection handles saves in respects to the save state feature, making me lose half a game's progress, but that game definitely isn't grind heavy and the dungeons aren't as ridiculous as 2's.
jeremy1456
Junior Member
Phantasy Star IV and I are tied as the best.
Phantasy Star II ranks just behind them. I really appreciate how difficult the game is, but the dungeon design leaves a lot to be desired. Furthermore, it's just not as memorable.
Phantasy Star III is a travesty.
Phantasy Star II ranks just behind them. I really appreciate how difficult the game is, but the dungeon design leaves a lot to be desired. Furthermore, it's just not as memorable.
Phantasy Star III is a travesty.
Link1110
Member
If you have an import capable PS2, I'd recommend the Phantasy Star Complete Collection over VC. It has all 4 original games, with English options and options to make the game a bit easier, reducing rinding and speeding up walking speed.
4 > 2 > 1 > 3 The online games are not Phantasy Star.
TunaLover said:
4 > 2 > 1 > 3 The online games are not Phantasy Star.
I heartily recommend the Complete Collection for every game except 1. For English speakers, at least... English speakers should check out the retranslation patch for the original SMS game. It restores the FM music to it, and the translation is much, much, much, much, much better. The Complete Collection might have experience/meseta multiplier options, but if you can't play the game in Japanese, I can't recommend it.Link1110 said:
II is a "you had to be there" game. It's an emotional choice, not a logical one.
The graphics, the music, the setting, the characters, the tragedy, the ending....it all felt so mysterious and new. Every time I think of that game, I swear I can hear it.
There's no way it would have the same impact today. You have to understand....JRPGs themselves weren't very old. It was just a different time.
Phantasy Star II really struck me in a way that I'll never be able to shake. It was the first game I had ever played that contained within it such a profound sense of melancholy.
I will always have a gigantic soft spot for that game. On a completely subjective and personal level, it's one of the most important games in history.
Phantasy Star IV was sort of toward the end of the generation. There had been a good slew of jRPGs running back to back, giving us a better understanding of the genre and changing our expectations. The series had dipped and returned, the graphics were no longer really amazing, and the engine similarities gave it a bit of a "been there done that" vibe that's really just a matter of proximity. It wasn't really sexy or glamorous, and no one had any idea that it would actually be the last. IV is the type of game that is retrospectively better than you remember it, II is the reverse.
Without any of the perspective and timing, Phantasy Star IV is a better game objectively speaking hands down. If you're going to go back to them now, it really will just stand out as superior in every way.
But I do understand, and deeply relate, to those that still feel an emotional pull towards Phantasy Star II.
Even just typing this post, I had to stop and look up a few things on youtube. I can still remember the first time I saw this like it was yesterday:
warning: massive spoiler
The graphics, the music, the setting, the characters, the tragedy, the ending....it all felt so mysterious and new. Every time I think of that game, I swear I can hear it.
There's no way it would have the same impact today. You have to understand....JRPGs themselves weren't very old. It was just a different time.
Phantasy Star II really struck me in a way that I'll never be able to shake. It was the first game I had ever played that contained within it such a profound sense of melancholy.
I will always have a gigantic soft spot for that game. On a completely subjective and personal level, it's one of the most important games in history.
Phantasy Star IV was sort of toward the end of the generation. There had been a good slew of jRPGs running back to back, giving us a better understanding of the genre and changing our expectations. The series had dipped and returned, the graphics were no longer really amazing, and the engine similarities gave it a bit of a "been there done that" vibe that's really just a matter of proximity. It wasn't really sexy or glamorous, and no one had any idea that it would actually be the last. IV is the type of game that is retrospectively better than you remember it, II is the reverse.
Without any of the perspective and timing, Phantasy Star IV is a better game objectively speaking hands down. If you're going to go back to them now, it really will just stand out as superior in every way.
But I do understand, and deeply relate, to those that still feel an emotional pull towards Phantasy Star II.
Even just typing this post, I had to stop and look up a few things on youtube. I can still remember the first time I saw this like it was yesterday:
warning: massive spoiler
thetrin said:
I have to agree with you about PSII. The dungeons are really confusing and you must grind a lot before hand to be able to come out alive. They are also really bland except for the final one. I didn't like the fact that after you clear a long dungeon you don't even get to fight a boss. There are like 3 bosses in the whole game. Difficulty is extremly high. To keep your healer alive you have to give her two shields and defend all the time. Didn't like it much.
GillianSeed79
Member
Technically IV is the best but PSII was awesome back in the day. Still have the mini guide book that came with it. That said I could only beat the last boss with a game genie and the encounter rate is so high you'd have to pay me to finish it these days. Also, fuck the PSIII haters. I beat that game multiple times and got all possible endings. The generations thing and marriage options was a cool concept.
Also I agree with Hunahan on everything. PSII was a had to be there game.
Also I agree with Hunahan on everything. PSII was a had to be there game.
I'm going to jump on the bandwagon and say 2 & 4. Two was my introduction to the series and I bought that bad boy for $70 from Toys R Us. The encounter rate is high, but it was a hardcore RPG that felt good when I finished it.
4 is a more complete, evolved addition to the series. You should definitely try to play both if you can.
I didn't mind 3, I liked the generations system that they stuck in there. Then again, I played all three of these games over 15 years ago so it's hard to remember each game's bad points.
4 is a more complete, evolved addition to the series. You should definitely try to play both if you can.
I didn't mind 3, I liked the generations system that they stuck in there. Then again, I played all three of these games over 15 years ago so it's hard to remember each game's bad points.
Aeana said:
I agree that PSI is the best one. This is an option if you want to play it on a Mega Drive/Genesis...
http://www.tototek.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1_6_12&products_id=74
Night_Trekker
Member
chandoog said:
Correct.
RevenantKioku
PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS oh god i am drowning in them
Dead characters in 3 can cast revive magic on themselves. That's pretty fucking boss.
Jack Random
Member
This.Verboten said:
ViolentP
Member
soco said:that weapon shop one has stuck with me for years already. i'm never getting it out either
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CapKU1hu8PY&feature=related
Callo Merlose
Banned
Phantasy Star I's dungeons used to fucking amaze me when I was a kid. The animations, the graphics... first real RPG I witnessed (watched my brother play it). I hated the way dungeons were in II, BUT... I did like how it was pretty much fucking mandatory that you draw out a map for them. And yeah, the music...jay said:
Alex Anderson
Member
Either II or IV. Going from what you say you want in the OP, go with IV. II is well known for its difficulty and pretty much needing documentation to help you advance.
That said I've never actually played II yet
That said I've never actually played II yet
ULTROS!
People seem to like me because I am polite and I am rarely late. I like to eat ice cream and I really enjoy a nice pair of slacks.
I've LTTPed on the entire series and I have to say 4.
4 is very playable even up today's standards. Although the spell names are kinda bad because you'll have to guess the spells and what they do. Even if you play this game first you can get the entire story of PS1, 2, and 4.
1 is also playable but maybe to the ones who played it before and I'm new to the series. If this is gonna be my very first RPG and without being exposed to hi-def graphics sure I'd really like it. I don't think I can slog my way through through maze-like dungeons that look the same.
I haven't really played 2 and 3 much but from what I can tell: 2 is pretty difficult and 3 is sorta repetitive.
4 is very playable even up today's standards. Although the spell names are kinda bad because you'll have to guess the spells and what they do. Even if you play this game first you can get the entire story of PS1, 2, and 4.
1 is also playable but maybe to the ones who played it before and I'm new to the series. If this is gonna be my very first RPG and without being exposed to hi-def graphics sure I'd really like it. I don't think I can slog my way through through maze-like dungeons that look the same.
I haven't really played 2 and 3 much but from what I can tell: 2 is pretty difficult and 3 is sorta repetitive.
Yeah, me too. Much better than the godawful battle background from III (and those plain action icons--blecchhh!)ViolentP said:
I played it with the guide. Amazingly enough, I bought the game used (from the newspaper classified ads!) and it came complete. I'm not sure if I would have completed it if I had to map out all the dungeons. But then again, I did map out the original Metroid.rayner said:
vagabondarts
Member
The first one for old-school nostalgic reasons, IV because it rules
Diablohead
Member
This thread made me watch the ending to PSIV again, such a good game.
Did someone say good store music?
Did someone say good store music?