AgentOtaku
Member
<3<3<3<3<3<3
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
The Phantasy Star 25th Anniversary Thread | When Red Rings Were Good
- Thread starter Dark Schala
- Start date
<3<3<3<3<3<3
SuperAngelo64
Banned
Well, since you guys are all wanking over the music why don't you slap down your vote on this site:
http://sega.jp/phantasystar/
vote for which songs you want to be played at the 25th Anniversary Concert.
http://sega.jp/phantasystar/
vote for which songs you want to be played at the 25th Anniversary Concert.
RevenantKioku
PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS PEINS oh god i am drowning in them
Mmm, so much nicer than my thread.
I really hate 2. I can acknowledge that it did some really neat things, but I just don't like playing it. 3 is so bad and stupid in ways that I do love it. I dunno.
The original, though, damn. It really has some weird charm to it that tickles me pretty damn hard. The dungeons help too. I liked 4 a good deal, but it didn't charm me like the first one did.
I really hate 2. I can acknowledge that it did some really neat things, but I just don't like playing it. 3 is so bad and stupid in ways that I do love it. I dunno.
The original, though, damn. It really has some weird charm to it that tickles me pretty damn hard. The dungeons help too. I liked 4 a good deal, but it didn't charm me like the first one did.
In honor of the anniversary, I marathoned all of the offline games (and some of the online ones) over the summer as part of a let's play series that is no longer around due to the host forum having a rollback. Since I had played through some of the games in order of release, here's what I can remember of my different impressions from my marathon.
Phantasy Star 1 is probably one of the two games in the franchise that I spent a lot of time playing in the past. I really liked it when I was younger, but I found that it hasn't really aged all that well at all, though it feels like a lot of that has to do with it trying to be a lot closer to Dragon Quest's more contained single adventure feel, while trying to stretch that out to be as long as Final Fantasy's more campaign length-game. I still kind of hate how it ended and much of the game feels like needless filler, but it's a good first effort.
Gaiden was something that I had only ever played a few minutes of in the past, so much of it was new. I actually had a lot of fun though it feels like it's waaaaay too short, even for a portable game. It's a pity that the whole thing ended up being kind of pointless, since it's obvious that the story they were wanting to set up with it never panned out.
The text adventure side stories are all mostly forgetable, but they can be appreciated as long as you remember that none of the stuff addressed in them (except for Nei's story) matters because PS2 was never made with them in mind. Also Nei's story is the saddest thing.
I used to love Phantasy Star 2. More than any other non-online games in the series, this is something that I put dozens of hours in in the past. Weird thing is that despite that, I never finished it! This time I did....and....uh....yeah. Truth be told, this full playthrough kind of soured me on the game. Despite it being competently programmed, I feel like there's a lot of really poor design desisions that really drag the game down now. More than ever, I really hate the way the game handles introducing party members.
Adventure is also just kind of there. All I really remember from it was the weirdly Resident Evil-esque ending.
I always had a soft spot for Phantasy Star 3 because I always have softspots for underdogs. Though the things that ruin the game are always obvious and the team that was tasked with programming it and doing the asthetics were awful at those aspects, there's a level of ambition that I really didn't feel the first two games had. I really hope that this game gets revisited some day and a more competent team handles the grunt work. There's a fantastic game waiting to be made from that.
And despite all this negativity towards everything else, I'm really regretting never playing much of Phantasy Star 4 over the years. The flaws present in all of the previous games are completely gone. There's a bunch of ambition in this game, as well as a great level of competency shown in realizing it all. It is still an absolutely amazing game and made the whole marathon worth it. The only thing I really wish was different about it was that there was more! I really love this game now and am planning on revisiting it soon enough.
After that, I did some Phantasy Star 0 to prep myself for running through all of PSO...and that almost put me off of that idea, since grindgrindgrindgrindgrind.
Phantasy Star Online is still fun as ever to coop, but it is starting to show its wrinkles ever more painfully. I'm looking forward to PSO2 finally getting out.
Phantasy Star 1 is probably one of the two games in the franchise that I spent a lot of time playing in the past. I really liked it when I was younger, but I found that it hasn't really aged all that well at all, though it feels like a lot of that has to do with it trying to be a lot closer to Dragon Quest's more contained single adventure feel, while trying to stretch that out to be as long as Final Fantasy's more campaign length-game. I still kind of hate how it ended and much of the game feels like needless filler, but it's a good first effort.
Gaiden was something that I had only ever played a few minutes of in the past, so much of it was new. I actually had a lot of fun though it feels like it's waaaaay too short, even for a portable game. It's a pity that the whole thing ended up being kind of pointless, since it's obvious that the story they were wanting to set up with it never panned out.
The text adventure side stories are all mostly forgetable, but they can be appreciated as long as you remember that none of the stuff addressed in them (except for Nei's story) matters because PS2 was never made with them in mind. Also Nei's story is the saddest thing.
I used to love Phantasy Star 2. More than any other non-online games in the series, this is something that I put dozens of hours in in the past. Weird thing is that despite that, I never finished it! This time I did....and....uh....yeah. Truth be told, this full playthrough kind of soured me on the game. Despite it being competently programmed, I feel like there's a lot of really poor design desisions that really drag the game down now. More than ever, I really hate the way the game handles introducing party members.
Adventure is also just kind of there. All I really remember from it was the weirdly Resident Evil-esque ending.
I always had a soft spot for Phantasy Star 3 because I always have softspots for underdogs. Though the things that ruin the game are always obvious and the team that was tasked with programming it and doing the asthetics were awful at those aspects, there's a level of ambition that I really didn't feel the first two games had. I really hope that this game gets revisited some day and a more competent team handles the grunt work. There's a fantastic game waiting to be made from that.
And despite all this negativity towards everything else, I'm really regretting never playing much of Phantasy Star 4 over the years. The flaws present in all of the previous games are completely gone. There's a bunch of ambition in this game, as well as a great level of competency shown in realizing it all. It is still an absolutely amazing game and made the whole marathon worth it. The only thing I really wish was different about it was that there was more! I really love this game now and am planning on revisiting it soon enough.
After that, I did some Phantasy Star 0 to prep myself for running through all of PSO...and that almost put me off of that idea, since grindgrindgrindgrindgrind.
Phantasy Star Online is still fun as ever to coop, but it is starting to show its wrinkles ever more painfully. I'm looking forward to PSO2 finally getting out.
Synth_floyd
Banned
The original theme for III is good but it's so underproduced.
It's one of many things that drags the poor game down. Even when you get pissed off at the wonkiness of the other games, you always had good music fix the mood.
Phantasy Star III has nothing to help out for when the game just plain refuses to work right.
GalacticGravy
Member
Hey guys. I write about video game box art at vgcovercritique.com.
A month ago I wrote a piece analyzing the four covers of the numbered Phantasy Star games. I write the analysis objectively, without content of the game taken into account. I view them as both marketing pieces, and works of art. I hope you guys enjoy it.
http://vgcovercritique.com/phantasy-star-cover-art-through-time/
A month ago I wrote a piece analyzing the four covers of the numbered Phantasy Star games. I write the analysis objectively, without content of the game taken into account. I view them as both marketing pieces, and works of art. I hope you guys enjoy it.
http://vgcovercritique.com/phantasy-star-cover-art-through-time/
pants
Member
Umihara Kawase Shun!
I have a fairly decent size Phantasy Star collection seeing as it is my fav series of all time, and Phantasy Star is my fav game of all time.
All games are complete and in VG to Excellent cond.
Phantasy Star Mark III
Phantasy Star Fukkokuban(PS1 for Megadrive) x2
Phantasy Star SMS x2
Phantasy Star II, III and IV JP MD
Phantasy Star II, III, IV US GEN( Hint book for II, III)
Phantasy Star Collection JP Saturn x2
Sega Ages 2500 Phantasy Star I, II, and Collection.
World of Phantasy Star Book(Black and white cover)
All games are complete and in VG to Excellent cond.
Phantasy Star Mark III
Phantasy Star Fukkokuban(PS1 for Megadrive) x2
Phantasy Star SMS x2
Phantasy Star II, III and IV JP MD
Phantasy Star II, III, IV US GEN( Hint book for II, III)
Phantasy Star Collection JP Saturn x2
Sega Ages 2500 Phantasy Star I, II, and Collection.
World of Phantasy Star Book(Black and white cover)
Online is actually appreciated quite a bit, It's just GAF doesn't talk about it much often. I think most PSO fans stick to the Phantasy Star official and unofficial fansites as well as the private server. I mean Yu-Gi-Oh! is still insanely popular to this day, it's just not a lot of GAFers are into it so I'm guessing It's just the way you have to register for this site that most fans tend to not flock here for whatever reason.
That said, I do like the graphics (although some of character creations people make look odd sometimes with the muscles), but I've played PSO2 and it's indeed fun. It did take whatever was there that was decent in PSU(I played PSU for 2-3 years on the 360 servers so I'm familiar with the game and also have played the portable ones) but incorporated old things from PSO and made it into it's own thing. PSO was actually the first console MMO, and it did so many things right and can still be played to this day with the only issue being the camera.
PSO2 will be great, the cash shop scares me a little bit, but I hear it's not even bad at all like how Nexon does their F2P cash shop so I can't really complain. Free to play means not having to spend tons of money as you said which is nice. It's expected to be out early 2013 so I hope it comes out pretty soon.
GalacticGravy
Member
It would be way too long if I did those, too. It's already pretty long.
I usually write with the intent to teach. I wasn't sure that the Japanese covers were something I could use to effectively teach my audience. Not that they're awful or something, but Japanese marketing is often very different from Western. I'm not sure I understand it enough to faithfully write a piece around it. I could have written simply about the art as art, but I'd be using a Westerner's perspective, and it might seem unfair.
Of course, now that I think about it, that didn't stop me from writing about the original Rockman cover art. But that was a little different.
As I mentioned in the PS Complete Collection, Aeana essentially sold me on the game despite how I am a complete Phantasy Star neophyte. Yeah, going through PS1 with like x4 EXP and Gold seems like its cheating, but at this point, I just want to experience the series in an expedited, non-youtube manner.
PS1 seems cool so far. Nothing is really happening (our valiant heroes just trudged across a field of molten lava to get a substance that would melt a junk pile to reveal a robot that will fly us to another planet build by a mad scientist we casually broke out of prison), but it is kinda interesting to explore all of these planets. If the PS Generation adds a bit to the story, I may end up playing that after PS1, but before PS2.
PS1 seems cool so far. Nothing is really happening (our valiant heroes just trudged across a field of molten lava to get a substance that would melt a junk pile to reveal a robot that will fly us to another planet build by a mad scientist we casually broke out of prison), but it is kinda interesting to explore all of these planets. If the PS Generation adds a bit to the story, I may end up playing that after PS1, but before PS2.
Don't talk about the good Doctor in that fashion!
It's his shoddy assistant that we have to worry about.I want to add to the PSIII Main Theme love. Almost every time I walk by a piano/keyboard, I have to play a couple bars of the melody.
Also really love the progression of The Ground from (Solo) up to (Quintet).
Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II was actually the first Phantasy Star game I ever played. I was a Nintendo kid, so I waited for the series to come to the Gamecube before I really played it (even now, my brother and I played the first three games on the GBA collection and the fourth on the Wii virtual console). I never got very far in the game though. I would constantly create new characters and grind them through the first several quests. Eventually, my brother made it to the second region, the Cave. The first few quests there were easy enough, but eventually my brother took on a quest that at first glance seemed innocuous enough: he had to buy a cake.
Intent on acquiring a baked good, my brother's RAcaseal ventured into the depths of the caverns below Ragol. Up to this point, all of the cave quests had only required a cursory exploration of the cave system. However, even after sweeping the entire large expanse of Cave 1, this time there were no obvious traces of where the quest could be completed. Without any other leads to go on, my brother's RAcaseal had no choice but to venture into the deeper level of the Cave for the first time. What awaited was a gauntlet of alien beasts and other monsters in unfamiliar terrain. In a trip that felt like it took forever, my brother's RAcaseal cleaned out the second level of the Cave with her dual mechguns. Several times along the way, we seriously questioned whether we were missing something obvious, or whether to quest was bugged or not. We even considered giving up a few times. And waiting at the end of Cave 2, we discovered that the Cave had more areas than the Forest, and apparently there was a Cave 3. Praying that the end was neared, we ventured into this new area. There, in the depths of a cave system littered with hideous monsters, was a cake shop staffed by three women in uniform. There my brother bought the cake, used an escape pipe, delivered the cake, and never returned.
Literally, we haven't made it back to that part of Phantasy Star Online since. Either due to a memory card failure or simple perfectionism, that character was subsequently lost, and we haven't beaten that stupid dragon again since. I have always intended to get back into that game, but the repetitiveness of the early quests always burns me out too quickly.
Anyways, this whole ordeal made for an entertaining moment when my brother was playing the original Phantasy Star earlier this year, and he got to the part where he had to go into a dungeon just to buy a Shortcake as a bribe. Apparently the cake shop was the most malicious running joke in the franchise.
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Phantasy Star IV .
RESPECT !
I used to get in great fights with friends over this back in the day. I still maintain PSIV is the best 16bit JRPG EVER.
RESPECT !
I used to get in great fights with friends over this back in the day. I still maintain PSIV is the best 16bit JRPG EVER.
Ten years ago, I'd have probably argued the hell against that.
After this summer, I'd fight for it at least being in the top 10 and probably top 5.
Sixfortyfive
He who pursues two rabbits gets two rabbits.
PS4 is definitely one of my GOATs.
I'm not much of an RPG guy in general because I hate it when it feels like a game is wasting my time, and this genre tends to fall into that a lot. PS4 just has perfect pacing, though, on top of being competent in other ways that matter.
I respect PS1 a lot though, even if I never have gotten around to completing it. It still borders on being too much of a chore for me, but it doesn't feel outdated to me like a lot of its contemporaries and successors.
I'm not much of an RPG guy in general because I hate it when it feels like a game is wasting my time, and this genre tends to fall into that a lot. PS4 just has perfect pacing, though, on top of being competent in other ways that matter.
I respect PS1 a lot though, even if I never have gotten around to completing it. It still borders on being too much of a chore for me, but it doesn't feel outdated to me like a lot of its contemporaries and successors.
pants
Member
While I agree, it's not worth getting into fights over man lol
viewtifulsub
Member
Reflecting back on the franchise, PS4 is the only that held up over time. Amazing title.
PS1 is now dated thanks to every room in the dungeon looking identical and lack of guidance.
PS2 is stupidly difficult in both dungeon and combat design
PS3 I never played, but it never had great reputation to begin with.
Not sure if I would like to Sega to attempt another single player RPG. Especially if it will revolve around a bunch of mechanical lolis in their attempt to rescue the universe from Dark Phalz through the power of friendship.
PS1 is now dated thanks to every room in the dungeon looking identical and lack of guidance.
PS2 is stupidly difficult in both dungeon and combat design
PS3 I never played, but it never had great reputation to begin with.
Not sure if I would like to Sega to attempt another single player RPG. Especially if it will revolve around a bunch of mechanical lolis in their attempt to rescue the universe from Dark Phalz through the power of friendship.
You'd have to hand it to Sega Wow, I believe they were the ones primarily responsible for Phantasy Star before they decided to take that online and make it a Sonic Team venture, and they clearly still have it as Skies of Arcadia and more recently Valkyria Chronicles showed. Hell, they had a hand in 7th Dragon, one of the most frustrating localization omissions from Sega.
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Yeah gonna have to agree with most of this.
PS1's first person dungeons never set well with me
PS2 was ridiculously difficult and had a stupid high random battle ratio
PS3 was flat out boring. I don't know whether they farmed it out or what but it had the stank of low budget development all over it.
PS4 was fantastic, great return to form. It was like Sega poured everything it had into it.
Sanctuary
Member
Phantasy Star 3 just felt like the bastard child of the bunch. When I purchased it back in the day, I was super excited to play it. But then everything about it was just so different, and it didn't really even feel like a Phantasy Star game. Thankfully four redeemed the series in a great way.
Huh?
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
I found it really hard comparatively.
From what I recall, it was quickly pushed out by some of the Golden Axe team with input from some of the leads from PS2, while the main team was working on the Sega CD project that turned into PS4.
Incidentally, it is why PS3 has the same washed out drab color scheme as Golden Axe.
I have always felt the most difficult part of PSII was because of the dungeon design. Easy to get lost, and some of them were quite long. Otherwise you might just need to grind occasionally to prepare for the next area or to upgrade equipment.
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
You know now that you mention it, that is a very valid observation. I never linked the two together.
The only worthwhile thing PS3 contributed to the series imo was the revelation that all of it was set on a space ship and its actually taking place supposedly in the same time frame PS4 takes place in.
God damn now I feel like playing the entire franchise all over again :-/
Done playing Phantasy Star I for today. Will post impressions tomorrow.
Have to say though, I'm actually really impressed. I didn't expect much when I started it up, but even the attack animations on regular encounters look impressive to me considering how many games from that era just had enemy flashes to signify attacks. That and the scrolling when inside dungeons is really smooth.
Have to say though, I'm actually really impressed. I didn't expect much when I started it up, but even the attack animations on regular encounters look impressive to me considering how many games from that era just had enemy flashes to signify attacks. That and the scrolling when inside dungeons is really smooth.
pants
Member
PS1 is hard through obfuscation and high level fishmen at the coast :'(
PS2 I dunno .. never found that hard.
Lumpy Onion
Member
The scrolling in the dungeons in PS1 is one of the most memorable effects I have seen on an 8-bit system. Even today they still have a real clean look to them. Some of the enemies are amazing. Like the green slime.
I played through a bit of each today on the PS2 Sega Ages Collection. Being able to run fast and earn more meseta is a godsend. "Easy" seems just right so far in Phantasy Star 2. I haven't had this much fun in the game in a while.
I also played a bit of the Sega Ages Phantasy Star 1 remake. I am not impressed. The music is mangled. Some of the visuals look nice, some look cheap. The green slime animation and others I was fond of look kinda bad too. Lacking in polish. But I must say I like the 3D dungeon effect in this game though. Not as much as the Master System version, but kind of cool.
I played through a bit of each today on the PS2 Sega Ages Collection. Being able to run fast and earn more meseta is a godsend. "Easy" seems just right so far in Phantasy Star 2. I haven't had this much fun in the game in a while.
I also played a bit of the Sega Ages Phantasy Star 1 remake. I am not impressed. The music is mangled. Some of the visuals look nice, some look cheap. The green slime animation and others I was fond of look kinda bad too. Lacking in polish. But I must say I like the 3D dungeon effect in this game though. Not as much as the Master System version, but kind of cool.
If anything I think PSII was mainly hard via grinding. Or maybe I needed to play smarter, whichever, there's other RPGs I'd pick first if people just wanted a good challenge like Megami Tensei titles.
Phonomezer
Banned
What a wonderful thread!
PSIV is right up there with FFVI for me and one of my favourite JRPGs ever.
Now I feel like playing it again... but I can't... but...
Morrigan Stark
Arrogant Smirk
I once tried to play some game where we'd list video game female characters who follow a set of criteria*. Let's just say that we came up with very few of those, but Alys Brangwin (aka Lyla) was one of them. <3 They were: a lead character (no minor/side characters), strong (not weak, helpless or passive -- damsels in need of rescue are out), not sexualized (no cleavage, skimpy/tight outfits, etc.), and not a love interest. Basically, not a fanservice type.
Alys Brangwin (aka Lyla or whoever) is one of the very few female characters who met all of them. Go Alys!
* Not saying female characters who don't meet all of these are bad characters, of course. It was just a fun (and yet slightly depressing) thought exercise.
While I wouldn't get into fights over that xD I agree with you.
Alys Brangwin (aka Lyla or whoever) is one of the very few female characters who met all of them. Go Alys!
* Not saying female characters who don't meet all of these are bad characters, of course. It was just a fun (and yet slightly depressing) thought exercise.
While I wouldn't get into fights over that xD I agree with you.
Sadly, she doesn't escape it entirely, considering the scene in Tonoe with the elder. You have to actually say you're interested in her measurements to continue the game.I once tried to play some game where we'd list video game female characters who follow a set of criteria*. Let's just say that we came up with very few of those, but Alys Brangwin (aka Lyla) was one of them. <3 They were: a lead character (no minor/side characters), strong (not weak, helpless or passive -- damsels in need of rescue are out), not sexualized (no cleavage, skimpy/tight outfits, etc.), and not a love interest. Basically, not a fanservice type.
Alys Brangwin (aka Lyla or whoever) is one of the very few female characters who met all of them. Go Alys!
* Not saying female characters who don't meet all of these are bad characters, of course. It was just a fun (and yet slightly depressing) thought exercise.
While I wouldn't get into fights over that xD I agree with you.
Phonomezer
Banned
Yeah but then she punches the shit out of him.
As is typical of this anime-type stuff. It's like some sort of self flagellation.
Phonomezer
Banned
BocoDragon
or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Realize This Assgrab is Delicious
At least it's kind of 80s anime style. I love that look, and it's a totally different beast from modern day Planet Moe.
pants
Member
Planet Moetabia could totally be a mistranslation in PS
IrishNinja
Member
some of ya'll are really arguing PS1 & 2 aren't hard games, especially by today's standards?
grinding (both XP and meseta) take forever sometimes, enemies/encounter rates can be mean, many bosses are no joke - i recall dying on my way back to town more than a few times.
2 is made infinitely easier when you secure a visaphone, but that takes a bit. i know the average JRPG difficulty went down when the floodgates opened, but even in their day i wanna say both were challenging games.
grinding (both XP and meseta) take forever sometimes, enemies/encounter rates can be mean, many bosses are no joke - i recall dying on my way back to town more than a few times.
2 is made infinitely easier when you secure a visaphone, but that takes a bit. i know the average JRPG difficulty went down when the floodgates opened, but even in their day i wanna say both were challenging games.
Randy Monk
Member
When have the Red Wings ever been shit? Sergei, Keith, Steve have a word with the OP.
did you know that rings and wings are not the same word
Count Dookkake
Member
.