Phantasy Star (Japanese: ファンタシースター) is a RPG video game series by Sega. It started as a traditional single player game series, but has progressed into an MMORPG series. Unlike many other console role-playing games, it has a science fantasy setting where the player battles monsters using a variety of guns in addition to the staple of melee weapons and magic that are found in other RPGs.
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History
The original Phantasy Star was released for the Sega Master System in Japan on December 20, 1987. It was one of the first cartridges to include battery backed RAM for saving game positions. The game featured 3D maze-like dungeons, which players traversed in a first-person mode. Phantasy Star, along with Dragon Quest and Final Fantasy, distinguished itself as a pioneer of what came to be defined console role-playing. The series is noteworthy in that all of its games take place in the same universe, as opposed to many RPG series such as Final Fantasy, wherein successive game settings are unrelated, or, at most, superficially related. Each major Phantasy Star game adds onto the series' overall story, culminating in Phantasy Star IV which ties all of the series' plot elements together into a final, epic conclusion. Both Phantasy Star Online and Phantasy Star Universe are their own series based on the original Phantasy Star games. They continue the theme of a persistent game universe, but are set in different planetary systems than the original games.
Games
- Phantasy Star (Sega Master System, 1987/Sega Mega Drive, 1992)
- Phantasy Star II (Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, PC (RealArcade) 1989).
- Phantasy Star II: Shilka's Adventure (Sega Meganet modem, 1991)
- Phantasy Star II: Amia's Adventure (Sega Meganet modem, 1991)
- Phantasy Star II: Huey's Adventure (Sega Meganet modem, 1991)
- Phantasy Star II: Eusis's Adventure (Sega Meganet modem, 1991)
- Phantasy Star II: Nei's Adventure (Sega Meganet modem, 1991)
- Phantasy Star II: Rudger's Adventure (Sega Meganet modem, 1991)
- Phantasy Star II: Kinds's Adventure (Sega Meganet modem, 1991)
- Phantasy Star II: Anne'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)
- Phantasy Star Online: Episode III: C.A.R.D. Revolution (Nintendo GameCube only), 2004)
- Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II Plus (Nintendo Gamecube, 2004)
- Phantasy Star Online: Blue Burst (PC only), 2004
- Phantasy Star Generation 2 (Playstation 2, 2005, released only in Japan)
- Phantasy Star Universe (PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360) 2006 (Japan & North America)
- Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus (PC, PlayStation 2, Xbox 360)
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. Ambition of the Illuminus is the expansion pack for Phantasy Star Universe.
Universe
Algol Star System
The Algol star 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/Palm/Parma/Parum
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 during the events of Phantasy Star II. The "humans" seen in the series are actually Palmans who have migrated to Motavia, terraforming it to be livable. In Phantasy Star Universe, Parum is the height of technological advancement compared to the other planets in the system. It is extremely green and developed. It should be noted however that Parum and Parma are not the same planet. Though Parum has been considered to be a tribute to Parma by some fans, due to its similar name and comparable climate.
Motavia/Motabia/Mota/Moatoob
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. In Phantasy Star Universe, Moatoob is the home of the Beast race. It is a desert planet which was once green and filled with water and forests. After the war of the races ended in the destruction of Moatoob's moon, the atmosphere of the planet was dramatically changed, and the green and luxurious planet metamorphosed into a vast desert. Again it should be noted that Motavia and Moatoob are not the same planet. Because of its similar name and climate however, it has been seen by some fans to be a tribute to Motavia.
Dezoris/Dezolis/Dezo/Neudaiz
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. Neudaiz is the parallel planet with respect to Dezo of past Phantasy Star games. Instead of having a large ice composition, it consists instead of water. Also, the planet is populated by the Newmen, biologically-engineered creatures meant to resemble humans, generally made to fame by classic Phantasy Star characters such as Nei and Rika.
Rykros/Ryucross
Rykros is a mysterious planet on an extremely elongated orbit, such that it only approaches the other planets once every 1,000 years. It may only be seen by looking through the Aeroprism, and its exact location is unknown to any living being.
External links
- Phantasy Star Cave Complete Phantasy Star fan site with guides and a wide community.
- The Phantasy Star Pages Comprehensive Phantasy Star page.
- Interview with Rieko Kodama, Creator of Phantasy Stars I, II, and IV
- PSO Planet — News site
- History of the Phantasy Star series Sega-16's complete retrospective on the series.
- Phantasy Star series Manuals
- History of Phantasy Star
- Phantasy Star Wiki A fledgling Wiki project chronicling all things Phantasy Star — from the original series to the newly-released Phantasy Star Universe.
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| Main series | Phantasy Star · Phantasy Star II · Phantasy Star III · Phantasy Star IV |
| Online series | Phantasy Star Online · PSO ver.2 · Episode I & II · Episode III · Episode I & II Plus · Episode IV |
| Universe series | Phantasy Star Universe · Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of the Illuminus · Phantasy Star Portable |
| Other games | Phantasy Star Adventure · Phantasy Star Gaiden |
| Generation series | Phantasy Star Generation 1 · Generation 2 |
| Collection | Phantasy Star Collection |
