Phantasy Star II

This game is definitely a winner. The included 110-page hint book allows players to help themselves if the adventuring gets too difficult. Phantasy Star II is for those who love role-playing games, and it should be added to their library of Genesis games.

I won't lie. The odds are you've either already beaten Phantasy Star II or you never will. If you come to this game afresh, it will gleefully kick your arse and gloat over your broken corpse.

Die Atmosphäre von Phantasy Star 2 ist dicht, die Benutzerführung erfrischend logisch, die Grafik stilvoll, die Monster gefährlich, meine Party inzwischen mächtig gut drauf und ein Ende des Spiels noch lange nicht abzusehen - kurzum: ich bin von Phantasy Star 2 rundum total begeistert. Lange hat mich kein Computer- oder Videospiel so intensiv beschäftigt und fasziniert wie dieses Prachtstück. Wer den ersten Teil gerne spielte, wird den Nachfolger heiß und innig lieben.

In the end, Phantasy Star II is an impressive example of classic old-school role-playing. Its most notable positive traits are its unique setting and theme – especially since it's the first and only Phantasy Star game to come to the Virtual Console so far – and its epic overall length. You'll get a lot of lasting value for your investment of 800 Wii Points, as this quest could take you 40 hours or more to complete. The negatives that might keep you from cashing in the eight bucks right away, though, would be the considerable level of challenge and the potential for tedium. Only buy Phantasy Star II if you know you'll be prepared to spend a significant amount of time taking care of old-school RPG "chores" like level-grinding – because without that willingness, your experience in going after the Mother Brain might not last very long.

The early days of the Genesis' existence were marked by the slow but steady stream of software from Sega and its handful of third party licensees. The system launched without an RPG, but Sega came through a few months later with what was, at the time, the largest such game ever to grace a console. Phantasy Star II clocked in at a massive six megs, and was so huge and deep that it came bundled with its own strategy guide. How's that for intimidating? Yes, the single best game from the original 8-bit Master System got the sequel it deserved and then some. Even today, it's renowned (or hated, depending on your preference) for a massive quest and unrelenting difficulty.

However, for those with more than a passing interest in console history, this title and the other early incarnations of the series are a frequently overlooked early step towards the sprawling open world epics of today.

There's no reason to play this game, not even once. Play Phantasy Star III (which is okay, if I recall) or Phantasy Star IV (which rules). Anything except this piece of crap.