Phantasy Star
Description official descriptions
Algol is a star system that consists of three planets: the green Palma, the arid Motavia, and the icy Dezolis. Recently, the formerly benevolent king Lassic converted to a new religion and begins to rule Algol with an iron fist. Nero, the leader of a rebel group, is brutally killed by Lassic's robotic policemen. His last words were addressed to his sister Alis: he implores her to find a warrior named Odin. Alis swears revenge against Lassic and embarks on a journey to find Odin and other companions who would help her defeat the tyrant.
Phantasy Star is commonly considered one of the progenitors of Japanese-style role-playing games. Unlike Dragon Quest, it has distinct anime-style visual aesthetics, and contains many characteristic gameplay elements of the genre. Rather than being cast as an adventurer or warrior on an impersonal quest, the player controls a character with her own background story, motivations and desires. The game introduces the genre's typical template of specific non-player characters joining the party for plot-related reasons. The game is also notable for being one of the first RPGs with a pre-determined female protagonist. It is set in a sci-fi environment in which advanced technology and magic co-exist, somewhat reminiscent of Star Wars.
The core gameplay is influenced by Ultima games, with simpler turn-based combat against randomly appearing enemies, which is similar to Wizardry. The player navigates Alis over top-down overworld, visiting towns and dungeons that are represented by icons. Dungeons have pseudo-3D graphics and are maze-like.
The player can purchase new weapons, armor, shields, as well as healing and restoring items in towns, or find them in treasure chests in the dungeons. Each character utilizes unique weapon types (e.g. Myau uses claws or fangs, Odin handles guns and axes, etc.). Experience points are awarded for defeating enemies; after a character has accumulated a sufficient amount of those, she or he levels up, gaining additional maximum hit points (HP) and higher combat parameters. Some characters can cast magic spells, requiring magic points (MP), which also increase when leveling up. Characters can visit doctors in towns, recovering HP and MP. Game progress can be saved anywhere.
Spellings
- Phantasy Star: Fukkokuban - Japanese Megadrive spelling
- SEGA AGES ファンタシースター - Japanese Nintendo Switch spelling
- ファンタシースター - Japanese spelling
- ファンタシースター 復刻版 - Japanese Megadrive spelling
- 梦幻之星 - Chinese spelling (simplified)
- 환타지 스타 - Korean spelling
Groups +
Screenshots
Promos
Credits (SEGA Master System version)
19 People
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Reviews
Discussion
Subject | User | Date |
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Credits | j.raido 【雷堂嬢太朗】 (69429) | 2013-06-02 06:36:26 |
Do any ROMS exist for this version? | MasterMegid (723) | 2008-03-20 07:08:28 |
Trivia
Genesis version
The Genesis version of Phantasy Star is in fact nothing more than the Master System ROM in a Genesis cartridge, with enough start-up code to put the system into its Master System backwards compatibility mode; it can be regarded as a Master System converter integrated into the game.
Portuguese
Phantasy Star was the first Master System game (if not the first console game) to be totally translated to Portuguese.
References
Phantasy Star is one of many games that break the so called fourth wall.
In Sopia, the player finds a girl named Miki who asks: "Do you like Sega games?". If the player answers yes, she'll say "Of course! Sega games are best". If the player answers no, she says "I can't believe it. If you don't like the game,....why have you played so far!?!".
The same question in the Brazilian version has Sega replaced by Tec Toy.
Title
Sega spelling Fantasy, with a "PH", instead of an "F" is not an error or Sega just trying to be clever, it is in fact the old English spelling of the word, thus Fantasy Star is Phantasy Star.
Awards
- Electronic Gaming Monthly
- December 1989 (Issue 5) - Most Challenging Video Game (Sega Master System version)
- November 1997 (Issue 100) - ranked #62 (Best 100 Games of All Time) (Sega Master System version)
- Game Informer
- August 2001 (Issue #100) - #94 in the "Top 100 Games of All Time" poll
- Power Play
- Issue 01/1990 - Best Master System Game in 1989
Information also contributed by Игги Друге, chirinea, Master Megid and PCGamer77
Related Sites +
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Game & Dungeon Maps (Sega Master System)
Maps of dungeons and landscapes. -
Phantasy Star
A fan site revealing all there is to know about Phantasy Star gameplay - such as planets, towns, items, enemies, dungeons and more. -
Phantasy Star Wiki
A comprehensive database that covers the characters, locations, items and games in the Phantasy Star series. -
The Phantasy Star Pages
A comprehensive fansite that covers all the games in the series, including the Japanese titles that never made it to the states.
Identifiers +
- MobyGames ID: 8194
Contribute
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Contributors to this Entry
Game added by Unicorn Lynx.
Wii added by Charly2.0. Nintendo Switch added by Rik Hideto. Genesis added by Игги Друге.
Additional contributors: Satoshi Kunsai, Guy Chapman, chirinea, Alaka, Игги Друге, coenak, —-, Patrick Bregger, Rik Hideto, Jo ST.
Game added January 17th, 2003. Last modified May 27th, 2023.