Phantasy Star

In computer games, Phantasy Star is the most famous role-playing game for SEGA consoles, and has many incarnations including an online version. Contrary to most RPGs of its type, it has a futuristic/fantasy setting, where you battle monsters using pistols and magic.

The first rendition was for the Sega Master System, or SMS. It featured an amazing (at the time) set of 3D dungeons which were like mazes, which you traversed in real time in a first person mode. The story is about Alis, a girl who sees her brother killed and sets out to avenge him. The action begins in a futuristic city complex in a three-planet solar system. After travelling some underground mazes you get to travel to the other planets and follow your adventure.

An interesting facility is the option to talk with monsters you encounter --sometimes they are friendly and just leave. It was released in 1986 and was one of the first cartridges to include battery backup.

The Phantasy star series have been released on the Megadrive, Dreamcast, GBA, GameCube, Xbox and PC. These include:

• Phantasy Star ( Sega Master System , 1988 )
• Phantasy Star II ( Sega Genesis, 1989 )
• Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom ( Sega Genesis, 1991 )
• Phantasy Star Adventure ( Japanese Game Gear, 1992 )
• Phantasy Star Gaiden ( Japanese Game Gear, 1992 )
• Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium ( Sega Genesis, 1994 )
• Phantasy Star Collection ( Japanese Sega Saturn, 1998 )
• Phantasy Star Online ( Dreamcast, PC, 2001 )
• Phantasy Star Collection ( Game Boy Advance, 2002 )
• Phantasy Star Online: Episode I & II ( Gamecube, Xbox, 2002 )
• Phantasy Star Generation 1 (Playstation 2, 2003 Japan, to be released in North America)

Phantasy Star Generation 1 is an enhanced remake of the original Phantasy Star.