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[evilernLeGG]

I never got around to playing this game when it was released. I was around 12 years old, and I remember staring at the ridiculous price tag in KB Toys.. $99.99. ****.


Anyways, since I have no backlog, I decided to throw it on my PSP and play through it on my work breaks. So far, it's an incredible game.

The animation is absolutely fantastic (not just for Genesis standards). The story seems top (so far). The sound is slightly OK, but the music makes up for it. I love love love these old style RPGs.

So far, being only 4 hours in, I have only two gripes; there's little to NO information on spells, nor weapons/armor (until after you buy them). Besides those little niggling issues, it's a damn good game.

It reminds me so much of the Lunar games that I spent so much money on back in the day.

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

Phantasy Star IV is ****ing amazing, but so bittersweet now, since SEGA left the single player franchise to die in a fire.

 

[DD-11]

I recently played it on an emulator and it is really good. Towards the end I had to use the GG code to turn off random battles, but other than that, it was great. I really wish they would have continued with the series instead of the online crap.

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

Phantasy Star and DQ are both better than early FF iterations (imo DQ better later too..).

 

[Community Forum]

Wasn't this supposed to be on a compilation of some kind?

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

It's been in a couple. Phantasy Star Collection on GBA and SEGA Genesis Collection for PS2 and PSP.

 

[Community Forum]

I need to get the PSP version then. I really had no idea it was on there.

 

[WickedLaharl]

psu is a great game also. try it.

 

[ATF487]

I didn't think 4 was on either of them...Thought the OP meant emulation.

Either way, this game rules, and I wanted ****ing Bioware to make a game based on the PS universe, not Sonic.

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

I need to get the PSP version then. I really had no idea it was on there.

PSP Genny Collection is awesome. It's a great pick-up, especially since a lot of places sell it for $20 or less now.

 

[DD-11]

I didn't think 4 was on either of them...Thought the OP meant emulation.

Either way, this game rules, and I wanted ****ing Bioware to make a game based on the PS universe, not Sonic.

Foolish. That would require Sega making a good IP decision. What were you thinking?

 

[Llyranor]

It's been in a couple. Phantasy Star Collection on GBA and SEGA Genesis Collection for PS2 and PSP.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the GBA collection only includes 1-3. But why

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

I didn't think 4 was on either of them...Thought the OP meant emulation.

Either way, this game rules, and I wanted ****ing Bioware to make a game based on the PS universe, not Sonic.

Ahhh, you know, you're right, PSIV isn't on the GBA Phantasy Star Collection, but it's definitely on both Genesis Collections, I have 'em both right here at the ready. Sadly the Genny Collections are (naturally) missing Phantasy Star 1.

SEGA. HELP SEGATA OUT.

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the GBA collection only includes 1-3. But why

I believe the others only include PS I, II, and IV.

Edit: Well, I knew one was missing for sure..

 

[ATF487]

Ahhh, you know, you're right, PSIV isn't on the GBA Phantasy Star Collection, but it's definitely on both Genesis Collections, I have 'em both right here at the ready. Sadly the Genny Collections are (naturally) missing Phantasy Star 1.

SEGA. HELP SEGATA OUT.

Oh, sweet, I am getting the PSP version when mine is fixed then. I've had an urge to revisit some 16 bit RPGs

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

I believe the others only include PS I, II, and IV.

Edit: Well, I knew one was missing for sure..

If only it were PSIII that was missing. That's by far the weakest. As it stands you have to choose between missing one of the best ones, or the other.

 

[Hunter D]

This thread makes me weep tears of joy. A lot of companies have copied the PS series pacing.

 

[Community Forum]

nice commercial lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yO9Tn5gvOAM

 

[DownLikeBCPowder]

If only it were PSIII that was missing. That's by far the weakest. As it stands you have to choose between missing one of the best ones, or the other.

I love the Phantasy star intro music. With Alice (Alise?) in that starry background..

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

I love the Phantasy star intro music. With Alice (Alise?) in that starry background..

Alis. Phantasy Star was so far ahead of its time, it's ridiculous.

 

[Freshmaker]

Phantasy Star IV is ****ing amazing, but so bittersweet now, since SEGA left the single player franchise to die in a fire.

Spoiler

Only because they sealed the hole in the Dark One's prison... Forever. Makes coming up with a sequel kinda difficult.

 

[camineet]

GBA Phantasy Star Collection did not have Phantasy Star IV.

PS2, PSP Sega Genesis Collection did.

Don't forget about a decade ago, Phantasy Star Collection for Saturn also had PSIV. It was complete with all 4 original games.


Phantasy Star IV original release: December 1993 in Japan on MegaDrive.

U.S. Genesis owners had to wait until freaking Feb 1995 for release even though the date on the title screen said 1994.


first-person dungeons were partly developed:

but not used obviously.



EGM August 1992 - the first western PSIV preview that I know of - cinema scene graphics (not just art) that were not in the final game:

Dark Force here looks cooler & meaner than most of the Dark Force incarnations in the released PSIV, and certainly better IMO than the somewhat lame-looking Profound Darkness.... although the concept of the Profound Darkness, something worse than Dark Force, was truly incredibly awesome. It's just that the PD was poorly executed, IMO, in an otherwise exellent RPG.



The Making of Phantasy Star IV (from EGM January 1993)

part 2

 

[Kadey]

I remember hearing of a Phantasy Earth sequel. PSIV was the only rpg to go head to head with FFIII aka VI at the time. The $100 pricetag was a hurtpiece though. I'd be happy if Sega created a sequel on the DS with 2d visuals or whatever.

 

[Kadey]

Oh yeah, the grand cross with Rune and Chaz totally owned everything.

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

Don't forget about a decade ago, Phantasy Star Collection for Saturn also had PSIV. It was complete with all 4 original games.

Great post. Anyway, the Phantasy Star Collection for Saturn never made it here, which is why I didn't list it.

 

[Beezy]

The only Genesis rpg I ever played and one of the best 2D rpgs ever.

 

[Greenpanda]

Great game, and the comic-style story scenes are something that, still, to this date, no one else has really replicated

 

[Mr Jared]

I keep seeing this on GameTap and constantly consider playing through it again. I own it on the Genesis and got most of the way though but never completed it. About how long does a typical run of PSIV take?

 

[CastleBravo]

I would kill for a new, real, Phantasy Star V on 360. I want them to take it back to the roots. Hell, make it just like PS4 but on a next-gen platform and I would be able to die a happy man.

 

[Enk]

Alis. Phantasy Star was so far ahead of its time, it's ridiculous.

Still is unfortunately. Not in gameplay, but in atmosphere, style and scope. Makes me sad to see the franchise loose the essence of what made it good.

Also am I the only one who really loves the music from part III. God that opening theme always seems to strike the right cord with me.

 

[Community Forum]

I really really really really really want to play this tomorrow.

Are there any emulation differences between the Sega Genesis Collection on the PS2 and the PSP? Is Phantasy Star IV identical on both?

 

[PepsimanVsJoe]

Yeah I can't say I was particularly impressed by the Final Boss(

Spoiler

Especially the boobies mcboob final form

)

Then again I felt the game just sort of lost that "fire" after

Spoiler

killing Zio

.
Still a great RPG, probably one of my favorites on the Genesis(not that I have much of a choice lolz)

 

[Splatt]

(not that I have much of a choice lolz)

Are you implying that Shining Force sucked?

 

[BlueTsunami]

I tried to play the Phantasy Star series recently (never did as a kid, I was more of a Sonic player and I played RPGs mostly on the Nintendo) and I couldn't get through it. Maybe Phantasy Star IV (I haven't tried playing it yet) but the previous ones felt like a chore (from a gameplay standpoint).

 

[Prime crotch]

I wish Sega made PS V, they even had the plans to make a direct sequel to IV with Chaz's kid and all.

 

[Tailzo]

I wish Sega made PS V, they even had the plans to make a direct sequel to IV with Chaz's kid and all.

Really? Where can I find some information?

 

[DD-11]

I played this along with most other RPG of the era and it was the best, hands down. Yes, better than (the wildly over rated) Chrono Trigger. It's really tough to understand Sega's decisions.

 

[eXistor]

Yeah I've only quite recently played PSIV for the frst time and was blown away by it's absurdly high quality. It feels more pure than Square's output at the time and has a very high pace and a perfect balance. Everything just feel right.

 

[AquaticSquirrel]

PSIV is amazing, it's just such a damn good game in pretty much every way. And it also helped to pioneer cinematic RPGs. It is a fantastic title, if you have the opportunity to play it but don't then there is something wrong with you.

Again, fantastic game, does not get enough credit. Damnit SEGA release a single player PSV!!!!

 

[Prime crotch]

Really? Where can I find some information?

http://www.phantasystarwiki.com/index.php?title=Phantasy_Star_V
Aparently PSV wouldn't be about Chaz's son but the concept for either a diferent ending for PSIV or side-story was made. Chaz would die and Rika would raise their kid alone.

 

[Diablohead]

BEST. GAME. EVER.

It's in my top ten along with sonic 1 and road rash.

*edit* I brought the game cart years ago unboxed for £25, I may have missed the original launch boat but damn even today its an amazing rpg to play.

 

[InsertCredit]

This thread made me order the psp compilation.

Consider me excited. Thanks.

 

[Souther]

I'd have to say the Phantasy star series is the best rpg series ever.

with PS1 being my favorite game of all time.

PS3, although alot different from the others still has its charm.

 

[Mango Positive]

I can not figure out how SEGA let this (single player) series die. The original Phantasy Star is the game that made it worth it when my original NES died Christmas day (after getting it on Christmas day) and the store was out of stock in replacements, so dad got me a SEGA MS instead (because they're all the same, right?). The 3D mazes! I remember mapping them out with graph paper because I was tired of falling in the same traps. Was "Dark Falz" a typo or did the Japanese just translate "force" wrong? I had to borrow a friends Genesis to play Phantasy Star 2 and 3. I never got around to 4.

 

[Ahriman]

Was "Dark Falz" a typo or did the Japanese just translate "force" wrong?

Read this

Spoiler

Dark Phallus

 

[Pokeylongo]

Wren is the greatest character design ever.

 

[Segata Sanshiro]

I really really really really really want to play this tomorrow.

Are there any emulation differences between the Sega Genesis Collection on the PS2 and the PSP? Is Phantasy Star IV identical on both?

Shoteh, I'm not the best guy to ask about such things (I don't notice sound emulation mess-ups unless pointed out to me), but as near as I can tell both from my time playing both and a quick check now, the emulation is identical on both versions.

 

[commish]

IV is awesome, but II is still a bit better (though retarded in some ways).

 

[jay]

I tried to play the Phantasy Star series recently (never did as a kid, I was more of a Sonic player and I played RPGs mostly on the Nintendo) and I couldn't get through it. Maybe Phantasy Star IV (I haven't tried playing it yet) but the previous ones felt like a chore (from a gameplay standpoint).

The games were awesome but are a chore to play now, that is all of them but IV. If you tried the others and couldn't stomach their impossible difficulty (or crappiness in the case of III), you should still try the last one. I just went through it recently and it's still user friendly.

evilernLeGG - If you haven't played PSI and II, you are missing out on references. I can't stress how cool it was finding out who Rune was, going back to the Air Castle, and the other little things Sega included for the longtime fans.

 

[camineet]

After Phantasy Star III (spring 1990 Japan, summer 1991 U.S.) Sega was reportedly going to make an enhanced PS III for MegaCD,SegaCD.


More interestingly, and although not 100% confirmed, Sega planned a completely different Phantasy Star IV for MegaCD, SegaCD and (maybe) a scaled down cartridge version. This never-released PSIV was going to be totally different from PSIV End of the Millenium. The CD version was to of course have animated FMV cut scenes, and massive game world maps far larger than End of the Millenium. These plans must have been abandoned in early 1992 I am guessing.

That first EGM preview has characters from End of the Millenium. by early to mid 1993, we started to see previews with the maps, enemies, gameplay of the PSIV that Sega would release by the end of that year, at least in Japan. then the ~14 month wait for the english version.

If Sega made a Phantasy Star V, I would not want modern 3D graphics or artwork to be used. I'd want the PSII, PSIV style of art & graphics, but bumped up with highly detailed Saturn-level or better level of detail. no polygons. all sprites, parallax backgrounds. they could still make a game with several different perspectives, including pseudo-3D using scaling & rotating sprite work--like you would see in Sega's super-scaler arcade games or System 32 arcade games.

overhead visuals of this style

wilderness / battle scene graphics of this style

I selected that, because it reminds me of this perspective from PSI

1st person dungeon graphics of this style

landale space ship in space-station ready to take off & flying over the surface of planets in this visual style

Don't you think that would be awesome? turn-based, of course.


As for a modern, 3D polygon/high-tech graphics based Phantasy Star V, I thought it was going to happen with Phantasy Star Universe - The game itself isnt too great but SEGA almost tricked me into thinking it might've been Phantasy Star V because in the very first trailer at E3 2004 there was text that scrolled for 2 seconds which read "Phantasy Star V?".

.... it gives me hope that there might be a PSV this gen.

Spoiler

I beg you SEGA do PSV, and do it RIGHT!