In the end I decided to wait on Lost Planet 3. My other choice to fill that void? Phantasy Star Portable! For those wondering, I’ve been a Phantasy Star fan since the genesis but I also know the newer entries have more of a focus on hack/slash/blast gameplay and loot collection as opposed to the traditional Jrpg set up of the series‘ predecessors. I’m okay with this overall though I’m sure to fondly miss interacting with my favorite old-school characters such as Nei.
I realize Phantasy Star Portable 2 is better but apparently SEGA fucked up with the number of copies they printed to CD. Whereas PSP1 is easy to acquire, PSP2 is rather rare and usually attached to a ridiculous price-tag. (If you are a more dogged collector with more cash than me, feel free to look around amazon though!)
Phantasy Star meant a lot to me growing up simply because it took rpgs into space. Sure, the Final Fantasy games had a few nods to futuristic technology but up until FF7, none of them gave off a 100% science fiction vibe. If you wanted to literally feel out of place on a strange planet inhabited by strange life-forms, Phantasy Star was the go to rpg of choice.
Eventually Knights Of The Old Republic would come along and knock Phantasy Star off its’ throne because of my bias Star-Wars fan-boyism. However, it still remained a memorable part of my adolescence as a gamer!
Anyway, here’s another picture of Deidre, my most controversial female character! Why you ask? Deidre was always “blunt” in the way she spoke and “bad things” happened to her. She sort of pulled a whole “Girl With The Dragon Tattoo” which is fine in movies and books but not so fine in video games. Still, I’m glad I told Deidre’s story and I was happy she went from being a victim of sexual abuse to a survivor who came out of the experience with good friends!
yay Phantasy Star. Sega should hire me to produce a Phantasy Star comeback!
I think a lot of your songs would compliment a Phantasy-Star game nicely,Matt!
I own Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection. Which has a bunch of the Phantasy Star games, but never could get into them for some reason. I think I'm just too picky when it comes to RPGS. There should be more RPGs in space though. I loved Xenosaga. It took me months to finish those lol.
Overall the Phantasy Star games were hard,Aaron. They often forced you to level grind to be competent enough to beat a boss. I can understand why that would rub certain gamers the wrong way. (Seriously, the original PS games were more difficult & more cryptic than the classic FF games) By contrast, PSP is reputedly easier and the main story can be beaten in 20 hours. (If you don't do any "free missions" off to the side)
Next time I play those on SUGC, I'm going to use a guide and get to the end of them.
Been putting off getting the PSP Phantasy Star games. I didn't realize the 2nd game was rare. There are a couple GameStops in my area that have used copies of the 2nd game for $20. Maybe I should jump on it while I can.
At least on amazon copies of PSP2 go for ridiculous prices,James. lol. Still, thanks for the heads up about Gamestop. I may look around! To their credit PSP1 and PSP2 actually have story lines and decent characters. Well worth keeping an eye on!
As a huge Phantasy Star fan myself, I really should try one of the PSP PSP titles (well, that looks confusing). Right now though, I'm leaning on Phantasy Star 0 for DS as that has gotten the better reviews. I'm still crossing my fingers that Sega will announce a Phantasy Star V though.
I'd love for there to be another numbered sequel to the main series as well,Kev! The Phantasy Star portable games are really good though. I'm having a lot of fun!
You bought PSP on PSP? Sounds to me like it was meant to be.
The acronyms match,Joe. Destiny!
Since I didn't have a Genesis as a kid, I never got into Phantasy Star games. However, after playing Phantasy Star 4 years later, I'd have to say I'd probably be just as into that as I was FF6 in high school and college. It was a very good game.
I like Diedre's blue hair.
I should have a new blog up in the next day or two, so keep an eye out for it!
Man,sorry I missed this reply,Cary. I did go to your pac man blog though!
I missed out on the orignal Phantasy Star run myself. Played the originals when they came out for download on PC and on Virtual Console in the 2000s. They're good games, though I prefer the Lunar games and the Shining Force games as far as RPGs on Genesis went.
Actually I ended up liking Lunar a bit more too. Simply because for the time it had stunning production values. That and Ghaleon was one of the best game villains ever conceived.
Haven't played a Phantasy Star game yet, but I have read a lot of good things about the series.
Phantasy-star competed with FF back in the day. Genesis kids had PS and snes kids had Final Fantasy. Long arguments ensued over which franchise was better! lol.
I love the Genesis titles (well, III did nothing for me) but I couldn't get past the first PSP title. The voice acting was atrocious.
The voice acting is rather "eh" but I thought Star Ocean Last Hope had worse. So far I'm going through it and enjoying it. Guess the first RE gave me a high tolerance for sub par voice work,heh!
Good. In retrospect, the voicework was the sore thumb on that game. The gameplay was actually pretty good.
I like the turn-based Phantasy Stars better, but I really haven't tried this action RPG version. I guess it's like PSO?
Very much like PSO only this time you get to make your own character even in the story mode. It also takes place in the gurahl galaxy.
I have picked that game up and put it down so many times in game stop.
The elusive Jackalope, here today and gone tommorow!
nice pic of Deidre, Ben.
Dude,great to see you around again! It's been awhile.
indeed it has.
But here I is.
And i'm happy as fuck I found you guys......thanks to Tami!!!
I think you used a weapon idea I had for one of my chracters in one of the stories i wrote long. I called them Dragon knives.
I didn't now PSP2 was that hard to find. makes me wonder if I can get it digitally on PSN. I'm kinda on a PS hiatus right now until Sega ffinally tells us something about PSO2's release date for the US. it's almost been two years since the game was released in Japan, why not love sega!