In the spirit of this week's recent release of totally BA games on XBLA and PSN, I am starting a new column about classic games and why you should own them. Gunstar Heroes was a huge announcement, but there were a couple other fan favorites such as Comix Zone and Altered Beast that were released contemporaneously.
The game I would like to highlight this week is Phantasy Star 2.
Phantasy Star 2 was released in the US in March of 1990 on Sega's Genesis console. The game plays very similarly to a classic version of Final Fantasy with basic role-playing elements, The battle system is turn-based, allowing the player to choose commands for up to four characters. Each of the eight characters has a different set of preferred weapons and armor, as well as techniques, suited to the character's job.
Phantasy Star 2 differed from the rising Final Fantasy series in that the characters had a physically proportional look, rather than the huge head/small body sprites of the latter. Despite being such an early title, the game itself pushed graphical bounds with highly detailed characters, enemies and environments. The game also took an evolutionary step from other RPGs by including dialogue secuences with fully detailed characters. Believe me, it's much better to see these sequences rather than two sprites and a text box.
What also made PS 2 different from other console RPGs were the fleshed out characters. Rather than being a generic fighter or mage, the player took the role of Rolf, an agent who lost his parents at a young age. He begins having nightmares of Alis (of Phantasy Star) fighting a demon. Rolf takes it upon himself to find the meaning behind his dreams and discovers that there is more at stake than meets the eye. Along his journey whe meets a colorful cast of characters that help him along the way.
As far as gaming goes, this is the best time to be a gamer, especially for those who remember growing up with classic titles from the SNES or the Genesis. There is an abundance of titles being remade, remastered or remixed. It is also a good time to get the young ones hooked on retro gaming as they will appreciate it down the road. There is a certain charm that lies with classic games like these, as characters were not always designed by people obsessed with gritty realism and shock value. I also cannot help but to be amazed by the enginuity of the designers as they were always trying to push bounds with limited hardware.
Phantasy Star 2 has quite a legacy and it is very easy to get your hands on a copy. If you are a purist and find yourself extremely lucky to find a physical copy at a pawn shop or on Ebay, do not hesitate to pick it up.
If you're like me and enjoy having digital copies of your games on-demand, you can find Phantasy Star 2 on:
You can also find Phantasy Star 2 on anthology discs including
Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection (XBox 360)
Sega Genesis Collection (PS2)
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