Phantasy Star II (Japanese: ファンタシースター II) is a role-playing game released in 1989 for the Mega Drive/Genesis, and later in two different compilations for the Sega Saturn and Game Boy Advance named Phantasy Star Collection. It also has a remake, named as Phantasy Star: Generation 2 for the Playstation 2 which was released in 2005 as part of the Sega Ages line up. Part two of SEGA's Phantasy Star series of games that began in 1987, Phantasy Star II is a true sequel to the first game of the series, carrying over many of the familiar elements that made Phantasy Star so original. Along with other Phantasy Star games, Phantasy Star II is seen as a particularly difficult RPG.
| Phantasy Star II | |
|---|---|
| The Phantasy Star II title screen. | |
| Developer(s) | Sega |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Designer(s) | Akinori Nishiyama |
| Platform(s) | Sega Genesis/Megadrive |
| Release | March 21, 1989 (JP) December, 1989 (NA) |
| Genre(s) | RPG |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
The battle system is turn-based, allowing the player to chose commands for up to four characters while the enemies sit idly by. Each of the eight characters has a different set of preferred weapons and armor, as well as techniques, suited to the character's job.
Story
Prologue
Somewhere deep within the Andromeda Galaxy lies the Algo Star System. The parent star, Algo, has three planets orbiting about it. First is Palm, the home of the government. Governors, treasurers, and great thinkers dwell here in great ivory towers, away from the hubbub of everyday life.
Next is Mota, the shining jewel. Once a dry desert planet infested with ant lions, Mota has been transformed into a blue and green tropical paradise. Domed farms grow crops, and the water is regulated into dammed rivers. Life on Mota is sweet, peaceful and easy. The people have everything they want, and do not need to work.
Farthest out is Dezo, the ice planet. Little is known about this mysterious and dark planet.
One thousand years have passed since Alis and her friends liberated Algo from the evil Lassic. Algo has since prospered under the care of a giant computer called the Mother Brain. The Mother Brain regulates the Climatrol Tower, Bio-Systems Lab, and all other things that provide whatever the Mota people need.
Introduction
The game begins with a short monologue in which the character Rolf Landale recalls a strange recurring nightmare he has been having. In the dream, a young girl who resembles Alis from Phantasy Star is battling a demon, although he, himself, does not know anything of her identity. Although Rolf is nearby, he is unable to even move or speak while the demon is striking at the girl. Finally, just before the demon kills the girl, Rolf awakens. From his home in the Motavian capital Paseo, Rolf goes to the Central Tower to meet with the Commander, the head of government on Mota, in order to receive his newest mission.
Characters
Playable Characters
====Rolf Landale====
- Japanese: ユーシス (Eusis)
- Race Palman
- Age 21
- Birthday September 17th
- Height 177 cm (5’8”)
Nei
- Japanese: ネイ (Nei)
- Race Numan
- Age 1
- Job None
- Birthday August 30th
- Height 164 cm (5’4”)
Rudolf “Rudo” Steiner
- Japanese: ルドガー (Rudger)
- Race Palman
- Age 35
- Job Hunter
- Birthday July 1st
- Height 190 cm (6’2”)
Amy Sage
- Japanese: アンヌ (Annu)
- Race Palman
- Age 23
- Job Doctor
- Birthday April 26th
- Height 158 cm (5’2”)
Hugh Thompson
- Japanese: ヒューイ (Hughy)
- Race Palman
- Age 20
- Job Biologist
- Birthday June 14th
- Height 175 cm (5’7”)
Anna Zirski
- Japanese: アーミア (Amia)
- Race Palman
- Age Unknown
- Job Guardian/Counter Hunter (US/JP)
- Birthday Unknown
- Height 168 cm (5’5”)
Josh “Kain”
- Japanese: カインズ (Kains)
- Race Palman
- Age 21
- Job Wrecker
- Birthday December 9th
- Height 180 cm (5’9”)
Shir Gold
- Japanese: シルカ (Shilka)
- Race Palman
- Age 21
- Job Thief
- Birthday April 1st
- Height 161 cm (5’3”)
Important Enemies
Other Notable Characters
- The Commander of Mota – As Rolf’s superior, the Commander of Mota gives Rolf his assignments and provides him with necessary information. (Just like in the first game, he was known as the viceroy in Japan.)
- Lutz – A refugee Esper who lives in the Esper Mansion on Dezo, Lutz aids Rolf and friends in their mission. He is supposed to be the same Esper who accompanies Alis in Phantasy Star, but due to the English version of PS1 naming said Esper Noah, this point is lost.
- Tyler – A space pirate who rescues the characters from the satellite Gaira.
- Ustvestia – A musician who teaches characters the Musik technique.
Trivia
- There is debate over the date of the US version of Phantasy Star II. The Japanese version gives a date of AW 1284, exactly 1000 years before Phantasy Star IV, and this is confirmed in the US version of Phantasy Star IV when Rika says, "Parma, the first planet of the Algo solar system, was destroyed in AW 1284 when the artificial satellite, Gaira, crashed into it..." However, due to the given age of Phantasy Star IV’s Wren (998), as well as data found in the Bio-Systems Lab that provides information on climate conditions for the years AW 1280-1286, some players have theorized that the date of the US version of Phantasy Star II is actually AW 1286. (See [1] for more information.) It's entirely possible that the computer readout might have been making an estimate about what could occur in the next two years, given the data available in the recorder and its own calculations, but this seems unlikely.
- The Japanese title of Phantasy Star II literally translates to, “Phantasy Star II: At the End of the Restoration.” The Japanese subtitle is reportedly also a phrase which can mean, “At the end of the time which can never be Returned to.” The subtitle was dropped for the US version of the game.
- Due to technical limitations, Phantasy Star II shortens names of characters and planets to four characters or less. This results in several minor discrepancies with other games of the series, most notably the renaming of the game’s celestial bodies. 'Algol' is shortened to 'Algo', 'Dezolis' to 'Dezo', 'Motavia' to 'Mota', and 'Palma' to 'Palm'.
- Phantasy Star II is the only game in the entire series that comes with an official Hint Book with the game cartridge. The book contained colored maps and much more additional information not to be confused with the instruction manual. However, due to complaints that the hint book spoiled the game beforehand, this practice was eventually abandoned.
- One of this games's more prolific attributes is its rather dark, bleak storyline. This was very uncommon at the time in a role playing game. Many compare the death of the protagonist, Nei, to the famous death of Aerith Gainsborough in Final Fantasy VII, which was released eight years later. Another uncommon story element is the ambiguous ending to the game, perhaps its most memorable scene. The surviving party members must fight a bleak, final battle in the end and the outcome of this battle is not shown but rather left up to interpretation. While it is possible that the party survived to return home, it is equally possible that they did not. This is another similarity to Final Fantasy VII (Although later sequels to Final Fantasy VII would allude to all of the antagonists surviving) and other games to come as well. Phantasy Star II for these reasons, and other reasons as well such as the futuristic setting that the game is considered a highly influential classic far ahead of its time. A un-sung hero of sorts in video game history.
External links
- Phantasy Star Concept - Site for all things Phantasy Star.
- Phantasy Star II at Gamefaqs.com
- Home of Classic RPGs - Game information not only about Phantasy Star
- Phantasy Star II at MobyGames