The
Phantasy Star series slipped by me when I was young. I looked up for a second when
Phantasy Star IV was released in 1995, but by then, I was deep in the domain of Squaresoft and Nintendo. Genesis RPGs held little interest for me, even though Phantasy Star IV's technology and alien-inspired monsters seemed to offer something different from dragons and slimes. Now, thanks to the magic of time travel (through
Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection), I've landed on planet Motavia for the first time, and I'm unpacking my bags.
Phantasy Star IV still commands a devoted fanbase. I hope to play through the game and discover how it earned its place in the elite RPG pantheon. Is it the story? The unique setting? A certain attention-getting bulge on the American cover art?
One hour of playtime has already yielded a few answers. First, Phantasy Star IV throws you into the adventure pretty quickly, and doesn't hold you up for hours to tell its story. There are no cut scenes. Instead, the plot is relayed through overlapping pop-up anime drawings and text (“Hello, shady Principal. We hear you have a monster problem. Mutant brains slithering through your basement? We can take care of that. We also dance the Hora at Bar Mitzvahs.”).
Second, the character designs for Phantasy Star IV are refreshingly sane. Alys is a rare example of a female game character who's smart, tough,
and proportioned like a normal female of the human race. I should penalize a few points for Big Anime Hair, but I'm just happy to see a heroine who has the good sense to dress according to the environmental and physical challenges offered by fierce monsters and a harsh climate. High-heeled shoes make little sense as a fashion accessory. They make no sense as battle gear. Stop opting for them, RPG girls.
Phantasy Star IV's graphics aren't as fancy as
Final Fantasy VI's, but the choice to forgo super-deformed sprites in an era and genre designed around them is an interesting one. The battle animations are ambitious, if stiff.
I also walked in on a girl who was changing. Exactly the sort of naughty event Nintendo of America used to smother with thick blankets.
I already sense that Phantasy Star IV will stand as a unique RPG experience, and not just because Sega said, “Hey, look! Turn-based
science fiction battles!” The pacing is brisk, the characters are interesting, and I like the idea of a newbie (Hans) having to cough up money before being allowed to tag along with veterans. Most RPG heroes would give in at the first note of a pleading tone and a flash of kitten-eyes. Not Alys.
I'm on my way to the likely-fertile Birth Valley. We'll check in further down the road.
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