Phantasy Star II
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| Phantasy Star II | |
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| Developer(s) | Sega AM7 |
| Publisher(s) | Sega |
| Designer(s) | Akinori Nishiyama |
| Release date(s) |  March 21, 1989 December 31, 1989 |
| Genre(s) | RPG |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Platform(s) | Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega Saturn and Game Boy Advance in Phantasy Star Collection, PlayStation 2 and PSP in Sega Genesis Collection |
| Media | 6-Mbit cartridge |
Phantasy Star II (ファンタシースター II 還らざる時の終わりに Fantashī Sutā Tsū Kaerazaru Toki no Owari ni?, lit. Phantasy Star II: The End of the Lost Age) is a console role-playing game released in 1989 for the Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, and later in two different compilations for the Sega Saturn and Game Boy Advance named The Phantasy Star Collection. It was also released on the Sega Smash Pack Volume One for the Sega Dreamcast. Also, it is part of the Sega Genesis Collection for PlayStation 2 and PSP. 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 lineup. 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.
The battle system is turn-based, allowing the player to chose 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.
Contents |
[edit] Story
[edit] Prologue
Somewhere deep within the Andromeda Galaxy lies the Algol Star System. The parent star, Algol (referred to as "Algo" by this point in the timeline), has three planets orbiting about it. First is Palm (formerly "Palma" in the original Phantasy Star), 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 (formerly "Motavia"), 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 (formerly "Dezoris"), 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, the Bio-Systems Lab, and all other things that provide whatever the Mota people need.
[edit] Introduction
The game begins with a short monologue in which the character Eusis 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 Eusis 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, Eusis awakens.
From his home in the Motavian capital Paseo, Eusis goes to the Central Tower to meet with the Viceroy, the head of government on Mota, in order to receive his newest mission.
[edit] Characters
[edit] Playable Characters
[edit] Eusis
- Japanese: ユーシス (Yūshisu)
- American name: Rolf Landale
- Race Palman
- Age 20
- Job Agent
- Birthday September 17th
- Height 177 cm (5’8”)
- Weapon(s) Swords/Daggers
[edit] Nei
- Japanese: ネイ (Nei)
- American name:
- Race Numan
- Age 7 Months
- Job None
- Birthday August 30th
- Height 164 cm (5’4”)
- Weapon(s) Bars/Claws
[edit] Rudger
- Japanese: ルドガー (Rudogā) Rudger Steiner
- American name: Rudolf "Rudo" Steiner
- Race Palman
- Age 35
- Job Hunter
- Birthday July 1st
- Height 190 cm (6’2”)
- Weapon(s) Large Guns
[edit] Anne
- Japanese: アンヌ (Annu) Anne Saga
- American name: Amy Sage
- Race Palman
- Age 23
- Job Doctor
- Birthday April 26th
- Height 158 cm (5’2”)
- Weapons(s) Knives/Rods
[edit] Huey
- Japanese: ヒューイ (Hyūi) Huey Reane
- American name: Hugh Thompson
- Race Palman
- Age 20
- Job Biologist
- Birthday June 14th
- Height 175 cm (5’7”)
- Weapon(s) Knifes/Small Guns
[edit] Amia
- Japanese: アーミア (Āmia) Amia Amirski
- American name: Anna Zirski
- Race Palman
- Age Unknown
- Job Guardian/Counter Hunter (US/JP)
- Birthday Unknown
- Height 168 cm (5’5”)
- Weapon(s) Slicers/Whips
[edit] Kainz
- Japanese: カインズ (Kainzu) Kainz Ji An
- American name: Josh Kain
- Race Palman
- Age 21
- Job Wrecker
- Birthday December 9th
- Height 180 cm (5’9”)
- Weapon(s) Knifes/Small Guns/ Some Large Guns
[edit] Shilka
- Japanese: シルカ (Shiruka) Shilka Levinia
- American name: Shir Gold
- Race Palman
- Age 21
- Job Thief
- Birthday April 1st
- Height 161 cm (5’3”)
- Weapon(s) Knives
[edit] Important Enemies
[edit] Other Notable Characters
- Viceroy, or the Commander of Mota in the American version – As Eusis's superior, the Viceroy gives him his assignments, and provides him with necessary information.
- Lutz – A refugee Esper who lives in the Esper Mansion on Dezo, Lutz aids Eusis 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. He is openly homosexual in the Japanese version, but any references to this were removed from the American release. [1]
[edit] 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 1,000 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 [2] 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," "Dezoris" 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 Aeris 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 protagonists surviving) and other games to come. Phantasy Star II, for these reasons, and other reasons as well (such as its futuristic setting), is considered a highly influential classic far ahead of its time.
- In Phantasy Star IV, Rune states that the first generation of Lutz stored the Aero-Prism in Soldier's Temple on Motavia (Mota). So it can be assumed that at least one of the party survived and returned to Dezoris for Lutz to get ahold of the Aero-Prism.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- The Greatest Games of All Time: Phantasy Star II at Gamespot.com
- Phantasy Star II at Gamefaqs.com
- Home of Classic RPGs — Game information not only about Phantasy Star
- Phantasy Star II at MobyGames
