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The Game Archaeologist dials up Phantasy Star Online: The players
After last week's foray into the colorful world of Phantasy Star Online, I knew I had to step it up for a great follow-through. That's why I got in touch with three excellent MMO bloggers who have long histories with PSO and were more than eager to share their perspective on this unique game world! The Game Archaeologist: Who the heck are you and how did you first get into Phantasy Star Online? What class and race did you play? David: I'm David Lambert, but many people know me better as Branick, host and producer of the LOTRO Academy podcast. I first got into Phantasy Star Online with the original Dreamcast release, which I picked up only about two weeks after it came out. I actually had eight different characters (I bought six VMUs in addition to the two I already had specifically for this purpose), but I definitely favored the HUcast. I wasn't big on using techniques, and the HUcast had the highest attack power in the game.
Best of the Rest: JC's picks of 2009
Muramasa: The Demon Blade Muramasa appealed to me in a way that Odin Sphere didn't, thanks to an emphasis on combo-heavy sword action instead of planting and whatever. And the RPG elements that are left, like the sword upgrades and cooking, are not only fun, but simple enough that I can get right back into the game after a long break and still know what is going on. Also, I don't mean to be shallow, but the fact that Muramasa is the most beautiful game of 2009 helps me be positive about it.
Phantasy Star Zero screens -- now with English text
It's been a long time since we've seen Phantasy Star Zero screenshots. In fact, it's been a long time since we've heard anything about the DS RPG, which is why these English screens (the first we've seen) are such a great comfort to us. Look, Sega's working on the game, probably!As demonstrated in the screen seen here, the chat macro system from Phantasy Star Online returns in this game, joined by the new Pictochat-style stylus chat. Technically, these two systems mean that you can chat with people who don't know your language. And now, thanks to this English release coming this fall (we hope), you'll actually be able to know what the game is saying as well.%Gallery-69479%
Phantasy Star Zero coming to DSiWare in bite-size form
According to an IGN writeup of an article in Famitsu, Sega of Japan has announced plans to release its first DSiWare game, Phantasy Star Mini. The game is a tiny "score attack" version of the DS's Phantasy Star Zero, in which players (in parties of up to four) select from a roster of three characters and fight a boss called Raven. Phantasy Star Zero's signature (pun unintended) visual chat interface is still available.The game is supposed to be out this month, but Nintendo's DSiWare page makes no mention of it. When it does come out, we suspect a Monster Hunter-obsessed Japan will be happy to drop 200 points for a quick bout of multiplayer boss-fighting.%Gallery-31775%
The early years of Phantasy Star Zero
Here's something: early on in its development, Phantasy Star Zero bore more than a passing resemblance to the original Phantasy Star Online on the Dreamcast.Unseen64 has assembled a collection of work-in-progress Zero screens and concept art, and the similarities are striking: according to these, Sega was also planning to include the opening Forest stage that featured in Phantasy Star Online, right down to the awesome dragon boss! Unseen64 says neither are featured in the final game (sadly, we have yet to play Zero ourselves, so we'll take their word for it).Other changes from the initial build include noticeably different character design, changes in the way items and currency are distributed (to make sure the game ran smoothly and looked as pretty as this), and a selection of monsters that missed the cut.%Gallery-31775%[Thanks, Joe!]
Phantasy Star ?? zeroes in on US, Europe this fall
Like meseta from heaven, Sega has rained down another entry in its long running Phantasy Star series, announcing plans to release Phantasy Star Ø, or 'Zero' for the numlock impaired, on the Nintendo DS in both North America and Europe this fall.Released in Japan over Christmas, Phantasy Star Ø is set in an alternate Earth history 200 years following a devastating war, and will feature 14 different customizable character types and in excess of 350 different weapons. In addition, while players will be able to adventure out by their lonesome, the action-RPG will also support both wireless and Wi-Fi multiplayer. A Pictochat-style chat system is also promised, letting us phantasize about exploring Earth's ravaged countryside as we level up our phallus-scribbling skills. Gallery: Phantasy Star Zero
DS Daily: Phantasy Starting too late?
Sega has finally announced Phantasy Star Zero for North American and European release (press release at the "source" link, new screens in the gallery), putting to an end our (mild) fears that the multiplayer action RPG would never leave Japan. But the press release specifies "Winter 2009" -- with a promise of more info in "the coming months" that suggests that they don't mean the winter 2009 we're currently in the middle of, but the next one. As in, almost a whole year away.Our immediate reaction was "nooooooo," but then we realized that there are just way too many DS games coming out in 2009 -- especially in the first half -- and maybe it's a good thing that we don't have to try to crowd Phantasy Star Zero in with all that stuff. It'll probably get crowded with a lot of future stuff, but we don't know that right now.What's your take? Too far away or helpful for your monthly time/money budgeting? Does PS0 say "holiday lineup" to you?%Gallery-31775%
Phantasy Star Zero confirmed for North America
If this rough shot of the most recent copy of Nintendo Power is to be believed, Phantasy Star Zero will hit North American shelves this fall. A reader sent the photo in to our friends at GoNintendo, and posters at NeoGAF also report the Nintendo Power cover. Word of mouth on the game has been incredibly positive, so we would be excited even if we weren't talking about Phantasy Star Zero. But we are, so that means we're over the moon. Are you as excited as we are? If not, maybe you should check out a trailer.Oh, and we should also mention that Sega just sent us a press release confirming the game will release in Europe.%Gallery-31775%Read -- GoNintendoRead -- NeoGAF
DS releases for the week of December 22nd
Oh by golly, have a holly jolly something this week, because what you're not getting are DS games. Uh, unless they're gifts. But even if we had a bevy of releases, none would shine so brightly in this blogger's extraordinarily nerdy eyes as the lone title slated for Europe: 100 Classic Book Collection. Dear Reggie-Santa: I have been very, very good. Please bring me books on the DS for the new year. And in the meantime, hit the break to see what's out in Japan, where they're not taking the week off. Quite the opposite, in fact!
Getting chatty in Phantasy Star Zero
As Phantasy Star Zero's Christmas Day release (in Japan) draws closer, we're being taunted with more and more media. The newest video showcases the excellent Pictochat-style chat system, which comes across as a more flexible, expanded version of the Symbol Chat system from previous games.As well as simply writing/drawing what you wish to say "live," you'll be able to save a bunch of preset sketches (because drawing stuff like this as a Rappy pecks your face off isn't practical), and simply tap a menu to bring them up. We don't know how many preset speech bubbles you can store in this way, but the player in this video has around twenty in his inventory, so ... at least that many. Also, if somebody sends you a drawing you really like, you can save it and pass it off as your own use it yourself!%Gallery-31775%
DS Daily: MMO-tivated
Thanks to Phantasy Star Zero, we've had a lot of nostalgic chats lately. We've been tossing around our fondest memories of playing previous titles in the series and thought about the other massively multiplayer games out there that might work on the handheld. There's plenty to choose from, after all.So, what would you like to see? A spin-off World of Warcraft for DS? Some Final Fantasy action? Or would you like something a bit bigger and more ambitious? If it's a stretch, don't worry about it. All ideas welcome!
A delightfully comprehensive Phantasy Star Zero trailer
If, for some reason, you haven't been following Phantasy Star Zero, Sonic Team's DS followup to the Phantasy Star Online series, you can catch up with this video. The rest of us can just enjoy another look at the game before its Christmas release (in Japan).The enthusiastically-narrated clip introduces the three gameplay modes -- solo, wireless multiplayer, and online multiplayer, with a nice helping of gameplay footage of each. We can also get a glimpse at the possibilities for character customization! Jaunty hats, antennae, and huge green afros abound.We think that there may even be a different story in the single-player mode for Humans, Newmans, and Casts. Combine that with the animated cutscenes, and Phantasy Star Zero may actually have a story mode worth playing!%Gallery-31775%[Via Gamekyo]
Phantasy Scan Zero
Sure, we may have posted about a Sega DS RPG once today, but it wasn't this one, so, like most other games, it doesn't count. Basically, what we're saying is yay Phantasy Star Zero.These scans from the Chinese edition of Famitsu introduce a few new monsters, including the Sinow Beat-esque "Arczyne" (or something similar), and some kind of surfing sword-bot. In addition, two NPCs from the story mode are shown: Dairon, who is involved with the Hunter's Guild in some way, and Ana, whose distinguishing characteristic seems to be that she wears what we are calling an "anti-vest." Her outerwear covers everywhere but her torso.%Gallery-31775%
Gorgeous Phantasy Star Zero animated short, less gorgeous theme song
We were about to praise this animated promotional video for Sega's Phantasy Star Zero. The look, the design of the environments, and the atmospheric music scream "Phantasy Star Online." The storyline does a beautiful job of presenting a civilization of technologically advanced pioneers. And just the very existence of an animated short like this suggests an admirable budget for the DS edition of the online action-RPG. It seemed like Sega was really going to do right by PSO fans.And then the theme song, "Makenai Kokoro" (Undefeated Heart), started. It's neither as sweeping as the PSO opening theme, "The Whole New World," nor as goofily enjoyable as Phantasy Star Universe's disco-style theme "Save This World". But we're nitpicking. The theme can certainly be endured long enough to see the lovely gameplay footage in the last half of the video.%Gallery-31775%
A brief look at character creation in Phantasy Star Zero
In a post about the filming of a new commercial for Phantasy Star Zero starring actor and singer Takeshi Tsuruno, GAME Watch also included a few screens of the character creation process. We've quickly translated the visible options; there aren't any real surprises, but we at least know that there are three different aspects of the character costumes that can change color, that the player can change the color of the floating "mag" robot, and that there are multiple selectable voices like in Phantasy Star Universe!Other screens show a party gathering and calling out for a Photon Blast (a charged attack that could be combined in Phantasy Star Online) and the boxart, which is a delight.%Gallery-31775%
Start collecting rare weapons already in Phantasy Star Zero
Like other Sega games we could mention, Phantasy Star Online titles have a proud history of including cute and funny references to other Sega properties. Phantasy Star Zero will be no exception. Ahead of the game's Japanese release on December 25th, those who preorder will receive cards that unlock in-game items from other Sega games.We were slightly disappointed (though not surprised) to hear the cards only grant weapons from more current Sega releases. These will include Valkyria Chronicles (PS3), Shining Wind (2007 ARPG for the PS2), Hatsune Miku Project Diva (PSP), and Blazer Drive, Sega's manga/RPG crossover that is also out in Japan in December. Sure, none of that stuff is going to be as funny as wielding Ulala's zapper or Samba's maracas or Chu Chu armor, but it's still fairly neat, right?%Gallery-31775%
A closer look at new Phantasy Star Zero loot
Famitsu has a brief preview of the two newest weapons that will be available to Phantasy Star Zero players, the shield and the gunslash. Shields will be able to defend against any weapon, according to this machine translation, though can also be used to limited effect for walloping enemies. We don't really have much to say about the gunslash, a sword/gun combo, other than "gunslash" is a totally rad name.Also featured is a third "new" weapon, which we should all be familiar with because it's a clenched, bare fist. We can't recall being able to fight with these in previous Phantasy Star games, probably because pummeling this with your mitts would be an act of grave stupidity. Oh, and you can also perform unnaturally high kicks. Those angles just ... aren't right.%Gallery-31775%
Point/Counterpoint: Voice chat vs. Stylus chat
When it launches in Japan on Christmas Day (and in the west ... hopefully some time soon!), Phantasy Star Zero will allow users to play online and communicate with one another via a unique Pictochat-style system. Using stylus drawings to relay information to your team-mates is certainly an original and novel approach, but is it the best? Wouldn't the speed and efficiency of voice chat suit Sonic Team's RPG more?While none of the staff are violently opposed to the idea of visual chat or voice chat, each certainly has it merits. Hit the gray button below and read both sides of the debate, and then weigh in through our poll! NEXT >> #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; } %Gallery-31775%
Famitsu Zeroes in on Phantasy Star weapons, online play
Our urge to start writing Phantasy Star Zero mushy love letters on a daily basis is stronger than ever. Famitsu's latest two-page spread on Sonic Team's online RPG is the cause of our infatuation. According to the magazine, PS Zero will be stocked with over 350 weapons spread across sixteen categories, including swords, spears, slicers, daggers, wands, magic rods, sabers, double sabers, claws, handguns, machine guns, rifles, launchers, bazookas, shields, and gunslashes.Those last two are new to the Phantasy Star universe (a gunslash, incidentally, is a gun/sword combo), though you will have the option of scrapping with your bare hands, though that seems like a daft tactic at best.Sega also talked online modes with Famitsu, revealing the three modes of play that will be available. Free Mode will let you join a random party automatically, though the PictoChat-style chat system is not possible here, Friend Mode allows you to grind with friends or friends of friends and have access to the chat, and Single Mode sees you playing online ... on your own. No, we don't understand that either.%Gallery-31775%[Translation by 1UP]
Jaws drop at first Phantasy Star Zero trailer
The first ever Phantasy Star Zero trailer is so damn hot that Gamekyo decided to reproduce it twice when uploading its video. That's fine with us, because we spent the first run-through simply rubbing our eyes at what we were seeing. Is this the best 3D yet on the DS? It's definitely a contender, with elaborate, screen-filling enemies and multiple characters legging it about on screen with no visible lag. It is, in a word, stunning.Alas, there's one very small fly in the ointment: the game has been dated for December 25th in Japan, preventing us western importers from getting it as quickly as we'd like.%Gallery-31775%
