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Ninja Gaiden III, Phantasy Star II added to Virtual Console
With all eyes turned to San Francisco's Moscone Center this week, we half expected the Wii's Virtual Console to take a breather. What we got, as it turns out, is two extremely competent releases playing to two of our greatest loves, namely ninjas and, well, genetically engineered chicks with claws, giving those of us manning the Joystiq bunker something to fawn over while the team prepares to burn the midnight oil. Ninja Gaiden III: The Ancient Ship of Doom (NES, 1 player, 500 Wii Points): We'd be more inclined to watch daytime television if network soap operas took a page from Tecmo and filled their stories with ninjas, demons, and trans-dimensional clones. While Ryu Hayabusa's 8-bit escapades may be lacking the over-the-top gore found in the series' more contemporary offerings, we doubt even the upcoming Ninja Gaiden II will have a 'ship of doom.' Phantasy Star II (Sega Genesis, 1 player, 800 Wii Points): While Phantasy Star is better known now for its multiplayer shenanigans and a story thin enough to be named Top Model, the franchise's single player roots continue to be home to some of our most fondly-remembered role-playing from days when pixels were king. It's true that some could argue that Phantasy Star IV tops out its brothers as the series' best bet, but we'll always have a special place in our hearts for Phantasy Star II and Nei's cosmetically-challenged ears.
Japanese version of Xbox Phantasy Star Online to close
The Xbox version of Phantasy Star Online is going to be shut down, notes SiliconEra and the official PSO.jp site. The Japanese version of the well-known console MMOG will be closed almost five years after its initial launch on Microsoft's platform. Sega hasn't announced any similar plans for the US version of either the Xbox or 360 versions of the title.[Via Game|Life.]
Phantasy Star Portable playable at Jump Festa
You really better book your flight to Tokyo. Jump Festa just got a little bit more exciting, as Sega has announced its plans to unveil PSP to the public during the show. The game joins another hotly anticipated PSP exclusive, Final Fantasy Dissidia. The portable Phantasy Star is supposedly 60 percent complete, and these early images of the game showcase that even at such an early stage of development, it looks quite spiffy.[Via PSPHyper]%Gallery-11817%
First screenshots of Phantasy Star Portable
Abbreviated PSP, Sega's upcoming PSP port of Phantasy Star Universe is set to enthrall the audiences that snagged a PSP to play Monster Hunter. Just like Capcom's RPG, PSP will allow collaborative RPG play with other players ... provided you're all in the same room. At least the style and graphical flair of the Phantasy Star world have come through successfully in these first screenshots of the game.[Via PSP-Vault]
Phantasy Star Universe set for PSP, but with nerfed multiplayer
It was so exciting at first to read that Phantasy Star Universe is headed for the PSP. Developers have theorized before that a PSP MMO might be worth trying, and PSU is the perfect candidate because of its small-scale group battles and its pick-up-and-play approach. At first, it looked like this would finally be the big break!Or not! Sega has announced a Japanese PSU port for the PSP, but its multiplayer features are only ad hoc -- meaning it works over a local wi-fi connection between PSPs, not over the internet. So they've taken PSU, stripped out the "Massively" and "Online" parts of "MMO," and ported it to the PSP.Bad form, Sega -- bad form. Looks like we'll be waiting a bit longer for an MMO-on-the-go that isn't a cell phone game meant for 'tweens. Maybe NCsoft is PSP MMO fans' only hope.
Phantasy Star Universe getting a PSP port
We should add a disclaimer -- when we say port, we mean port sans a true online mode. Yeah, it's what makes Phantasy Star Universe tick, but if you've been a loyal Phantasy Star phan, you'll have played the story mode of the original as well as episode 2 and the beginning of 3 with the Ambition of Illuminus expansion. It's not the best dialogue or narrative, but the concepts and twists of the story are pretty cool and true to the franchise in terms of tone, believe it or not.Unless you think that playing as one character, then moving past him to play as your own to fight an evil organization (who houses the main bad guy, who actually turns out to be nothing but a pawn) is lame. Sound like Kingdom Hearts, a little bit? Did KH force you to participate in a planetary genocide? Did it cause an entire race of robotic beings to get hacked and run a space fleet into your satellite which crashes onto another planet? Face it -- Phantasy Star Universe is a cool and constantly changing experience. And the PSP is getting a port.The port is basically that: Ambition of Illuminus on your PSP, with some added missions and story points. While there's no true online mode, you do get 4-player ad hoc play. Commence the groans. The port is being handled by Alpha Systems, who is pretty unknown. Check out the scan from Famitsu if you'd like and hope this hits shores outside of Japan.
Phantasy Star Universe expands
Phantasy Star Universe's first expansion pack, Ambition of the Illuminus, launched in the North American market today. The update adds more single and multi-player missions and storylines, new character customization options, a new single-player game mode, some social environments, and retro environments originally from PSU's predecessor, Phantasy Star Online.Sega's PSU, like Square Enix's Final Fantasy XI, is one of the few highly successful console-centric MMOs to date. It has a complete single-player campaign and a persistent online world which can be explored by groups of up to six players.If you're playing PSU on the XBox 360, you can download the expansion pack for 1,600 points. If you're a PC or PS2 player, you'll have to buy the retail game disc. Japanese players have had access to the expansion since September, and Europe will have to wait until January to get its hands on it.
Sega releases Phantasy Star-branded texting gadget for PS2, Xbox 360
Sega has just announced a Phantasy Star-branded Blue Orb Texter for sale through its online store. The gadget is plugged in between the controller and console -- available for PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 -- and the player can use an analog stick to kind of jab in the text. (Note: Xbox 360 owners must have a wired controller to use this.)Looking at the layout of the characters, pictured, gives us the impression that we wouldn't be so accurate with it. According to Sega's website, gadget can be used with any game that accepts a USB keyboard.Someone will find this very convenient, to be sure, but considering the price -- $35 for PS2, $40 for Xbox 360 -- we have a hard time justifying this except for PSU enthusiasts who want the packaged "swag aplenty" and free t-shirt. We're eschewing the learning curve for this device and buying a USB keyboard and/or saving up for the Xbox 360 chatpad.[Thanks, Brett]
New texting device for Phantasy Star. Why?
Chatpad be damned! You may have seen shots of the Blue Orb Texter device on Joystiq last year. Essentially, you plug your wired control into the Texter, plug the Texter into your Xbox 360, and your controller becomes a text input device ... of sorts. Applying colored labels to your controller, you input combinations of stick presses to produce different letters. If the charts above are any indication, it is exactly as difficult as it sounds. SEGA has taken it upon themselves to create a Phantasy Star Universe branded version of the device. It's the same device, although it has a spiffier label and comes with lots of PSU-related stickers and a code to redeem a free T-shirt. Though it is intended for use in PSU, it will work in any 360 interface that accepts USB keyboard inputs. Given that the 360 Chatpad will give players the same functionality with a simpler interface, we have to ask: why?If this question does not vex you as it does us, you may purchase the Texter for $39.95. Hit the "read" link to see a video of the Texter in action.
Want Phantasy Star? Have $10? Let's make a deal
Phantasy Star Universe isn't for everybody, but those looking for an addictive, Diablo-style dungeon crawler won't find much better on the Xbox 360. Of course, that fact is offset by the addition of monthly fees, which send many gamers running for the hills. If you've been wanting to try PSU but were scared off by monthly charges, then we may have a deal for you. Amazon is currently selling the game for the rock-bottom price of $9.99. Heck, at that price, you could buy the game and play it for 5 months before you exceeded the average price of a 360 game. Not a bad deal if you're looking for some Rappy-slaying action.Of course, the game does have a single player mode as well, so it's quite a bit of gaming for not a lot of scratch.Any takers?[Via Xbox 360 Rally]
PSU: AotI expansion to be download only
The Phantasy Star expansion ever so conveniently named Phantasy Star Universe: Ambitions of The Illuminus, will be coming to the Xbox 360 this Fall and offered exclusively via download from the XBLM. The expansion will continue the "epic" PSU storyline and build upon the traditional gameplay with enhanced game and community features. But, as with the other PSU offerings, it'll cost you $9.99 per month to play on Xbox Live which you already pay for. Actually, this kind of irks us a little, paying to play on an already paid for online service. Heck, they could at least discount the monthly fee for gold Xbox Live members and keep the $9.99 price tag for silver. Stupid monthly fees ... we'll exterminate you one day.
Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of Illuminus details
The hopelessly addicted cast of PSO-World got their hands on the latest issue of Famitsu and with it the first solid details on Phantasy Star Universe: Ambition of Illuminus. As the sequel to last years online RPG, Sega appears to be tweaking it to address the number one complaint amongst those who played the original PSU. Namely, it wasn't as good as Phantasy Star Online. While it won't bring back the gameplay of the original, Ambition of Illuminus will be adding new weapons and clothing that bring back the style of Phantasy Star Online. Entirely new weapon types will be joining the mix including photon whips and slicers, new stages and even a casino, run by the penguin-esque rappies. Now you Phantasy Star addicts can do your gambling and turn tricks all in the same place!
Dream Games: Phantasy Star Universe
Dream Games is a new weekly column where we explore a game we'd love to see on the PSP. Feel free to check in, and comment, every week.Phantasy Star UniverseThe Phantasy Star Online series has reached almost every platform imaginable: the PS2, Xbox, Xbox 360, Dreamcast and even the Gamecube. While Nintendo stayed away from online support for the GC, Sega dove head-in, even going so far as to make an Episode III exclusively for that platform. With that in mind, a PSP version of this revered franchise doesn't sound any more crazy than Sega's previous efforts.Why PSP?The PSP needs a strong online RPG, and PSO and PSU may fit the bill. Portable gamers need something that they'll be able to play offline and on, and that's always been one of the series' highpoints: the flexibility it gives the player. Something as comprehensive as World of Warcraft is most likely not technically possible, nor fun, for handheld play. But the accessibility of PSO and PSU should work on the go.Is it possible?Considering how most publishers shy away from Infrastructure support, we may never see an online RPG on our system. Couple that with extensive homebrew use, and publishers may see the PSP too risky: how can they be sure that people are paying their monthly fees and aren't cheating? It won't be worth their effort, but we'd like to see Sega or Sony at least try once.
Play Phantasy Star Universe with PS3Fanboys!
Whether you have the title for PC or PS2, chances are this isn't your first time with a Phantasy Star game. Whether you're still wondering if Rolf and his team died or lived in the end of Phantasy Star II (I say they lived... I mean, Rune did say in PSIV that the first generation Lutz came and stored the Aero-Prism on Motavia), or if Sega will ever release another turn-based Phantasy Star title (Skies of Arcadia was rumored to be one... alas, it was not so), you know you're enjoying Phantasy Star Universe. At long last, I'm online with it.That brings me to the point of this article. A few people did show interest in a sort of playing group for PS3 (how this would work, I am unsure as I don't have a freakin' PS3) online, so I'm extending that offer to Phantasy Star Universe. Here's what's happening today. I'm going to leave one of my characters, Rune Walsh, sitting in front of the fountain at the central table of the GUARDIANS Colony, in Universe 10, from 4PM-5PM Eastern Standard Time today and tomorrow (same time tomorrow). I'm going out to buy a keyboard today, since I'm running on the PS2. That way I can communicate better in the game. You can do a number of things should you choose to locate me: Leave me your partner card Send me a simple mail ...Blacklist me Sit down and chill with my new character until I get back from my errands (going out to buy some groceries and such) Leave a comment here about your character and if you'd like to meet at a better time Regrettably, I'm about 98% certain that the 360 servers are independant from the PS2 and PC servers, so I can't play with the 360 fanboys. That sucks, since that might be where the majority of gamers are for this. Anyway, it's up to you if you want to party with fellow PS3Fanboy readers -- I think it would take our community to a level not often found on websites. I mean, do you ever play online with GameSpot, or IGN workers? Hmmm.
Sega Sammy shows increased profits ... without games
More good gaming biz news keeps rolling in, though this silver cloud comes with a gray lining. Sega Sammy (more commonly known as just Sega) announced a 52% increase in profits of $322 million for the first six months of the year, compared to $211 million last year. Before gamers stop and cheer, the profits aren't helped any by the actual video game division. Sega Sammy's game division was hampered by R&D costs resulting in a $57 million loss despite an increase in software sales. The full year forecast is also lower due to problems with the company's pachinko division. This just goes to show you how minimally actual video games impact the company. Video games only make up 14% of Sega Sammy's $2.4 billion in sales. Since they're pulling a loss, holding onto the game division may start looking like a bad idea. Will Sega be able to make a transition into the next-generation era, or will they start feeling the pressure? No other company is showing similar financial difficulties moving into 360 and PS3 development. No company can last forever, but let's hope Sega manages to stay in the game a bit longer ... we still have a soft spot for the Dreamcast.
Longer Phantasy, beta extended til Saturday
Good news for those of you already addicted to Phantasy Star Universe (me), the beta has been extended until Saturday, October 21st. Now you have three more days to die and watch your unhelpful teammates hump your corpse. Assuming you can actually connect anyway. Just to be sure, we connected earlier and the beta is definitely still working. Some of you may remember that the beta was cut short thanks to a delay and yesterday's Live outage. It's nice to see that SEGA is willing to extend the beta in light of these issues. Anybody enjoying the game so far?[Thanks, Mike]
Be Called to Duty on Nov. 10th
Call of Duty fans mark your calendars, Call of Duty 3 has been dated. CVG lists the 360 version for November 10th, well before any other version (the PS3 version is set for March 07). Curiously absent from Activision's announcement is the date for the Xbox version. CVG speculates that this could mean the Xbox version has been canceled. It seems doubtful, but COD2 is the 360's first million seller. Maybe Activision and Mircrosoft are hoping COD3 will drive sales of the 360. Regardless, 360 owners will be the first to play. We can't help but note that it's going to be impossible to sample all the 360 goodness this holiday. Gears of War, Phantasy Star, Splinter Cell, Viva Piñata, R6 Vegas, the list just keeps going. Who's planning on squeezing Call of Duty 3 in there?[Via Evil Avatar]
Phantasy Star's universal issues
The Phantasy Star Universe demo is now available on Xbox Live as part of the beta (it went up yesterday), but you'd be hard-pressed to tell. After a 954 MB download, we were treated to failed connection messages over and over for upwards of an hour. A quick glance at the PSU beta forum suggests that this problem is rather widespread.The amount of time the PSU beta would be available has been constantly diminishing, marred by a series of problems. Let's recap: The beta is announced as being up for download Oct 11 and 12 and then open to play until October 18. That gives us at most an entire week of gaming. Near the eleventh hour, Sega announced that the download would be delayed, but promised within a few days. The download then comes available this weekend, but still only lasts until October 18. Two less days to enjoy PSU. Xbox Live announces that they will be down for maintenance October 17th for up to 24 hours. That's another day we can scratch off. Server issues plague the PSU beta. Time to find another way to spend the weekend. We're hoping Sega gets the issue straight soon. Even if the beta turns out to be a bust, internet troubles now are a bad sign for the official Phantasy Star Universe release, which is just 10 days away. Any Joystiq readers had any luck with the beta?Continue reading for our entire PSU experience thus far, summed up in two screenshots.
Three new Sega Genesis Collection videos
You know what I love about all these classic compilations coming out? I'm realizing just how many games I missed out on as a kid, but the great thing about these games is we don't have to miss out on them anymore. Today's videos are Ecco Jr., Shinobi and Phantasy Star IV. Check out Phantasy Star after the jump. See also: Decap AttackVirtua Fighter 2, Sword of Vermillion and Bonanza BrothersPhantasy Star 2 and Golden AxeKid Chameleon Ecco the Dolphin and Columns
Phantasy Star Universe beta is Live
The much ballyhooed Phantasy Star Universe open beta is now available on Xbox Live Marketplace. Now you can slay rappies to your heart's content until October 18th. But not on the 17th. We'll let you all know how wonderful/awful it is just as soon as possible. Perhaps an impromptu Xbox 360 Fanboy clan (X360FanClan?) is in order.
