The favorite Phantasy Star game poll

[AlgolianAndrew]

I was happy to see that the results of this poll strongly reflect my opinion of Phantasy Star. That Phantasy Star 4 was a major, positive evolution of the Phantasy Star series. I prefer to call the game Phantasy Star:The End of the Millenium rather than Phantasy Star 4 which I think belittles it a bit, treating it like simply another chapter in the series.
I have to respect PS 1 & 2 for providing some of the basic material used in PS 4. The concept of the Algo Solar System with 3 planets to explore and 3 races to meet with is one of the real fundamentals of the game series. Dark Force (Dark Falz) was introduced at the very end of PS 1 and was heavily fleshed out in PS 4. PS 2 was obviously a big influence on PS 4 in terms of visual design, menu structure, terminology etc. It also introduces the heavily scientific, mechanized Motavia with the Bio-plant,Climatrol etc. PS 2 differs from PS 4 in that it's chief focus is the issue of the Mother Brain. When they made PS 4 they appeared to want to get as far away from the Mother Brain concept as possible, acknowledging it's existence but not mentioning anywhere that the Brain was infact destroyed by Algolians in order to save Algo which then led to the realization that Earthlings had created the Mother Brain and bought it to Algo etc. etc. The focus was entirely shifted to Dark Force and discovering his origins. The idea of Dark Force returning every 1000 years also was introduced in PS 2 plus Lutz' role as Algo's preserved guardian.
I think the characters in PS 4 were so well designed and so lovable. While I was playing the game they felt like family. I truly believe that PS 4 is the best story within a video game ever, not to mention one of the best manga/anime stories ever. I've never played a game that got me quite as emotionally involved as this one.

[AlgolianAndrew]

Regarding the opinion, common at this forum, that Phantasy Star IV is inferior because it's too easy.......PS 4 was the first RPG I had a serious attempt at playing (and that was in 1997). My preference was for arcade or adventure games. Looking back I think I can call PS 4 perhaps the first "mainstream RPG". And like anything that goes mainstream, it causes offence and disappointment to the purists. All due respect to the RPG purists who have been playing RPGs since the original Ultima game, but PS 4 was like "an RPG game for the rest of us". It allowed me to progress through the game/story without all the leveling and fundraising (in the eyes of non-RPG players, "geeking around"). PS 4 provided plenty of challenges to an RPG rookie like myself. My first real struggle was defeating the Giant Sandworm on the first sidequest. Then I died many times against Zio's insect-like henchman guarding the pyscho-wand and possibly died 50 times before defeating Zio himself. I was so emotionally involved in the game though, wanting to avenge Alys' death and the deaths of the other Motavians Zio had killed, that I kept trying and found a way to beat him. Had it been PS 2 or PS 1 I think I would have totally given it up as a pointless exercise. Basically I think I did the right thing by playing PS 4 first cause it encouraged me to struggle through the 3 prior games despite often wanting to quit. I was able to beat both PS 1 and PS 3. PS 2 I havn't yet beaten though I believe I made it as far as Dezolis. So it's interesting. I'm still not a fan of RPGs, but PS 4 is possibly the best game ever, spanning all genres.

[fogeltje]

Tough call between PSI and PSII. I'm going with PSI. It's the game that introduced me to the series, RPGs and one of my first video games. Always loved it, always will. I also liked the dungeons a lot better.

[etony33]

I really can't answer this. I love them all (well, the ones I've played, which is limited to I, II, III, and IV). I and II were both way ahead of their time, and it was so much more satisfying to complete them than most RPGs, past or present, because of the difficulty level. III, despite the actual gameplay not really being up to snuff because it was rushed, had an absolutely brilliant story, and the idea of multiple generations and having things change depending on whom you chose to marry was a stroke of genius and gave it replay value that many RPGs lack. And IV was brilliantly done, with both the gameplay and the story. So I can't choose just one.

[DarkMyau]

Phantasy Star 1 was my favorite as it has a great balance. I would like to see any other game make the first enemies you fight a challenge. You earned every level and really noticed the difference as Alis got stronger. The sandbox style was exactly what all RPGS should have as you had to search for the best weapons and figure out where Lassic was.

Yet I gave my vote to PS3! Great storyline won it.

[Nommy]

It was close between PS2 and PS4, but I chose PS2 in the end because, although I find PS4 to be more fun and balanced, it's PS2 that instills such deep nostalgic memories and is so creatively inspirational. That, and I've always considered PS2 to be very though provoking due to the very limited narrative storyline. That's probably what got me started down the path of game-design in the first place... having to fill in the blanks, myself.

[Doctor Hooves]

My favourite is III.

[Kalisiin]

This is a tough question.

I ultimately picked PS2. PS4 was also good...and PS1 was better than aby eight-bit game had any right being!!
It was the last game I ever had to use graph paper while playing it lol!

I'm sorta surprised that many people picked PS3 at all, it seems to be the black sheep of the series.

I enhoyed that one, myself...but it seems to me like you can zip thru it too fast for my liking. I played it thru all generations in two days flat. And that was not constant play, either...only when I was sitting on my porch smoking.

[Shinto-Cetra]

I picked Phantasy Star Generation 1, because I feel Phantasy Star (the original) was so groundbreaking, BUT with all the technological constraints of the era, it couldn't achieve it's true potential on the SMS. I like Generation 1 because it's a more a more refined, fleshed out version of the original. The chat function and character portraits add a lot of dialogue and characterization, and actually seeing which character attacks instead of attack effects but not seeing which character was doing them. Also I liked having the Atlas items that made dungeons more navigable (I found the original dungeons grueling without them...) In any version, Phantasy Star still feels revolutionary today. A female protagonist is out for revenge (but is not cold-hearted either.) It seems like so many later rpgs (at least the ones I play) still shy away from revenge as something to be shunned, and most still have male protagonists (not that male protagonists are bad, but I would like more variety.)

[xenowildfire]

My favorite is Phantasy Star 2, it was the first RPG I got played and had gotten into.
I played it for months over and over again back in 1990 and have been hooked on the series since then.
I have so many memories going thru this game and using the hint book that came with it
I love playing the others and each game has a spacial thing about them, PS III has the different main characters that you get to play as in each generation with 4 endings.
I didn't like the battle setup in it though.
PS IV was the longest and had a great story, cool techs.
Phantasy Star had the 3-D dungeons .
Playing the online or universe games just left something out what is was like to go thru the original series, like characters, story game play.( I'm not saying they was bad or anything)
I can't wait to Play thru Gen 1 and 2 when they are finished.

[etony33]

The thing about 2 is its difficulty. It isn't for everybody...a LOT of grinding and a bit of luck is required. For the novice player, lots and lots of resets too. To me, that makes it all the more rewarding when you finally beat it.

[xenowildfire]

The thing about 2 is its difficulty. It isn't for everybody...a LOT of grinding and a bit of luck is required. For the novice player, lots and lots of resets too. To me, that makes it all the more rewarding when you finally beat it.

So true, at the start of the game you have to grind a little bit before going into the first dungeon.
I think and it was years ago 25 years ago when I first played PSII, the beginning of the game was the only time I had to grind.
I beat it at level 32 and I remember the one tech well 2 that I didn't have but 1 I was more interested in was Megid, on the back of the map was a list of
all the weapon's, armor and techs with who could use/learn what.
Megid was the only one that didn't have who learned it or what it did just had ? on it in every space so I had to grind 3 levels just to learn it.
The funny thing was I didn't realize that every time I used it my team took damage, I didn't find that out until PSIV lol

[MrStarbird]

The damage for Megid in Phantasy Star II was calculated to be powerful or weak. If I recall correctly, it took 1/2 of everyone's HP, added it up, and then dealt it to the enemies. If Rolf was alone, it dealt minimal (if any) damage). This is one thing that still confuses me as to how it gets around the damage overflow flag as any damage over 255 gets dropped back down to 0 and wraps around that way.

[FantasyDan]

I like them all, every part is unique, but the best ( in my opinion) PhantasyStar IV (Genesis) is awesome.

[Doctor Hooves]

Phantasy Star III.

*runs*

EDIT: Oh, wait, I replied here already. Never mind.