Games Beaten 2017

[Markies]

1. Phantasy Star II (GEN)

I completed Phantasy Star II this evening on the Sega Genesis.

Oh, wow, that game is quite brutal. It was released a little before the original Final Fantasy, so it very much feels like an 8 bit RPG. There is little story and it is actually a little hard to follow sometimes. The interface is hard to navigate. The grinding in the game is real and very long. You will be grinding for money and pure levels. Some of the enemies and especially the bosses are just pure mean and evil. It is a long, slow and arduous process just to get through the game.

It is one of the first Science Fiction RPG's, which is a first for its time and helped pave the way for many before it along with many other firsts. I really like the multiple characters and how you can choose your party members at any time. Having a main character die half way was shocking and very gutsy on their part. However, by far, the best part of the game is its music. Oh my Goodness, those are some of the best tunes in the world! Fantastic for a game of that age.

There are many things that frustrated me about Phantasy Star II, but there are many things I like/respect about the game. I think it is only for hardcore old school RPG fans and those interested in the genres roots. It is an elder that deserves our respect, but it can be a tough pill to swallow sometimes.

[Exhuminator]

It is an elder that deserves our respect, but it can be a tough pill to swallow sometimes.

So true, and congrats on beating a legit classic.

I haven't beaten this game since 1991, back when I was in traction for six weeks. I didn't have a whole lot to do in a hospital bed, so to a twelve year old the grinding was a blessing*, making the experience last longer and prolonging the entertainment. I distinctly remember the fight with Mother Brain, being amazed at her palette cycling effect, and the feeling of elation when I beat her.


*As a busy adult, excessive grinding can piss off.

[TSTR]

Phantasy Star II came out two years after Final Fantasy. The first Phantasy Star came out at almost the exact same time as FF1.

[Exhuminator]

The first Phantasy Star came out at almost the exact same time as FF1.

Yep. The first PS was released all of two days after the first FF. What a time to be alive that was.

[TSTR]

The ol' one-two!

[MrPopo]

The US releases of both were in 1990, with Phantasy Star II coming first. But from the perspective of design choices PS2 came after FF.

[Markies]

It is an elder that deserves our respect, but it can be a tough pill to swallow sometimes.

So true, and congrats on beating a legit classic.

I distinctly remember the fight with Mother Brain, being amazed at her palette cycling effect, and the feeling of elation when I beat her.

Oh yeah, that was completely stunning! Her fight was amazing and her sprite was utterly stunning. The Pandora's Box fight before her can just die. He was beyond mean.

Yeah, the graphics and sprite work in the game are really amazing. The enemies are ginormous on the screen and look absolutely huge in battles.

One thing I just remembered about the game: the 'look room' is AWFUL! Your characters are so close to the screen for it to finally move. That was so annoying in dungeons as you can hardly see around you.

I do own Phantasy Star III & IV. I have heard great things about both, so I am very excited to play them in the future!

[Juan Aguacate]

@Juan - Good to know about Hell Yeah! - WOTDR. I got that in some bundle and never gave it a second thought. Might have to change that.

As I recall, Gamerforlife was also a big fan of it back when he was still coming around. I also own it on Steam. I'll get to it someday...

Yeah, it's a neat game. Just brought back memories of old Sega games and Earthworm Jim when I was playing it. There's even a little Mortal Kombat influence here with the enemy fatalities, one of them even references the old "Toasty!" thing. Definitely a game aimed at the kind of retro crowd that frequents this site

Sadly, I think the developers disbanded or went out of business a few years ago. They released a small number of titles on PSN, Steam, Xbox Live Indie Games and the Nintendo DS before that happened though, and I think Hell Yeah was their last game.

[Exhuminator]

I do own Phantasy Star III & IV. I have heard great things about both, so I am very excited to play them in the future!

You're in for a good time, especially with IV. When it comes to the 8 & 16-bit JRPGs, for me it will always be PS > FF.

[noiseredux]

Phantasy Star <3