Classic gaming - Sega style

Author's Rating:

Pros: 3 full games. Accurate rendition. Save game slots. Quick reference sheet included.

Cons: Missing Phantasy Star 4! Dated graphics. Won't appeal to all.

The Bottom Line: 
This is definately a game that older players with a touch of nostalgia will enjoy, however it is difficult to imagine this game reaching out to a younger audience.

Author's Review
I wasted so much time playing Phantasy Star as a kid that I am frightened at the thought of having this in my GBA. I picked this game up about a week ago, and have played it every night so far, if it were not for the dim lighting at the moment I think I would be playing still instead of writing this.

Packaging
The box contains the game, and instruction booklets. The instructions are actually pretty good. The booklet itself lists all of the uses for common items, and spells, so you don't have to wonder what the heck the NAFOI spell is. The real gem here however is the quick reference sheet that contains the list of all of the weapons and armors in each of the three games with their respective strength and who can use them. This may not sound like a big deal, but when you have to decide to spend 1000 Mesetas on a weapon you really want to know if it is worthwhile.

Game 1 - Phantasy Star 1
Phantasy Star 1 was originally released on the Sega Master System and it shows. The graphics on this game were really nice back in the day, but that was 12 years ago. The game plays exactly as it used to. The game world is not very big, and there is a lot of times when you are returning to places you have already visited.

The combat system is very basic here. You only see one image of the enemy on screen, and a list shows you how many you are fighting. You can control which player in your party performs which kind of attack, but you cannot control towards which enemy. This is very bothersome when there is an enemy with 3 HP left and your guys start fighting an enemy with 45 HP instead of finishing the other one off.

This is the only game of the series that uses a first person perspective when exploring dungeons, which is revolutionary. This alone makes the game worth playing as you really do feel lost in large dungeons. Overall however, this game has lost some of it's appeal over the years. A bit repetitive and does not really draw you in.

Game 2 - Phantasy Star 2
Phantasy Star 2 has always been my favorite of the series. Originally released on the Genesis the graphics are much better than Phantasy Star 1. The combat system is much improved here.

The game is set in the future with more impressive weapons and bright colors. The menus can get a little overwhelming however with the amount of information being shown. The story has more depth and has plenty of plot twists. You can really see how the jumps to the Genesis made the world so much bigger, the maps cover a much larger area in this game.

Game 3 - Phantasy Star 3 - Generations
One of the weirdest PS of the series. This game is set in a medieval setting with players wearing cloaks and capes. The interface is very odd with playing cards acting as a backing to the status screens.

Generations however weird offers interesting gameplay. The game is the largest of the three, and offer replayability by introducing the concept of the player getting married. At key points in the game you get to choose a bride, and have a child. When this occurs you then get to play as your offspring (hence generations). This happens a couple of times in the game and each time you get a chance to select between two brides, for a total of FOUR different endings to the game.

The remainder of the game is similar to Phantasy Star 2 in its execution. Battles have the same feel, and overall this game is very enjoyable.

Game 4... There is no game 4
Phantasy Star IV, the only game missing from this collection was not included because there was not enough room on the cartridge format for a whole other game. Disappointing...

Interface
The interface for selecting which game you want to play is very simple. When you boot up your GBA you are presented with the PS1 logo. Hit the up or down button to swap between the three adventures. You get to save your game independently for each of the games, so if you want to alternate play you can without losing your saved games.

Conclusion
Overall this is an enjoyable game for fans of classic RPG style gameplay. Of course being between 12 and 6 years old what seemed like innovations at the time are now common place in most RPGs.