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Eihwaz
Feb 26, 2007, 10:39 PM
So, I enjoy a good old-school RPG quite a bit.

I'm open to suggestions - which PS title should I try out? I've played some of them before on friend's emulators, but for no great length of time.

Comparisons between the various games would help.

HUnewearl_Meira
Feb 26, 2007, 11:27 PM
Start with the first, and work your way up. That's my suggestion.

Zorafim
Feb 27, 2007, 12:14 AM
If you really enjoy old RPGs, then start with the first, move to the second, and skip to the fourth. The third can be played any time after the second without much story conflict, though you'd probably get most out of it before the fourth.

If you are just interested in old RPGs and don't want to go through too much trouble, the fourth is pretty much a summery. It can stand by itself without much trouble. However, it would spoil the previous ones if you ever get around to them (except three).

Nai_Calus
Feb 27, 2007, 01:36 AM
Yeah, start at the beginning. PSIV isn't a bad intro, but it's probably better to start with older games.

I warn you in advance that PSII is painful and you kind of need to be told how the battle system works. It confused the hell out of me until I commented on it to Meira and he explained it to me, heh. PSII is also a study in angst, bring tissue.

HUnewearl_Meira
Feb 27, 2007, 01:48 AM
On 2007-02-26 21:14, Zorafim wrote:
However, it would spoil the previous ones if you ever get around to them (except three).



Actually, the "big startling revelation" from toward the end of Phantasy Star III is revealed rather early on in Phantasy Star IV, so yes, it would spoil it.

Ryna
Feb 27, 2007, 10:20 AM
Like the others, I would suggest playing them in order. The later games tend to tie in the proceeding ones - save for Phantasy Star III.

If you decide to start off with Phantasy Star I, I would suggest that you pick up some graph paper. You're going to need to map out dungeons and keep track of your current position.

DizzyDi
Feb 27, 2007, 10:33 AM
I tried playing PS1 but its WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too old school for my taste.
Can't I just skip it and still enjoy the story?

Ryna
Feb 27, 2007, 10:39 AM
On 2007-02-27 07:33, DizzyDi wrote:
I tried playing PS1 but its WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too old school for my taste.
Can't I just skip it and still enjoy the story?


Yes, it is possible. You may miss some of the homages in the later games, but each one plays well enough on its own.

Obscenity
Feb 27, 2007, 11:06 AM
On 2007-02-27 07:33, DizzyDi wrote:
I tried playing PS1 but its WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too old school for my taste.
Can't I just skip it and still enjoy the story?



...must resist...urge...to smack.

Seriously, though. What's wrong with kids today? No attention span, afraid of a little challenge, too jaded by flashy graphics, etc.

Ryna
Feb 27, 2007, 11:17 AM
On 2007-02-27 08:06, Obscenity wrote:
...must resist...urge...to smack.

Seriously, though. What's wrong with kids today? No attention span, afraid of a little challenge, too jaded by flashy graphics, etc.


Compared against modern-day RPG games, Phantasy Star I would probably receive low marks from most people. The minimalistic graphics, lack of advanced skills, no auto-mapping, and first-person dungeon view would probably be a turn-off to those people. It was a great RPG game for the late 80s, but the genre has advanced since then.

DizzyDi
Feb 27, 2007, 11:18 AM
On 2007-02-27 08:06, Obscenity wrote:

On 2007-02-27 07:33, DizzyDi wrote:
I tried playing PS1 but its WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too old school for my taste.
Can't I just skip it and still enjoy the story?



...must resist...urge...to smack.

Seriously, though. What's wrong with kids today? No attention span, afraid of a little challenge, too jaded by flashy graphics, etc.



Settle down old man, jeezus.
Sorry if I'm not drooling over the REVOLUTIONARY gameplay that the original Phantasy Star offers.
Ya know what though? The world is still spinning. :3

Obscenity
Feb 27, 2007, 11:25 AM
On 2007-02-27 08:18, DizzyDi wrote:

On 2007-02-27 08:06, Obscenity wrote:

On 2007-02-27 07:33, DizzyDi wrote:
I tried playing PS1 but its WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY too old school for my taste.
Can't I just skip it and still enjoy the story?



...must resist...urge...to smack.

Seriously, though. What's wrong with kids today? No attention span, afraid of a little challenge, too jaded by flashy graphics, etc.



Settle down old man, jeezus.
Sorry if I'm not drooling over the REVOLUTIONARY gameplay that the original Phantasy Star offers.
Ya know what though? The world is still spinning. :3



Yes, but yours is that much sadder for not being able to appreciate the greatness that is the original Phantasy Star. =D

DizzyDi
Feb 27, 2007, 11:30 AM
I'll manage.

MaximusLight
Feb 27, 2007, 12:22 PM
On 2007-02-26 22:48, HUnewearl_Meira wrote:

On 2007-02-26 21:14, Zorafim wrote:
However, it would spoil the previous ones if you ever get around to them (except three).



Actually, the "big startling revelation" from toward the end of Phantasy Star III is revealed rather early on in Phantasy Star IV, so yes, it would spoil it.



Specify!

Zorafim
Feb 27, 2007, 02:16 PM
On 2007-02-27 08:30, DizzyDi wrote:
I'll manage.




Nonsense.

If you can't get the feel for the game down, try some guides. Some maps for dungeons would be good, as well as a list of what spells and items do. I'd say it's worth playing just for the homages.

HUnewearl_Meira
Feb 27, 2007, 02:30 PM
On 2007-02-27 09:22, MaximusLight wrote:
Specify!



You're not meant to go into Phantasy Star III aware that the game takes place on a World Ship. A few hours into Phantasy Star IV, the party boards the wreckage of such a World Ship, and the whole ordeal is explained.

Obscenity
Feb 27, 2007, 02:38 PM
On 2007-02-27 11:16, Zorafim wrote:

On 2007-02-27 08:30, DizzyDi wrote:
I'll manage.




Nonsense.

If you can't get the feel for the game down, try some guides. Some maps for dungeons would be good, as well as a list of what spells and items do. I'd say it's worth playing just for the homages.



It's worth playing due to the fact that it's one of the best RPGs ever made.*

*The above statement may contain some bias and/or be tainted by nostalgia

Zorafim
Feb 27, 2007, 04:41 PM
I'd say the first final fantasy probably out does it, but not by much. However, the PS series is different from the FF series in that their games actually get better instead of worse as time went on.

HUnewearl_Meira
Feb 27, 2007, 04:49 PM
Erm... The original Phantasy Star was way ahead of the original Final Fantasy... Let's see... Better graphics... Better animation (attacking an enemy was slightly more impressive than simply taking a step foward and flashing a sword a few times)... Better music... A story that fascilitated characters that have names... Yeah.

Obscenity
Feb 27, 2007, 05:06 PM
On 2007-02-27 13:41, Zorafim wrote:
I'd say the first final fantasy probably out does it, but not by much. However, the PS series is different from the FF series in that their games actually get better instead of worse as time went on.



I have to disagree with everything you said in this post. For me, the high points in the PS series were 1 and 4. As far as FF goes, they hit their peak with 4-6. And there's no comparison between the first of each series. The first Final Fantasy is mediocre, at best.

Eihwaz
Feb 27, 2007, 05:36 PM
They're all on Genesis except PS1, which is on Sega Master System, right?

Scejntjynahl
Feb 27, 2007, 06:19 PM
Or GBA now.

HUnewearl_Meira
Feb 27, 2007, 08:53 PM
That's correct, Eihwaz. PS1 is on the Master System, PS2-4 are on the Genesis. Alternately, you can get PS1-3 on the GBA, but PS4 hasn't appeared anywhere else, I don't think. It *might* be in some sort of a compilation somewhere, but as far as I know, the only legitimate means of playing it at this point is to just find the Genesis cart.

Nai_Calus
Feb 28, 2007, 02:25 AM
Incorrect, PSIV is available on the Sega Genesis Collection for the PS2 and PSP. (Along with 2 and 3, but those were previously available.)

Whatever the hell kept them from re-releasing it, they finally got over it.

(Sega Genesis Collection is a recent release, came out in like... November last year? It's twenty bucks. Worth it for PSIV alone. Heh, actually, the blurb about PSIV mentions how expensive it was for the PSIV cartridge and tells you to think about how much the SGC cost and then says 'You're welcome', heh.)

Scejntjynahl
Feb 28, 2007, 12:01 PM
When I used to sell video games back in the day, we sold PSIV for about 89.99 and we had 250 copies, which all sold out in one day. >.>;;

Sinue_v2
Feb 28, 2007, 01:06 PM
Based on just rumor - I've heard that Sega actually lost the original code for Phantasy Star IV. All they had were the already compiled ROMs as a backup. This prevented them from adding it to the GBA collection (since those titles were re-coded for the hardware) but did allow for it to be run on the PS2 collection (which emulates Genesis hardware).l

I've heard that this is also the reason for the delay or cancelation of the Generation III remake.

HUnewearl_Meira
Feb 28, 2007, 02:32 PM
On 2007-02-27 23:25, Ian-KunX wrote:
Incorrect, PSIV is available on the Sega Genesis Collection for the PS2 and PSP. (Along with 2 and 3, but those were previously available.)


Actually, my statement was correct, as I was speaking of my own knowledge. The fact is that I was uninformed about the Sega Genesis Collection.

http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_wacko.gif

Sinue, didn't we hear about the whole thing with the code being missing from the THQ rep that visited the PSDB, when they were preparing to release Phantasy Star Collection?

<_<

You know, with all the tools they've got, you'd think they could reverse-engineer PSIV easily enough to be able to re-build the source code for a new platform. I mean hell, all they need to do is extract the game data resources and build a new client for them. I'm almost tempted to do it, myself.

>_>

If I had that level of programing skill, I would.

<font size=-1>[ This Message was edited by: HUnewearl_Meira on 2007-02-28 11:36 ]</font>

Sinue_v2
Feb 28, 2007, 03:47 PM
I'm not sure about that. I wasn't around on the PSDB when that post was made. It's always just been a rumor to me.

Eihwaz
Feb 28, 2007, 10:31 PM
From what I've heard, PSIV wasn't included in the GBA compilation merely because of size. The data for PSIV was too much for the cart, which was pretty filled up from PSI-III.

Nai_Calus
Mar 1, 2007, 03:55 AM
You'd think they'd have to code it from scratch anyway, but what the hell do I know?

Ah well, PSIV is probably least in need of a remake anyway. http://www.pso-world.com/images/phpbb/icons/smiles/icon_razz.gif