A Full Week of Phantasy Star

Forget dungeons and dragons, Phantasy Star II takes role-playing gamers out of the high fantasy world and throws them into a distant future. After a successful Master System installment, Sega decided to make Phantasy Star II one of their big 1990 releases. Was this Sega Genesis sequel well received at the time? We turn to Electronic Gaming Monthly, Raze, Sega Pro and MegaTech for the answers!

In a time when role-playing games were still a rarity, the critics were split on Phantasy Star II for the Sega Genesis. EGM's Ed Semrad liked the game so much, he ran out of space and didn't wasn't allowed to complete his sentence. Raze also loved this sequel, [READ MORE]

Few role-playing games are as epic as Phantasy Star III on the Sega Genesis. Spanning 100 years and three generations, Sega's 16-bit RPG was a big deal in 1991. But did the game live up to its lofty ambitions or simply confuse the critics. We turn to Electronic Gaming Monthly, Mega Play, GamePro, MegaTech and other old school magazines to find the answers.

With the addition of multiple generations and refined graphics, critics largely liked Phantasy Star III more than its predecessor. Mega Play called it "the best of the trilogy yet," while Electronic Gaming Monthly noted that it's "one of the best RPGs ever." Some complained [READ MORE]

Phantasy Star IV was not just the End of the Millennium, but also the final 16-bit entry in the role-playing series. And with a $100 asking price, the end came with a steep barrier for entry. Were critics able to get over the high price and enjoy Phantasy Star IV, or did they turn on this long-running series? We dig through old issues of Die Hard Game Fan, Electronic Gaming Monthly, Mean Machines Sega and Game Informer for the answers.

Phantasy Star may not have gone out on a high note, but the expensive Genesis cartridge certainly had a few vocal fans. Mean Machines Sega called Phantasy Star IV "pure, fulfilling adventure at its very best," and Die Hard Game Fan said it was "ultimate Sega RPG." It seems [READ MORE]