Which Phantasy Star should I play?

[poinie's poin]

Hey guys, so I picked this bundle up a while back when it was on sale and I've been meaning to get into the old Phantasy Star games. I've played Phantasy Star Online on pretty much every platform it was ever released for (including Xbox) and I'm in love with the game world, and the old Genesis games look right up my alley.

The thing is, I think starting from Phantasy Star 1 (wherever, or in whatever form I can play it) and then playing through each game in the series might be a little daunting, and I'd probably get burnt out. Is there a general consensus what the best in the series is? I've been leaning towards just playing through 4, but I think I've heard some good things about 3, too. Haven't really heard too much about the first two games. Would they be easy to just pick up and play, going in blind, or are they a bit complex and obscure?

[Naijiro]

Well I haven't played them in a couple years, but from what I remember correctly Phantasy Star 4 was the most accessable and easiest to follow for me, and graphically it was pretty decent.

Part 3 is cool how you can choose who the main characters are in the story based on who you romance or whatever, but i don't remember too much about it, might replay it now actually.

[Naijiro]

I wouldn't say either are too obscure or complex after part 1 and 2.

[Lord Maim]

Go old school. Start at the beginning and do all four. While you might need maps, you shouldn't need a guide for the games. As long as you save early and save often!

[Spooniest]

Phantasy Star I is one of the first games to give you the option to save almost anywhere.

However, it is not available on Steam.

I know, right? I'm not happy about it either.

I think starting with II is what I'd tell you to do, but that is largely because it was the first rpg I ever saw someone play.

[𒀬工房]

Well part 1 is quite basic, but good in its own right. The dungeons, you either love or hate, they have impressive graphics for an 8-bit console but are easy to get lost in. It is also quite a short game compared to the others in the series.

Part two... is a monster! The original game came with a map. You need this map if you are not familiar with the game. The dungeons are like multi floor labyrinths and the monsters are tough as nails. For the hardcore JRPG gamer only, I would say.

Part three is under rated in my opinion. There are no battle animations and the spells suck, which puts a lot off. But the game is quite good. It is more forgiving than part 2 but it can be a ♥♥♥♥♥ some times. My main issue with it is how slow the characters move about. There is a ton of walking to be done and it is at a snail’s pace.

Part 4 takes the best bits out of the other games and puts them all together, adds some new stuff to the mix also. I feel they nailed the formula with that one.

So to summarise, I feel that if you are new to the series and want to see what it’s all about, start with number 4. If you don't like that one, I highly doubt you will like the others!

[jedsTNT]

Best one is PS1, second is PS4, third PS2 and last PS3 IMHO

[landman]

I'd say:
Phantasy Star Generation 1
Phantasy Star Generation 2
Phantasy Star 3 retranslation
Phantasy Star 4

If you are going 100% classic, but not really up to the challenge, then:

Phantasy Star 4 (play it normaly)
Phantasy Star (with cheats!)
Phantasy Star 2 (with cheats/mods)
Phantasy Star 3 (with cheats/mods)
or abuse save state

[Caligo Clarus]

Definitely start with Phantasy Star Generation 1 for PS2. You can plAY IT ON pc VIA PCSX2 and it also has a full English translation available. I bought the game on ebay for like $10.

[Panda o' Plenty]

Just playing Phantasy Star 4 is the best option if you aren't much into old-school jRPGs.

Like, for example, your first half-hour in Phantasy Star 1 will be nothing but running between grinding in surrounding area and back to heal yourself in house. THEN it starts rolling.

[Arisilde]

I always found 4 the most enjoyable. The others are very dated. Still fun, but probably not as fun for a new player.

[Spooniest]

Originally posted by Snorkel the dolphin:

Thanks for the advice everyone. Earlier today I beat Phantasy Star 4 and loved it. Tried out the original Phantasy Star for Master System and I think I'm going to try out Phantasy Star Generation 1 before I decide which version I'm going to play - I wanted to see the game in its original state but it's so old and dated in a lot of ways.. I kind of like the art style of the Master System version better, but I might end up playing the PlayStation 2 remake just for the quality of life improvements.

Playing through Phantasy Star 4 has made me really want to see the other games, though, and I loved hearing music that I remembered from PSO. Looking forward to playing Phantasy Star 2 in particular, one of the playable characters looks nearly identical to my old PSO character.

Grats!

I think you'll enjoy Phantasy Star II as well, but I'll parrot what someone else said in this very thread, it's a monster.

Be ready to grind and abuse save states.

[Asane]

The only guide I used for any of them was a list of what spells actually do

[Spooniest]

Originally posted by Snorkel the dolphin:

Yeah, grinding and savestates don't bother me, it's when something is so complex that it gets hard to just sit down and play it without referring to a guide or a map. That, or the chain of events in order to progress is something really obscure and out of the ordinary.

Phantasy Star II isn't hard to follow the chain of events for, but I will warn you, they said that the dungeon guy was new on the team (in an interview). He kind of went overboard, they said, and they didn't have time to streamline anything.

If you have a way to obtain maps, I'd use it.

[Boss Rabbit]

I'll keep it simple.
4 > 2 > 3

[Beef Donair]

I'm echoing what others have said but, Phantasy Star IV then 1,2 and finally 3. ( IV is my favorite, although 2 is my 2nd. )