Phantasy Star Collection

"All the nostalgia 1/7th the price"

Phantasy Star 1, 2 and 3 all for GBA, all for $29.99! WOW! For those unfamiliar with the series; this is the ground breaker for science fantasy in RPGs. In the same vein as Final Fantasy, you play as a hero with a dilemma who develops a party to conquer evil. The nice part is not only is the story enthralling but you aren't limited to swords and other medieval weaponry. Shotguns and laser cannons are only the beginning of the diverse weapon choices.
Don't misunderstand though, Swords, knives and even boomerangs are still there...and yes, there's no shortage of magic in these titles either.

Graphics: 7
There's definitely not as much detail as you found in the Genesis versions of PS 2 and 3 but on this screen you really can't tell. I feel that all 3 titles have been faithfully restored though I'd imagine if you put this on a full size screen you'd clearly see the lack of detail. For the screen size though, It may as well be a Nomad (portable Genesis) with the original cart in it. All animation seems to be intact, especially on the enemies in battle scenes. The colors are nice and vivid as they were on their original versions. Even though the graphics are dated, they have such a nice style that you really don't feel like you're playing a game from 1986-1991.

Sound: 7
This was really what I was concerned about prior to buying the game. After playing PS2 for the Dreamcast on the Sega Smash Pack, I found that it truly was possible for a programmer to completely mutilate excellent music. I was worried that if Sega was willing to let that slip on the DC version, what would stop them from letting it happen again? Well, luckily someone at Digital Eclipse (the group responsible for the reprogramming) thought it would be wise to try to maintain all 3 PS games in their entirety. The music is great! I'm not going to say it's perfect but it's all there and is almost dead on with the Genesis and Sega Master System versions. I'm very pleased with the music and I'm certain that any PS fan will be too. The only drawback was that the ''bell'' sounds used throughout #3 really don't resonate as they did on the Genesis...though it's a small complaint. The sound effects are also great..I'd say they're just shy of exactly right.

Gameplay: 7
Well, the control is fairly simple in all three titles. The menus during battle scenes are a little small but very useable. The game may move a little slow for some as you aren't always told exactly what to do. Sometimes you just need to explore a little. In PS3 the frequency of battles is a bit on the absurd side, though it does help you to gain money and levels fairly quickly. The story of these games really helps to keep you fueled, even when you're just pacing for 15 minutes to gain a level or 2.

Fun Factor: 8
This is a game with easily 50+ hours of gameplay. In addition to the warm fuzzies we veterans feel when playing it, I'm sure all newcomers will quickly learn the joy these games contain. If you're a Phantasy Star fan like I am (I purchased PS 1 for the Sega Master System new, followed by PS 2, 3 and 4 for the Genesis new and lastly I Imported Phantasy Star Collection for the Sega Saturn) then I can reassure you that you're going to get what you're after with this package. This is not a title to miss!

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 12/07/02, Updated 12/07/02