"So much game, for so little money."

Sega has treated handheld gamers with even more ports of old games. This collection features Phantasy Star (Published in 1988 for the Sega Master System), Phantasy Star II, and Phantasy Star III: Generation of Doom (Both released for the Sega Genesis). All three of these classic titles on one tiny cart. It's almost too good to be true, but thankfully - It is that good.

Many Die-Hard RPG gamers were always happy to plunk down 70 dollars for the latest Phantasy Star, and for good reason - these games combined fun Dungeon crawling, a well told story, and stunning graphics (well, at the time they were pretty good). Fortunately, today's gamers get these picture perfect ports for a price anybody could afford. That adds up to more than 100 hours of gaming for 30 dollars.

So how do these title stack up today? Read each of my reviews to find out:

Phantasy Star - This game is hailed as one of the most influential games in history. And it holds up surprisingly well after 15 long years. With the great story, cool characters, and some of the best graphics in the 8-bit era. This blew the socks off many RPG fans. Beware though, it's hard enough to turn off almost any casual gamer. But if you level up enough, your actions will be rewarded. The story is the centerpiece in this game.

Phantasy Star II - Now this was the defining moment of the Phantasy Star franchise. Not to mention the first major 16-bit RPG to hit U.S. shores. Just like the first - it was critically acclaimed for it's wonderful, dramatic storyline, Bright vibrant colors, and it's enjoyable gameplay. But it too was as tough as the original, but the gamers who stuck with it were treated with an awesome ending.

Phantasy Star III: Generation of Doom - This title was a let down when it first arrived nearly 10 years ago and time hasn't been kind to this game. I did enjoy the direction this game was heading for, but the execution fell flat on it's face. The 'Generation' system certainly was interesting (after the main characters die, you continue the quest with their children) and it was the first to introduce multiple ending to the genre. But it just passes as mediocre at best.

One thing that gets my goat is the fact that the developers added nothing at all. You'll find the same glitches, the same difficulty. These are bare-bone ports, which is a sign of laziness on the developer's side of things. Let's just hope it doesn't happen with any other collections. If they gave this game a face-lift, and made an all-new translation this would have been a must-have for anyone.

This cart belongs in any RPG fans library, and the fact that you can take it on the go is just icing on the cake. 30 dollars for 3 classic RPGs? Sure they're not Golden Sun quality or anything. But it's worth picking up. It's a nice history lesson for any RPG nut.

The Good:

100+ hours of gameplay

Phantasy Star I & II are excellent titles

The Bad:

Nothing new here

Phantasy Star III didn't stand the test of time

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 01/22/03, Updated 01/22/03