Phantasy Star Adventure
From Sega Retro
| Phantasy Star Adventure | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| System(s): Sega Game Gear | ||||||||||
| Publisher: Sega | ||||||||||
| Developer: Japan System House[1] | ||||||||||
| Genre: Adventure[2][3] | ||||||||||
| Number of players: 1 | ||||||||||
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Phantasy Star Adventure (ファンタシースターアドベンチャー) is a Sega Game Gear graphic text adventure game developed by Japan System House and published by Sega. The game is a side story set in the Phantasy Star universe and takes place shortly before the events of Phantasy Star II. It was released exclusively in Japan in March 1992.
Contents
Story
Players assume the role of an agent of Paseo (パセオ) on the planet Motavia (モタビア). In AW 1268, the agent receives a letter from friend and scientist Ken Miller (ケン・ミラー), who is studying in the town of Carsonville (カーソンビル) on the ice planet Dezolis (デゾリス). Miller invites the agent to see an important new invention. Once there, the player learns that Ken and his device are missing, initiating an investigation.
Gameplay
The game is a first-person puzzle adventure game similar to the Phantasy Star II text adventures. The player must investigate the disappearance of the scientist Ken Miller by searching for clues and talking to characters.
The main screen is divided into three areas: a scrolling text window on the bottom, a menu of commands on the right, and a graphic showing the scene in front of the player or a submenu on the left. When the player arrives in a location, a description of the surroundings is printed in the text window, and the player can choose an action to perform from the menu.
Menus are navigated using 
and 
, with 
confirming a selection and 
canceling. The main list of commands:
- いどう (Move): The player is presented with a list of directions to move in: N, S, E, W, and up or down for stairs or vents. The direction is chosen using the D-Pad. The available directions depends on where the player is.
- みる (Look): Inspects something. The player is presented with a submenu to inspect the surrounding area (which is done automatically upon arriving somewhere but can also be done manually to find items), to read a description of a person or a thing in the scene, or to read a description of an item in the inventory.
- はなす (Talk): Talks to a person in the area. This command is also used for buying from the vendor. Characters sometimes say different things if the player talks to them again.
- とる (Take): Picks up an item that has been found in the area.
- つかう (Use): Uses an item in the inventory. After selecting an item, the player must choose an object or person on which to use the item.
- すてる (Drop): Drops an item from the inventory. Some items cannot be dropped. An item can be picked back up after it has been dropped.
- システム (System): Displays a submenu with several options.
The system menu has the following options:
- マップ (Map): Shows a map of previously visited locations, with the player's current location highlighted in red.
- じょうたい (Status): Shows the player's hit points and meseta (メセタ). The player initially has 50 hit points, but it doubles to 100 hit points after using Miller's invention.
- もじひょうじ (Text Display): Sets the text display speed.
- パスワード (Password): Displays a password for the current state of the game.
At certain points in the narrative, the player must defeat an opponent in battle. Unlike the Phantasy Star role-playing games, there are no random encounters, and the player does not gain experience or level up from these battles. The battle commands:
- いどう (Move): Retreats from the battle. Some directions may be barred by the enemy.
- たたかう (Fight): Chooses an item to use to attack the opponent.
- HP: Displays the main character's hit points.
When the player or the enemy attacks, a die rolls on the screen to indicate the damage of the attack. More powerful weapons and opponents roll multiple dice for more damage. The player returns to the previous location if defeated in battle (but there are otherwise no consequences). At one point in the game, the player is inevitably defeated by guards. Successfully defeating an opponent allows the player to proceed and often awards meseta.
Characters
| 「私」 ("Me") | |
|---|---|
| The main character, who is named by the player upon starting the game. He is a government agent for Paseo, like Rolf in Phantasy Star II, who is searching for the missing scientist Ken Miller. | |
| ケン・ミラー (Ken Miller) | |
| A young scientist who is studying in Carsonville. Miller contacted his friend, the game's protagonist, to see his invention, a device that enhances the strength and abilities of humans. His invention and disappearance is the impetus for the game's plot. | |
| ライラ (Lila) | |
| A young woman identified as Miller's sister. She gives the player 30 meseta to help whenever the player talks to her while having no meseta. She carries a Gold Stone around her neck that is used to activate Miller's invention. | |
| ルセロ (Lucero) | |
| A man who lives in a cabin outside of Carsonville. After hearing that Miller has gone missing, he gives the player a radio and offers to help. At one point in the game, the player must use the radio and takes control of Lucero to rescue the main character. | |
| バロン (Baron) | |
| The antagonist of the game. He is the Director of the Baron Institute (バロン研究所), which wanted to buy Miller's invention. Miller, fearing that the institute had ill intentions, refused to sell his invention to them, so they abduct him and steal it. |
Items
Three items are sold by the vendor in Carsonville, but most are found while exploring or given to the player by other characters.
| Item | Cost (in meseta) | Description |
|---|---|---|
| デゾリス・ソーダ (Dezolis Soda) | 10 | Restores the player's hit points. Miller also requests a soda for refreshment near the beginning of the game, and the soda can be used to short out a power panel in front of the Baron Institute. |
| にく (Meat) | 20 | The meat is used to distract a wild cat outside of the city. |
| レーザーガン (Laser Gun) | 95 | A powerful weapon that rolls four dice (4-24 damage) |
| Radio | — | Lucero gives the radio to the player. The player can use it after being thrown in jail to call Lucero for help. |
| Axe | — | The axe is used to cut a branch off a tree and also as a basic weapon that rolls one die (1-6 damage). |
| Branch | — | The branch is used for vaulting over the fence, climbing into a vent, and crossing over a gap at the Baron Institute. |
| ロープ (Rope) | — | The rope is used to climb into a vent at the Baron Institute. |
| モノメート (Monomate) | — | Restores the player's hit points. |
| モジックハット (Mojick Hat) | — | The shop owner gives the player a discount on items for wearing the Mojick Hat. |
| Wallet | — | Lucero uses his wallet to bribe a shady police officer for a Baron Institute badge. |
| Badge | — | Lucero uses the badge to trick the girl at the Teleport Station into thinking he is a Baron Institute employee and giving him an ID card. |
| ID Card | — | The ID card unlocks the teleporter (which travels between at Teleport Station at Carsonville and the inside of the Baron Institute) and unlocks doors at the Baron Institute. |
| Sonic Gun | — | A weapon that does no damage but stuns androids, allowing the player to pass without engaging them in battle (but awarding no meseta). |
| Gold Stone | — | Lila wears this shiny stone on a necklace. It is the key to activate Miller's invention. |
| Jail Key | — | Unlocks Miller's cell to rescue him. |
| Missile | — | A very powerful weapon that rolls five dice (5-30 damage). |
History
Legacy
The game was included in Phantasy Star Complete Collection for the PlayStation 2, released in Japan in 2008.
Versions
Localised names
| Language | Localised Name | English Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Japanese | ファンタシースターアドベンチャー | Phantasy Star Adventure |
Magazine articles
- Main article: Phantasy Star Adventure/Magazine articles.
Production credits
- Japanese cover artist: Takashi Akaisizawa
Artwork
Physical scans
| Sega Retro Average | |||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
 |
50 |
|---|---|
| Based on 3 reviews | |
| Game Gear, JP |
|---|
   Cover
|
 Manual |
Technical information
ROM dump status
| System | Hash | Size | Build Date | Source | Comments | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
128kB | Cartridge (JP) |
External links
References
- ↑ http://gdri.smspower.org/wiki/index.php/Biox
- ↑ File:PSA GG JP Box Front.jpg
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 https://sega.jp/history/hard/gamegear/software.html (Wayback Machine: 2018-12-07 04:57)
- ↑ Sega TV Game Genga Gallery, Graphic Sha, page 83
- ↑ Beep! MegaDrive, "April 1992" (JP; 1992-03-07), page 37
- ↑ Famitsu, "1992-03-20" (JP; 1992-03-06), page 39
- ↑ Sega Saturn Magazine, "September 1995" (JP; 1995-08-08), page 88
| Phantasy Star Adventure | |
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Main page | Magazine articles | Reception | |
