Why Phantasy Star 2 Is One Of The Greatest Works Of Science Fiction Part 1: A Retrospective Review

Part 1 of My Retrospective/Review for Phantasy Star II/2 on the Sega Genesis based on my Tor.com article. This is one of my favorite JRPGs of the 16 bit era and a huge influence on me as a writer. I wanted to share what I love so much about this game. Big thanks to Chris Lough for editing the original article on which the transcript is based! Also, there are story SPOILERS in the video review!
www.tor.com/2015/12/21/why-phantasy-star-ii-is-one-of-the-best-jrpgs-of-the-16-bit-era-part-1/

[@Tifa-Lockhart]

when RPGs back then were all about rescuing a princess from a dragon. Phantasy Star was really ahead of its time.

[@Coff1nf33der]

The Might and Magic games started in 1986 and were quite different story wise as well.

[@budgiecat9039]

those were medieval still. Konami's Lagrange Point for NES was a JRPG that took place in space

[@stanleysan3632]

Shaman Xeed you suck

[@BelatedGamer]

@@budgiecat9039 You're not too familiar with the series, are you?

[@randomcatontheinternet2771]

my old experience and first JRPGs was when you get killed by a monster appearantly you get rapes, i guess i choose the wrong to play as first experience

[@jenniferpruitt6534]

Phantasy Star as a whole is truly an underrated RPG series. Should be right up there with Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest. I think Final Fantasy got the idea of killing off Aeris from this game if you ask me. If you played this and didn't cry when Nei died, you don't have a heart....

[@Mikey-zj8bn]

Almost every ff before 7 had main character deaths lol

[@dirt2595]

I legit forgot she died... Been so long since I played it... Dope game tho... Love the 1st the most.. One of the best games all time... Both of em...

[@rafaeldasilvaromero3362]

Aerith is the most popular, but there was one old man in ffV who also got dead by real.

[@KeyleeTamirian]

@@rafaeldasilvaromero3362 And before that, FF4 has an old man who also died for real. And FF3 had a girl who was a temporary party member who died in a very "Aerith" way. And FF2 has tons of characters who eagerly jump to sacrifice themselves to save protagonists whenever plot calls for that. So... What you wrote there is a classic example "Final Fantasy 7 is the only Final Fantasy", where most complains directed towards Final Fantasy franchize are actually complaints against Final Fantasy 7. But since FF7 is so popular, people just don't want to explore SNES titles and even NES titles... Well, lucky for me, i have a mindset of one who plays games in release date order, so before playing FF7, i already had first 6 FF games finished on emulators. That was before they got Pixel Remasters, btw, now i legitimely own all first Six FF games.

[@PhantasyStarLover]

I have played my fair share of Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest games, and while they have been quite enjoyable, they are far below the Phantasy Star games in my opinion. Phantasy Star II is one of my strongest game experiences, if not the strongest (only perhaps rivalled by Phantasy Star, Phantasy Star IV, Panzer Dragoon Saga, Skies of Arcadia, Fallout, Ico and Hyper Light Drifter). I still haven't overcome the shock of Nei's death, by the way.

[@mnemonic_de]

When I was a teen I felt so sorry for Nei that I came up with a plan to resurect her. I tried to resurect Nei by endlessly leveling up Shir and then when she finally stole a Moon-Dew I used it in battle against Nei First. IIRC it worked in the battle, but after the battle she was dead anyway. That was an undescribable rollercoaster of feelings. At the end I really felt tricked because I thought I did everything right but the effort was not rewarded by the game.

[@greek1237]

Yeah it was pretty big, but NOOOO FF7 had to robbed FS2 of it's glory.

[@PJPremiere]

Phantasy Star introduced me to console RPGs and Phantasy Star II made me a lifelong fan. Absolutely loved the science fiction setting that set this series apart from traditional fantasy. I totally agree with this review- including the commentary on grinding. Phantasy Star II definitely requires what might be described as "a beyond significant amount of grinding".

[@samhain9283]

Dezo was the worst grind. Laconia equipment cost so much and some of the battles on Dezo put your party through a brutal ass kicking and gave chump change as a reward (I'm looking at you, LrgMiners!). I still absolutely loved every aspect of the game though. Enjoyed PSIII a lot, and PSIV will always be my favorite RPG of all time.

[@bassage13]

I loved the grinding when I was a kid. I would use my grinding time to listen to music.

[@chron151]

Getting the Megid technique at level 35 by killing the re-spawning Blastoids in Climatrol made the dams and Dezoris more tolerable.

[@hitkid2456]

@@chron151 Geez. It really takes forever with a full party, lol! I just took Amy & Kain and left Rudo before Dams to develop them more, and I'm nowhere close to Megid, heck don't even have Nazan yet lol!

[@Shredius]

All 4 Phantasy Stars are great works of science fiction (yes, even generations of doom). But PSII will always be special. Damn, I'm 33 years old and I'm still sad and angry that Nei had to die, fuck you sega, fuck you to hell.

[@HappyConsoleGamer]

Great review!!

[@TieryasXu]

Wow, thank you! I really love your videos I'm very "happy" to hear from you! Cheers! =)

[@StoneMonkWisdom]

4:08 Except for the spoilers starting at this timestamp for FF7 and Phantasy Star 2, the review is good. but a word of warning to someone planning to play the series would have been nice.

[@michaelcoffey1991]

Love the passion here. Please keep this up, I know the work and quality if this review is any indication is anger inducing for the mere 921 subs you have, you really have a passion for this game is easy to spot. Your passion for this reminds me of how Final Fantasy 7 changed rpg's and gaming for me. Anyway hope you keep cracking these out and come back to your channel (seen a 2 mo gap) and just keep reviewing the games you love and the subs will come :)

[@straydogthagawd]

Probably the best cold open in gaming history.

[@dimitrythomas4158]

Best ending too

[@ub3rfr3nzy94]

Wasn't it also one of the first games to have a main character die permanently halfway through?

[@dragonmangames2523]

Sega killed Nei before Square ever touched the topic of killing Aeris. SUCC DAT SEPHANBOIS

[@kwazhims3lf]

first?? first thing that happend after Nei passed, was my world being consumed by red, and Neifirst melting under my onslaught, then i grabbed mota and threw it into palma destroying both

[@royhsieh4307]

i remembered when nei died i took that very personally and decided to beat the game. this is the first game i ever completed, at around age of 10y/o.

[@explosivehotdogs]

@@royhsieh4307 huge props for completing it at 10 years of age... I nearly finished it myself but after the third or so rental it became more difficult to justify to my parents the constant hogging of the television spent wandering the last dungeons of Dezolis 😄😔

[@royhsieh4307]

@@explosivehotdogs to be honest i needed some help with the mazes so a hintbook was used, without this i probably couldn't pass the dungeons on dezo.

[@georgeclinton4524]

I played it as a kid and I've honestly never had a game quite effect me the way after a nightmarishly labyrinthine treck through Climatrol only to have Nei die and your team declared outlaws. That question of 'Will you still chose to be a hero when everything is taken from you and the world is stacked against you?' really made me think about bravery in the face of adversity.

[@thepartyiswipedout6137]

While I still prefer PS 4 it was a bit lacking of Science Fiction compared to PS 2, PS 2 is without a doubt has the best use of Science Fiction for a videogame and is one of the best for the entertainment industry all together.

[@TieryasXu]

PS4 is so great! Thanks for watching!

[@DSan-kl2yc]

PS4 was a great culmination of all the games before it though. You could feel the story of the previous games without every playing it. No other game has made me feel that interconnectivity. And the stories were so far apart. It truly built a mythos. They were also different kind of SF. by that point, the post apocalyptic finding tech thing was popular. PS2 was definitely the most Sci Fi, more than 1 and 4. But 1 was like star wars, and 4 was like I mentioned, post apocalyptic(in a small sense, not sure if this genre has a more proper name).

[@dragonmangames2523]

@@DSan-kl2yc There isn't a more proper name to sub-genre it by description. But that's part of what 4 was about. Uncovering the remnant infrastructure that Mother Brain built, shutting down her successor, and stopping the root behind the recurrence of Dark Falz. Phantasy Star had two things that neither Final Fantasy nor Dragon Quest -- the two OTHER most popular JRPG serials of the time -- had, and that was an ongoing continuity with itself. That was very gripping, in hindsight. They played like self-contained stories due to how much time passes between all of them (Generations of Doom the most so), but they were all a sequence to each other, and 4 was the one that tied them all together in a way that says "yes, this is where we are now". That ending was also very good at general closure, too. The Classic series was done with 4. Online (Including Universe into it) is...convoluted by the fact that people want their continuity nods, rather than telling a similar story but in different places or with different elements.

[@motaviax2482]

One of the all-time greatest RPGs, and a personal favorite of mine. Also one of the most difficult games I've ever played through. Long before mainstream internet, and before game guides, this one came with a complimentary hint book (as there was no way you would beat the game without it). Thanks for doing this vid. It brought back some phantastic memories. Cheers.

[@TieryasXu]

Thanks Scott! And yeah, that hint was guide was awesome! =)

[@justaction]

scott page that I still have my hint book!😂

[@royhsieh4307]

the difficulty has to do with the dungeons. they r insanely difficult, i loved them. i hated the later franchises to make the dungeons too easy

[@PhantasyStarLover]

I beat it without using the hint book. I played with a friend, and we took notes and drew maps of the dungeons, but we didn't need to use the hint book. So it is possible.

[@snowmcsnow4732]

The last Nei cutscene is different if you manage to beat Neifirst with her.

[@Drew_McTygue]

You're right it, i did manage to do this as a kid... she dies anyway :(

[@jiryensaber6090]

Yeah, I grinded Nei up to around Level 50 or so. Defeating Neifirst with Nei alone can be done... but expect a good 25 hours of level grinding just on that alone. It just automatically goes to the death screen. So much work and for nothing. It was devesating. She was my first "digital crush" as a kid. A couple years later, I met an exchange student from Japan who become one of my best friends. He also had the game on the Mega-Drive. The translation is a little different when you go try to revive her and it says something like her cells were breaking down like all of the other bio creatures that vanish afterwards and the machines are released to hunt you. At least it was some kinda explanation because I didn't understand why you couldn't revive her. At least there was some part of my heart restored about 12 years or so later when Phantasy Star Generations came out. There was no English release (officially) but you could bring Nei back in that one and she was present for fighting the Earthmen at the end of the game.

[@RedTsarOldChannel-INACTIVE]

@@jiryensaber6090 The Brazilian release (indeed, there was an official translated released of PSII by Tectoy in 1996!) also tried to explain why Nei couldn't be revived by saying it was forbidden.

[@royhsieh4307]

@@jiryensaber6090 i remembered when nei died i took that very personally and decided to beat the game. this is the first game i ever completed, at around age of 10y/o.

[@snakeplissken44]

This game was life for me as a kid. I grinded like hell to try to save nei. I had neifirst dead to rights many times but the game made her win no matter what.

[@dragonmangames2523]

It's not that she wins, is that if either dies, the other dies too.

[@SuparTuber]

I love this game. My first RPG ever. I played the Japanese version and I remember getting stuck on the northwestern part of the world. I was level 20 by the time I got the 4th party member, Anne. Remember you could beat this game at around level 35 and my level was more than half way there. The game also had one of the most difficult dungeons in any RPG, more than Water Temple in Zelda OoT I'd say. The "pit dungeon". It really bummed me out that they didn't make an English version of the remake. Phantasy Star series had the potential to be as popular as Dragon Quest/Final Fantasy series...but Sega in their infinite wisdom never bothered to expand it.

[@TieryasXu]

I've heard there's slight differences between the US and Japanese version? Do you know if that's the case? Thanks for watching! =)

[@SFX_200]

SuparTuber The Japanese version has louder snare drums and the music/sound test guy is openly gay by calling male characters cute or something along those lines.

[@NecessaryJerry]

The music still is amazing even today!

[@jordanzlotolow8254]

Best game and music ever period.

[@TieryasXu]

I deeply love both!

[@samhain9283]

Violation (Dezo dungeon theme) was my favorite track.

[@sammyyo461]

Hands down my most favorite RPG franchise ever!! It's One of those games that made me feel and warm and fuzzy inside!! xD XD Love how nearly everything in the classic series (music, art, dialog, story) really felt like a Saturday morning anime!!

[@TieryasXu]

Awesome! Thanks for watching! =)

[@MenfisRetroSpace]

Phantasy Star 2 is my #1 RPG of all all time ... after get that ending in 1991 (age 14) my life was never the same!

[@justaction]

This game brings back so many great childhood memories. I used all my birthday money and spent the whole summer beating this amazing game. From drawing my own dungeon maps to the soundtrack...this puts a warm smile on my face.

[@BlinJe]

I've been replaying it lately with a low tier party of anna, hugh and shir. It's pretty brutal but other than the beginning of the game I'm not grinding. Someone on a forum once pointed out to me - if you're mapping the game yourself, then you get as far as you can while mapping, then teleport out to restock. Your next visit to a dungeon will be much quicker, so by taking several attempts at each dungeon, I'm never grinding the same place, just making attempts.

[@brandonslezak6268]

Couldn't agree more, was my first big RPG I ever played, and looking back from the future after playing games like WOW, Dragon Age, etc, there are so many key advances in PS2 that were way ahead of it's time.... story, weapon leveling, character permadeath, interesting dungeons, very unique color coded levels, and planetary travel?? it was way ahead of it's time, I loved it and even replayed it on xbl arcade a few years ago

[@TieryasXu]

Phantastic! =) Thanks for watching!

[@sam4metroid]

Excellent video! Am playing now. Nei has become one of my favorite video game characters, I haven't gotten to Neifirst yet, but I've been dreading it 😭😭😭

[@cius2112]

I know people dislike the brutal nature of the dungeons but tbh it fits with the dark narratative. It really does feel like a futile endeavor that you either quit or dig deep and find a way to keep pushing forward.

[@joshuamorganmusic]

I played this when I was young. The perms death of Nei was very emotional for me. In fact I remember saving right before that fight and kept the save data so I could still play with Nei. Nostalgia

[@Mr3DLC]

i will say this: the numan revolution patch for phantasy star ii really expands upon the concepts put forth in the Genesis original. Plus, the fact that you can assemble the whole party from the start of a new game is a great benefit, considering that they still started at level 1 in the original.

[@PhantasyStarLover]

I totally agree. All the aspects that you are mentioning are also the reasons why I love this game so much. It is truly a masterpiece that together with the others in the series -- in particular the 1st and the 4th -- have had a big influence on my life. I love difficult labyrinths, so I also truly enjoy the very maze-like dungeons throughout the game. I am furthermore happy about the many exciting fights with tough enemies combined with very limited amount of healing, so that there is always the question of whether to explore a little further or escapiping to restock before proceeding. I really wish to find more games like this, but so far I have not found anything quite like it (even though there are certainly other RPGs that I hold in very high regard as well, like Panzer Dragoon Saga and Skies of Arcadia).

[@nurse425]

Nei's death broke my lil 11 year old heart, LOL!

[@Drew_McTygue]

This game was amazing! Great review, these were heavy concepts to digest as a child (teraforming, AI, bioengineering). I loved it!

[@DylantheKnightOwl]

Wow this brought back some memories! I loved this video, it was honest and I could really feel your love for the game and I think you e,pressed why very well. I always love hearing stories a out how people first came into contact with one of their favorite things, be it video game, film, or otherwise. Lovely video, you just gained a new sub! Lol

[@Dorelaxen]

This is THE game that got me hooked on RPGs. I had played them before, but this one just grabbed me and wouldn't let go. Even after all this time, it's still one of my favorites. In fact, I think I appreciate it even more now that I'm older. It's a damn shame that the series proper stopped after 4.

[@reyjusuf]

This is my first ever JRPG

[@TheFissionIsMailed]

Really love the style and substance you put into these videos.

[@jeffapellido1959]

One of my favorite RPGs as well. It's such a challenge, but I actually love the random encounters and grinding, even if it can be frustrating sometimes. I had to use that technique to not enter a battle a few times just to safely exit certain dungeons. The lack of stuff like this in most modern RPGs is why so few are interesting to me anymore.

[@steve9094]

The Master System game was my first RPG and blew me away, but I never played the sequels cuz the SNES Squaresoft games were the best thing going on 16 bit. I'll hafta check them out.

[@Trepidity]

So much packed in 16 bit. My favorite game for the time. The end of ps2 is the beginning of phantasty star online. Great retrospect. I hope you continue.

[@xxcrysad3000xx]

For those who find the game too grindy, there are some good mods/hacks out there that increase the rate that EXP and Meseta are dropped, and also fix some of the translation and continuity errors.

[@jasonblalock4429]

Yeah, this is one game where getting a mod to lower the difficulty level a bit is totally justified. I honestly have no idea how I had the patience to play it back in the day. I've tried to replay it a couple times since, and I'm just floored by how grind-heavy it is, even compared to other JRPGs of the time!

[@SnesRulez]

The grinding isn't even all that bad, the worst part of this game for me is navigate the huge dungeons, I got lost very easily with all the open space and dead ends

[@DarthThel]

@@SnesRulez It's like they based every dungeon in Phantasy Star 2 off of Baya Malay from Phantasy Star 1.

[@Resvrgam]

They created a plot hole by allowing Nei to be cloned prior to the NeiFirst confrontation. They could have easily fixed this by having the Clone Labs technician say that new laws prohibit Nei’s cloning. It would also helped stoke the hatred the audience begins to have against the government as the heroes become criminals hunted by the robotic law enforcement.

[@RyanBlazeheart]

It's not a plot hole. Just poor translation, Nei's biomonster dna was eradicated after the death of Neifirst so it's impossible to bring her back.

[@neosildrake]

My fist ever RPG... no Hint Book and no pre-made maps, because it was a resale at the local shop. Found out that I was really bad at jump'n'runs with my segamd bundle. Exchanged the included game for Phantasy Star 2... instantly hooked. Selfmade maps, hours of grinding and cursing the early game groups of Blasters to hell. Ahhhh.... god times.

[@DaveThaumavore]

What a great review for my favorite RPG of all time. Thank you!

[@Pelimuistelot]

I love Phantasy Star Series. I never played the first one (never owned Master System) but for emulator i played PS2 and PS4. Loved both of them. Still do.

[@bloodrunsclear]

I'm glad someone loves this game as much as I did :)

[@edfmed1080]

I find your perspective interesting since i didn't like Nei's death, it felt forced because there was no indication that biomonsters had conjoined lives like those two Nei's. Also the whole "I don't clone non humans" is pretty weird since Nei could die, and you can clone her at any point of the game, except after this. Which is pretty weird when you think about it. I think a better excuse would have been something like "we couldn't take any tissue from Nei's body because everything was blowing up, so now we can't clone her" but hey, thats probably just a nitpick of mine. Also i don't like how dungeons are insanely confusing with the teleporters.

[@pawelzybulskij3367]

Now when you can turn frame limiter grinding is not an issue.

[@luisreyes1963]

My first RPG on the Genesis & certainly didn't disappoint, despite the slight difficulty. Oh & thanks for the Nei fanservice on the thumbnail...😍

[@qmchale5130]

You summed up the very feeling I felt when I saw Nei's death scene.

[@TSD4027]

One of my favorite games of all times, it was way ahead of anything else when it came out in 1989.

[@shaneoblack1672]

Really good review man, saw this in recommended and decided to check it out. You're 100% spot on with the review. The only thing I didn't like about this game was that characters just came to your place and was like "Imma join your team now." There wasn't much of a story with them. I still think PS4 is my favorite because of how well the story is put together, and the "You defeated the final boss... Just kidding" factor was amazing.

[@TheRPGChick]

Well done! Looking forward to more. :)

[@TieryasXu]

Thank you very much!

[@MonacellaGuitarProductions]

Great video and a classic game! If you're so inclined, check out the cover we did of the title music! Also, we pumped Nei up enough to beat her shadow hoping it would somehow save her! Nope! Ah we were so mad. RIP Nei!

[@Mighty_Meng]

Yep. The death of Nei absolutely blew my mind. I actually stepped away for a few days to process it.

[@masonwilcox7055]

This is the tribute PS2 deserves. Thank You.

[@personagemsecreto]

nice review, thank you

[@Mzady]

No matter who much time passes by....I still watch ya vids bro _ Thx :)

[@floydkiedis3807]

Will someone please just help me figure out the fighting system?? I keep getting killed early on

[@raydeen2k]

I think PSII was the very first JRPG I ever played. the PS series along with Ys were (and still are) my favorite games in the genre.

[@michaelromeo9567]

I love the athmosphere the ambiance in Phantasy star online. I loved the designs on Megadrive Phantasy Star 4 charaters. And now Now PSO futuristic designs are freat From Dreamcast to PC. I downloaded the japanese version on PS4 just to feel the magic again. and it works even in Japanese..! lol

[@warlock415]

I always loved the Phantasy Star series in general and this game in particular for being epic and tragic.

[@jacob7718]

Personally I found the death of Nei was harsh but you dont have her for long enough and their wasn't enough characterisation to really leave a lasting impression, however the death of Alyz in PSIV absolutely wrecked me. Always nice to hear someone talking about this excellent series. I am subscribing for when you talk about PSIV, looking forward to that.

[@cnsgaming7876]

Yah it killed me I actually cried

[@NOMNOM81]

I would have loved to have seen a PS5 taken as seriously as they were back in the day, and as Final Fantasy is.

[@reinaldoalvarado4884]

Blastermaster Nes actually no not the reason. PS4 brought the whole story line to an ending. How can you make a 5 with the profound darkness completely eradicated? That's why you have the online spin off series now.

[@dragonmangames2523]

@@reinaldoalvarado4884 Yep.

[@Ikkepop]

One of my favourite games of all time ... OF ALL TIME!

[@DezorianGuy]

Thank you for doing this review. I was planning on doing exactly the same. We both agree on everything on this game. Good job. Subscribed.

[@99Gara99]

Thank you. This the most important game of my life. I almost cried at 6:19

[@Braxtonkai]

Wish I came across this earlier. I've been a huge fan of the Phantasy Star series since the first one on the SEGA master system. (still a bit iffy on my opinions of PSO though) thanks for the video even though I'm late to the party!

[@SlowDaddie]

Really nice review. Very thoughtful analysis.

[@TieryasXu]

Thanks!

[@SlowDaddie]

Are you going to do part 2?

[@TieryasXu]

yes, just did it! Thank you!

[@troqu]

Rika from the fourth game feels like the devs saying "sorry for Nei" whenever I play that game now. I didn't play 2 until years after I played 3 and 4, so I didn't quite get it then.

[@fomonaut1943]

This guy gets it

[@johnd.308]

Didn't Rolf ever think of cloning Nei? ( if there is a reason as to why he cannot i have not finished the game and did not find it yet

[@TieryasXu]

yes, they go to the cloning shop, but for some reason, he says he can't at that time (even though you can earlier in the game). Game logic =)

[@dragonmangames2523]

@@TieryasXu Nei was derived from Neifirst (I forget how it happened), and by some weird science, killing Neifirst makes it so that Nei can't come back. So, possibly there's some kind of canonizable explanation as to why cloning worked before and doesn't after.

[@HHog]

There can be several explanations. First: Nei was an offshoot of Neifirst, and as such, led a symbiotic existance. With the death of the host Neifirst, Nei can no longer exist. Second: The Clone Labs works in tandem with the Biosystems Lab in order to retrieve the cellular data of whoever needs to be revived. After Neifirst's death, the Clone Lab no longer has Nei's cellular data on record to revive her from. Third: Because Neifirst was responsible for rerouting the power meant for the Climate Control center into the Biosystems Laboratory, the place was able to churn out Biomonsters without any staff present. With the power normalized; as well as the climate that supported the Biomonsters, the Biosystems Lab no longer had the energy required to recreate Biomonsters -- keep in mind, Nei was, after all, a mixture of Biomonster and Human DNA. It could be a combination of any or all of these explanations.

[@artiegohome]

@@HHog You, my friend, know your Phantasy Star lore. 👏👏

[@jevroii3637]

The Japanese version if I remember stated that the biomonster components needed to clone Nei became unavailable after the destruction of Climatrol.

[@movement1957]

My first rpg, i didn't have the book to finish. So i would rent just to use the book. I was so sad when Nei died. Now i know how to say he name, Nei. Ty

[@killdren5658]

After 6 years of waiting pso2 is finally coming to the west. Wow.

[@lassellie5770]

Why does Pressure sound different in this video (or am I imagining things)?

[@mamaw00lies]

in the very last room of this game, where you encounter the last boss, my game glitched and instead of music all I could hear was a high pitch noise. :(

[@TieryasXu]

I came across the same issue. If you have a visiphone, you can save and reload, and it should fix it. Thanks for watching!

[@jeremycline9542]

It's mind blowing to think what the game would have been like had it been released on the Master System as originally planned: it would have been the greatest 8-bit game of all time, though its predecessor actually held onto that honor.

[@dragonmangames2523]

They probably didn't have enough ability to push the ROM size up for 2 on the Master System, so it waited until the Mega Drive.

[@NYKgjl10]

Till this day, my favorite RPG game!!!

[@Viktir123]

Steam has this game for a couple dollars, works great, I'm at the end. Saved right outside of the Darkforce battle. You can save at any point in the Steam version.

[@Zyrac85]

You can save Nei in the remake Phantasy Star Generations 2 :)

[@royhsieh4307]

i remembered when nei died i took that very personally and decided to beat the game. this is the first game i ever completed, at around age of 12 y/o.

[@petergilveet6666]

We have to start a petition for the creation of a super dark and depressive Evangelion styled Phantasy Star 2 anime

[@finalfantasylover5297]

can't wait for part 2😗

[@TieryasXu]

Thank you! I'm wrapping up this Blade Runner PC review and will do part 2 after that! =)

[@opa-age]

Amen bro

[@vancurenw]

My favorite pre-Xbox 360 console game ever! I wish someone had made some PS2 toys/figures.

[@priestmorrison6564]

Dat fuckin Music!!! WHEW! Usteveya(the Pianst in da Forest, changed mah Werld!!!)

[@bassage13]

Still my favorite video game EVER.

[@andrewmaasch1724]

I enjoyed the first game but can't bring myself to finish this one. I just found it too repetitive and HATE grinding! Plus I'm not a huge fan of dungeon crawlers. Good video though but word of advice - you might want to have a spoiler warning at the start of the review as I had no idea Nei dies in the game! 😅 As far as RPG's on the megadrive go - I'll stick with the "Shining force" games.

[@rossato2109]

I think the ressurection thing that got replaced by cloning is such a big thing. I dont know if there are other games where you dont get ressed but cloned instead. When we think of how it works on movies (like the one with Arnold) it something to think about! Sadly I didnt get to play the second Phantasy Star, just the first one in Master System.

[@Kater2]

Excellent, well written. I was upset by Nei's death and my inability to save her. I didn't finish the game :\

[@Mzady]

Thx Bro...good work....! From an oldschool Fan ;)

[@TieryasXu]

thank you =)

[@TheWolvesDen]

I really gotta try this series one day

[@miaburke3703]

Thanks for the review, well done.

[@ThexXxXxOLOxXxXx]

I was looking at this game for the last few days even though it didn't age well at all i might try it on my android.

[@NeiFirstKilla]

My favorite game ❤️❤️❤️and the music ughhhhh 😊

[@stanbrule9357]

If you like Phantasy Star 2's atory I highly suggest watching science fiction anime that were contemporary to it particularly the Gundam series from 0079 to Char's Counterattack and the Legend of the Galactic Heroes

[@grimsvaultstreaming3956]

you sir are 100% right

[@newdgamer4118]

Its such a slog initially, for me at least, I needed to spend my first 4-6 hours grinding levels to have a shot at the first 2 dungeons. Its a legendary game, but its tough start makes it so unlikely any non fans will give it a shot.

[@virginia4032]

A little late but I really enjoy your video.

[@josteinhenrique2779]

I think what was done with Nei was unique, and I'm not just talking about perma-killing a main character on the half of the game. Think with me: You fight Neifirst, unaware about Nei's fate? Nei is killed. You fight Neifirst, fully aware of Nei's doom and, willing to change her fate, you spend lots of hours to level her up? Wasted time, she will die if Neifirst dies. Their existence is linked together. Now, you're playing Phantasy Star Generations 2? You manage to do all the exhaustive requirements to save Nei from death and is successful? Well, Nei will be on the last stand along with the heroes, where she either dies or see her friends die. There is no winning end. After all, Phantasy Star 2 is a story of sacrifice, not triumph. Curiosity: Yes, it's possible to save Nei on Phantasy Star Generations 2. Even better: it's canonical. The pic in 4:23 is from the endgame cutscene, if you manage to save Nei. But be warned: it's something VERY exhausting to do, and if you miss one small detail, you fail.

[@Hwi1son]

Well done sir! i really enjoyed this (love this game.. very challenging, frustratingly so lol)

[@TieryasXu]

Thanks for watching!

[@donov25]

What I get from this is that Phantasy Star II is one of the greatest works of science fiction, because it was the first sci-fi RPG you played.

[@kwazhims3lf]

"NEI, HOLD ON!!!!"

[@ierdan4257]

thanks for the video, i'm digging information on the original phantasy star games recently since there's a compilation of games from the genesis' Library being realeased for the ps4 (yeah using next gen console fogoing back into the past, i guess that's consumerism for ya) and learning that there's someone who's got similar taste than a person i know who i wish would be giving a chance to games is getting me hopeful at least i could suggest her to try your book ;p