Phantasy Star 2

Phantasy Star 2 Rating: 3,9/5 1469 reviews

Phantasy Star II is a sci-fi fantasy RPG developed by Sega for the Genesis/Mega Drive. Released in 1989, it is the second game in the Phantasy Star series, the first RPG on the Genesis, and the first 16-bit RPG released outside of Japan. Taking advantage of a new 6 megabit cartridge format, Phantasy Star II was also the largest home console. Phantasy Star II is a direct sequel to the first game, set 1,000 years later, and is the first of the classic series for the Sega Genesis.Gone are the monotonous first-person dungeons. And in their place are monotonous third-person mazes.

Phantasy Star Online 2 is getting its first major content update of 2021 on February 3rd. This update will raise the game’s max level to 100, continues the game’s epic storyline, and adds the brand-new Luster Class.

The Luster Class is accessible to players who have at least two other classes leveled to 75. Lusters are equipped with Gunblades (eat your heart out, Squall) and are a high-speed class that can utilize both close-ranged and long-ranged abilities in battle. Lusters also utilize three separate combat styles (Zandi, Fomel, and Baran), each with their own unique capabilities.

• Zandi Style – This is a high-speed style that is activated when a Wind or Lightning Element weapon is equipped. Most notable for its agility and proficiency with area of effect attacks.
• Fomel Style – This aggressive style of combat is activated when a weapon is equipped that has a Fire or Dark Element type. Highly effective in close combat.
• Baran Style – Activated when an Ice or Light Element weapon is equipped, the Baran Style is known for its defensive capability, due in part to its guarded abilities with long-range attacks.

Here’s a synopsis of the story content included in the new update.

The battle lines have been drawn, and the Armada of Annihilation continues to gather its forces around the Mothership. The time to strike is now, before any more Luminmech can be created. Sacrifices may be required as it’s going to take an all-out, coordinated attack by ARKS to annihilate Shiva – and the fate of the universe depends on the outcome.

You can find more information about PSO2 and the new update at the game’s official website. Stay tuned to RPGFan for more coverage of Phantasy Star Online 2!

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Phantasy Star II

Also known as: Phantasy Star II: Kaerazaru Toki no Owari ni (JP)
Developer: Sega
Publishers: Sega (JP/US/EU), Tec Toy (BR), Samsung (KR)
Platform: Genesis
Released in JP: March 21, 1989
Released in US: August 14, 1989
Released in EU: November 30, 1990
Released in BR: March 1996

This game has hidden developer credits.
This game has hidden development-related text.
This game has unused enemies.
This game has unused graphics.
This game has unused items.
This game has unused abilities.
This game has unused text.
This game has regional differences.
This game has revisional differences.

This game has a notes page
This game has a prototype article
Maps

Phantasy Star II is a direct sequel to the first game, set 1,000 years later, and is the first of the classic series for the Sega Genesis. Gone are the monotonous first-person dungeons ... and in their place are monotonous third-person mazes. Hey, at least they gave you a map in the box.

  • 1Unused Enemies
  • 5Unused Text
  • 6Regional Differences
  • 7Revisional Differences

Unused Enemies

Much like its successor, all non-boss enemies are stored in groups of three recolors of each enemy.

VANLEADR

The second member of the VAN - AEROTANK group, VANLEADR, exists in the game's code, but isn't used in any formations. All data appears to be complete for this enemy. In terms of stats, it fits approximately between the two members of its group, fitting the usual pattern. Given that all data exists and its name was even translated, its lack of use was likely just an oversight.

Dummied-Out Groups

Group 14 example
Group 19 example

Enemy groups 14 and 19 are unused in the final game. They only have proper names in the Japanese version; The English translation truncates their names to a single character. Their palette data and stats are still in the game, but their graphics are no longer present. Their tilesets, tilemap pointers, and attack sounds default to the ones used by the Ant enemy group. All six enemies are coded as Biomonsters and use no techniques in battle.

Note: The names shown in the screenshots are incorrect due to being from a hacked ROM.

Names start at 0x17725 (Group 14) and 0x177BA (Group 19) in the Japanese version.

IDJPN NameTranslatedENG NamePaletteHPATKDEFAGIRun%Exp.Meseta
Enemy Group 14
28シシラSisyraS1213101140%1527
29クリソパChrysopaK3833182140%62112
2AヘメロビHemerobiH8355363450%152274
Enemy Group 19
37スターフイッシュStarfishS3516142780%2238
38スピニンスターSpinning StarS5832374990%65107
39ソーイングスターSewing StarS11940506490%115205

The first group of enemies are named after insect genera in the Hemerobiiformia suborder of lacewings: Sisyra (A genus of the Sisyridae, or 'spongefly', family), Chrysopa (A genus of green lacewings), and Hemerobius (A genus of the Hemerobiidae, or 'Brown lacewing', family).

The second group should be more obvious.

(Translation: divingkataetheweirdo)
(Monster stats, palettes, and disassembly: lory1990)

Unused Graphics


Anna is the only character that can equip multiple weapon types but can't equip guns; In fact, she mentions that she dislikes guns in her intro text. Nevertheless, there's a sprite with Anna packing heat that's ready to go, just in case.

Unused Items

There are two unobtainable items, both of them references to the first Phantasy Star. They have the same item flags as the Pipe items, but they don't actually do anything. According to this developer interview, these items were created to give the player something to use meseta on late in the game, but memory limitations meant that their actual use data and text had to be cut.

Like the monster names above, their names were dummied out in the English release.

IDJPN NameTranslatedENG NameBuy ValueComments
7DタイロンのせきぞうStone Statue of TylonT62,000Tylon is Odin's Japanese name.
7EハプスビーHapsbyH46,000Hapsby is the helpful robotic pilot / mechanic from PSI.
(Item info: Shmuplations)

Unused Spell

There is one unused spell in the game called リューフェ (Ryufé), ID 35. It costs 28 MP and has the same spell attributes as Anti and Rever, meaning that it targets one party member and can only be used outside of battle.

Attempting to actually cast the spell will just result in all message box windows closing, and the player being unable to open any new windows until a battle starts or they exit the area.

(Translation: Bast)

Unused Text

To do:
Add equivalent Japanese lines.

All text is for the English version unless otherwise stated.

Dialogue

Now, let me see,
what can I work on?

The inventor in Kueri should say this after you obtain the Maruera Gum, but the code to do this is immediately overwritten by the standard intro code. He'll just go back to asking you if you know what Maruera Leaves are.

(Source: lory1990)
Something is rotten in
the state of Mota!
Neifirst is dead and the
Biohazards have been
destroyed...but why was
a creature like Neifirst
created in the first
place? Who is behind
all of this?

This text at 0x1B6EC, complete with a Hamlet reference, is stored with the Central Tower text. In the actual game, once the player returns to the Central Tower after the defeat of Neifirst the planet immediately begins flooding.

Good grief! We now have
to worry about the lake
getting flooded.

Stored with the Esper Mansion text at 0x20643. However, a famous glitch involves a townsperson in Paseo (which is in the middle of the lake) accidentally saying one of the lines of Lutz (who is in the Esper Mansion); it is likely that this is the line they were meant to say.

Phantasy Star 2 Walkthrough

Cut-Off Line

There are two location descriptions, both on the Mota overworld, that are cut off due to the English ROM using the wrong control code.

The first can be found by examining the entrance to Climatrol:

The color of water
around here certainly
seems different.
It seems to be water
coming out of the
ground.

The second, more obscure, text can be seen by examining the entrance to the Uzo Island dungeon:

There is a high rocky
mountain in front of
<C1> and the others!
Is this Uzo mountain?

In the English version, both descriptions are cut off at the second line. This is not the case in the Japanese or Brazilian versions, where the lines are displayed in full.

Phantasy Star Online 2 Pc Download

(Source: Phantasy Star Curiosities)

Development Text

This alternate ROM header is located at 0xD5CA (JP) / 0xD75E (US/EU):

The actual ROM header for the final Japanese release is dated 1988.DEC, making this one month before the game was finished. Similar text also appears in the first game.

Regional Differences

Music

Phantasy Star 2 Online

The Japanese version used a very loud snare that was changed for the localizations. In the table below, the upper entry is the sample, and the lower entry is an example song ('Step Up') demonstrating the snare.

Japan
US/Europe


Pso2 Download Pc

Ustvestia's Sexuality

In Japanese Phantasy Star II, the piano teacher, Ustvestia, is much more clearly implied to be homosexual. When a male party member volunteers to be taught the Musik technique by Ustvestia, Ustvestia replies, 'He looks cute.' Ustvestia then proceeds to charge the male party member less for the lesson than he would charge a female party member.

However, in the English Phantasy Star II, Ustvestia simply says, 'He looks smart.' The gender-based disparity in the fee for learning Musik is left unexplained.

Bugfixes

To do:
Elaborate on this.

The Japanese version of Phantasy Star II has a glitch that corrupts the player's party by holding Up on the party order screen.

Version Leftovers

Phantasy Star 2 Mods

The Brazilian release by Tec Toy seems to be based on the English release, and remnants of the English script can be seen in the Brazilian ROM.

Revisional Differences

Phantasy Star 2 Download

Genesis

There are two revisions of the (UE) ROM, dated June 1989 and January 1990 in their respective headers. The only difference is that the names of the 'KITEDRGN' and 'FIRE EYE' enemies are switched between the two.

Virtual Console

Original
Virtual Console

The Virtual Console version of the game includes a plaintext ASM patch — complete with developer comments in Japanese — that is applied to the game in real-time. The patch changes the cross on the Hospitals to an 'H'.

The patch also has unused code to change the palette of the crosses to grey.

A small red cross on the doctor's suit in a close-up picture is also removed.

The Phantasy Star series
Master SystemPhantasy Star
GenesisPhantasy Star II (Prototype) • Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom • Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium (Prototype)
GameCubePhantasy Star Online Episode I&II • Phantasy Star Online Episode III: C.A.R.D. Revolution‎ (Prototype)
PlayStation 2Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 17: Phantasy Star generation:2 • Sega Ages 2500 Series Vol. 32: Phantasy Star Complete Collection • Phantasy Star Universe
Nintendo DSPhantasy Star 0
PlayStation PortablePhantasy Star Portable • Phantasy Star Portable 2
Xbox 360Phantasy Star Universe
WindowsPhantasy Star Universe • Phantasy Star Online 2
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