Hey, that's great, a new Phantasy Star...but from Sonic Team? That's not really as left-field as it sounds. The man himself, Yuji Naka, has previously worked on at least three of the major PS games. Previously, he has also expressed interest in seeing what he could do with an RPG given the 3-dimensional graphics capabilities of modern consoles, and the recent Team trend seems to be towards internet functionality. Put two and two together and I guess we should've seen this one coming, huh? While the actual PS team is currently working on Eternal Arcadia, another game entirely; Alis, Lutz, Darkfalz, and the rest of the gang are in good hands indeed.

   Gameplay details are scarce, but it's slated for a winter 2000 release in Japan. Sega of America insists that the English language version will hit US shelves this year as well, although the only feasible means by which to achieve that would be if the translation is progressing in-time with the actual game development (which is possible). Personally, I kinda doubt it's gonna make it out in either country before year's end. The challenges associated with getting a workable online world up and running are numerous. Guess we'll know come this winter, huh?

   After finishing Sonic Adventure, the Team began researching network possibilities, but couldn't decide what genre to use. Realizing that most people would be strangers when entering this online world for the first time, Yuji decided that it would be a good idea to have a game that forced players to work toward a common goal. An RPG presents the most obvious format with which to achieve this ideal, so the Team pulled Phantasy Star out of the closet and got straight down to business.

   Naka-san has described PSO as more of a side-story to the series than an all-out sequel. The world it takes place in is the same, but the characters and story are completely unrelated to PS yore. Naka-san did, however, hint that old regulars such as Alis and Lutz may make cameos as NPCs. Other PS staples will be carried over as well, so it should still be recognizable to old Phantasy-philes.

   The goal was not to create a "cinematic" RPG full of pretty movies and graphics (a company named after a flat, four-sided shape comes to mind), but to depict an "adventure" players can journey through with their friends. Three friends, to be exact: each party is comprised of four players. And so far, that's all anyone knows. How team members interact with each other and with other teams is still a mystery.

   I must be honest, I've never played any of the PS games. I'm from the Lunar cult myself (may Althena have mercy on your heathen souls), but I'll be doing some research before Phantasy Star Online makes its debut. Check back here in the near future for some PS history and screenshots, but until then, here's a brief rundown of release dates:

• 1987 -- Phantasy Star is released for the Sega Master System (Mark III in Japan). It was fairly groundbreaking for the time. A Mega Drive version was later released, although the only enhancements were superficial.
• 1989 -- Phantasy Star II is released for the the Sega Genesis (Mega Drive in Japan).
• 1992 -- Phantasy Star III is released for the Sega Genesis. Notorious for being the black sheep of the bunch, PS3 was not developed by the original PS team.
• 1992 -- Phantasy Star Adventure is released for the Sega Game Gear. Only available in Japan, this is more of a side-story (very much like Magical School Lunar).
• 1992 -- Phantasy Star Gaiden is released for the Sega Game Gear, also only in Japan. Another side-story, both Adventure and Gaiden take place in the time period between PS 1 and 2.
• 1994 -- Phantasy Star IV is released for the Sega Genesis. Most consider this to be the pinnacle of the series.
• 1997 -- Phantasy Star Collection is released for the Sega Saturn. A classics collection containing PS I-IV. Like most packages of this nature, it also included a "museum" featuring history and development diaries. PSC wasn't released outside Japan.

The sole perpetrator of this page is Jared "Green Gibbon!" Matte. But make no mistake, NEO GHZ is a part of SonicNEXT. All Sonic related materials are copyright Sega Enterprises. SonicNEXT is created by Zifei Wu. Space provided by VGHQ.com. Hm, better start saving my Meseta...