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The Good, The Bad, and The Verdict

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: January 14, 2008
Author: Amazon User

THE GOOD:
-Well-written dialogue
-Great characters
-Nice graphics
-Large, immersive worlds
-Combo attacks
-TRANSFORMING MONSTERS!!! YEAH!!!

THE BAD:
-Fairly basic plot format
-Battles perhaps a little too frequent

THE VERDICT:
Phantasy Star IV is, always has been, and always will be my absolute favorite "legacy" game of all time. (Sorry, Sonic. ^_^ )

Although the story is built on the classic "Evil has arrived, it's time to save the world" format, Sega nevertheless managed to create an interesting, entertaining and even FUNNY plot out of it. The characters are well-rounded and easy to relate to, as you laugh, cry, explore & fight your way across three planets, two satellites, and about fifty different towns, villages, dungeons & caves.

The battle system is your standard turn-based RPG fare, with plenty of spells, items & special attacks, each with their own unique animation. The more unique features here are that not only can you combine spells to make massive combo attacks, but certain enemies can do the same, while others will clone, split, or even combine with their comrades to create even more, deadlier monsters! In fact, the final boss of the game goes through THREE STAGES of transformation, each more dramatic than the last!

Phantasy Star is overall an excellent game, with more than enough secrets, side quests, and hidden items to keep even veteran RPG gamers happy for days, weeks even, and its replay value is never-ending! It also has THE BEST SOUNDTRACK of any 16-bit game, consisting of some 45+ tunes, all of which are available to listen to after completing the game; just press B at the START/CONTINUE/ERASE menu. Happy gaming, friend!

Favorite Game Ever

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: June 12, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I'd have to put this at the top for my favorite game of all time. Not saying that Phantasy Star II isn't right up there also. It has the BEST gameplay for an RPG, complete freedom to roam anywhere you want, do anything. Certain areas require certain vehicles though. It's not all restricted like those crappy RPG's for the SNES where your forced to go one route. And the monsters in the Phantasy Star series are RANDOM. The SNES didn't get that smart, lol. Not to mention the beautiful 32-bit graphics (yes, the Genesis was a 16-bit system but was built to handle 32-bit) and the incredible music! Once you beat it, you wanna play it again.

I still play the hell outta this game today! A truly great classic that will never die.

The Best RPG of the 16-Bit Era.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 0 / 0
Date: January 13, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Many people will say that the best RPG to come out of the 16 Bit Era of videogames was Final Fantasy III (VI) or they may say Chrono Trigger. And they're very very close. They're both by far two of the best games of all time. But I hold it to be very much a fact that Phantasy Star IV is the best RPG of the era.

The writing and development is superb, the gameplay is addictive, the monsters are all beautifully animated, and the graphics are... well, the graphics are kinda lame, but it makes up for it. I wish they'd used a better graphics engine to make the game, or at least one that didn't make every character's left screen eye twice as large as the other. The Genesis could generate some very impressive stuff, and maybe this game would've gotten more reknown if the graphics were more on par with the Super Nintendo RPG's.

Anyway, as any gamer knows, graphics don't make the game, (though they help a whole lot) so I won't dwell on that. The game more than makes up with it with its comic book presentation, which is just so freakin' awexome I can't stand it. Sega's programmers have always been great artists when it comes to making pixel art, and this presents that superbly. It pushes the story along really well, and expresses ideas better than the tiny animations as would be seen in FFIII, CT, or any other RPG of the era. It's like the FMV sequences seen in Playstation era games, only in a comic book form.

The battle system is just like Phantasy Star II's, but designed much more coherently, and much more accessibly, thus, it's a pretty good battle system; and the enemy art is incredible. However, there are WAY too many random encounters. It gets ridiculous. But that's what RPG's were like back then... and now, for a good part. It gets frustrating, but it's excusable given the genre.

The story is just beautifully crafted within a pretty stock concept, I should add. It's actually my 2nd favorite of all RPG's, second behind only Final Fantasy VII, which came at a time when much more impressive things were possible.

Anyway, if you can get your hands on this, then you won't be dissapointed, it's not only the best Phantasy Star (a well-trusted name, believe me), but, in my opinion, the best RPG of the 16-Bit Era.

so....overrated.....

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 0 / 8
Date: August 07, 2006
Author: Amazon User

I do not see what is so good about this game. Super Nintendo RPG's are much much better. The character look like Michael Jackson especially Chaz Ashley (*snicker*). I do not see why you can not change the names of your character. The battle system has very little charm and is not fun. The towns are extremely uninteresting especially all of Motavia. I was hoping that Dezolis's towns would be interesting but I was wrong. The music is pollution to the ears. I agree completely with the other one-star review on this. If you want to play some truly awesome rpg's get a Super Nintendo.

I was just arbitrarily saying stuff

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 4
Date: July 19, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Is this the best line in all of video games? Probably not. But it sure is close.

Rune Rocks!

Great Roleplaying game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: June 25, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This is perhaps the most fun turn based combat roleplaying game I ever played. The gameplay is wonderful and you really become enveloped in the story line. It may be an old game but it is truely a classic game.

Worst game ever

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 2 / 28
Date: November 17, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This is just another cheesy rpg for sega. Sega just cant make a good RPG. If your looking for RPGs get a super nintendo. For the mean time stick with sonic and kid chameleon.

One of the greatest 16-bit games!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: August 17, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game may cost the most out of all the original Phantasy Star games, (due to it's rarity and original cost of $$$) but it is worth it. This is the only game that you won't find in the Phantasy Star Collection for GBA (Has PS1, 2, and 3 for around $$$) and it is the last of the normal Phantasy Star series (PSO is the new Phantasy Star game, and if you want a PS5 you should try PSO ep. 1 & 2 for the GameCube. The offline mode is basicly a new Phantasy Star game). This game is worth the money even if you have to buy a Genesis just for it!

Phantasy Star IV, the masterpiece

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: August 01, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Phantasy Star IV was one of my earliest RPG's I ever played, and it made me really appreciate them. I've played quite a few since then, but Phantasy Star IV has always been my favorite, and most likely always will be. Although the random encounters can get annoying at times, the battles are fun, and the characters are the best I've ever seen. The story is done very well with its cutscenes that work incredibly well. I will never sell my copy of PSIV, along with II and III, though this is the best. I definitely recommend it for anyone into RPG's. If you think the Genesis had bad RPG's, you definitely haven't played this game.

Classic Gamings Greatest RPG

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 3
Date: June 02, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This game is great for old school gamers and fans of the series. I'd have to consider this the best of the series, but Phantasy Star 2 was also very fun and PS3 has it's appeal despite a few qerks.

This game may not be for you if:
You expect an online 3d world in a 14 year old system,
Have a hard time counting,
Can't read well,
Expect a long and complex story with more words than game play,
Have a hard time solving puzzles,
Or think Pro Wrestling is a sport.

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