Feature By

Chi Kong Lui

Since originating on the 8-bit Sega Master System and spawning two sequels on the 16-bit Genesis system, the Phantasy Star role-playing game (RPG) series became one of the most enduring and beloved franchises in gaming history. Unfortunately, Sega has given fans very little to cheer about over the years because the series saw its last entry during Sega's glory days when the Genesis reigned supreme. Like so many other popular Sega exclusive intellectual properties, Phantasy Star took a backseat during Sega's dark ages, when the company suffered from one botched system release after another (remember the Sega CD, 32X, Saturn?).

Luckily for Sega, times have changed dramatically, and their newest system, Dreamcast, has erased much of the torrid past. While taking a beating at the hands of the Sony-backed PlayStation2 (PS2) juggernaut in its native country of Japan, the Dreamcast has still managed to find an audience and thrive in the North American market. But Sega knows that unless they attempt something dramatic this upcoming holiday season, they'll see the numbers of even their most loyal fans dwindle when the PS2 finally makes its debut in North America, and the two systems compete toe-to-toe for market share.

Sega's trump card is that the Dreamcast is Internet-ready right out of the box, and the company plans to capitalize on that by unleashing a flurry of titles that will support massive multiplayer online functionality. Among those titles will be the resurrection of the Phantasy Star series. Titled Phantasy Star Online, the newest entry in the long running series will implement innovative online features and playability for the first time in console gaming.

Phantasy Star has always been presenting well-crafted worlds populated with imaginative creatures. The series has been dormant for quite some time, but hopefully the cobwebs aren't too thick, and the developers are able to pickup right where the original creators left off. Fans can thank their lucky stars because famed superstar game developer, Yuji Naka and his Sonic Team, whose members include some of the original Phantasy Star developers, are on the job. Come this January 2001 (tentative release date), we'll know if they are able to live up to the legacy.

More details about the story, characters and gameplay will be presented in multiple screenshots with accompanying captions in the following pages.