Phantasy Star III Generations of Doom: A 30th Anniversary Retrospective Gaming Documentary
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- Опубліковано 6 лип 2024
- In 1991 Sega's "Black Sheep" was called the greatest RPG of all time! (Chapter markers and more below)
ORIGINAL RELEASE DATE: APRIL 21, 2020. This is a remastered re-upload of the original episode.
Episode information
GTV 87 "Phantasy Star III Thirtieth Anniversary" Season 5 Episode 4
Original Airdate: April 21 2020
Produced January-April, 2020
Recorded at Butsudan Studios and edited on my 15" MacBook Pro with Touch Bar, which was starting to show signs of age, though rock-solid.
Produced with Final Cut Pro and Photoshop, which my job paid for!
0:00 GTV ID: Generations in the Making
0:08 Intro and Opening
1:25 Act 1: Development of Phantasy Star 3
11:48 CM 1: Phantasy Star III: King of RPG
12:07 Act 2: The Release and Reviews of Phantasy Star 3
18:24 Act 3: Easter Eggs and Weirdness
22:10 Act 4: The Generational Storyline
27:55 CM 2: Genesis Does Phantasy Star 3
28:26 Act 5: The Black Sheep
36:05 CM 3: Sonic The Hedgehog Japanese Debut
36:28 Viewer's Voice
GTV is now on Odysee! Join us!! odysee.com/$/invite/@GTV-Japan:d
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Thanks to HCBailly for game footage and segaretro.org for some scans. Awesome music by SEGA ROCK - Ігри
I remember the moment where they reveal the true history of the Alysa 3. I said to myself "This really is a phantasy star!".
The compositional layering of the overworld music depending on party size is....fucking brilliant
Totally and I still get comments that some have never noticed it. Must be a nice surprise to find out. Thanks for watching 💫
I can't believe I'm going to have to wait 2-3 years for Phantasy Star IV to get this same treatment. These videos are so freaking good.
It’s going to be totally worth the wait. Thanks for watching 💫
I've never played any of these games but I really like hearing people talk about them.
Thanks but go play it! It’s a great game 💫
@@GTV-Japan I will! it's definitely on my bucket list now
Awesome
@@Prodmullefc sega genesis classics on switch has pantasy stars 2-4
And if you don't have a switch, emulator is your friend
I'm happy that this video has been reuploaded, now I can watch it for the 20th time, even if 4 is my favourite 3 has a special place in my heart
Same here!
Dag 20 times! Thanks for the support 💫
It was literally ahead of its time. Multiple endings and generational story telling was very rare at that time
It still is rare!
Loved PSIII, especially the soundtrack.. Would really love to see this remade... The battles of course change it up lol. This PS always reminded me of Dune.
Hmm I can see the similarities. Thanks for watching 💫
You are the only one. This soundtrack is legit one of the worst on the system. Stinker of a game unfortunately when the first was so good and the 2nd was alright. Also the osts on all the other games slap which is what makes this one so bad by comparison
41 minutes of reflecting on Phantasy Star 3? *rubs hands together*
I hope that’s a good thing! 💫
Thank you so much for making this. Phantasy Star III was my first rpg I bought. I used to rent phantasy star IV... but couldn't afford a new copy as i was on a potato chips and juice allowance back in the day. So instead I saved up what i can and got myself a used copy of PHantasy Star III. I was so confused but it didn't matter it was the world before PS4 so it has to be special. None of my friends were into rpgs or played video games as much as I did so I was saddened when i couldn't share the awe I felt when I realized that each time a new character was aquired the music was changing. It was subtle at first... perhaps by the 3rd of 4th character I felt something was a bit different.
You’re welcome! It’s one of my favs too! Thanks for watching 💫
Man, that layered overworld music blew my mind as a teenager. First hearing all the layers, you could tell how grand the game was. It matured from the 80's synth-pop to something regal and majestic.
It took me a while to realize it but it’s such a nice subtle touch!
The one thing I love about Phantasy Star series is the games all are based on the same lore unlike Final Fantasy.
I do love FF, but Phantasy Star kept the series together.
I'm annoyed that I no longer see a cascade of stars in the sky anymore. As a child and even into my late teens, staring up at the sky and seeing those stars was an incredible experience. Some younger folks will never expeeince that.
I got PSIII for my birthday in August of ‘91. I loved the second and expected it to be just as awesome. It was like they slapped the Phantasy Star name on another game. I thought the gimmick of the marriages gave it a lot of replay and Dark Force looked like Freddy Krueger! I appreciate it much more today looking back.
That’s an interesting way to look at. Thanks for sharing your memories 💫
I think one of the biggest errors in PS3 was that the cart could only hold 3 save games, which meant that you couldn't keep a save for all four endgame branches and see all four endings when you wanted.
It was actually 2 save slots, so even worse!
I know!! Phantasy star 1 had 5 slots!!! Why can’t ps3?’
PS3 was my first game in the series, at our place sega cartridges were sold without batteries and because of that we simply didn't have saves, had to play it since the very beginning every time I turned on the console
I was about 10-11 at the time, I was playing it from morning to night for days straight, and had to restart all over the next time
Imagine my surprise when I beat the game, chose who to marry and realised that it was not the end, after weeks of grind
I didn't have or read any manuals or guides for ps3 and later I got stuck in a city where you needed to go to a trap door, for weeks, maybe months, then one day I was in the city just walking around, I turned away from the TV but kept pressing buttons and then i hear the music change - imagine what i felt
then i learnt that it had another story after another marriage, i was able to clear 1 and 2 generations within a day, sometimes leaving a console on for days
then i finally cleared the game
then some years later i found a way to have saves - i took a look at the battery slot, assumed that if you put something in there it might change something, asked my father if he knew what would fit it, he said to try a 2032 battery, i bought, slid it inside, checked the save, and IT WORKED
after that, i thoroughly enjoyed all endings and still believe this is one of the best rpgs ever made
oh wow what an amazing story! I can't imagine being unable to save. thanks for sharing your memories 💫
Adding elements to the theme upon gaining party members is incredibly awesome. I love it
It’s great because it tells you with the full 5 (five of um!) that the game is ready to rock!
Phantasy star is such a good franchise that doesn't get the recognition it deserves
I think it did from Genesis owners at the time.
Best ever game opening theme of all time. It's not my preferred, but I love it.
That’s what I hear so often. Even haters and non rpg fans say it’s the best ever. I can’t disagree. Actually 2 3 and 4 had great openings. Thanks for watching again!
Is Phantasy Star III your favorite game in the series? Tell us why! Let's celebrate 30 years of this great RPG!
IV is my favorite but man, respect the hustle.and the unironically greatest opening in the series.
Yeah there’s something about that music!
Get the ps2 version. It has 8x leveling up. Super fast. No grinding
The generation system being done in a way even games today dont do still blows me away, I love the story though the characters require a fanbook made by official PS3 staff to really enjoy.
I've been replaying them all but 3 has always been my favorite. Even more so that I played in japanese. Im hoping 4 doesn't change my opinion!
Good luck with it! Thanks for watching 💫
I vaguely remembered a SEGA RPG in a collection that I would play when I was really young, before I could even read, and all I remembered was getting sent to jail and not knowing how to get back into the castle after getting out. I remembered it the other day and found out that it was Phantasy Star III.
I watched a play through and I immediately remembered the intro and the first time I selected the game.
For some reason I was super obsessed with figuring out how to get passed the guards and freely walk in and out of the dungeon on my own. I could never figure it out, and I was so surprised when you mentioned that you could break out of the dungeon and be forced to restart. Now I finally know how to do it.
I didn’t get passed the beginning of the game when I was younger but the music from this game has stuck with me since I found it and I’ve really been wanting to play it now.
Awesome story!
Back in the day, I always preferred 2 to 3 (sadly never played 4 when it was contemporary). But with time I find myself more fascinated by 3 with just how willing it was to forge its own path in comparison to what came before. Thank you for reuploading and giving me an excuse to watch again!
Thanks for watching again! 💫
I played PS3 before I knew anything about PS2 or PS4. While wandering in the game world, I did not realized I'm actually exploring a giant spaceship. Imagine my reaction when this was revelead to me, the player, near the end of the game. That was a HUGE plot-twist for a 11 years old kid. And marriage(generations) system, such simple but genius mechanic, was really cool way to have a DLC in your game without any DLCs even existing. And that your character inherit their ancestors' magic/tech abilities was a revelation to me now, as I watch this video, I also can't recall a single modern game that uses marriage-generation mechanic at all.
Also, reviews for PS3 at the release time were that high scored due to PS4 not existing at that time. PS3 maybe (and is) a great standalone game, but when you compare it to 4th...the radiance of PS4 outshines PS3 almost completely.
I hope sega will remaster this game someday, or make another game with such brilliant utilization of the generations mechanic.
It must have been a great experience for you! Thanks for sharing your story! It’s basically what I thought as well 💫
This game was great and had a unique feel and subdued color palette. Phantasy Star 2 in my opinion is the best classic RPG of all time. So by comparison sake this one suffer somewhat but like the narrator says I had no such comparisons or criticisms when I played this in the summer of 7th grade back in 1991. It was a great game and also very challenging and I was stuck once in the game for nearly a month before I was able to progress.
I read the ending of Phantasy Star III in Gamepro back in the day, back in 1993. The ending of the game made me interested in knowing what was all about it. Later on i went to know about Phantasy Star IV and thought it would be nice to learn more about it. Finished IV in 1999. Thanks for the content centered on the series!!!
Awesome! Glad to see you could finish the game!! 💫
What I liked most in PS3 that I didn't see until much much later in RPGs were the cursed sword that critical hits undead and the needles that had low attack stats but would multi-hit enemies often to death. I don't remember manuals or players guides at the time indicating these effects.
My main gripes were the muddy artwork particularly in towns and that the endings really seem to be variations on the same themes.
Oh yeah. I was also disappointed, even in the Nineties, that the guy just could choose to marry whatever female. I got that it's an adventure game and not a dating sim but it felt creepy to me that not even one scenario are you a woman choosing between two guys... that you got to know over the course of the adventure. I think 4 fixed fleshing the characters out a bit more so dunno maybe if they had more time for a romance here or there could have added a little bit more memorable content.
That’s a good point. I liked using heal spells to remove zombies
Having grown up with an NES/SNES, having a Sega console proved too much for my parents so I missed on games like this. While honestly I don’t think I will go back to play this series, I am interested in learning more about this series in watching your retrospectives on them. I look forward to part 4!
Great! I’m glad you enjoyed it. I will make part 4 someday yes. But as part of this video alludes to, the next chapter is actually about sonic and will serve as a companion to the Mario world video from last year where you can see the same events from 90-92 from the Sega point of view. Thanks for watching 💫
This was Stellar! your phantasy star 4 retrospective has to be one of my most anticipated videos coming in the next few years
I hope I don’t let you down!
The world waits with baited breath for PS4, no doubt. GTV will do great.
Record of Agarest War games had multiple generations.
Skies of Arcadia had battle music that would change mid fight depending on if you were loosing or winning.
Chrono Trigger had multiple Endings depending on what you did during the game.
So I guess those games had elements that originally started in Phantasy Star 3.
My esteem of what PS3 has done has been raised.
Technically I think wizardy or ultima and dq1-2 had different generations but not in the same game.
The biggest issue with Phantasy Star 3 is that Phantasy Star 4 was so good.
I think that’s it. 3 was a great game until 4 came round. But hey. That’s life, ya know.
I never had an opportunity to play Phantasy Star III - the only one of the original tetralogy I ever played was a little bit of II, and maybe I was too young for it at the time because I can only remember never being able to get my head around it and not even beating the first dungeon - but the generational storyline feature really stands out to me. Lots of games have multiple-choice branching-tree routes, but having your choice tree be a literal family tree makes it feel like a saga; a simple adjustment has a big impact, adding epic scope to the adventure.
I say try it out! It’s pretty fun
I randomly got his game from a pawn shop when I was a kid, took me a bit to get it, the beginning for someone who's 10 years old with barely any direction it was a mission, but I kept coming back periodically. I wasn't aware of the generational aspect to it until I got to that point and it blew me away. I haven't played it since in a minute but I think I'm gonna give it another run.
I recommend one more go. You might like it.
Wow, 2 years later and I'm finally seeing this video! Loved it.
PSIII was and still is one of my favorite PS games (tied with PSIV)
Currently working on running D&D one shots of Generations 1 & 2 and will be running a full campaign on Generation 3 (The players are actually choosing which path they take! So far, ran Generation 1 and they went the way of Maia.
If the campaign for Generation 3 goes well, I'll be working on a prequel campaign the goes through the war between Orakio and Laya and the devolution of peace between their peoples into full scale war!
People often over use the word underated but in this case PS3 is underated. Far better game than PS2 and doesn't need a hint book to complete. One of the few games I've played through multiple times to get all the endings. The highlight for me was the music in the game.
Good insight!!
They didn't bother with a cave entrance. So much is just too novice or too phoned in. The ONLY rpg I played through (3 times even)and right now could not tell you a single thing about a single character from memory or even a name. I think their is a choice between exotic girl or the expected choice girl, and that is all I got. Oh, and the overworld music gimmick as you added party members. The least memorable of hundreds of rpgs I finished.
PS3 was the first RPG of this type I ever played. (I had only played shining force prior) I loved this game, I think it deserves more credit. I was so blown away when I found they were on a spaceship lol. I’ll never forget being a kid and the magic that was.
I think many genesis owners who came on board after sonic this is true. It was a current game and was popular and received. But that seems to have been forgotten over time
Also true for me.
Thank you so much for this! These games are so close to my heart and I can see a lot of love went into this. It was a treat to watch 💓
Thanks I’m glad you liked it! Surprised to see all these ps3 fans coming out but it’s great! 💫
Easily the best retrospective of the PS series on UA-cam!
Thanks I’m glad you liked it! There’s still ps4 left to go💫
I finished this game (crys/noin) just a few days ago, so this is well-timed :)
I think the low difficulty is the game's primary issue. they must have taken feedback from PS2 a little too strongly and went in the complete opposite direction of its ridiculous dungeons, lol. I wound up barely using techniques in battle either, more often than not just auto-battling would get you through any fight. however the story is handled really well considering the fresh development team and what came before, definitely the strongest part of the game. at least everyone agrees the music is amazing! I think it's the only PS game that'd really benefit from a remake, fleshing out the generations and world more and balancing the gameplay.
edit: oh yeah, I believe adan/fuin's ending is mistranslated in the english. in the japanese he's named the new king by the pilots and asked to lead them in the rest of their journey with no specific star mentioned, ending with this gloriously cheesy line:
"May you lead us on a new 1000-year journey...to a star
free of a god who would begrudge us our happiness...to our
Phantasy Star..."
check out rebecca capowski's "sceneryrecalled" site for their translation of the original script among other things, it's a really great site
Wow that’s cool I had no idea. I played they them in Japanese long ago but barely remember that difference. Maybe the difficulty is lowered because you’ll be playing thru multiple times. Who knows really? Thanks for watching 💫
But I dont like of fact that the generation death in the new generation atortemelado. Is repetitive script
Aron's ending, while not "good," fits best with the events established in Phantasy Star II. Since PSIII takes places after PSII, there can't be an Earth for Adan or Crys to discover due to it having already been destroyed. So the endings for Sean and Aron are the only ones that "fit" the narrative, with Aron's ending providing a plausible method for the surviving humans to find the Algol system in PSII.
Very well thought out!
@@GTV-JapanThe only thing that messes things up a bit is Crys's ending saying that his "Earth" has "two moons"...queue the "nerd" chants.
Maybe it’s the world of FF4?! 😮
This and the Gaming Historian channel, have become my go to for deep dives in Video Games' history. Thank you for creating this channel and its content.
Thanks for supporting the channel!
Thank you for doing this. This was the game that sold me on buying a SEGA Genesis all the way back in 1992. It fell so short of what it was supposed to be, and I would honestly love (foolishly hoping) to see it remade some day in its original incarnation.
I also started playing through the tetralogy again a couple days ago, and I am really looking forward to getting back to this entry. If nothing else, that music is something I always enjoy going back to. Man, I forgot how much I loved this series as a kid.
I can’t tell you how many days I fired up the game just to listen to the opening. Thanks for watching 💫
Many design decisions were downright terrible, but at it's core it has the same ambition as the rest of the original run. It asks a bit too much of the player to get at the good bits. Ultimately, only PS4 is a fully fleshed out and relatively balanced and well paced game.
It’s true. The difference of ps4 from the rest is night and day
Yo my favorites Phantasy Star game! Lots of craziness in this game and lots of sad moments!
Hey! More members to the club! 💫
Phantasy Star 3 was the first JRPG I played. It will always feel special to me. I've often imagined writing the full story of Orakio and Laya and expanding on that legend. I wish Sega had continued the traditional series post PStar 4. Only this series really makes me feel a certain way and I miss that feeling so much. There is just something special about this series and I think it's really a shame it's not as popular as other series like Final Fantasy. It pioneered so much and deserves to be remembered.
Awesome and thanks for coming back!
@@GTV-Japan Thank you for this awesome video! Phantasy Star 3 doesn't get the attention it deserves so I really appreciate it when ppl take the time to give it a spotlight. Excellent job! And look forward to more videos in the future about the series.
There will be at least 2 more but I have other long form Sega videos planned this year too
@@GTV-Japan awesome, can't wait!
Phantasy Star 4 was honestly the first RPG i played and actually knew what i was doing. To this day ill still bust out my cartrides of 3 and 4 and give it a play through. Currently 33 years old. 4 is just a masterpiece way ahead of its time. The music is still solid to this day, the characters are highly memorable with their own objectives and personality, the dungeons were challenging, the macro system made combo attacks a breeze, did i mention they had combo attacks??? That was busted for its day and the added side quests for the hunters guild always solid yet challenging if you didnt have some sort of guide. The story is complete wrapping pretty much everything up in a pretty cosmic bow. Oh yea and Alys slaps......gryzs grandfather for revealing her measurements. Such good times :) just wish they capitalized on who Alys was before her tragedy and how she knew Rune. Cant wait for the video on this game!
That’s why it’s simply the best!
I recently replayed 4 on switch. Has a great time... Till the air castle.
Can't wait for you to do 4. ;.; It was muh childhood, alongside Shining Force 1 and 2, due to the Sega Channel
That’s awesome! Muh cable company didn’t have muh Sega channel so I missed out
@@GTV-Japan PS4 was my first taste of the series. I went to PS2 and then 3 afterwards. 2 was great and I became obsessed with Rika and Nei, as a kid. I was totally not a fan of the PS3 but LOVED the music - especially the title's theme. I think the main hit, from me, came with the graphics. It reminded me of a game I played shortly before, Exile, and that had me dropping it quite early. Far later, I tried PS1 but just couldn't push through it. And then the online games came out.... PSOBB was fun to play but, to me, isn't a Phantasy Star game. :( Same universe but the changes just did not make me feel like the title was deserved.
That’s an interesting pathway! Kind of the same for me
PSIII's sleeper ships being massive Biomes, with the descendants forgetting the very nature of their world.. Is one of the fucking coolest story ideas I've ever heard. So I played all 4 games in order on a sega collection on PS3 (pal). That story reveal in III absolutely blew my mind. I loved it. Playing IV after the previous 3 titles is one hell of a payoff, it made that game all the sweeter.
My problems with the game, since no one asked xD: It has a relatively muted colour palette; the character portraits and some of the enemies are great but the rest of the game looks quite bland.
The combat music doesn't really work sometime after the 1st generation because the game is really quite easy! the happy "winning" theme played for most of my battles, especially the boss battles because the game read me as more powerful from the offset.. and i try not to grind as a rule!
The dungeon layouts are very simple compared to the absolute brutality of II, as well. That's a problem for some; I'm undecided.
I have a similar opinion! If you notice closely the dungeons basically move horizontally. They are too easy I think
Very well put together video, I really enjoyed watching this. Looking forward to the next installment.
Thanks I’m glad you liked it! The next phantasy star video won’t be for a while but I’ll have a few Sega videos coming this year 💫
Love your Phantasy Star retrospective series. You give the games the love they deserve. Thank you. P.S. Cannot wait for Phantasy Star IV retrospective.
Thanks I’m glad you liked it! Oh yeah part 4!! Better get writing soon!! 💫
This is my favorite game in the franchise. The fandom seems to hate it, but I adore it.
As you saw, contemporary reviewers loved it! I think one person’s opinion just happens to get out there and uninformed people repeat that just to feel part of something they really aren’t a part of. If you like it that should be good enough! Thanks for watching 💫
@@GTV-Japan I think you might be right!
I never recall anyone hating ps3 back when it was new and that was a popular game! More than 2! then by 2000 it seemed like everyone online hated it. It makes no sense
Phantasy Star 4 will always be my favourite but I enjoy playing PS1 on occasion. Thanks so much for making this video! I cant wait for the PS4 video in a few years time! Nostalgia is hitting me like a tonne of bricks! ❤️❤️❤️
thanks! Yeah I cant wait to make the PS4 vid for sure 💫
@@GTV-Japan can you let me know when you plan on making it. Happy to contribute a $$ donation to help out as these vids are such good quality, you obviously put in a fair amount of your time and money into making them :)
@@jonluke1077 thanks but no. I do not accept any money from fans at all. Especially now in hard economic times you should save your money, not giving it to someone on the internet I will still make the videos whether they earn $1 or a million. The best way to support me I suggest is to just keep watching and share the channel with anyone who might like it. Thanks and happy Easter
Had to start the year good and continue my GTV marathon! Sadly, im close to see all the videos, but still there are a few more to enjoy. Hope 2022 brings a lot of joy! Cheers buddy!
Hey thanks and happy new year to you too! I’m working on new stuff almost every day
This is one of the most underrated channels in the history of UA-cam. Contend of the highest quality only.
Thanks for the support!💫
This explains why PS3 felt like a step back..cause it was, virtually starting from scratch. But I'm impressed it predates DQ5. I always assumed it came after.
It might not be as cool as 1 and 2(and maybe the most disconnected). But it is more playable than 2 in terms of dungeons and easiness.
I like how you can fast level up some of the characters
Wish they would make a Phantasy Star V.
Yes for god’s sakes please!! What are they doing waiting?!? Thanks for watching 💫
@@GTV-Japan Well, IV really bookends the series, what with the destruction of the [REDACTED], which means no more [REDACTED].
Rieko is still working at Sega? What about the rest of the team? I doubt that they could make a sequel (on the same quality)
@@ikagura I don’t know but she is probably over 60 which is when companies force retirement. Sure in creative fields there’s more leeway but what ever she’s working on now just pushes back whatever is next. I’d say getting the band back together won’t happen
Dude these are made so well
Thanks!
It's always a good day when GTV Japan release a video.
Once again thank you for the amazing contend!!!
You’re welcome 🍻
Soundtrack - legendary tier
Maps - dead and underwhelming
Interiors - repetitve
Combat - fun but repetitive
Overall i enjoyed the game growing up. Next to 4 it is poor... But in its own context, it's quite fun.
One thing I’ve seen. People who hate this game and who just hate RPGs still admit the soundtrack was one of the best. And it is!
Comparing it too 4 isn't really fair what with 4 being one of the best games on all Genesis
THIS... is how you do a mf retrospective! I felt like I was taken back in time to my kid self of the 90s, the commercials and references were perfect, all he had to do was mention TGIF to be God tier. Damn good job.
Thanks I’m glad you liked it!! 💫
Waiting for the next installment is the hardest part... these are so well done.
Thanks! I will have a few more Sega videos this year and I will revisit ps1 on its own before the big finale
Great video, can’t wait to see one for IV.
Thanks I hope I can deliver a good one on that
Yes! my all times favorite . But IV is a masterpiece in every way possible...
The greatest 16bit RPG! Yep even better than FF6, Chrono Trigger or Earthbound. Just saying that would send a certain set of people into an apoplectic meltdown but it’s not my fault they can’t face the truth !!
gooooooooood video
Thaaaaaaaanks 💫
this was really well done, thank you for this!
You’re welcome! Thanks for the support 💫
This was the only PS i played and it blew me away when I found out you was on a spaceship loved this game.
It was a great reveal!
My favorite in the series.
Great!
I wish it would come to switch. I’d use save states for the branches. Make life easier!
It’s on the switch in Genesis collection
I was there for all 4 originals. Mind-blowing!!
Awesome! You’re a true original
What a wonderful, well put together review, good job sir.
Thanks! 😊
I played all these games in their time. Phantasy Star 1 on the SMS. Then, I was so excited for PS2 on the Genesis, only to be semi-disappointed that it was all overhead view with no 3D Dungeons. But I still liked it. Then of course when PS3 came out I was all over it and played it to maybe a couple of endings. Anyway that was 30 years ago I guess, but what I do recall was being very neutral about the game. I felt at the time that all the thought went behind the branching paths and the and the bland environments and gameplay just seemed phoned in. It actually turned me from a Phantasy Star fanboy into someone who completely ignored Phantasy Star IV when it came out! (something I still regret to this day as I probably would have really liked it).
Oh no! I’m sure Sega will forgive you! Thanks for watching 💫
PS4 was the only iteration of the series that i thought held a candle to the nes/snes classics like dragon warrior and final fantasy.
Personally I always felt that the biggest problem with Phantasy Star III was not that it differs so much from the other games, rather that it was stuck on a 512KB cartridge (the same size as PSII) and so did not have the space to store a more fleshed-out and worthwhile version of the frankly over-ambitious story it tried to tell, not to mention how dated everything but the character and background art looks- the menus look terrible, nothing animates nicely because they're stuck with MAYBE three frames, etc.
This was a fantastic video, much like PSII. I have yet to play this series but I'm for sure looking forward to it. Cheers GTV, love all that you do, as always.
Hey Kevin! Thanks for coming back as always! Right now I’m giving the final proofread to a 10,000 word script that hopefully you’ll like. Have a good weekend or what’s left of it💫
I loved the music from this installment. I didn't realize how much clever work went into it. I think some people were more put off by the change in how the fight scenes were done from parts 2 and 4. The story and history on this one are amazing and get my imagination going.
Agreed. I would spend hours battling just to hear the soundtrack lmao
I've just finished Phantasy Star III in my quest to experience this series for the first time. I commented in your PSII video not too long ago telling you about how I felt.
And I have to say that I was pleasently surprised by PSIII, while simmultaneously understanding why it was considered sort of a black sheep for many. It was a clear downgrade in animation and overall charm from the first two games. Although I didn't mind the medieval aesthetic, because it was never truly medieval in a dragon quest sense, it is more of a primitive world that forgot how technology works but that still has to deal with it. Kind of gives me the vibes of a horizon zero dawn, the robots and spaceship passages just hit differently than in previous titles. There is broken glass everywhere, skeletal robots with wrags, cyborgs with half a face missing, grotesque mutants. Honestly, at times it has more sci-fi elements than the original phantasy star, with its stone dungeons, flying eyeballs, giant worms and skeletons with sword and shield. It is still a sci-fi adventure, it is just that most of the humans forgot how the technology sorrounding them work.
The biggest possible praise I could give the game (outside of the branching path system) considering the time it was released is that it requires zero grinding, just by following the story you will get as much experience and money as you need, which was probably very intentional considering the game is supposed to be replayable. I wouldn't recommend playing PS or PSII without access to an easy mode like in sega ages, because those games can be a slug. But PSIII mostly only needs a hack that includes a run button or your typical fast forward like in the genesis classics collection. The game is a breeze which makes it very addictive.
Unfortunately I do have to say that the dungeons are as boring as ever, most of the times just being a single floor with just a labyrinth as you could draw and solve in a piece of paper, with random detours designed to just be the wrong way and waste your time. Even the first game had things like trap doors, multiple floors, locked doors. This is the worst one in that regard, and it is the main aspect that I think makes PSII and PSIII not age aswell as other 16-bit rpgs, and in this case I would say even as a lot of 8-bit rpgs.
Overall I liked it, and I've been enjoying the series quite a lot. Hopefully by the time the 30th anniversary of PSIV comes I will be ready for your video. That is the one I've been most excited about, and pretty much the reason I decided to play through the main 4.
Thanks for continuing the series! 💫💫
I like Phantasy Star III, but it’s not a finished game. The deeper you go into it, it’s like you can physically see the spaces where they ran out of time and just threw stuff together. I’ve always wanted to know more about the development history of this game.
I love this game! I don't know if it's my favorite, it might be, but I love it all the same. Really added so much to the Phantasy Star mythos.
I was surprised at the number who say they love this game considering we’re told constantly it’s supposed to be bad.
That's a cool nod to Highway Star in the music toward the end of this video.
Yeah. Anytime I can sneak something obscure in, I try to. 💫
I loved RPGs as a kid! I remember looking high and low for phantasy star 3 in the UK but I could never find it In any of the computer games shops! I then saw it at a car boot sale for £40 (which was a lot of money for a game in the early 90s). I remember being so excited about buying it but when I got it home and unwrapped it the cart was a Japanese cart and wouldn’t fit in my PAL megadrive as it was too wide. A friend of mine then told
me that the insides were all standard and it was just the cart that had different shells for different regions as a crude sort of region lock. He then told me if I sawed the ends off the Japanese cart it would work in my pal megadrive! I thought what the hell and sawed the ends off the cart and do you know what! It actually worked and bizarrely it was all in English!
The ironic thing was that I didn’t like the game at all! I found it too hard and far too much grind! 😂
I’ve heard the games would translate. I’ve never believed it but you’re proving me wrong! But how could they fit 2 languages in a cart? All I ever heard was about how hard it was to make space in old carts. Weird!!
@@GTV-Japan it wasn’t the only game I did it with. I had a couple of other Japanese games that the same trick worked with. The only thing is some of them would translate but some of them wouldn’t.
Haha I remember my dad looking at me in horror as I was sawing the ends off an expensive game with his wood saw while I was trying to convince him it was all fine. The insides of the Japanese carts were exactly the same at the Pal ones, they just had these plastic ends on the preventing them being placed in the PAL/US systems
Yeah but an RPG!? It just seems crazy!! I’m happy to hear it’s true though. For sure
@@GTV-Japan hey great channel by the way! I’ve subbed
Like and comment.
It pleases the Google algorithm spirit.
So does watching the up next!!
This is a fantastic video, great work! I haven't played this game in 20+ years but I did get to revisit PSII last year and loved the nostalgia, and holy crap Dark Force was very tough! PSIII was the only one of the 4 I never beat as a kid...maybe it's time!
It is time! Go to it! Thanks for watching 💫
This is the first Phantasy Star I've played so it hold a special place in my heart. I really liked the music... The layering you mentioned that occurs as you expand party size, I liked the gritty battle music, and I especially loved the 2 themes of the dungeon music... The two complement each other with the minor track of the first tune becoming the main track of the second tune.
Even people who hate the game admit they love the music so you know it’s one of the greatest ever 💫
I was really frustrated when I played id for the first time as a kid. I missed seeing the charachters during the fights, I hated the technique system, I found the enemies uninteresting and poorly animated. I wanted Phantasy Star 2 back. I wanted bright colors, well animated monsters (not stone faces), spaceship travel, party member switching at will and all that. My expectations were way too high when I bought this game... With time, I "learned" to accept and like it. The only thing I absolutely loved from the start was that perfect Intro music.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and opinions. Of course the music is legendary that’s a position where there is no debate!
I remember getting the game for I think Christmas one year. I had already played through two a couple of times and absorb this game and got all of its endings. Was it as good as two or four no, but it does stand as a very good storyline and an interesting expansion of the universe in its own direction.
That’s a good assessment! 💫
@@GTV-Japan I often wondered if the Phantasy Star online serious was born out of the world that the survivors went to that wasn't Earth.
PSlll was awesome in it's own way, and I think you summed it up very, very well.
Been waiting for this. Thanks for the awesome trip back!!!
And yeah we'll be waiting for PSlV's anniversary vid ;)
I promise it will arrive on schedule
The nostalgia is real mate. This has helped my soon to be hangover more than you know
💊 take care
PS III was an ok game on its own. Compared to PS II, it was a step back. I will never forget watching my best friend unpack the game, pop it in, and both us being immediately disappointed. It was tonally different from its predecessor and not as good. The branching generations was nice though
Thanks for sharing your experience and opinions!💫
Your entire Phantasy Star series retrospective is amazing. Brought back great memories. Keep up the good work
Thanks! Ps4 is up next!
tbh this game seems more playable than PSII. Never got through that one because it felt like a slog. Doesn't help that I played the goated PSIV prior.
It’s more playable as there are multiple endings and the battles are much faster. Though still tedious
I love all the original 4 Phantasy Star games but this one always had a special place in my heart. The generation mechanic was just so different than any other RPG. Also i loved the sound track.
Thanks for your comment. A lot of people have said the same and it’s good to see how many fans there are. If you read any generic reviews you’d think nobody liked the game at all. Thanks for watching 💫
We are one year closer to the finale review of the core series. I can hardly wait my friend.
Oh yeah! I better start writing ✍️!! Thanks for having patience
@@GTV-Japan always worth it.
Love your channel! Just found it.
Great! Thanks for coming by! Please check out the rest when you have time 💫
I envy you lol, when I first discovered this channel it was like finding the key to the Sphinx' secret treasury
@@Prodmullefc time to get on the train and work on more videos. Cheers
@@GTV-Japan well in that case not to hijack OPs comment but final fantasy 4 is having its 30th this year. Not that you’re hurting for ideas or anything. Anyway cheers to you too!
@@Prodmullefc after I write the sonic script that’s next
Also, PSIII being the last in the series(Timeline speaking), when you defeat Dark Falz(Dark Force), the entity did say:
I will be back in 1k years.
So that being said, I am very very very anxiously to see PSV, I am very surprised they have not made the game yet.
One thing I did want to mention though, From what I understand, PSIV was originally going to go on the Sega CD but it got canned(Canceled), due to the fact that Sega CD wasn't doing all that well, so they put on the cart instead.
Out of all the Rpg's out there, me personally, I would love to see PSIII being redone from the ground up but keeping all the heart and whatnot from the original, keep it true to the original, the battle mechanics could use a major uplift but keep it turned based like PSI,III, IV, very important.
PS 4 LIFE.
Yeah I’d love a remake too. Thanks for watching 💫
3 and 4 follow the same time line and happen at roughly the exact same time: 1,000 years after part 2 ends. No need for a part 5 since 4 wraps it all up.
I didnt know that about the build in music layers with the increase of party members, thats pretty cool!
There are lots of criticisms of Phantasy Star III but the music isn't one of them.
I know. I’ve heard from people who hate the game say the opening music is one of the best! ❤️
The boss fights felt hollow, some weapons were unbalanced like the Royal Needle. Phantasy star IV had so many epic boss fights from the very start. But PSIII had a weird, mysterious feel which fit the concept of a future dark ages. But at least the unbalanced weapons are too good too soon: The final weapon for Shir (laconia dagger) in PS2 had terrible stats and it felt like such a rip off if you liked that character.
Good points! I never thought about them but you’re right 🌟🌟
It's a decent game, I LOVE the overall story lines and premise of the world ships, the immortal brother of Orakio that was true enemy that manipulated both sides to go to war. It had some great aspects like the generations aspect, but it had several flaws IMO
1) Extremely high enemy encounter rate
2) early enemies poison your party way to often
3) Too many empty houses with empty rooms
4) TERRIBLE localization. All the playable characters names were changed, most all locations had their names changed. Prince KAIN of R'iqk changed to "Rhys" for some reason, Princess MARINA (so named because she was found washed up on a seashore) changed to "Maia" as just two examples of senseless alterations of character names throughout the game. Like calling the Laian/Raian "Laya" when the name is pronounced
Ra-E-ah not lay-ah and the people of that kingdom were Raians/Lai'ans (say like "lions")
Also; certain armor or gauntlets originally could be used in battle to cast a Tech that used no TP and that feature was removed.
5) Terrible enemy designs, often with nonsensical tiny animation like a Giant that wiggles his finger, most enemies looked stiff and just wiggled up and down!!! lol
6) Bland User interface Menu design, canary yellow and blue colored battle menus! yuck!
7) Bland backgrounds in battles.
in the original Japanese release many backgrounds the ground had parallax scrolling (to simulate that the characters were running and in-motion during a battle, and the sky had parallax scrolling clouds. this was changed in the US release where most all the battle backgrounds were made static and non-moving except for the animated clouds...this made the backgrounds in battle stiff and not visually appealing at all
8) No party character sprites with animated attacks like in Ps II...
9) Dungeon Mazes were overly simple and offered little challenge and their design was lack-luster
Look I enjoyed the game, heck I RENTED the Japanese release shortly after it came out, and I played through the game to see three different endings, and I did this across a time period of about 8~10 days, *while super sick with a nasty stomach flu*!
Later I got the US version and played through the games to see two of the endings. That's dedication, but overall, visually and technically it could of been MUCH BETTER IMO... Ps III for me was a nice "gaiden" or Side Story Saga, so much in the game could of been done sooo much better IMO
Thanks for the long comment! I had no idea you could rent the jp version. Must have been very exciting
hell yes. love your vids. played PSIII in 99 and dat soundtrack is a trip! keep it up with the awesome content. thoughts n prayer for Palma.
I will thanks. I’ll be back to a regular schedule on April 1st
Man this video took me back. The music really does stick with you! I remember being like, six or seven years old, playing my brother's Genesis and playing this game multiple times. I never beat it, of course, but I definitely kept coming back to it. I think I could tell as a kid there was a very dense and rich story context I was missing out on with the game. I still played it, despite my confusion 🤣
Come back again and beat it!
I don't think that we had the know-how or the technology back in 1990 to properly develop a JRPG with Phantasy Star 3's scope. That Sega rushed development didn't help matters either.
The game had so many cool ideas that it ends up being both my least-liked Phantasy Star and the one that I would most like to see remade.
I think it’s a good point of view that some games might be so good they don’t need remade while others do. Thanks for watching 💫
Most overhated underrated phantasy star game, In general i wish sega would go back to the classic turn base style game, Ps-online is cool and all but I miss the classic series. At least remaster phantasy star 4
Overhated! That’s a new word. I agree! Thanks for watching 💫
I believe Star Ocean series was filling the sci-fi RPG genre. But yes I agree, Phantasy Star could use a franchise revival or a overhauling remake. I have fond memories of Phantasy Star 3 because it was the first Phantasy Star game I played when I rented it in 4th grade!
One of my favorite RPGs being a SEGA kid. Spent countless hours playing it!
The Sega side is good! Thank you for watching 💫
Thank you for this Retrospective it really brought me back when i was 13 and played PS3 for the first time
Awesome. No problem. Thanks for watching 💫
Sir, I thought the new season was starting in April. This is a pleasant surprise
It is, this is a reuploading of an older video that had technical issues in the original. Thanks for watching 💫