Phantasy Star II
Phantasy Star II is a groundbreaking JRPG released for the Sega Genesis in 1989. Set 1,000 years after the original, the game follows hunter Rolf and his party as they investigate a catastrophic failure of the planetary climate control system. Notable for its sci-fi narrative, first-person dungeons, and emotional character arcs, it pushed technical boundaries with its 6Mb cartridge - the largest Genesis game at launch.
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About This Game
The game introduced an innovative auto-map feature for its complex 3D dungeons, along with a party-based combat system with up to 8 character slots. Its dystopian story tackled mature themes like genetic engineering and societal collapse, rare for 16-bit RPGs.
Phantasy Star II was one of the first console RPGs with a dedicated save system (using battery backup) rather than password saves. The soundtrack by Tokuhiko Uwabo pioneered FM synthesis techniques on the Genesis.
Notorious for its high difficulty, the game included North America's first dedicated RPG hint line. The death of a major character marked one of gaming's earliest emotional narrative moments.
The game sold over 800,000 copies worldwide and influenced later JRPGs like Final Fantasy with its sci-fi setting and character-driven storytelling. A remake was included in Phantasy Star Generation 2 for PS2.
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