There are a lot of influential franchises in the world of gaming; Final Fantasy, Resident Evil, Chrono Trigger, Super Mario Bros., and The Legend of Zelda are some of first ones that come to mind. However, one franchise seems to always be left out of the conversation when it comes to innovative franchises, unless you are talking to some hardcore gamers. The franchise in mind is Sega‘s Phantasy Star series.
In the 16-bit era, game devs and composers could finally change the type of tones used in the music, simulating a wider array of instruments and creating a whole lot of great soundtracks in the process.
It wasn’t easy picking out the best of the best because there were so many great ones. Even middle-of-the-road soundtracks seemed to deserve a bump if the game was just that damn good, and so many from that era are that damn good!
Here's the Ghetto Gamer list of top 20 soundtracks from the 16-bit era.
The Sega Dreamcast was a system that had some really cool and innovative games. However, the console never had as much widespread appeal as the PS2 or Xbox.
I think outtrigger is really underrated as a game for the dreamcast. It was quite good for the time.
If I could take two consoles with me into the after life it would be the Snes and dreamcast.
I can get behind SNES, but Dreamcast? I'm not saying you're wrong, but I need an explanation
Dreamcast was like an arcade console in the home. As Sega produced many games and brought them over. Third parties released their arcade fighters on the console and they were arcade perfect or better like Soul Calibur. Back when games were about instant fun because they had to be to draw you in.
Every console we play today is more about length of a game and added side missions or fluff to lengthen the game than arcade as many of the games aren't arcade like. There are arcade like games there. Especially fighters. But these consoles don't have the same feel as an arcade company that made an arcade like machine. Dreamcast was the end of an era as most gamers play at home, most console games don't release in the arcade and multiplayer is through an online connection that kills that in person social gathering.
Gamers like myself that grew up on arcades, can tell the difference from popping tokens and nickels and quarters at arcades and just pressing start with a controller. Dreamcast had that feeling. It had a short life but it sure left an impression. Which is why I have two units to make sure. Because it's soul never dies(Soul Calibur)
I'm not sure if my explanation below fits why you like Dreamcast. But that's how I felt about it. Even today, there are no light gun games anymore. And today's TVs don't even support them. I have to keep a CRT TV just to keep light gun gaming alive.
And online is okay. But it's like playing poker in person compared to over the internet with a no name and no face opponent. The game is the same but you don't get the poker face looks, the body movement, the physical cards or chips. Dreamcast had that arcade feel and local, multiplayer fun.
If you like survival horror, i highly recommend D2. It’s really cool. Reminiscent of deadly premonition. Great atmosphere and music. Super campy and cheesy but unique. Just emulate it.
Sega Genesis had a handful of outstanding RPGs like Phantasy Star IV and Shining Force II. Outside of the very best examples, many of the Sega Genesis RPGs did not get the amount of recognition they deserved.
Yes OMG.. I didn't know it was called this.. In Europe it was called Soleil.
I remember restarting it as soon as I finished it..
Story of Thor, Light Crusader deserve a special mention!!!
Hell yes.. I remember reading about that code in a gaming magazine when I was a kid, lol
Still my favorite RPG series. Still better than Final Fantasy, in my opinion.
People cried when Aerith died? People were actually "shocked." Yeah, well I liked it better when it happened to Nei.
Time to dust of my sonic ultimate genesis collection. (jumps into a delorian)
It sucks though how Phantasy Star is handled in the US. Phantasy Star Universe was a good game at launch and what not, but lack of support (content, events, DLC, etc...) is what killed it. I still feel US should of gotten the same content Japan did, especially when we're paying the same $8.99 a month for the game as Japan. I feel Phantasy Star Online II will see the same fate of dying out due to lack of content updates, which is why I'm not going to jump in at launch. This seems like a trend though with online JRPGs, (White Knight Chronicles 1/2 pretty much got the same treatment with lack of content updates).
That picture of Phantasy Star Online Ep 1 and 2 takes me back though, goodtimes...
Phantasy star 2 , great game, hands down!