Phantasy Star Online
Preview by Trent Dickerson
---
I think it's pretty safe to say that Phantasy Star Online Ver. 2 for Dreamcast was the
console equivalent of the PC game EverCrack...err...EverQuest. It's THAT freakin' addictive.
Both games drain your money through your phone bill, and both will suck serious hours of
sunlight away from you. I think the only difference between the two is that with Phantasy Star
Online Ver. 2 is you have less buttons to work with.
The infamous Phantasy Star Online Ver. 2 comes to GameCube this coming summer if we're
lucky, whe GameCube's modem and online service fully blossom like a matured Pikmin read to obey
your every command. Well, maybe that's not the best analogy, but I think you see what I'm
saying. However, for some odd reason, Nintendo is dropping the "Ver. 2" label. Okay.....
Anyway, rumor has it that Sega has lots of new exclusive stuff in store for the GameCube
version (such as quests, items, mags, etc.), but they won't say what. What they HAVE announced
is the inclusion of 2 new characters in the game; the female android Hunter and the male human
Force. I'm not very familiar with the PSO games, but I know the hardcore fanboys are hyped
about it. Another new goodie that we get is a new swamp stage, which I guess is a pretty big
deal.
From all the in-game clips I've seen of this game (and I've seen A LOT), the gameplay is
going to be nothing short of awesome, better than Dreamcast's version actually. Things are a
hell of a lot smoother, and moving between menus is a lot easier as well. Graphics are nothing
short of stellar as well, which are also (obviously)better than the Dreamcast version of the
game. Things are brighter (or darker, if needed), and lighting and special effects are WAY
better.
Well, let's see here. More characters, check. Better gameplay, check. Better
graphics, check. Hmm, it looks like something is missing...oh yes, that's right, Nintendo's
online plans for this game and others. How will the modem work with this game? Will it be
distributed separately, or maybe together in a bundle? "It's up to Nintendo," says Yuji Naka,
prez of Sonic Team. "We have talked about (bundling the modem with PSO), but there are a lot of
issues involved." Nintendo responds, "(Sega) believes in the online business and they want to
engage in the online business, so we are not going to stand in their way.", adding "There are
ways we can cooperate with them and make it happen." (EGM, 154). Well good then.
In conclusion, it seems that Yuji Naka's Sonic Team is right on track with the GameCube
version of PSO, but apparently Nintendo isn't cooperating very well in terms of online talk. At
Spaceworld 2001, Nintendo made it perfectly clear they have NO online plans yet. They said to
expect something soon. That was 4 months ago. Phantasy Star Online is expected to launch in
Summer `02, about the same time Nintendo GameCube's modem is supposed to launch. That's only
about 6 or 7 months away, so when are they going to start working on it?
My Score: N/A
Advantages: More characters, better graphics, better gameplay, better sound.
Disadvantages: Still no online GCN plans yet, compatibility with DC version of game online still
not confirmed.
