How to Play Every Phantasy Star Game

One of the earliest JRPG franchises to be brought to the Western market, SEGA’s Phantasy Star series spans more than a dozen games and almost four decades. While many JPRGs use a pure fantasy setting, Phantasy Star stands out by mixing a healthy amount of science-fiction in. The games started as single-player affairs but took a step into the world of online multiplayer on the SEGA Dreamcast. How many of these games can you still play today? Where can they be found? Here’s if, where, and how to play every Phantasy Star game released outside of Japan.

How to Play the Original Phantasy Star Games

Phantasy Star

The series kicks off here with this SEGA Master System release from 1987. After her brother is killed by the evil King Lassic, Alis embarks on a quest to avenge him. There are a handful of options for playing this game now. You can seek out the original Master System cartridge, the Game Boy Advance Phantasy Star Collection, or Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 via the secondhand market. The easiest, cheapest, and best way to play the game is on the Nintendo Switch. It’s part of the SEGA AGES line, and features a number of great options and enhancements.

Phantasy Star II

The first 16-bit entry in the series, Phantasy Star II arrived on the SEGA Genesis in 1989. Set a thousand years after the events of the first game, it tells the story of a man named Rolf who is investigating the cause of a planetary disturbance. As with many first-party Genesis games, Phantasy Star II has seen many rereleases. You can look for a secondhand copy of the original Genesis game or the Game Boy Advance Phantasy Star Collection. It’s also included in SEGA Smash Pack for the SEGA Dreamcast, SEGA Genesis Collection for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable, Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and SEGA Genesis Classics for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It can also be found in the SEGA Genesis Mini 2 plug-and-play console with some optional improvements.

Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom

Just one year after the second game, Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom launched on the SEGA Genesis. As the title alludes to, this game’s story spans multiple generations of heroes. At certain points, you’ll choose a bride for the current main character. That will determine who you’ll control in the next generation. Like the previous game, you’ll have to rely on secondhand options to play this. Your choices include the original Genesis cartridge, the Game Boy Advance Phantasy Star Collection, the SEGA Genesis Collection for PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable, Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and SEGA Genesis Classics for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.

Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium

Billed as the finale of the series, Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium was at the very least the last 16-bit game in the line. It’s easily one of the finest JRPGs on the console. Those who don’t mind used copies can grab the original SEGA Genesis cartridge, the SEGA Genesis Collection for PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable, Sonic’s Ultimate Genesis Collection for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, and SEGA Genesis Classics for Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. You can also find it on the original SEGA Genesis Mini plug-and-play console. The easiest way to play today is via the Nintendo Switch Online SEGA Genesis app for the Nintendo Switch. You’ll need an Expansion Pack subscription to play, though.

How to Play the Phantasy Star Online Games

Phantasy Star Online

Phantasy Star Online launched on the SEGA Dreamcast in the year 2000 and was one of the first successful online RPGs on home consoles. It’s an action-RPG where up to four players can party up and complete quests while gathering loot. It was later ported, with various additions, to the GameCube, Xbox, and Windows PCs. The official servers for all versions have long since been shut down, but there are unofficial methods set up by fans to keep playing any of them online. If you don’t want to bother with all of that, Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II on the GameCube allows you to play with others locally offline via a splitscreen mode.

Phantasy Star Online Episode III: C.A.R.D. Revolution

Originally released in Japan in 2003 for the Nintendo GameCube, Phantasy Star Online Episode III: C.A.R.D. Revolution is a rather quirky installment. Despite continuing the story of Phantasy Star Online, the gameplay here shifts to a competitive turn-based card game. Back in the day you could play the game offline against computer opponents or online against humans, but the official servers were turned off decades ago. If you track down a secondhand copy of the original game you can still play against the computer, but if you want to go online you’ll need to explore unofficial fan solutions.

Phantasy Star 0

The Nintendo DS got its very own Phantasy Star game when Phantasy Star 0 launched in Japan in 2008 and the West in the following two years. This is another case where the online servers are no longer available, but fans have made unofficial servers available. Whether you want to mess around with that or not, there’s a substantial offline story mode to enjoy if you track down one of those original Nintendo DS cartridges. There isn’t much else like it on the Nintendo DS.

Phantasy Star Universe

Marketed as a game that could be enjoyed equally as a single-player and multiplayer offering, Phantasy Star Universe tried to bridge both eras of the franchise. Whether it managed to serve either one is an exercise best left for another day. As you might expect, the official servers for all versions of this game have long since been taken down. Unofficial servers have been set up by fans, naturally. If you want to pick this up to play the offline story mode, it released on PlayStation 2, Xbox 360, and Windows. There’s also an expansion called Ambition of the Illuminus which works as a standalone disc on PlayStation 2.

Phantasy Star Portable

The seriescaught another updraft on the PlayStation Portable in 2008 in Japan, with a Western release in 2009. Phantasy Star Portable took advantage of the popularity of multiplayer gaming on Sony’s handheld in the wake of Monster Hunter. It again features an offline mode that can be enjoyed solo, but also supports local multiplayer via wireless ad-hoc. You’ll have to track down an original copy of the game on UMD if you want to play this now, which means you’ll have to play it on the PlayStation Portable.

Phantasy Star Portable 2

Following the success of the first PlayStation Portable game, Phantasy Star Portable 2 released just one year later on the same platform. It introduced online multiplayer to go with the local multiplayer from the first game, but as you might expect the official servers went down a very long time ago. You can still enjoy the offline single-player mode or local ad-hoc multiplayer if you have a PlayStation Portable and a copy of the game on UMD, however.

Phantasy Star Online 2

This game took a very long road to its global release. In Japan, it released on Windows PCs in 2012 and subsequently launched on PlayStation Vita, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Switch in the years that followed. However, it was not until it came to the Xbox One in 2020 that it finally came out in the West. After that, the Windows and PlayStation 4 releases were also localized. This game is still online and active, and you can find it on the PlayStation Store, Microsoft Store, Steam, or Epic Games Store.

Idola: Phantasy Star Saga

This mobile spin-off released on iOS and Android in Japan in 2018, with a Western release following in 2020. It was a free-to-play game with gacha mechanics, and was developed as a celebration of the franchise’s 30th anniversary. Unfortunately, the game was taken offline in 2022 and can no longer be played. Some anniversary present!