The RPG Consoler

Game 32

Title: Phantasy Star III: Generations of Doom
Released: July 1991 (April 1990 JPN)
Platform: Genesis
Developer: Sega
Publisher: Sega
Genre: RPG
Exploration - Top-down
Combat - Turn based
Series - Phantasy Star

All great stories happen every 1,000 years

Phantasy Star has been on the decline overall since the second game, and this--according to some--continued that trend. The third game in as many years, and the lack of polish is starting to show in significant areas. Turned out, this wasn't a terrible game, but merely a terrible Phantasy Star. The music was great, but everything else was a bit underwhelming. I didn't have the manual, so I had to figure out who could use what equipment and what certain techniques affected, but I don't think adversely influenced my opinion.

This is later described as a seemingly minor event; I'm not sure someone washing up on the beach is minor

The main hook for this title was the ability to play through three generations. The game always begins with Rhys, a descendant of the great Orakio who fought against the witch Laya. Many were killed in that war 1,000 years ago, but the final whereabouts of Orakio and Laya were never confirmed (pretty sure they're dead by now). At the end of the Rhys' adventures he has to decide between two women to select as his wife. His son will then have the same choice (different women), and again have a son that will lead the final attack against Dark Force. Yes, Dark Force is back.

Who thought yellow text on a white flare would be easy to read?

A mysterious woman washed up on the shore near the kingdom of Landen, home to Rhys. Within two months, Rhys decided he would marry this woman who can't remember anything prior to her arrival in Landen (except her name was Maia). The game began with Maia waiting in the castle for Rhys on their wedding day. There's actually a bit of an Easter egg at the beginning: if you sell Rhys' armor to buy an escapipe and use it in the first dungeon, the game gets locked in an unplayable state. The king comments on how the player made a mistake, and needs to restart the game.

*Plop*

Rhys started in town with little purpose. An NPC blocked the exit, and without any funds (called  meseta) the only option was to head north towards the castle. I explored anyway, and found the peasants were too excited about the wedding to talk. They rushed me off to the castle.

It might even be today when you're kidnapped by a monster

At the castle, Rhys spoke to Maia briefly about the excitement of their wedding day, and how strange it was that she mysteriously appeared just two months ago. Rhys escorted her to in front of the king, and the ceremony began promptly.

After Rhys said his vows, the traditional kidnapping of the bride took place

Isn't it strange that Maia couldn't remember anything about herself, but everyone knew her name? During the ceremony, a monster identified as one from the Layan kingdom kidnapped Maia. Rhys proclaimed he would search to no end to recover Maia, and he'd mobilize the army to wage war on a people not seen for 1,000 years. The king thought Rhys foolhardy, so he imprisoned him in the dungeon to cool off.

It's not a very well guarded dungeon

Cooling off in the dungeon really meant collecting the treasure chests  scattered in the cell before being released by a benevolent stranger. I followed a secret passage that led back to town. The castle was now sealed off due to mourning the loss of Maia. Lena didn't join the party however. Instead Rhys quested alone at this point. I bought a second knife (the first was in a chest), and some armor with the meseta I'd found in the chests. The town shops were full of equipment Rhys couldn't even use, and I had to figure out through trial and error what was worth the purchase.

Making small talk with the townsfolk

I gathered from everyone that I should seek the Sapphire that was taken by a monster to a cave to the south. That gem would allow me passage to an eastern cave. A city named Yaata was the south as well. I picked up a monitor in the dungeon, which worked as a map, and showed three globes. Unlike previous Phantasy Star games, the maps didn't wrap back on themselves. Instead, each area seemed contained by an impassable circle of mountains.

Got it... monsters don't really live, do they?

The town had a fortune teller, which I opted not to use for 10 meseta. In fact, I didn't use him all game, and don't really know what he'd say. There was also a technique shop that wasn't helpful at this point. Rhys had no techs. With nothing left to explore, I headed south to Yaata. Outside I had my first taste of combat.

I swear I'm only going to subdue you with these dual knives

So, that's the combat menu. It took a bit to decipher, but it's not too difficult (even without a manual). The left two advance through a combat rounds with auto on top (until interrupted) or a single turn on the bottom. Escaping is managed by the lower right icon, and a sub menu for individual commands is accessed through the top right. In there is the ability to target an attack, choose a tech to use, pick an item, or defend. Only attack and defend commands are continuously selected on subsequent rounds, the other two default back to attack. The majority of combat is easily managed by just attacking. Attack techniques aren't really worth it, but I'll cover that a bit more later.

Oh good, a boat

In the town of Yaata I met an old man who owned a boat. Apparently the cave I sought was on an island, but the boat's owner would only sail with a cyborg in the party. You'd think he would have one by now. Someone told me of the town of Ilan, so I stopped there next. Towns were mainly hubs for specific information, one maybe two pieces, and shops of course. In Ilan, I was told there was an odd woman that never blinked near a lake to the east.

Well fancy that, guess who I'm descended from

With the cyborg Mieu in tow, I took the ship to the island cave. The monsters there were bit overwhelming, and it took a couple of excursions to reach the end: mainly I had forgone healing items the first time, which come in the form of monomate, dimate, and trimate. Mieu had some healing power techniques, but very little tech points (TP) to spend on them. Each time I traveled to the island, the boat's captain thought it was good to point out a temple at the bottom of the lake said to seal a power called Dark Force trapped by Orakio's sword.

Uh... that was easy

After having the strangest conversation (in lieu of a fight) with a Layan named Lyle, I received the sapphire. With all the build up I received of a monster in this cave, I was expecting some kind of struggle. My way through the eastern cave was opened with the sapphire. On the way I found an old airstrip, which didn't allow me to enter, and an old temple with a scary booming voice that chastised me for entering Laya's palace. Noted for later.

Pretty cave... wait, somethings different

Rhys didn't blink at the sight of the technological marvel inside the cave, but I suppose when you have a cyborg next to you this stuff doesn't look very advanced. On the other side of the cave was a land driven into a deep winter. I found only a single town, Rysel, with everyone begging I set things right with the weather. Someone mentioned that a tower in Aridia held the key to correcting it, but no clue where that lay. A minstrel told of a legend that the people here were the last of a race that escaped Dark Force by sailing through the stars. That's nice, now where's Aridia?

Maybe my map will... Ah, there it is; now how do I get there?

I explored all that I could through the cold wasteland. I even went back to Landen, but still couldn't find a way to the southern circle. Turned out I missed a single character in Rysel on the second floor of the armor shop. Many of the buildings in town were empty, so thoroughly looking in each room became tedious. Seems it's necessary though to gather all the clues. This random man told me of a factory Orakio built to the south, and a hidden gate rumored to reside near the ruins.

It's actually slightly to the southwest of here, can't you see it?

Through another hi-tech cave I arrived in Aridia. Following the edge clockwise I came upon a tower I was much too weak to deal with. Rhys died in the first combat. Luckily Mieu escaped, and I found the Rever tech revived fallen comrades.

That was scary

Hazatak was the only town in this arid land of Aridia. The same shop owners lived here (or their relatives), but the rest of the town was populated by cyborgs. An old cyborg was said to wander the desert to the north, but my current destination was a cave to the west. There, I was to find Wren, and he would repair the weather control station.

So many caves to test

Wren was another cyborg, this time programmed as a technical systems and combat specialist. Again, getting through the cave took some time, but after gaining a few levels I managed to recruit Wren. I'm not sure why he was hiding in that cave that looked strangely like the one on Landen. I was told I could then repair the weather system in the tower; however, before I went to my death again, I checked out the combat techniques to find any that might be useful.

Between Wren and Mieu, they have all the techs in the game

Will any of these be useful outside of healing?

Fanbi and Shu were buffs, which might have helpful, but it was hard to tell. Nasak killed the Mieu and fully healed everyone else, a completely useless spell in my opinion. Forsa had a chance to banish 1 enemy, but honestly it's probably better for Mieu to just attack with dual claws. Foi, Zan, Gra, and Tsu are attack spells that vary in number of targets, but usually it's better to just attack since they are so weak, even after adjusting my tech power. Rimit, Shiza, and Deban are a bit cryptic, but probably not worth it either. Ner buffs speed, but again, I'm not sure how effective it was. In the end, it seemed best to always get in attacks rather than buff a single character.

The menu system is a bit basic

I picked up Lyle inside the tower, and as it turned out, he was on the same mission to fix the weather control system. He joined my party to thank me in advance for helping restore the proper weather back home. Fixing the system was as simple as speaking to it with Wren in my party. There's a switch option in the menu that reorders the party, but it only seems to affect the visual order while moving the party around, and wholly unnecessary. Battle order and how they appear in the menu never change. After fixing the weather, Lyle told me of a boat near Rysel, and he invited me to visit his homeland.

With four party members the tower was much easier, so I continued to explore and found a satellite system

Back in town I was told two stones were removed from the satellite control system. The Moon Tear, which Lyle had in his possession, and the Moon Stone, current location unknown. That caused two moons to drift apart. Returning the stones to the system would cause the moons to drift back. I'm not really sure why I needed to do that, but it was something to do, right? I made my way back to Rysel and found the boat nearby.

Landing in Lyle's homeland, his town was just north of here

The towns of Agoe and Shusoran have been at war. Seems Shusoran was a Layan town, and the Orakians of Agoe have been battling them for 1,000 years. The people of each nation use surrogates though; Layans have monsters, and Orakians use cyborgs and robots. The purpose of Agoe seemed to be to clue me in on a hidden passage through a fountain in Shusoran, and a young woman that was taken to the castle.

Yes, but we haven't in years because we lost the recipe

In Shusoran the Layan people looked exactly like Orakians, so my party fit in without any trouble. I learned of the town of Cille to the north that has been unreachable for 1,000 years because the sandbar that connected them disappeared with the moon. There's my reason for returning the moon. While the castle was sealed, I found a secret entrance in the town's fountain. It was a rather long dungeon with many monsters, so again it took a couple of excursions. At the end was the castle, which had even more monsters. As I rounded the corner of one long hallway, I saw a lone woman standing in the throne room; Rhys exclaimed, "It's her! How did she get here?"

No, this game doesn't really explain anything

Lyle said he found her and brought her there. He then left the party and stood by her side, or slightly in front of her, and challenged Rhys to duel to prove his strength. So, who was this woman I was fighting over? Lena. "Who's Lena?" I said audibly while playing.

Look, I hardly know her, I don't even remember her, so you can keep her

Which was... when? Oh wait, random girl from the dungeon!

It just so happened Shusoran was Lyle's castle, and when I proved myself, the monsters were removed. Lena held the Moon Stone, and I returned to Aridia to put the moons back in place. Maia was being held in Cille, which I could only get to by returning the land bridge. This complicated scenario was only possible because the boat I took to Agoe was not under my control, so sailing it north was out of the question.

The purple moon Dahlia returns... wait, I thought there were two moons

With the moon in place, the land bridge appeared (actually I had to investigate the right spot for it to suddenly appear). The people of Cille were very vocal about their distaste at the thought of Maia marrying an Orakian. I'm really not sure how they even knew when the people of Landen hadn't had any contact in over 1,000 years.

No! That's Orakio's last message

As you can see, Cille had more fountains. Eight in total, but only one led to the correct path into the castle. Exploring dungeon and castle was mostly uneventful aside from the constant barrage of monsters that sure seemed like they wanted to kill me. The king Cille denied my request to take back Maia (it may have been a demand), and attacked.

This fight was really simple, just attack

With the fight out of the way, I finally found Maia and could now take her back to Landen to wed. Actually, the king said I now had a choice between Maia and Lena. What? What!? If I chose Maia I'd rule Cille, but if I chose Lena, then I'd return to Landen.

Shining earring, or mysterious blue hair?

It was at this point that I realized the greatest weakness of this game. There's very little character depth. I felt so disconnected from every single character that I honestly didn't care which one Rhys married. Maia, a woman he'd known for two months, or Lena, a woman he'd known of all of maybe a day. Honestly, I felt a deeper connection to Mieu or the female shop owners.

Having a good night at the inn

Hello~~ nurse!

In the end, I had to choose someone, so I picked the woman that I'd spent the most time with during my adventure. Lena seemed strong, and I felt I didn't want to stir any bad blood if the people really didn't want an Orakian to taint the Layan line. It kind of made the whole adventure pointless, but the heart wants what the heart wants (or in this case, the randomness of chat polls). The union of Lena and Rhys united Satera and Landen, and resulted in the birth of a son named Nial.

18? Must be time to start my adventure

While standing around the throne room one day, king Rhys received a message from Lena's homeland, Satera. Monsters had invaded. Lena's father was dead. Rhys commanded Nial to investigate. Nial, who starts at level 1 was accompanied by Wren and Mieu, who retained their levels. Rhys' equipment was passed on, but all the levels I gained for Rhys, Lena, and Lyle were all for naught. I was afraid this might happen, and really didn't see a point in grinding if I was going to have to do it all over again.

Some foreshadowing

The rumor-mill churned out the name of Lune and his armies as the menace threatening the land. A bridge had been made to connect Landen with Satera, and I took it to the castle. It'd been devastated by an attack, but the main force was nowhere to be found. The only survivor mentioned a cave to the south as the source of the infestation.

The map had changed quite a bit, I guess I didn't have access to the Layans anymore

I made my way through the southern cave of technology, and found myself in the land on the left side of the map. To the south of the cave was the town of Divisia: cut in half by the castle, which held captive Lune's sister, Alair. Lune and Alair were in cryostasis for 1,000 years. Moving their home, the moon Dahlia, seemed to have awakened them.

Yeah, pretty cool huh; wanna get married?

I found it strange that the "cell" Alair was "held" in was completely unlocked, but who am I to argue with the master plan of those who thought it'd be good to kidnap the sister of a crazed lunatic. Alair ran back to her brother to try to convince him to stop, and that's the last I saw of her. I exited the castle and found the other half of the town. The next step was to visit a rebel army to the west.

Someone telling me what I should do after I found the rebels

This seems like a good place to cut. Again posts are falling behind, and I've already managed to complete this game... and the next (Tombs & Treasure). I'm considering taking some time off from playing to catch up with the blog a bit, and relax until next year. With the rate I've been posting though there shouldn't be an obvious gap. I hope everyone has a good end of the year. Also, another thank you to the fine folks that put together Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection.

Elapsed Time: 8h14m (Total Time: 8h14m)

To start, now that I've finally come to the end, I'll weigh the RPG factors a final time, and then give my final review:

Phantasy Star (SMS) - Rating(15 RPP)
1) 4 - Character advancement: practice/experience based advancement, stat or level increases, multiple classes or characters, customize characters
2) 4 - Combat: character stats used for combat, additional combat options, turn based
3) 2 - Items and equipment: store to buy and sell, equipment decisions, item decisions
4) 2 - Story: main story at the forefront; world full of lore; descriptions for objects, people, and places
5) 2 - Exploration: open world, visited locations remain open
6) 1 - Quests and Puzzles: side quests not related to the main quest, puzzles and riddles to solve

It's interesting to note that the game lost some points from my initial estimate. I guess after getting a thorough understanding, it's now obvious that there aren't any equipment or item decision. Everything is pretty obviously better, and equally viable options don't exist.

What did the heroes do? I don't know, but they were great weren't they?

So, on to my first use of the full rating system. I try to give a complete understanding with many examples. That's why I think it's fitting to ask, CAPICE?

Combatant
Like most RPGs there's a good amount of fighting in this game, and like most the fighting gets repetitive. There are spells and some items that break up mashing attack, but with magic points so scarce (and no way to recover them in the field) I often found myself saving them for boss fights. They are interesting to watch with colorful graphics and animations for each monster. Don't get too excited though, these animations usually consist of a single arm moved in a slashing motion while the rest of the sprite is still. For the time, this was very impressive, as its peers maintained static images for some time.

However, some animations draw out way too long (looking at you flying eyes and zombies), and some sounds were equally annoying (again flying eyes, and my own laser gun top this chart). Consistency is lacking: one fight has monsters with 180 HP and the next will have some with 30, and damage ranges from 1 - 60; it's hard to judge how well I was doing or if I was able to take on a boss. In the end the only real challenges are the length of the dungeons and the final bosses, as well as the beginning of the game where a single bad encounter with an Owl Bear can lead to a 1-hit dead, game over scenario.
Rating: 5

It's done, you failed! Back to the title screen with you! Game over screens were harsh back then.

Admirer
Some of the most detailed graphics are shown in cut-scenes introducing each character. These are memorable, and give a good impression of what your guys look like. It's a guess most often what someone can use. I've already mentioned the Glove on Myau, but how am I supposed to guess that the Laser Shield is equippable by Noah when every other shield is not? Also hidden are spell costs, but it doesn't change, so I created my own list (if I only I remembered to refer to it more often). Maneuvering the party is very smooth looking, especially the dungeons with. Each step transitions seamlessly into the next.

Unfortunately, there's no way to visually customize the characters, and they aren't seen in battle. Leveling up comes only from battle experience, and the benefits taper off at about level 20; I started to get only 1 or 2 HP for each level instead of 10 - 15. This seemed worse than just capping the level at 20, and with 10 levels of no spells and minimal stats, it seemed these last levels helped the enemies more as their stats increase as the party levels.
Rating: 4

This is the only time you get to fully see your characters.

Puzzler
All quests have one solution, which is unfortunate, as this is a missed opportunity for another first in the genre (at least on consoles). For instance, normally you can talk to dragons, but all chatting or telepathy seem to provide are small hints and a way out of battle. Why not have the Casba Dragon depart and leave the gem behind after talking to him? There's not a lot offered here beyond combat solutions. Some items are discovered by searching, but only after you've learned about them. A treasure chest containing the Dungeon Key doesn't appear until the appropriate plot flag is triggered. Other solutions are talking to someone three times, or using an item.

There are hints, and they're easy to follow, so I never felt lost for what to do (although I did find myself unable to find where things were a couple of times). How everything fits together isn't well explained though, and the flow from one thing to the next is often obscure or downright confusing. (The only cake shop in two worlds is at the bottom of a dungeon... really?) There are optional quests to take on, but without knowing what the main quest requires it's difficult to know the difference.
Rating: 2

Guess which house has the right pile of junk to find Hapsby...

Instigator
Alis watches her brother die, swears revenge on Lassic, and then spends the rest of the game hoping to stumble over him. The story quickly loses steam and cohesion after getting the spaceship. At this point there's no clear direction to take, and all mention of Lassic disappears in the next few towns. Nothing changes in the story, and NPCs continue to give the same hints no matter how many times I spoke to them.

There is some background, but mostly it's related to completing the game and little to do with enriching the world. We learn nothing more about Lassic either, and only at the very end do we get a hint of background for Alis. Noah gets one side quest from his thus far unknown master, Myau gets to transform for a short while (not really explained), but Odin has no further interaction in the story (even after confronting and killing Medusa).

The story boils down to saving the world from an all powerful evil with no other concerns. I suppose I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the female heroine, which was rare for the time (or now even), but honestly, I don't see what would change if Alis were a man. (A side note: if Alis is killed during the last battle, but you still win, she will be resurrected by her brother's spirit for the epilogue. 1 point for keeping continuity.)
Rating: 4

Sadly, the Alsulin used to save Odin causes him to lose his ability to speak after this

Collector
Probably the least fulfilling aspect, the number of items are very limited and inconsistent in power level. A large gap exists between the best and second best, with some equipment available so quickly that the previous ones are obsoleted at the next town. Searching for treasure is an exercise in futility as many of the chests are empty with traps, or contain such a pittance that winning 1 fight gives more reward. (What is the use in finding starting equipment in the final dungeon?) With a limited inventory there's no way to have everything at once. A hovercraft takes up as much room as a burger. There's no way to unequip things. Only two healing items exist and inventory management becomes a pain when enemies start throwing flashers around like they're going out of style. In fact they did when I got a magic lamp. I was never hurting for money. I had just about enough to purchase most things as I came across or needed them.

There's no way to know if you've done everything. With secret doors, the completely obsessive can spend hours searching every wall of every dungeon. Another hidden feature is the wand; it is the only piece of equipment that has a use in combat (it'll act as an escaper: a 100% chance to run unless physically impossible). No hints, and no other equipment have an ability. Aside from blindly trying to use items in battle it's unlikely I would ever run across this. However, now that I know, I'm definitely going to make sure I try using equipment in combat in future games. I remember some Final Fantasy games had this as well.
Rating: 3

Why can't I leave Hapsby on the ship?

Explorer
The best part of the game is the graphics, animation, cut-scenes, and smooth dungeon crawling. Exploring dungeons are a bit of a slog with the identical corridors; helpfully most dungeons have a different color. The planets themselves are unique and easily identifiable. Motavia (the desert planet) has ant lion pits, Dezoris (the ice planet) has... well ice, and Palma (Alis' home planet) has grass, forests, and an ocean. Yet, the size of these planets seem very small with the maps wrapping around quickly. Honestly, they could just as well have been 2 continents and an island cluster without much loss in continuity. I can only imagine multiple planets were used to fit the futuristic motif, but it led to illogical aspects like spaceships that can't reach a floating cloud fortress.

The sounds and music are rough. Boss music isn't menacing, some sound effects are grating, and nearly everything else is forgettable (the title music is the only memorable track). It's obvious that Star Wars had an influence, from guards in the guise of Storm Troopers to farmers in the desert that look like Jawas (not to mention light sabers). There's a mention of Sega Games that I found amusing at first, but its only purpose seemed to remind me that I'm playing a game, and the NPC actually questioned me as to "why did I play this far..."
Rating: 6

If I could control the space flight, maybe it'd feel like I was playing on different worlds.

Final Rating: 24 (40%)

Overall, I'm happy with this rating, and it does well to reflect my enjoyment of the game. Playing it now the game feels average, but I recognize a lot of historical significance. I'd really only recommend it for those interested in discovering the roots of Phantasy Star or CRPGs in general; for others, find a recap and move on to save yourself 20 hours. I know there are better games out there. I think it's less interesting to see a score for a single game, so onward and forward, and let's get some more up for comparison.

Next up is Zelda II: The Adventure of Link. A controversial series when considering what games are RPGs, this one should prove as close as possible though, and give me a nice break before getting into another heavy game with Ultima: Exodus coming up. I'm taking the night off for Valentine's day, but we'll pick this up on Thursday. I'll make the intro post tomorrow.


Lastly, as an aside, I participate in a speedrunning community; we take it upon ourselves to time-attack all types of games, even ones without timers. Phantasy Star happens to have a run completed many years ago. While it took me a good 20+ hours to get through on my first try, someone named Brightstar was able to beat the game (after much practice and planning) in just 5 hours and 40 minutes (direct link to video). That being the GBA version, walking is slower in dungeons, so the same luck and strategies would mean a much lower time. It amazes me that a game this long boils down to a quarter of the time when going straight for the goal.

My plan to quickly finish this up in a couple of hours by quickly locating the Laerma Nut, and dashing on over to Lassic to tromp him spiraled into another 8 hours of play time.

First thing first, I knew I needed to find this nut. It was said to reach Lassic's castle in the clouds is beyond the reach of spaceships, and a Laerma Nut could cause some cats to fly. The nut eluded me during my search with the Ice Digger, so I traversed the dungeons once more in search of an exit I missed that would take me to an unexplored area. This trend was halted near the end thanks to a viewer mentioning that the tree was truly found with the Ice Digger, and hinted at its location. It must have been the only area I didn't search.

The ever elusive Laerma Tree. I thought it'd be more of a puzzle, but no, just use torch & get nuts.

Nuts in tow, I quickly run off, kill Lassic, and win. Again, this plan failed as I underestimated the size of the final dungeons. It turned into a test of patience as I stumbled across the crystal from the soothsayer, and found no other way through. I swore (once again) that I searched everywhere in Baya Malay without a clue to finding Lassic. I took a break for dinner, had a second look at my video (this time mapping it thoroughly), and noticed a small section I hadn't explored. So, I loaded up the game only to be met with a dead end. A second break, and I consulted the instruction manual for any hints.

I found it! In the description for the TRAP spell: "...disarm traps in Treasure Chests and dungeons." With the hint of an armor on the far side of a pit, I realized crossing pits safely is possible, and this is how it's done. Too spent to go back for the armor I pressed on. With this last piece of the puzzle, it was only a matter of attrition before I reached the end. At the top of Baya Malay, it's an easy matter of using the Prism to see Lassic's getaway, use the Nuts to have Myau fly, and reach Lassic.

The view was worth the climb...

Of course, it's not that easy. There's no way to heal in the middle of all this, and there's another full dungeon before getting to Lassic. Being greatly over-leveled, I imagined it going a different way than it did. Lassic's power was surprising: his attack damages everyone for a about 40 HP. First attempt met with disaster. Second attempt went a little better, having actually defeated Lassic, but everyone died except Alis. I'd spent all my MP, and with throwing away my only Transer, I was stuck on his floating city. With no way out, I reloaded the game, went back to town, and stocked up on healing items in order to save MP. This time he went down easily.

Rejoice! Back to the Governor to tell him the good news! Well, bad news, the Governor is missing and we fall into a pit trap as soon as we enter his house. This final dungeon is a simple affair compared to the previous labyrinth of Baya Malay. On the final floor, there are no obvious doors. Searching for a secret door, I'm lucky enough to locate one that leads to the very last fight: an enemy called Dark Falz. His HP doesn't show, and he attacks twice for 60 HP each hit. Forgetting to save just outside his door on my second attempt at this fight, I decide to save at the beginning for this collection's save state capability, and only reloaded if I was wiped. There's not much difference I think, and on my third try he goes down.

We free the Governor who tells us all is well again. In fact, he's discovered Alis has royal lineage, and offers us the crown for the galaxy. I accepted and Alis became queen of the Algol System. The end. Not too bad a way to wrap up the adventure (if a little strange), but that may explain why Lassic killed Nero as an heir to the throne. Rather than the more mundane "sniffing around" business. In fact, we never really knew what Lassic was "really up to," but at this point it doesn't much matter.

Was Lassic Alis' father? The Star Wars tropes continue...

Having beaten the game, I wrote up a list of questions I was curious about, and set off in search of answers inside walkthroughs and FAQs. Below are those questions, and answers I found:

1. How do I use the Crystal against Lassic, it wouldn't work? This works automatically. Without it, Lassic's attack instantly kills the party.
2. Is the Mirror Shield actually useful for Medusa, she seemed like a pushover? Yes, without it, her attacks instantly kill one member. With it, she is indeed a pushover.
3. What happens if I let Dr. Mad have Myau? He instantly kills Myau, and the battle starts anyway.
4. Is there a use for the empty building in Gothic? None that I could find.
5. In the prison is someone who mentions having a friend in Bortevo I should visit, is there a use for this? None that I could find.
6. Is there a point in giving Cola to the man in Sopia? None that I could find.

Tight... what? Is this an insult?

Some other notes I found interesting:

• Max Mesetas is 65535. I find it funny whenever I see this; less funny when it rolls over to 0. Overflow caused many glitches in games (and still does); it seems it's guarded against in this game, but still funny to think the party gets to a certain point and say, "no thanks, we have enough gold now."
• Monster ATK and DEF will rise with character level (HP remains the same), which explains why even beginning enemies were hitting me for 10 - 15 HP. I'm guessing this was a first, as the only other game I know of that did this was Oblivion.
• The compass, in addition to allowing access to Eppi, is useful in dungeons for finding the cardinal direction the party is facing. I hadn't thought of this, although there's not much use in knowing, as there's no spinner traps or any ways to become disoriented (knowing which way is north in a dungeon isn't much help if you don't know which way is out).
• Running away is not possible if your back is against a wall, door, or stairs, and there's no path to the sides. This is something I inferred after a while, but it's interesting to see the game take this into account.

This last session really drained my enthusiasm for this game; while technically innovative with animated attacks and pseudo-3D dungeons, the game itself was very basic, and getting lost drained hours away in monotony. The story and hints help you figure out fairly easily what you should do next, but it's not always explained how. Without the instruction manual, this game would go on for a long time until I broke down and tried everything I could on the pit trap. As a first game to set the bar though, I probably couldn't have picked a better title. It's very middle of the road and a good measuring stick for now.