PHANTASY STAR
You all know what this is by now, right? This document is quite old and dearly in need of a facelift.From the book The World of Phantasy Star:
- Alternate PS2 Storyline Translation
A detailed overview of one of the storylines originally considered for PS2, written and planned out to an unusually developed stage by Chieko Aoki before it got scrapped. Features Lutz in the lead and Bizarro versions of the other PS1 heroes. - Short Phantasy Star III Chapter
Practically the only substantial mention of PS3 in The World of Phantasy Star, and surprisingly frank in its less-than-glowing assessment of the game. (Then again, PS4 was just coming out at the time of the book's publication, so the book had a vested interest in convincing readers 4 took after 1 and 2, not 3.) - Phantasy Star II Preliminary Character Info
Information and backstories on the PS2 PC cast heretofore found only in the production settei. It's questionable how much of the information is applicable, though, as these descriptions come from an earlier, different version of PS2 (after the Lutz-as-hero stuff mentioned above, but before the final version), as evidenced by the different hair colors, the "nationalities", the slight changes in combat stats in some places, the limitations on what items each character can use, etc. - Phantasy Star I, II, and III "Best Character" Ranking
Why no Alisa? And is walking speed that big a deal for Japanese PS fans? (But then again, I suppose it's an even bigger deal in the U.S., isn't it.)
- SPEC Issue 5 Phantasy Star III Introductory Feature
So many abandoned systems. A selection of issues of SPEC have been scanned and are available to read at Sega Retro. - Phantasy Star Prologue Story Comic Vol. 1 & 3 Provisional Translation
Containing Lutz's...backstory? The origins of his headdress, at least. As SPEC Issue 6 has not been scanned as of this writing, this translation has parts on order.
Also: I was going to paste the translation into the scanned pages myself, but we all know that given my skills with image editing, it would take me two glacial epochs to finish. If anyone else wants to tackle a scanlation, feel free.
Translation of the manual for the Game Gear PS gaiden.
Phantasy Star Adventure Manual
A li'ler translation of the other Game Gear PS gaiden. Half the text consists of variations on "select the item you'd like to use with the control pad and confirm with the 2 button."
Phantasy Star Gaiden...er...Major Plot Twist Retranslation
A retranslation of the major plot-twist scene in Phantasy Star Gaiden; the rom translators changed around the content of the scene because they personally didn't like the original turn of events. In their words: "it's highly naive for young amateurs to assume that anything of artistic value can be crafted by copying a literal translation. Without multiple re-writes and revisions, to a cultured eye, all that literalism produces is a body of amateurish drivel." Not true; stilted translations are more often the result of the translator knowing the words of the language but not the music. (Trust me on this. I speak from experience.) Then again, looking at the landscape several years later, the White Man's Burden school of translation has clearly won, so.
Toyo Ozaki's Phantasy Star III "FAQ"
Orakio and Rulakir tackle an FAQ posted on Phantasy Star III character designer Toyo Ozaki's site and come up with about as many answers as are offered in an average round of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead.
Phantasy Star III original Japanese script:
Kein/Rhys: translated | Japanese transcript | Escapipe glitch addendum
Ain/Ayn: translated | Japanese transcript
Lein/Nial: translated | Japanese transcript
Shiin/Sean: translated | Japanese transcript
Luin/Aron: translated | Japanese transcript
Fuin/Adan: translated | Japanese transcript
Noin/Crys: translated | Japanese transcript
Weapons, armor, items, techs | monsters | bloviation on name translation choices, past errors, etc.
And that is it for PS3.
Oh, wait. There's also this.
Toyo Ozaki Phantasy Star III Character Book Partial Translation
Hey, do you have alcohol? Maybe you better go get some. No, don't worry. I'll wait. (This translation covers the character & enemy sketches and world-building backstory from pgs. 1-100 of the book; the comics have long been available at the Phantasy Star Cave. Some of the scribbled notes on the character sketches are partially illegible to me, but I...I think there's enough material here to keep you occupied, really.)