SPEC Issue 5 Phantasy Star III Introductory Feature [The following feature was taken from pgs. 12-15 of Issue 5 of the early official Sega magazine SPEC, released in 1990. The magazine has been scanned; you can read it yourself, along with other issues of SPEC, at: https://segaretro.org/File:Spec-5.pdf.] **** PHANTASY STAR III The latest installment in the Phantasy Star (or "PS") series is "Inheritors of Time: Phantasy Star III"! Now, to those of you who saw that title and went "Huh?": you're great. Normally, you'd think the title would be "PS III: Inheritors Etc.", right? But here, the "Inheritors Etc." subtitle-like part comes first. And why is THAT? According to S2, the head of planning: "So that even if people haven't played PS1 & 2 and play only PS3, they can enjoy it!" That's his story, anyway. Well, if you're wondering if PS3 is going to be a completely different animal from PS1 or 2, that's not true. Actually, there was a good amount of hidden backstory in PS2 that never got into the game, and the staff said how "it's a waste to just keep this hidden" - so we're incorporating PS2's hidden backstory into PS3! So even the parts of PS2 that you just breezed through might have hidden meaning (?). So it's gonna be a game where those who didn't finish PS1 or 2 can still enjoy it, and those who DID can have the pleasure of going: "Ha HA! _I_ KNEW it!" S2 says he wants to make a game where "when you finish PS3, it'll make you want to play PS2!". Now, as for the actual game: as reported in "Beep! MD" and "Megadrive Fan," the game will have Multiple Scenarios! and Emotion Points (EP)! But what ARE those, exactly? First, we have some sad news to report. The EP system, where characters could grow to be nice or nasty depending on the player's guidance and actions, is, due to capacity and other various reasons, no more! I'm sorry to everyone out there who got their hopes up. To compensate (hopefully), the multiple scenarios seem to be shaping up to be quite robust. The multiple-scenarios setup has been covered in other magazines, so I believe many of you are already aware of it, but the game's plot has a three-part structure spanning three generations: parent, child, and grandchild. Mention "multiple scenarios," and it's obvious that what the player does will affect the progression of the game, but in PS3's multiple scenarios, what the player DOESN'T do will ALSO affect the future! For example, if you take it easy on the enemies in the parent's generation and don't defeat that many of them, the enemies will maintain their strength, and by the child's generation, you might be facing some tough battles. In this world, the sins of the father are DEFINITELY visited on the son! (What the hell?) But don't go thinking, "OK, then - it's GENOCIDE!" just yet. Play at your own pace - that way, you'll be able to enjoy a plot naturally tailored to your own play style, unique from anyone else's. In any case, the message from the development staff is: "once you complete the game, go back and enjoy playing through a different scenario." [Notes on Toyo Ozaki illustration: THIS! is Big Brother LYLE!!! (And Kein, whatever)] Well, this has ended up sounding like a introductory feature from a gaming magazine, but let's get to some development chit-chat from the staff! Above, we talked about the game's multiple scenarios, but there's more to say on the subject. When we talk about multiple scenarios spanning three generations, part of that is how the progression of the game is greatly affected by what they call "life's tombstone": marriage! In other words, who you marry has a big impact on the next generation! Put another way, players are always presented with a choice: "Which girl should I marry?" - the choice of a "two-timing lowlife" (in the words of staff members) or "a man's ideal position" (in the words of other staff members)! (But what are the female players supposed to do!?) [Note on Toyo Ozaki illustration: Orakio] The system is another brainchild of our peerless Lothario (?) S2, so, for some reason, all of the development staff ended up agreeing to it... Anyhow, when S2 was left to handle the character info on PS2, he ended up dreaming up way too many female characters, and most of them had to be scrapped. So he has previous offenses in this department. Will he get away scot- free in PS3? But even S2 himself was overpowered in one case! Namely, when it came to Lyle: the "Lyle's GOT to be a cool guy!" incident (in the perp's own words). Yes, there's a character by the name of Lyle who appears in PS3, but in the initial planning, Lyle was initially this pathetic guy, apparently. However, Toyo Ozaki, the designer who drew the character, ended up becoming RIDICULOUSLY fond of him and told S2: "if Lyle isn't cool, I'll just CRY!", so S2 folded to the pressure (?). So Mr. Lyle here ended up as this super-manly dude. (This has ended up sounding like a Bullworker advertisement.) TO says that she "drew him with passion!". (What are you, Takehito Ito?!) So when you play PS3, please take the time to appreciate Lyle's dashing, chiseled figure. Man, look at how much I've written...! It looks like I've used up the page! And we haven't even gotten to the "They broke my heart - so they're getting GARBAGE on their doorstep!" article or the "which way is the bus running?" quiz...oh, well. Maybe next time! Until then, everyone! (Or maybe I'll be killed by the PS3 staff before then?) See ya, see ya! - UFO Elephant *** PHANTASY STAR III PILOT COMIC: GAG EDITION [A pic of Kein and Lyle.] Doodles: L-R-Valley/Toyo Ozaki [Kein flips a tea table.] Narration: A FOOLHARDY HERO WHO RUSHES HEADLONG INTO DANGER!!: KEIN SA RIIK SFX: YANK!! [Kein seethes as Lena, Mieu, and Searren line dance in the background and Lyle plays video games.] Narration: SELFISH, SELFISH, _SELFISH_, GOOD-FOR-NOTHING PARTY MEMBERS!! SFX of Kein's fist: tremble tremble tremble [Lann sings karaoke as Lynn and Laia listen.] Narration: A BEVY OF BEAUTIES YOU WON'T FIND ANYWHERE ELSE!! SFX: giggle giggle! [Lune spearheads a group of typically weird-looking PS3 enemies.] Narration: A MOTLEY CREW OF FOES BOTH RAVISHING AND REVOLTING! [Kein, Lein, and Luin appear in succession, each waving a flag.] Narration: MULTIPLE SCENARIOS, MULTIPLE ENDINGS - SPANNING THREE GENERATIONS!! ...AND, UM... Flags: 1st gen hero 2nd gen hero hero V.3 [Lyle flips off the reader.] Narration: ANYHOW, IT'LL BE _AWESOME._ (That's what they say, anyway.) [Arrested Development Narrator: Well, you know the joke.] END Rappies in Background: peep! peep! peep! *** Translation by R. Capowski, 9/10/19, RACapowski@sceneryrecalled.com, blah blah blah.