Phantasy Star
1987 · RPG · Sega Master System
Overview
Phantasy Star is a series of console role-playing video games and other supplementary media created by Sega. The series debuted in 1987 on the Master System with Phantasy Star, and continues into the present with Phantasy Star Online 2 and other extensions of the Phantasy Star Online sub-series. Each of the games in the series features a science fantasy setting featuring a cross-genre combination of magic and technology.
Deep Dive
Phantasy Star is a series of console role-playing video games and other supplementary media created by Sega. The series debuted in 1987 on the Master System with Phantasy Star, and continues into the present with Phantasy Star Online 2 and other extensions of the Phantasy Star Online sub-series. Each of the games in the series features a science fantasy setting featuring a cross-genre combination of magic and technology.
Developer Story
Phantasy Star was developed by Sega and released for the Master System in 1987. The team was led by Yuji Naka (who later created Sonic) and Rieko Kodama, with art direction by Kotaro Hayashida. Kodama designed the protagonist Alis as a female lead — radical for a JRPG in 1987. The game featured first-person 3D dungeons (rare for its era), a science fiction setting (unusual among fantasy-dominated RPGs), and an epic story spanning three planets.
Did You Know?
- Rieko Kodama designed Alis as a female protagonist — one of gaming's first female leads in an action RPG, seven years before Tomb Raider.
- The 3D first-person dungeons were technically demanding — programming them for the Master System required significant engineering effort.
- Yuji Naka, later famous for creating Sonic the Hedgehog, programmed Phantasy Star's game engine.
- The game's science fiction setting — spaceships, robots, and technology alongside swords and magic — was a blend no other RPG of 1987 attempted.
- Phantasy Star is still considered one of the greatest RPGs ever made for 8-bit hardware, and its storyline spanned multiple sequels on the Mega Drive.
