Phantasy Star II was an RPG game that was originally released in Japan by Sega in 1989. This title was a direct sequel of the original Phantasy Star game but included slight changes such as new characters. In Phantasy Star II the main antagonist known as “Dark Force” still plays a major role in the plot of the series but this time he is confronted by a new group of heroes. The game centers around the main protagonist Rolf who is accompanied by seven allies including Nei, Rudolf Steiner, and Amy Sage. In retrospect, this game was very good RPG game especially by 80’s standards but some people would argue that the game should have received higher ratings than it. While a few publications had given the original Phantasy Star game higher scores there are many Sega fans who would argue that the second installment was just as good.
Similar to the first game Phantasy Star II had awesome sprites and great battle scenes. One of the enhancements this game has made would actually include the battle scenes because the player can actually see the character they control rather than fighting at a first person view where he is not visible. Also, the soundtrack of Phantasy Star II was also well composed with BGM such as: “Rise or Fall” which had a nice 80’s vibe to it. The composer for this game Tokuhiko Uwabo had also did a fantastic job with soundtracks of this game just he did for the prequel. The BGM for this game had captured the atmosphere of the background and action of everything that occurred which kept players on the edge of their seats. Even though, Phantasy Star II was originally released for the Sega Mega Drive as many people know this game had been ported to various consoles from different generations including Sega Saturn, Game Boy Advance, Dreamcast, PS2, etc.
This game had also received a remake back in 2005 entitled “Phantasy Star Generation 2” that was released in Japan with more optimal graphics and gameplay. If one is huge fan of Phantasy Star II it would be considered advisable that they search for it online because its great. Overall, Phantasy Star II is considered to be one of the best RPG games made during the 16 bit era and will continue to live in the hearts of many people who enjoyed following its initial release.
Strider is a platform game that was originally released for the arcade system by Capcom in 1989. This title had a unique plot that included a futuristic setting which kept people interested through the game. The main protagonist of this game is Strider Hiryu who must maneuver through various stages in order to complete his mission relating to the assassination of the “Grandmaster” who rules the world that he and his comrades live in during the late 2040’s. The graphics and gameplay for Strider were great and made people spend many coins to complete it during the early 90’s. While Strider the arcade game was exciting this title was also released for the Nintendo Entertainment System in 1989. The following year as many people know it was ported to the Sega Master System with much better graphics compared to the NES version.
