PS Collection Review

Here I am again. What do I say about a compilation like this? Even given some enormous and inexcusable bugs, and even given the far-from-perfect treatment that the sound has received -- even without any extra effort put in take the hardware, or the nature of a portable game, into account -- even without the slightest bit of imagination or ambition put into the package aside from a pretty menu screen, it's still not too bad.

It's obvious that all of the effort went into getting the games as accurate as possible, within a short schedule and certain budgetary restraints. That's all that was even attempted, and they didn't even entirely get that right. If it weren't for the enormous and frankly stupid bugs, I'd be willing to give the developers the benefit of the doubt. Maybe they just didn't have enough time or funding or support. But I see no reason to excuse simple carelessness.

There's a conflict here. I don't want to encourage the kind of sloppiness that I see all over the edges of this project, but essentially the ports are pretty right-on. In some ways they play, and look, a little better than the original versions. And beyond that, it's still Phantasy Star. Three out of the four main games, all in one place -- in your or my pants, if desired.

In terms of the mechanics of console RPGs, we've evolved a bit in the years since these games were released. In what might be a damning statement, however, we've really not evolved all that much. The console RPG is more or less a stagnant genre <editor's note: Tales Series>. Partially as a result, Phantasy Star -- as a series -- dates better than most games of its time.

In terms of content, we have to some extent yet to match many of the accomplishments of this amazing series. The games are as relevant, important, and powerful now as they ever were, if you can get around a few of the unavoidably rough edges.

What's more, Phantasy Star lends itself beautifully to a portable format. The games are long and difficult, and at times -- admittedly -- they can get a little tedious, in long stretches. Rather than un-bury my Genesis and make a commitment to set aside a huge block of time, just to level up my character and wind my way through that complex dungeon, it is much more convenient to be able to jump in and out of the games whenever I have a few minutes of spare time. The only thing is -- I just wish I could save a bit more easily at times, or at least put the system to sleep. This is silly.

Not only that, but the compilation is pretty inexpensive -- under thirty dollars, for two out of the three major Phantasy Stars and one major side-story. This is probably what I'd end up paying for a copy of Phantasy Star III alone -- the one game which has been released in the West that I've never picked up. Seeing that I really bought Collection for the sake of Phantasy Star II, it feels to some extent like I got the third game and a buggy version of the original Phantasy Star for free.

I'm really disappointed in a sense, however. It's not so much that I'm upset not to receive more in the package. It's more of a matter of principle. I'm discouraged that Sega ever made that stupid deal with THQ. I'm discouraged that THQ has been farming Sega's games out to whatever random teams they can dredge up. I'm discouraged that the games weren't treated with more respect. I'm discouraged that no one had more ambition than they did, in this project. I'm discouraged at how sloppy it is.

I don't feel a whole lot of love put into this work, is what it comes down to. It's good enough. They got their job done, mostly. But that's not what I expect. Not from Sega. Not from Overworks. Not from Phantasy Star. I want to be inspired by the care and attention put into a project like this. The only way this inspires me is by making me dream of how I'd have done it differently from stage one.

With a minimal amount of creativity and care, this compilation could have been something really special. As it is, it's adequate and convenient. And it's really nice to see the games available again in a close-enough-I-guess-to-perfect form.

I guess... for the consumers out there who are actually hanging on my words: Phantasy Star Collection is worth checking out, although I say this not without hesitation. Get it for Phantasy Star II, so you can play this glorious game on the go. Phantasy Star 1 is a great little bonus, and Phantasy Star III doesn't hurt anyone as an extra curiosity. Keep away from bright lights. Don't even bother with headphones. And always have an escapipe and a telepipe handy in case you need to save.

For all they could have done; for all it could have been. For Algol so silently we weep.

Or at least sigh.

eric-jon rössel waugh has his own crash bug

Pros:

Phantasy Star! Portable! Graphics are smooother and crisper than you probably remember. Neat menu screen. A really good job adjusting to the new screen resolution.

Cons:

Inexcusable bugs. Sloppy handling in general. Problematic music. Slightly washed-out colours. No imagination. No ambition. No love.