Phantasy Star
Phantasy Star — frequently asked questions
- What platforms is Phantasy Star on?
- Phantasy Star was released on Wii, Sega Master System/Mark III, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega Saturn, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 2, Nintendo Switch.
- When did Phantasy Star release?
- Phantasy Star was first released on December 20, 1987.
About Phantasy Star
The time: Space Century 3240. The place: The Algol Star System. It began when King Lassic turned evil and let hordes of hideous, magical creatures run amok on the three planets. When her brother was killed, Alis vowed to avenge his death and put an end to Lassic forever. Join her in a journey across time and space to worlds where creatures speak...where magic and science combine to take you on the ultimate video quest. Phantasy Star is total adventure role playing with towns full of people and shops...16 level dungeons full of traps and treasure...three companions who will help you if you find them and some of the most awesome graphics ever put in a video game.
Summary via IGDB.
Game details
- Platforms
- Wii, Sega Master System/Mark III, Sega Mega Drive/Genesis, Sega Saturn, Game Boy Advance, PlayStation 2, Nintendo Switch
- Developer
- Sega Enterprises, Ltd.
- Publisher
- Tec Toy
- Game modes
- Single player
- Themes
- Fantasy, Science fiction
- Series
- Phantasy Star
Details via IGDB.
Reception
Every version compared
Prices, contemporary reception and the studio credited for each release
| Platform | Year | Loose | Complete | Sealed | Period reviews | Fake risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sega Master SystemDetails ↓ | 1988 | $79 | $170 | — | 5 reviews | Medium (look-alike) |
| Sega GenesisDetails ↓ | 1994 | $37 | $102 | $125 | — | Low |
The cheapest way to own it loose is the Sega Genesis version ($37).
Also released on: Wii · Sega Master System/Mark III · Sega Mega Drive/Genesis · Sega Saturn · Game Boy Advance · PlayStation 2 · Nintendo Switch. We haven’t priced or authenticated those versions yet.
Prices are per version and are not interchangeable, and neither are the reviews: conversions in this era were often built by a different studio than the original, so a score earned on one machine says nothing about how another plays.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Master System · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-28
Other releases and variants
| Release | Loose | Complete | Sealed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Re-release | $115 | $129 | — |
| European (PAL) release | $63 | $222 | — |
| Japanese release | $38 | $98 | — |
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a week
- Complete: about once a week
- Sealed: about once a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-28.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $23 in Jul 2009, $100 five years ago, and $79 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2010 | $12.99 | — |
| Jan 2011 | $24 | — |
| Jan 2012 | $18.88 | — |
| Jan 2013 | $31 | — |
| Jan 2014 | $30 | $47 |
| Jan 2015 | $30 | $50 |
| Jan 2016 | $41 | $70 |
| Jan 2017 | $49 | $69 |
| Jan 2018 | $47 | $74 |
| Jan 2019 | $51 | $78 |
| Jan 2020 | $54 | $88 |
| Jan 2021 | $79 | $100 |
| Jan 2022 | $75 | $152 |
| Jan 2023 | $68 | $120 |
| Jan 2024 | $72 | $133 |
| Jan 2025 | $53 | $138 |
| Jan 2026 | $71 | $156 |
| Oct 2026 | $79 | $170 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date | Product number | Known board |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | November 1988 | — | — |
| Europe / PAL | November 1988 | — | — |
| Japan | 20 December 1987 | G-1341 | 171-5583 · MPR-11198 |
| Brazil | 1991 | — | — |
- Region
- NA+EU+JP+BR
- Released
- 1988
- Authenticity
- Med
The Sega Master System version
Sega's landmark Master System RPG, a big battery-saved cartridge that is still one of the pricier US carts.
Phantasy Star was developed and published by Sega and released in Japan on December 20, 1987, two days after Final Fantasy arrived on the Famicom. Sega started it so the Master System could compete with the growing popularity of console RPGs, particularly Dragon Quest. You play Alis, who sets out to defeat the ruler of her star system after her brother is killed, gathering a party and traveling between planets. It has random encounters and experience points, but every character has a set personality and abilities rather than being customized by the player.
The setting blends medieval fantasy with science fiction, and the game uses 3D dungeon crawling and plenty of animation. Designer Kotaro Hayashida and programmer Yuji Naka led the team, which included graphic designer Rieko Kodama. Video Games & Computer Entertainment, reviewing it in 1989, said it was remarkable enough that it might justify being the most expensive cartridge on the shelf. Sega Pro later called it the best RPG on the Master System, and Zzap! called it a technical achievement given the hardware's limits.
How it was made
Developed and published by Sega. Kotaro Hayashida is credited as designer, Yuji Naka as programmer, Rieko Kodama as artist and Tokuhiko Uwabo as composer. The team included a large number of women for the time, and the setting was inspired by Star Wars.
What the press said at the time
| Mean Machines Games Guide | May 1992 | OVERALL 75% |
| Sega Pro Issue 18 | April 1993 | 94% |
| Sega Pro Issue 20 | June 1993 | 94% |
| Sega Pro Issue 26 | December 1993 | 94% |
| Sega Pro Issue 43 | April 1995 | 90% |
“Sega has done a beautiful job on this one, from excellent graphics to superb depth of play.”
“if you're an RPG fan who has them all, this is well worth getting.”
“It may be a stonking 40 quid, but this is one game where you'll certainiy get value for money. This huge cart even comes with a battery back-up, which is lucky because you'll be coming back to this over and over.”
“It may be a stonking 40 quid, but this is one game where you’ll certainiy get value for money. This huge cart even comes with a battery back-up, which is lucky because you’ll be coming back to this over and over.”
How the Sega Master System version differs
Sega squeezed the game onto a four megabit cartridge, a large size for the time, using several techniques to fit all the content.
Also on other platforms
Genesis · Sega Saturn · Game Boy Advance · PlayStation 2 · Nintendo Switch
- PlayStation 2. A remake of the game was released for the PlayStation 2 in 2003.
Before you buy
The US and European carts both date from November 1988, and Tec Toy translated the game into Portuguese for Brazil in 1991. The European cart is cheaper loose but usually costs more complete. The Japanese cart is much cheaper than the US one in both conditions, but it is a smaller shape that does not fit a Western console without an adapter. The US listing also has a later re-release print. This is one of the priciest US carts, so ask for a photo of the board and compare it with the board listed on this page. The game saves to a battery inside the cart, so check that a save holds. A replaced battery is a normal repair, not a sign of a fake.
Collector value & authenticity
Sega Genesis · PriceCharting sold data · Verified 2026-10-29
How often it sells
- Loose: about once a month
- Complete: about 2 times a month
- Sealed: about 3 times a year
Sales frequency from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, as of 2026-10-29.
Price over time
- Loose
- Complete
A loose copy sold for about $21 in Oct 2019, $7.50 five years ago, and $37 as of Oct 2026.
Show as table
| Month | Loose | Complete |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 2020 | $9.88 | $12.34 |
| Jan 2021 | $8.50 | $25 |
| Jan 2022 | $27 | $38 |
| Jan 2023 | $31 | $40 |
| Jan 2024 | $16.92 | $43 |
| Jan 2025 | $27 | $78 |
| Jan 2026 | $29 | $109 |
| Oct 2026 | $37 | $102 |
Monthly price estimates from PriceCharting's completed-sale records, sampled quarterly, through Oct 2026.
Release record
| Territory | Date |
|---|---|
| Japan | 2 April 1994 |
- Region
- JP
- Released
- 1994
- Authenticity
- Low
The Sega Genesis version
A Mega Drive reissue of Sega's first Phantasy Star RPG, interesting mainly as a Japanese collectible.
Phantasy Star Fukkokuban is the Mega Drive release of the Master System role-playing game, put out by Sega in Japan on 2 April 1994. Sega had long been asked by fans for a Mega Drive port, and it shipped a limited release as part of a contest. It came out only in Japan.
When it appeared, several of the four Famitsu reviewers found the graphics dated, and one said the game was very unbalanced because it starts out difficult.
How the Sega Genesis version differs
The Mega Drive release was a limited, Japan-only run shipped as a contest prize in 1994, identical to the Master System game but without its FM sound enhancements.
Sega responded to fan requests for a Mega Drive port with this limited release.
Also on other platforms
Master System · Sega Saturn · Game Boy Advance · PlayStation 2 · Nintendo Switch
| Sega Master System | Sega |
- Sega Saturn. The Saturn compilation version includes both hiragana and katakana, an improvement over the original's katakana-only text.
Before you buy
The only cart to look for is the Japanese one, and its cartridge has a different shape from a Western cart: it needs an adapter or two plastic tabs removed from a Western console's slot. Among Japan-only carts it sits above the middle.
Phantasy Star screenshots
Watch on YouTube
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