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As of today, the Sega Ages release on Nintendo Switch remains to be the most efficient way to officially play Phantasy Star. What makes it stand out is that it's VERY CHEAP to buy (at $7.99 USD), has automatic in-game dungeon mapping, a revamped difficulty mode (Ages Mode), an HP/MP and money tracker user interface (so that you don't have to look at the Status screen all the time to look at them), and the first official release to have the original FM soundtrack implemented in. The other efficient way is the Japanese-only PlayStation 2 release (Sega Ages 2500 Series Volume 32, which also had PSII, III, and IV), but you're limited to not having the FM soundtrack (when you're playing on the English release since it got removed), no automatic dungeon mapping, and no instant HP/MP/money status interface. In addition, the PS2 release (the Complete Collection, not the remake, Phantasy Star generation 1) is also very expensive to get on average (like $80-$95 USD as of the day of writing this). Both releases had the increased walking speed and adjustable difficulty (which basically adjusted how much XP and money you earn).

So why play this Translation-hack when the Switch/PS2 release exists? Well, there's quite a few additional hacks that make it arguably superior to play rather than the official releases:

• Expanded menus and item names

This is self-explanatory. The user interface is a lot cleaner compared to the vanilla official releases. The abbreviated menus and names can make things confusing to read due to the space constraints, but that is resolved in this hack.

• Sound Test and sound chip selection

The Sound Test is the big one here - I use a flash cart to play the game on my Genesis (Mega Everdrive X7), and there's no SMS VGM player that can play the soundtracks easily (you have to use a few programs to make it playable, and creating one can be confusing for the average person, and I can't create one on my end for some reason), so having this is pretty cool to have. You could also switch what sound chip you want before continuing the game, so that's cool as well. It does have one problem, but I'll get to that later.

• Built-in cheats to make the game a little less tough/slow

This is just the adjustable difficulty like in the PS2 release, except each XP and money multiplier is customizable instead of just both being adjustable at the same time.

• Two custom fonts, with upper and lowercase letters

Much like the expanded menus and item names, it's a lot cleaner than the default font, which was limited to just being ALL CAPS AND STUFF. I like the AW2284 font.

• Expanded save slot names and three additional save slots

A major improvement here. Who doesn't like more save slots and expanded names?

• Fast scene transitions

This is another option that further improves the speed of the game. Going from the status screen and back is no longer a long process and transitioning between battles is even less of a hassle to deal with. A welcome improvement nonetheless.

• Adjustable text speed

It's already fast enough (even at the default 1x speed), but now you can make it even faster. Yay, I guess?

• Button 1 doubles as a Cancel/No button

I like this one a lot. In the vanilla game, when selecting dialogue choices (such as in a shop), pressing 1 on the pointer saying Yes will not prompt you to say no, it will simply select it. This is just one of the examples, but having 1 double as a cancel button makes going through the shop and such a cinch due to needing less steps to pick and choose.

• Bug Fixes and soft-lock prevention

Self explanatory.

Just those alone make this one of, if not the best way to play Phantasy Star. There are a few things to keep in mind while playing:

• Sound test can be buggy when switching sound chips. When the song notes plays a long note as you switch, it will play that note endlessly until you play and switch to a part where it doesn't play the long notes, and not doing so will carry on through loading the game until you reset the game or play the Game Over track to let the sound chip stop playing notes.

• This is flash cart related, but resetting the game with the US SMS BIOS turned on will not reset properly. This is not the translation-hack's fault primarily since turning it off (or using the JP BIOS, but this is useless since it doesn't have a splash screen when booting up an SMS game, so you're better off just turning it off) makes it work properly, but oddly this doesn't happen when playing other games (like Aleste, in my experience), they work properly when resetting the game with the SMS BIOS turned on. Must be something on both sides that is beyond my knowledge. UPDATE: I apparently was able to have the game reset properly even with the BIOS turned on, however it's the Japanese BIOS ONLY. So if you want to have the reset functionality work, then only use the JP BIOS or none at all. I adjusted the review to reflect that.

As for picking what translation to use? Just get the Literal English Translation version. I'm not the biggest fan of adding things that weren't in the original Japanese dialogue, so having that is pretty desirable for me. However, some item and spell names have been changed, so looking up stuff in guides and wiki sites makes it harder to follow, so the Classic-style Names addendum (https://www.romhacking.net/translations/6429/) is sometimes necessary to have to make it easier to follow (though a few are different named, but the differences are easy to follow), since it's only compatible with the Literal English version.

This translation-hack is the reason why I got a Mega Everdrive, and it may be desirable to you, too. Give it a go, you might be surprised.

UPDATE 2023/8/19: 2nd caveat revised, and clarification and adjustment on what Phantasy Star 1 game on the PS2 I was referring to

I used this translation for my first ever playthrough of Phantasy Star on my Everdrive.

It goes further than a mere translation and adds options for anti-grind in the settings.

I can't say much about the script as I never played through the original English translation. I read the negative reviews about the script adding more detail than what the original Japanese had. I have no opinion on this as whatever was added seems to be agreeable to the overall plot and doesn't detract anything as far as I know.

Phantasy Star was the first jRPG I ever played, and is a game I always held dear, but the original translation was awful due to the limitations of the time. Often the dialogue was way too cryptic and often it simply didn't make sense.

This re-translation breathes new life into the game, doing justice to this old classic. The text is fluid and the new font used was nice. My only (very minor) downside for me is that I prefer the original translation for names of characters and places. But this is a stylistic choice I can't fault the creators of this patch for.

Thanks for the great work.

Comparing some bits and pieces of the text, this is written in a much more competent way than the original (it's more of a localization though, not an accurate one-to-one translation, so that's what I'm evaluating - for a more accurate experience, play the original/Generations translation), which had some typos and lots of typical 80s/90s awkwardness in terms of dialogues. While PS 1 is very important historically and (IMO) still holds up fairly well to this day - especially the Switch version with automapping - the original translation does not. There's not much story anyway, but this version is written considerably better than the original. I'd probably still recommend the fan-translation of Phantasy Star Generations over the MS game (quite a few QoL improvements, expanded script etc.), but if you want to play the original - play this version and never look back. Additionally, there are so many fixes/QoL to this patch that there's just no reason to pass up on this version.

Saying that this retranslation has been edited to be more faithful to the Japanese script is laughable. The 2.1 version is absolutely full of overwrought invented dialogue that wasn't actually in the Japanese script, to the point that the incredibly simplistic original localisation is actually more faithful just because it isn't making things up. The older 1.02 version of the patch was significantly less wordy, but still suffered from adding additional dialogue that just has no place being there. And I'm not just saying they took a character saying "doko" and rendered it as "where am I?", I'm talking about taking a scene in Japanese that was 4 screens long and making it 10 screens long while adding a heap of dialogue about things that were neither stated nor even implied in the original, trying to invent backstory and justifications for characters' actions that the Japanese script simply didn't care to provide. Does it tell a better story? That's up to your preference. Is it a more accurate translation? Absolutely not.

If you actually care about accurate translation, this patch is genuinely a worse option than the original official English release. The only thing this has going for it is not being in ALLCAPS.

While I like the more old school feel of the original script, this one ain't half bad. But the main reason you should use this hack are the Quality of Life additions. Less battles, more experience, more gold, higher movement speed. The best part is, you can adjust all of these on the title screen!

My review will focus on the new translation of Phantasy Star. The more technical parts of this hack are probably fine. Certainly, it's nice to be able to hear the Japanese soundtrack with an English script. But they claim that their version is "More faithful to the original Japanese script". Implying that the original version was somehow lacking. This simply isn't true.

I don't have the time to check every line of text, so my criticism is based on the opening and the text in Camineet. If it's much better in the rest of the game, I'll admit my ignorance. That seems unlikely, but I won't hide the shortcomings of my review.

My wife speaks Japanese quite well as a second language, and she made her own translation of the Japanese opening for me. She was conservative in her translation; she tried to neither add nor remove meaning. This is the translation she made of Alisa's final words in the opening: "I, Alisa, will fight so that my brother's death was not in vain. I'm sure my big brother is watching over me."

This is how Sega translated it back in 1988: "I will make sure that my brother died not in vain! Watch over and protect me, Nero!"

This is how this hack translates it: "Nero... I know that you wouldn't ask this of me if there was any other way. Your death will not be meaningless, I swear it. Watch over and protect me, big brother. I'm off to kill the most powerful man in the world."

To be fair, they don't only claim that their script is more faithful, but also "Expanded". That part is true, at least. But even so, the way they translated Alisa's second line in Japanese is almost exactly the same as the original English version's, and that one has a different tone to begin with. If it was really meant to be faithful, why would they keep the same not-100%-accurate line, "Watch over and protect me"?

Maybe you'd prefer an expanded script. That's fine. Personally, I prefer the simplicity of the original. But don't spread the misinformation that the original English version is a bad translation, and this one captures the original Japanese better. The original one is fine. And if you're such a purist that having the original names, like Alisa and Tylon, means a lot to you, why would you tolerate the expansions this version offers?

I cannot recommend this patch enough. It addresses just about every problem the original had. The script is far more clear and coherent. The opening cutscene even makes sense! The options built into the main menu give you the ability to sidestep almost everything about the game that did not hold up over time. Faster walking speed, more experience, more meseta and cutting random encounters in half make the game far palatable. A sound test built into the main menu is a welcome addition as well.

The only thing on my wish list it doesn't have is a mapping feature, and even the PS2 remake didn't get that right.

If the dev team would be willing to put a couple hours into adding the new quality of life features into the Hordes of Nei hack I would be happy to throw some money their way as a sign of appreciation. :)

I got into the Phantasy Star series in 2012. Obviously, the retranslation was out by then, so that would be my first experience with the series. I could not have asked for a better one! I've since played the original localization, and was shocked at how many directions and story details were omitted, so kudos to SMS Power! for retaining them in the retranslation.

Since then, Maxim has released v2.00, which incorporates many new and amazing features that can smooth out and update the classic experience.

Positives:

• Expanded menus for longer item names, as well as four lines per dialogue box.
• Retranslation and relocalization, which retains all of the directions and hints from the Japanese original.
• Intelligently written without seeming pretentious or inserting any memes.
• Retained beautiful FM sound synth, featuring the ability to toggle between FM and PSG sound through the new Sound menu.
• New options to multiply walking speed, experience, meseta, and halve encounter rate.
• Choice to toggle between a questionable new font and Phantasy Star IV's menu font.
• Incorporates my Brunette Alis mod as yet another option.

Criticisms:

• I still think the new default font is butt-ugly. (Luckily you can change it ASAP and it saves to SRAM!)
• I disagree with the choice to rename spells.

This was the definitive Phantasy Star experience back in 2008, and in 2020, now more than ever that still rings true. It's highly recommended, and I would even go so far as to recommend it over the Switch port. If you've never played Phantasy Star before, now is the time.

This new update just adds more polish and a few quality of life improvements on top of what was already a great re-translation. The menu options to adjust the font, walking speed, encounter rates, gil & exp multipliers and hair color all work great and pretty much remove the need to use any other patches on the game as you can tweak the challenge and look to your liking. There's even a game jukebox in the sound menu now if you want to listen to any of the game's music tracks. Phantasy Star was the first JRPG ever released in America but that original English release was rough and possibly hindered the game's greatness. This new 2.0 re-translation is superior in every way and is regarded as the best version of the game you can play that still runs on original hardware.

This is so much better than the original translation. Just put that old Master System cart away and find some way to patch this one into a cart instead.

Other reviewers have commented on the FM sound. I'm not going to waste much time on it. Yes, it does sound much better than the Phantasy Star you're used to, providing you have have FM synth capability.

The translation is the main focus of this review, and boy oh boy, is it a goodie. To quote Shane Bettenhausen, the original translation of Phantasy Star was "beyond garbage". This one freshens up the game a bit in ways that will (for the most part) line it up more accurately with your other Phantasy Star games.

There are a number of more prudent localization choices that I appreciate here. The mad scientist from whom you acquire the Laconian Pot for the second time is no longer called "Dr. Mad". Your first encounter with Dark Force is called "Nightmare" as opposed to "Succubus", thus removing the awkward sexual connotation from the encounter. Burgers and sodas are gone. Noah is now called Lutz. Dark Force is no longer called Dark Falz. And best of all, all of the character interactions have been freshened up and read much more conversationally.

There are a few forgivable hiccups in the translation. Odin has been renamed Tylon. Apparently, it's supposed to be Tyrone, but invoking the Tina-is-Terra rule from Final Fantasy VI, I actually accept the name Tylon, because it sounds much more alien. And it's CERTAINLY better than calling him Odin.

There's even one amusing case of Engrish in the game, in which Alis' spell "Translate" has been misspelled as "Transrate". However, again I had to forgive it, because it preserves the charm of early 90s translation authenticity.

The best-looking 8-bit RPG is now even better than before. If you've never played the original or want to play it again, you MUST play this version.

Words can't describe how badly PS1 needed a retranslation like this. The new font is absolutely fantastic, the dialogue is finally understandable, and most importantly of all, DRASTIC MUSIC IMPROVEMENTS so you don't have to mute the audio out of frustration anymore!

Its still the same game, but just listening to the Japanese audio of the 'Motavia' planet theme... =D

So worth it!

The best reason, really, has nothing to do with the dialog itself, but with the sound: get a ROM of the US release and a Japanese ROM and compare just the first 10 seconds; you'll be shocked by how grating (and terribly inappropriate) the US version's music is by comparison (even if it's the version you grew up loving). Applying this patch to the Japanese version lets you play with really beautiful sound (it's all the same music and stuff, just not horribly staticky and chirpy).

The alterations to dialog are less important because the original translation wasn't, like, atrocious; still, this is a better one. The fact that it's not in all-caps already puts it head and shoulders above the original.