Phantasy Star Universe getting a PSP port

by Nick Doerr { Dec 5th 2007 at 10:45AM }

We should add a disclaimer -- when we say port, we mean port sans a true online mode. Yeah, it's what makes Phantasy Star Universe tick, but if you've been a loyal Phantasy Star phan, you'll have played the story mode of the original as well as episode 2 and the beginning of 3 with the Ambition of Illuminus expansion. It's not the best dialogue or narrative, but the concepts and twists of the story are pretty cool and true to the franchise in terms of tone, believe it or not.

Unless you think that playing as one character, then moving past him to play as your own to fight an evil organization (who houses the main bad guy, who actually turns out to be nothing but a pawn) is lame. Sound like Kingdom Hearts, a little bit? Did KH force you to participate in a planetary genocide? Did it cause an entire race of robotic beings to get hacked and run a space fleet into your satellite which crashes onto another planet? Face it -- Phantasy Star Universe is a cool and constantly changing experience. And the PSP is getting a port.

The port is basically that: Ambition of Illuminus on your PSP, with some added missions and story points. While there's no true online mode, you do get 4-player ad hoc play. Commence the groans. The port is being handled by Alpha Systems, who is pretty unknown. Check out the scan from Famitsu if you'd like and hope this hits shores outside of Japan.

Tags: ambition-of-illuminus, phantasy-star, phantasy-star-universe

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Alien @ Dec 5th 2007 10:55AM

Wow , this is big ... PS has a huge fanbase ... it wont be a sistem seller , but it deffinatly wont push buyers away :D

XenoPhage @ Dec 5th 2007 11:15AM

*DROOL*

Extinction @ Dec 5th 2007 12:10PM

This was the game I wanted ever since Sega did Crazy Taxi for PSP.

But not without online mode. Sorry, that's big enough to make me not want it anymore. Do it right or don't do it all.

Brello @ Dec 5th 2007 1:17PM

"Do it right or don't do it at all"

So true.

pixelator @ Dec 5th 2007 9:03PM

I only played with friends in the online mode, so if there's ad hoc, it'll be basically the same experience.

Noshino @ Dec 5th 2007 12:22PM

I actually bought the game because the girl I was going out wanted me to play it with her...but yah, the gameplay isn't that great, the lock system was really bad....I heard the previous installments were much better....I did like the graphics tho...>_>;

fruitsofherwomb @ Dec 5th 2007 1:50PM

Not exactly right, its NOT a port, its a new game based on Universe. The game WILL feature 4 player online co-op. (it's posted on the-magicbox)

Update your article, cause its wrong.

Hashbrown_Hunter @ Dec 5th 2007 7:37PM

well it's considered a port because it carries the same name.

merc25 @ Dec 5th 2007 1:58PM

Because I think this is pertinent, for you got half your wish:

http://playstation.joystiq.com/2007/02/22/dream-games-phantasy-star-universe/

Celebrate! Celebrate planetary genocide... okay maybe not that, but I'm sure you can think of other reasons to celebrate.

Jonathan @ Dec 5th 2007 5:00PM

I would have LOVED this. But no online mode? Then this game can rot.

cj @ Dec 5th 2007 5:58PM

uhh...PS4 was the greatest RPG ive ever played. this should be just as awesome, but with better graphics!

cafecito @ Dec 5th 2007 7:16PM

Oh my, I was wishing for this myself. Makes up for a great portable game :)

Hope it's well "ported" then

Joe @ Dec 5th 2007 8:04PM

Well this is cool. I just hope may be there can be some kind of patch that will allow online play in the future.

Also not having any thing to do with thisbut wanted to know it any way. How do you replie to a person instead of a new comment.

Dehshizknight @ Dec 5th 2007 9:53PM

Lol, I remember receiving this game as a Christmas gift one year (in fact, it was just last year, I'm pretty sure). I got into the game because it felt like an actual civilization-type RPG but I could never get past the effin Vol Brother!!! It was soo annoying that I just quit playing the game. I would have went back to it but then I received a PS3 so I was hooked on that. Lol.

zoen151 @ Dec 5th 2007 11:47PM

Why not the first and second PSO? Oh well, this is still awesome.

Ren @ Dec 6th 2007 4:39AM

Wow, some actual PSU love going on? Thats something I'm not used to.

I, for one, think the game is very underrated. It was a decent game with its offline story mode, but things really heated up for me when I went online. I love spamming cut-ins too.

That said, I'm looking forward to this.

cafecito @ Dec 6th 2007 2:14PM

I'm looking forward to this as well. But I'm more interested in the offline mode. Hope it's decent :)

Bryan @ Dec 6th 2007 8:10PM

loved playing PSO on the Dreamcast, had online and all (56k FTW!), but after playing PSU years later I remembered how derivative and mind numbing the experience is after a while, not to mention PSU was generally less interesting as a whole. And really, no online mode for a PSP version? What a joke!