VG Theory Productions

A Small Phantasy

When Sega released the Dreamcast back in 1999, it was the first console in history to debut with everything necessary to connect to the internet, short of an ISP, with every console bundled with a 56k modem on the expansion port. Obviously, this made history, given that it was the first. However, the online scene for the Dreamcast was riddled with software that merely ‘tacked-on’ the internet support, such as Sonic Adventure’s “Internet” function which, if I am not mistaken, merely took the user to a Sega hosted Sonic Adventure website, and perhaps had online rankings. Not a breathtaking usage of internet capability, to say the least.

Then in 2000, Sega released, arguably the most popular online title for the Dreamcast, one whose online functionality was supported well after the Dreamcast was phased out, and is online even today in Europe and Asia(as well as on homebrew servers, but I digress…). This title made history as the first home console online RPG(though it feels a bit much to call it MMO…). This game was also ported to competing systems(after the fall of the Dreamcast), the Gamecube and the Xbox, and eventually to the PC. There is even a next-generation sequel being developed even now for the PC, PS2, and the Xbox 360. My friends, I speak, of course, of Phantasy Star Online.

For those not lucky enough to have enjoyed this title ‘back in the day’, PSO is an online RPG, with an equally fulfilling offline mode(whose only drawback is the inherent lack of multiplayer, which was bandaged to a degree on the Cube and Box versions with split-screen multiplayer, but again, I digress…). The premise? Humanity is moving to another planet. Ragol. That name probably stirs some uncontrollable thumb twitches in former players. You start the game by creating a character. Very cool. You get several choices for clothing/armor designs, face types, hair and hair color, and of course, a name. Then you proceed to land on the planet, using a teleportation system, and you fight your way through the ruthless savage beasts on the planet’s surface in an attempt to uncover the truth of what happened to Pioneer 1(the ship that came before yours).

The point of this article, aside from the history lesson, is that PSO is a very popular game. Still is, even today. But there are certain aspects of the game, certain quirks even, that would make the prospect of a portable version of PSO a very attractive offering. Which portable? Why, my friends, the DS. But of course. No, it’s not fanboyism. Logic. See, inventory management is a rather big part of the whole experience in PSO, what with having to use Monomates to heal yourself, or Monofluids to regain magic points, or changing out your armor or weapons on the fly, during the battle, well, you see a lot of the inventory screen. A lot. As in, it takes up a good third of the television screen. And of course, given the nature of the online functionality, you cannot pause the game to manage said inventory.

I say this with the utmost respect to developers, but I have never thought of a greater use for the second screen than as an inventory screen for Phantasy Star Online, if only because it would be so damn useful! Being able to glance down to the bottom screen to see one’s experience points, or how much is left to level up, how much Meseta one has currently, or to swap weapons or use a technique not equipped to one of the face buttons, or to feed one’s Mag for heaven’s sake; these are very attractive options for ANY regular PSO player, and probably even for the casual players. Having the inventory screen use additional touch-screen controls would make it that much simpler.

As for a button layout, PSO would translate quite comfortably to the DS, with the left shoulder for camera centering, the right for bringing up the secondary quick buttons, etc., it would just work well. That is, as well as any port done to date, aside from the original Dreamcast version which utilized the analog joystick for precise movements. Graphically, well, the DS is no Dreamcast…Still, looking at some of the more recent 3d titles, hell, looking at Super Mario 64 DS gives me hope that a close approximation could be pulled off on the top screen. Given that the DS screen has a lower resolution, this means that there are fewer pixels to display, and therefore less to render on the screen. Any graphical degridation would be hard to notice on the DS screen anyway, so long as it ran at 60 fps.

Being that the DS is a portable system, one with a convenient sleep function, the offline mode would need to be tweaked so that the player could either pause or put the game to sleep whenever they wanted. This would be simple enough to manage. Leveling up seems, or can seem, rather tedius when played on a console, given the amount of time it tends to take in order to make progress in the game. This leveling up a bit here, a bit there, would translate incredibly well to a portable. Being that you are generally on the go when playing, you could level up a little over time, a mission here, a quick hunt there, and you would build up characters over time without it seeming boring or tedius. The sheer longevity of the task makes it a valuable purchase as well.
There is one other reason why the DS would make the perfect home for a portable PSO, and that is the netplay. DS has wifi, and there are numorous free wifi hotspots popping up across the world, so getting online would not be a significant challenge in most cases(or just imagine having a group of friends pop open their DS’s to do lan play hunts on Ragol. The mind boggles at the prospects…). Imagine pulling out your DS at McDonalds or a coffee shop(which would fit well at a local coffee shop of ours, hmm…) and connecting for a quick hunt with your buddies. Voice chat using either the built in microphone or the DS headset would be great, or at the very least, typing message on the DS would be a breeze compared to it’s console bretheren, given that it’s much easier to type messages on the DS using a virtual keyboard.

There is one potential drawback, however, and that would be the necessity to purchase a Hunters’ License. I understand that Sega recoups the development costs and whatnot by charging the players to play online while keeping offline mode free. IF the online costs could not be avoided(currently $15 dollars for 3 months of online play on the non-Xbox versions), then they would certainly need to be lowered for the DS rendition, assuming Sega were developing one. $5 dollars for three months of online play would hit the sweet spot in my opinion. Who wouldn’t mind plopping down a fiver for a few months of online hunting with friends?

Sega, you need to read what I am saying. This is a good idea for you to do. The user install base of the DS, worldwide, is immense, and the potential for profits are just as immense. A portable PSO is likely to sell just as well as it’s console brothers, and maybe even better. Tying the release of PSO-DS(just my idea) with that of Phantasy Star Universe, the upcoming title for the consoles, would be a great marketing angle as well. In other words, Sega, if you haven’t already considered the possibilities of putting PSO on the DS, then do so now. And if you decided against it, then I suggest you reconsider if. Just don’t skimp out and do a quick and dirty port of existing material. Reusing the older episodes is fine, so long as you add new episodes and missions and content. Do it right, and it will sell. I can all but guarantee it.

-Ricky Coulter, intrigued at the idea of portable PSO.