Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium

Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium
European box art
Developer(s)	Sega
Publisher(s)	Sega
Composer(s)	Izuho Takeuchi
Platform(s)	Mega Drive/Genesis Virtual Console
Release date(s)	Mega Drive JP December 17, 1993 NA February 1995 EU December 8, 1995 Virtual Console JP June 24, 2008 NA December 22, 2008 EU November 14, 2008
Genre(s)	RPG
Mode(s)	Single-player
Rating(s)	ESRB: K-A (Genesis); E (VC) PEGI: 7+
Media/distribution	24-megabit Cartridge

Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium (ファンタシースター 千年紀の終りに, Fantashī Sutā Sennenki no Owari ni^?) is a console roleplaying game released in 1993 for the Mega Drive in Japan and in 1995 for the Sega Genesis in North America. It is the fourth and final game in the original Phantasy Star series, concluding the story of the Algol Star System. The game was also made available on the Wii Virtual Console in Japan on June 24, 2008, in the PAL regions on November 14, 2008, and in North America on December 22, 2008, for the price of 800 Wii Points.^[1] Phantasy Star IV is also part of the Sega Genesis Collection on the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable and on Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3.

Phantasy Star IV kept many of the gameplay elements of the previous game, including turn-based battles, overhead exploration, and magic spells. This game is typically seen as the last of the original Phantasy Star games, closing the Algol system story as a sequel to Phantasy Star II (Phantasy Star III does not involve the Algo System). Phantasy Star IV is generally named as one of the greatest role-playing games of all time. ^[2]

Gameplay

Phantasy Star IV is an archetypal console RPG in the spirit of the series, featuring the staples of exploration, NPC interaction, and turn-based combat. Like the previous games in the Phantasy Star series, individual characters each have their own statistics and equipment that determine the character's performance in combat, improving their statistics by gaining experience levels (achieved through victory in combat). Additionally, non-Android characters have access to "Techniques," abilities similar to magic spells in other games, drawing upon a character's pool of "Technique Points" (TP) to be used, with new techniques being learned as a character gains levels.

Phantasy Star IV has a number of features new to the series, as well. The biggest addition are character specific "skills" unique to each character that each have a number of uses between rests determined by a character's level, expanding the number of commands available to any individual character as well as the number of times special commands may be used. This addition, more than any other, can be credited with the reduction in difficulty compared to Phantasy Star and Phantasy Star II, where characters only had Techniques. Another new feature are combination attacks; two (or more) specific commands (Grand Cross is made if Rune uses Efess and Chaz immediately follows with Crosscut) or types of commands (Triblaster will occur with any Foi, Tsu (or Thu), and Wat used simultaneously regardless of technique level), when falling in the correct order compared to one another in a combat turn combine into a new attack more powerful than its constituent parts. To abet this, programmable combat orders called "macros" can be prepared beforehand to ensure the correct order of action even if a character's statistics would normally have them act at a different point in the turn; thus, it becomes possible to have the lightning-fast Rika act after the much slower Wren if so desired. Finally, the last new feature would be the differing "types" of characters; androids function differently than their organic counterparts, not benefiting from most healing techniques and skills as well as having no access to techniques. Additionally, Androids do not learn new skills as they gain levels; all of their new skills are found in treasure chests, at which point the android equips the new skill and it can be used. Androids get significant advantages to offset these problems: their skills are both plentiful as well as unusually powerful (Posibolt, Phonomaser) or useful (Barrier, Recover), they have a large number of skill uses per rest, their revival items (Repair Kits, which also restore an android to full health) are far more common than the ones for organics (Moon-dew and Sol-dew are rare and extremely expensive), and androids restore hit points per step on a map screen.

The greatest and most memorable additions to Phantasy Star IV are in its far greater depth of storytelling compared to its predecessors. Character conversations and interactions are far more plentiful than in previous entries, the characters themselves have a great deal more individuality, and the plot features a greater number of twists and turns. Phantasy Star IV further fleshes out its narrative with manga-style panel illustrations to accompany major plot events, making the story more engaging and increasing the impact of events previously portrayed only with bland narration.

Story

Chaz and Alys explore the town of Piata

The long, long struggle of ancient times finally ended...

The victor sacrificed the vanquished to the heavens.

Four bells tolled. Four torches were lit.

And the world continued for thousands of years...

Phantasy Star IV takes place 1,000 years after the events of Phantasy Star II. It is the story of Chaz Ashley, a young bounty hunter, who, along with his friends and allies, unwittingly becomes the savior of the Algol solar system. The story takes place on the planet Motavia, which has gone through dramatic climate changes since the time of the previous game. After an event called the Great Collapse, much of the once-thriving ecosystem has been reduced to desert, and life has become progressively more difficult for the planet's inhabitants. To make matters worse, there has been a marked increase in the numbers of the "biomonsters," a catch-all term for the strange and violent aberrations of Motavia's originally more docile flora and fauna.

Keeping these creatures under control is the job of "hunters", like Chaz and Alys, and it is during an investigation into an outbreak that the characters learn of the relation between the biomonster problem and the planet's ecological crisis. In truth, the planet is only reverting back to its natural desert state, which had been changed into an ecosystem more suited to human life by climate-changing technology thousands of years earlier. The reasons behind the malfunctions are clarified as the plot unfolds, relating directly to the events of Phantasy Star II.

Chaz and his allies connect the world's troubles to a cult leader called Zio "The Black Magician," whose aims appear to be total annihilation, not only of Motavia, but of the entire solar system, and perhaps the universe. The aim of the heroes thus becomes to defeat Zio in order to restore the computer systems maintaining Motavia. However, it soon becomes clear that Zio is merely the vanguard to a much larger, more dangerous enemy, long buried in the past. The secrets of the Algol star system are revealed as Chaz and company progress through the story, discovering both the nature of the threat to their worlds and the safeguards put in place in a time long forgotten.

Characters

Protagonists

• Chaz Ashley (ルディ・アシュレ (Rudi Ashure^?) in the Japanese version) is the sixteen-year-old protagonist of Phantasy Star IV. At the start of the game, he had just become a fully-fledged Hunter of the Hunter's Guild in Aiedo, as well as the professional partner of his mentor, Alys Brangwin. His first full assignment sends the two of them to the far-off city of Piata in order to investigate disturbances at the local academy, thus setting the game into motion. Through the course of the game, Chaz is deprived of the various crutches and protectors of his childhood, coping both with increasingly small odds of success as well as emotional and physical trials unlike anything he had before endured; by the end of the story, he has grown from a frightened child following the lead of others into a man capable of standing up to creatures of incomprehensible power and malice. Chaz has a very wide variety of options in battle; he can use powerful (and defense-boosting) sword-type weapons and heavy armor, combining with his high physical statistics to make him one of the more durable members of the party. He also has access to an unexpectedly large number of Techniques, including some only he may use, allowing him to heal HP and all types of bad status (including death), effectively deal both focused and widespread magic damage, and perform a staggering number of combination attacks. Chaz's best and most reliable source of damage comes from his powerful physical attacks and various Skills that improve or otherwise expand upon this already-ample resource when they don't provide him with advantages no one else can have, such as an instant-kill Skill that works on all non-boss enemies, as opposed to all the type restrictions inherent in all other instant-kills. While he starts off relatively slow (especially compared to Rika and Rune), Chaz's statistical growth accelerates at later levels.
• Alys Brangwin (ライラ・ブラングウェン (Raira Buranguwen^?) in the Japanese version) is one of the most skilled Hunters on Motavia, top-ranked at the Hunter's Guild in Aiedo. She is world-renowned for her no-nonsense attitude and great skill in combat. She shares a veiled history with Rune Walsh, the specifics of which are never discussed. She took Chaz off the streets and raised him as her apprentice, serving as an unusual combination of a mother and an older sister while mentoring him in the ways of life. She leaves the party after the first encounter with Zio, but dies protecting Chaz from being killed. In battle, Alys uses the powerful "slasher"-type weapon, causing each of her basic attacks to damage all enemies as opposed to a single target. She also possesses a variety of low-tier Techniques and her Skills provide her with focused damage and instant-kill attacks; she is a generalist with no strong focus, and she does not gain strength at the same rate as other characters while she is with the group.
• Hahn Mahlay is a young scholar who studies under professor Holt at the Piata Academy. He joins Chaz and Alys as they begin their investigation into the disturbances that brought them all the way from Aiedo. Hahn's scholastic profession is not one that lends itself to martial prowess, a fact of which Alys is happy to remind him, frequently before simultaneously describing some new, terrifying danger and making demands for financial compensation for her protection. Hahn remains with the party up to the first encounter with Zio, after which he parts ways with the group. Hahn spends the interim between his departure from the group and his return as an optional party member much later in the game in intense training, becoming a far more formidable warrior than the meek scholar who left the group. Hahn's combat strength is not found in his uninspiring attacks, as he is limited to dagger-type weapons and is frail enough to warrant the additional protection of a shield, but instead comes from his Technique use. He has a smattering of different kinds of Techniques, able to damage and heal with equal ability (as well as use instant-kill Techniques), and his Skills do a variety of things from increasing party statistics to directly damaging an enemy.
• Rune Walsh (スレイ・ウォルシュ (Surei Uorushu^?) in the Japanese version) is an enigmatic man who is first met in the freshly destroyed city of Molcum, whereupon he joins the party to travel to Tonoe. He leaves the party soon after arrival to perform some arcane errand, and finally rejoins permanently soon after the first encounter with Zio. He and Alys share some shrouded history, but the specifics are never mentioned. Rune is one of the few people remaining in Algol with knowledge of the forgotten power of "magic," (a force distinct from the series staple "techniques," abilities that fill the role commonly occupied by magic spells in most RPGs; Rune's "skills" are magic spells, some of which produce effects beyond the power of techniques) which is proven as highly effective when he blows a hole through the rockslide that had been barring the party's path using a hand gesture. Rune serves as a stereotypical magic-user in battle, as he has low physical statistics and hit points and is unable to wear heavier armor, yet also has high magic statistics and massive pool of TP as well as a plethora of Skills (of which he gets a very large number of uses between rests) and Techniques, giving him a vast array of attacks he can use with impunity. Rune's abilities revolve almost exclusively around dealing damage; he has only a few supportive Techniques focused around curing status ailments and does not learn any Techniques that restore HP to a non-dead party member, debilitate enemies, or provide defensive or statistical bonuses to his allies. Peculiarly, as Rune not only has a pitifully low Attack and is saddled with the worst weapon type in the game rendering that combat option next to useless as well as a reservoir of special abilities unequaled in depth, he can be turned into a veritable fortress by equipping him with two shields as opposed to one of his customary staves without the drop in combat performance such a strategy would engender to almost every other character.
• Gryz (パイク (Paiku^?) in the Japanese version) is a Motavian warrior and, along with his sister Pana, one of the two sole survivors from the razed city of Molcum. He is met in Tonoe, living under the protection of the Motavian Elder subsequent to Molcum's destruction. Gryz is driven by a need to protect Pana, his last remaining family, as well as by a powerful thirst for vengeance against those responsible for the devastation of his home. He joins the heroes for the latter purpose, departing the group before Chaz and company first heads into space. Gryz once again becomes available as an optional party member much later in the game. Gryz is very strong and slow, being one of the most durable of the organic characters, and uses axes as his weapon in combat. He has extremely limited access to Techniques and his only unique Skill serving to boost his attack power; his other Skills are copies of ones used by Chaz; thus, Gryz is has the fewest options in battle out of all possible characters that join Chaz.
• Rika (ファル (Faru^?) in the Japanese version) is a Numan, the product of a thousand years of continuous research in genetic engineering by the biological support system artificial intelligence, Seed; she is effectively a descendant, clone, and superior version of Nei, originally planned to carry out the will of Seed and had since her birth developed into a surrogate daughter for the artificial intelligence. She joins the party soon after she is met, and her travels with Chaz and company are Rika's first experiences with the world outside of Seed. In battle, Rika uses claws as her weapon of choice, possessing a variety of defensive and supportive Techniques and a few basic (yet widely applicable) combat skills to debilitate or damage enemies. She also has astonishing statistical growth, allowing her to outclass the later-blooming Chaz in almost every area early in the game.
• Demi (フレナ (Furena^?) in the Japanese version) is an android created by Wren to regulate the Nurvus central control system of Motavia. She is discovered to be a prisoner of Zio, her captivity part of his scheme to disrupt the support systems of Algo. Once freed by Chaz and friends, she joins the party throughout the rest of their adventures on Motavia, providing material assistance in the form of lost technologies and access to hidden or otherwise sealed facilities as well as support in combat with her array of guns, her high-tech Medical Power, and the various devices and defensive features built into her. She parts ways with Chaz once he heads into space, her duties at Nurvus requiring her complete attention and all of her energies, though she becomes an optional party member much later in the game.
• Wren (フォーレン (Fōren^?) in the Japanese version) is the android custodian of the space station Zelan, a surviving control complex and current center of Algol's remaining support systems; it is on Zelan he is met, and from that point on he is one of Chaz's constant companions, remaining with them through the game's conclusion. Wren is quite knowledgeable and insightful, having been functioning for almost 1,000 years, and possesses a wide variety of scientific and mechanical skills, such as piloting and spaceship maintenance. In battle he makes use of heavy firearms and a far more offensively oriented panoply of internal devices than Demi. Despite his many similarities to Wren from Phantasy Star III, the two characters are unrelated (the PSIII Wren was named Searren in the Japanese version, and the events of PSIII are far removed from those of Phantasy Star IV).
• Raja is a Dezolisian priest who successfully talks his way into Chaz's party after an emergency crash landing crushes Raja's temple. He is an easy-going old man, with an avid, if quirky, sense of humor, whose knowledge of Dezolis proves to be an invaluable resource to the now-marooned party. He remains with Chaz and friends until the events at the town of Meese, which occupy Raja until close to the end of the game, at which point he becomes an optional party member. Raja is the most defensively oriented character that joins Chaz, functioning as a support-oriented analogue to Rune. Raja has all of the healing Techniques as well as high magic statistics to improve the effectiveness of these techniques and a large pool of TP that gives him a far greater reserve of usages than Rika. His Skills are mostly defensive, though he also has an extremely powerful holy attack. His greatest asset is a restorative Skill unique in Phantasy Star IV, as it restores some of the party's depleted TP either in battle or on the field map, a feat that is otherwise impossible. Finally, Raja can also benefit from the same equipment setup that can make Rune so very durable, as Raja's physical attacks are pitiful, though Raja does not have many abilities that allow him to deal damage, and so doing this might lock him into a permanently passive mode in most random encounters, unable to attack at all.
• Kyra Tierney (シェス・ティアニー (Shesu Tianii^?) in the Japanese version) is a young, aggressive, tomboy-ish Esper (one of the dwellers within the Esper Mansion, abode of the great Lutz) girl who meets the party when rescued from an altercation with the Forest of Carnivorous Trees. She treats Chaz as though he were her kid brother despite the relative closeness of their ages contradicting such an attitude. Her (self-appointed) mission is to investigate the cause of the blizzard forever cloaking Dezolis, which coincides with Chaz's goals when they meet. She remains with the group until the mystery is resolved, after which she bids the party adieu, though she does return as a possible optional party member later in the game. Kyra's role in battle is similar to that performed by Alys in that Kyra uses slashers and has a more generalized than specialized skillset, though the similarities between them end there. Kyra has more in common with Hahn than Alys, though Kyra has better weapon choices and is more resilient to damage than Hahn. Her strongest abilities are magic-oriented, with an ample number of aggressive and supportive Techniques joined to a somewhat more passive version of Rune's Skill set, providing Kyra with reliable status-inducing abilities, boosts to party defensive statistics, and a decently powerful healing Skill in addition to damage Skills. While Kyra does not have the same plethora of damaging abilities as Rune and Rune's extremely high TP, her Technique and Skill damage are still respectable. Kyra is an extremely flexible character, able to fill almost any required niche on the spur of the moment.
• Seth is a middle-aged, traveling archaeologist who meets the party outside the Soldiers' Temple; he agrees to join up with Chaz and company for the purpose of delving into the ancient structure and then enthusiastically gushes about the various artifacts and antiquities the group happens across while exploring the ruin. In battle, Seth functions exactly like Hahn, albeit with a few extremely powerful abilities as opposed to a plethora of abilities of highly variable usefulness. Though Seth does not know any Techniques, he has enough uses of his powerful Skills to make up for the deficit.

Antagonists

• Zio, the Black Magician, is the mysterious and baleful cultist whose acts are menacing Motavia. Zio possesses frightening powers of unknown provenance, claims to have the favor of a god, and controls vast resources, enough to grant him effective political control of the city of Kadary, a large fortress headquarters, and even a private army. He also seems to know an incredible amount of forgotten lore, understanding the secrets of Motavia's past in a way that eclipses the learning of the world's greatest scholars; every indication is that Zio's intended course of action using his unique insight is not a wholesome one. The first part of the game is spent piecing together Zio's movements and motives, first by happenstance as Zio's acts are necessarily preventing Chaz and company from finding Professor Holt, and then by design as the dire nature of Zio's plots are revealed, in an attempt to decipher Zio's plans and the hidden truths of Motavia, culminating in an effort to stop Zio's influence before the damage is irreversible.
• Reipard La Shiec (Shortened to Lashiec in the game, Lassic in Phantasy Star I) was the tyrannical potentate of Algol and served as the primary antagonist of Phantasy Star and is also the name of a deformed, corpselike creature that orchestrates the burglary of an artifact in order to draw the Esper Lutz deep into space to the ruins of the Air Castle (the fortress that originally served as La Shiec's seat of power) floating amidst the asteroid belt that was once the planet Parma. While it is possible that this Lashiec is Reipard La Sheic reborn, its twisted, rotting form and deranged ranting do not inspire confidence in anything it says; even if it is the same man, it is nonetheless a shadow of the man who once was, totally unrecognizable except perhaps as a parody of the original.
• Dark Force is the recurring final enemy of the Phantasy Star series, nightmarish in form and omnicidal in intent though it changes in appearance between the games. It is the "god" at the center of Zio's church, and serves as Zio's patron. Dark Force is ultimately responsible for the turmoil and catastrophe that are disrupting Algol, though it is now present in several places simultaneously, each with a different form and performing a different act of widespread destruction or malice; this situation gives rise to doubts that "Dark Force" is always the same entity, or that it is in and of itself the ultimate source of all its vile works, as it appears to have been in the previous games.
• The Profound Darkness is the final boss of Phantasy Star IV as well as arguably the main antagonist of the original Phantasy Star series. It was born when the creator of the universe, after having made reality, subsequently split into two antithetical beings, one being The Great Light, and the other The Profound Darkness. The two battled until The Profound Darkness lost, and its fate to be sealed within an inter-dimensional prison locked with the Algol star system. While not necessarily originally an evil or malicious creature, the eternity of being sealed away from the rest of the universe made it bitter and hateful. The Algol seal is briefly weakened once every thousand years, and The Profound Darkness began to exploit this flaw in its cage to send an avatar distilled of the darkest, most hate-filled parts of itself back into reality; this avatar became known as Dark Force, whose sole objective is Algol's destruction to break the lock holding The Profound Darkness away from the cosmos. As Parma, the innermost planet of Algol, was destroyed during Dark Force's last foray into this world, the seal has been weakened sufficiently for The Profound Darkness to expand its efforts, enabling it to send through multiple avatars as opposed to just one; in fact, The Profound Darkness is able to start forcing its way out of its prison by the end of the game, the hole it is making for itself manifesting as a blackened abscess of raw chaotic irreality bursting as a wound from the earth of Motavia. The mere proximity to this manifestation of The Profound Darkness, an entity still mostly sealed away across a cleft of dimension, is nonetheless enough to instantly kill every inhabitant of the nearby town of Mile.

Development

Mega-CD version

Phantasy Star IV was originally designed for the Mega-CD system, and would have been vastly different from its final incarnation. This unreleased version was called Phantasy Star IV: The Return of Alis.^[3] Features like 3-D dungeons (such as those featured in the first Phantasy Star), full motion video cutscenes, voice acting, and much more were planned. However, poor sales and lack of support for the Mega-CD platform caused a change of plans midway through development. Most of these features were scrapped from the final design, the intended voice cast declined, and the end result was a Sega Mega Drive cartridge game that bore little resemblance to the original plans for the CD-ROM version, which would have been at least 240 megabit.^{[citation needed]}

Original releases

The game was released in Japan on the Mega Drive in December 1993. It would be more than a year before the English-translated version of the game was released on the Sega Genesis in the United States. After delays beyond 1994, Americans were finally able to play Phantasy Star IV in February 1995. In the United Kingdom and Europe it was released on December 8, 1995. ^[4] However, Portuguese audiences would have to wait for a 2004 fan translation, as End of the Millennium became the first Phantasy Star title not to be officially translated to Portuguese by Tec Toy.

Naming

In Japan, the game had been named Phantasy Star: At the End of the Millennium,^[5] but in the American and European releases, the box read simply Phantasy Star IV. At the time, this was seen by the gaming press as an attempt to make it perceived as closer to the widely praised Phantasy Star II rather than the less well-received Phantasy Star III, although there are references to both titles during the story of the game. In spite of this, the title screen of all versions of the game reads Phantasy Star: The End of the Millennium. The combination of the titles is Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium, as seen in the Sega Genesis Collection compilation.

Marketing

In an effort to appeal to the aesthetic sensibilities of Western gamers, the cover art for the American and European releases was re-done by Boris Vallejo. Both covers depict Chaz, Rika, and Rune, but the American/European box art deviates from their appearance in-game.

Production errors

The instruction manual for the American version states that there are 15 possible combination attacks. However, only 14 were ever discovered.^[6][7][7][8] Occasionally, the "secret technique" Feeve, a useless technique accessible through hacking, is mistaken for the "lost 15th combo."^[9]

Ports and remakes

The game was ported as part of the Phantasy Star Collection for the Sega Saturn, released only in Japan. There was a Windows port released in 2004. American and European gamers would have to wait for the The Sega Genesis Collection for the PlayStation 2 and PSP. Most recently, it was included in Sonic's Ultimate Genesis Collection, released for the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles.

The Sega Ages project planned a remake of this game for the PlayStation 2 console,^[10] having revamped the first two games: Phantasy Star Generation 1 and Phantasy Star Generation 2. However, the Sega Ages website confirmed that a port of Phantasy Star Collection for the PlayStation 2 featuring all four of the original games would be released, leaving the previously announced remake in development limbo.

Reception

Phantasy Star: The End of the Millennium maintains an 85% rating on the aggregate site Game Rankings, where it is also the fourth highest ranking game for the Sega Genesis. It is also considered to be the definitive end of the original series, as future games bearing the Phantasy Star name such as Phantasy Star Online and Phantasy Star Universe have no direct relationship to the original games.

Nintendo Power has called it, along with Phantasy Star II, one of the greatest RPGs of all time.^[2]

Allusions

Phantasy Star IV makes a number of references to previous games. Some references are direct tie-ins to the overall plot, while others are so-called easter eggs placed into the game for the appreciation of series fans. There are also a number of references to other popular Sega franchises. In the final dungeon, players may experience a random encounter with an enemy called "Prophallus", which looks identical to Dark Falz (Dark Force) from the original Phantasy Star; this is an even closer reference than it appears, as "Prophallus" is considered by some to be an incorrect transliteration of "Dark Falz". There is also a wreckage in the fields near the town of Nalya. It is a purely optional dungeon full of robotic enemies, some of which are strongly reminiscent of enemies from previous games: For instance, Whistles are similar to those found in Phantasy Star II [Whistlers], and the Forren enemies are a reference to the androids from Phantasy Star III. The wreckage itself is a crash of a spaceship habitat similar to the Alisa-III, the world-setting of Phantasy Star III. The town of Termi, near Ladea Tower, is an homage to the original Phantasy Star, featuring statues of Alis and Myau and the shop called "Bayamare," a reference to the tower of Baya Malay, which sells numerous Easter Egg items that previously appeared in Phantasy Star.

Some music tracks from previous Phantasy Star games have reappeared as remixes (PS1 Dungeon Arrange 1 and 2). Also, "Pao-Pao", the track that has played in an area of Aiedo's Hunter Guild, is a remix of a track used in Sega's "Fantasy Zone" series. "Pao-Pao" is likely to be a reference to Opa-Opa, the main character. One of the young Musk Cats in Myau's cave brags about being able to get the top off a bottle. In the original Phantasy Star, Myau needed help getting the top off a bottle, which contained a potion necessary to save his friend, Odin. Sonic The Hedgehog is referenced in the game in a book titled Run, Hedgehog, Run! in Saya's Grammar School along with Ecco the Dolphin in the book titled A Day With Ecco. A reference to Golden Axe also appears. There is also a Game Gear located in the cupboards of the inn in Nalya.

References

1. ^ "Two WiiWare Games and One Virtual Console Game Added to Wii Shop Channel". Nintendo of America. 2009-12-22. http://www.nintendo.com/whatsnew/detail/yPRt5Img3gsdUmhY-9W4lecG4V8oobWX. Retrieved 2008-12-23. 
2. ^ ^{a b} Editors of Nintendo Power: Nintendo Power February 2009: Issue 2 (in English). Future US Inc, 39-42. Retrieved February 1, 2010.
3. ^ "Phantasy Star IV: The Return of Alis". IGN. http://cheats.ign.com/objects/816/816198.html. Retrieved January 12, 2008. 
4. ^ Search:. "Phantasy Star IV Release Information for Genesis". GameFAQs. http://www.gamefaqs.com/console/genesis/data/563334.html. Retrieved 2011-03-10. 
5. ^ "The Phantasy Star Compendium Translation". http://home.att.net/~RACapowski/PS/comtrans.htm. Retrieved January 12, 2008. 
6. ^ "RPGClassics.com - Phantasy Star IV". Shrines.rpgclassics.com. http://shrines.rpgclassics.com/genesis/ps4/combo.shtml. Retrieved 2011-03-10. 
7. ^ ^{a b} "Phantasy Star IV Combination Attacks". Phantasy-star.net. http://www.phantasy-star.net/psiv/combos.html. Retrieved 2011-03-10. 
8. ^ "Phantasy Star IV (GEN) FAQ/Walkthrough by Sir Pobalot". GameFAQs. 2004-08-23. http://www.gamefaqs.com/genesis/563334-phantasy-star-iv/faqs/31907. Retrieved 2011-03-10. 
9. ^ "The Secret Technique • Phantasy Star: Fringes of Algo". Psalgo.com. http://www.psalgo.com/phantasy-star-iv/feeve.html. Retrieved 2011-03-10. 
10. ^ "Sega Ages Line Up Page". Ages.sega.jp. http://ages.sega.jp/lineup.html. Retrieved 2011-03-10.