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== Reception == {{Video game reviews | GR = 85% <small>(4 reviews)</small><ref name="gr_psii"/> | agg1 = Sega Retro | agg1Score = 87% <small>(17 reviews)</small><ref>http://segaretro.org/Phantasy_Star_II</ref> | Allgame = {{rating|4.5|5}} (SMD)<ref>{{allgame|1665|Phantasy Star II}}</ref><br />{{rating|4.5|5}} (Wii)<ref>{{allgame|63110|Phantasy Star II (Virtual Console)}}</ref><br />{{rating|3|5}} (X360)<ref>{{allgame|69908|Phantasy Star II (Xbox Live Arcade)}}</ref><br />{{rating|2.5|5}} (PC)<ref>{{allgame|78522|Phantasy Star II (PC)}}</ref> | Dragon = {{rating|5|5}}<ref name="Dragon160"/> | EGM = 32/40<ref name="EGM">''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'', 1993 Video Game Buyer's Guide, p. 46</ref> | Fam = 28/40<ref>http://www.famitsu.com/cominy/?m=pc&a=page_h_title&title_id=9082</ref> | IGN = 8/10 (Wii)<ref>http://ign.com/articles/2008/02/18/phantasy-star-ii-review-2</ref><br />8.5/10 (iPhone)<ref name="ign_iphone"/> | rev1 = ''[[ACE (games magazine)|ACE]]'' | rev1Score = 887/1000<ref>http://amr.abime.net/review_37672</ref> | rev2 = ''[[Aktueller Software Markt]]'' | rev2Score = 56/60<ref>{{cite journal|last=Hoogh|first=Eva|title=Segas Sternstunde|journal=[[Aktueller Software Markt]]|date=August–September 1990|issue=9|url=http://www.kultboy.com/index.php?site=t&id=2359&s=2|accessdate=5 February 2012}}</ref> | rev3 = HonestGamers | rev3Score = 10/10<ref name="honest_psii">{{cite web|last=Hartley|first=Gary|title=Phantasy Star II: Staff Review|url=http://www.honestgamers.com/reviews/4251.html|work=HonestGamers|accessdate=28 January 2012|date=October 29, 2005}}</ref> | rev4 = ''[[:fr:Joystick (magazine)|Joystick]]'' | rev4Score = 97%<ref>{{cite journal|title=Phantasy Star 2|journal=[[:fr:Joystick (magazine)|Joystick]]| date=November 1990 |issue=10|url=http://amr.abime.net/review_44258|accessdate=5 February 2012|author=JM Destroy|page=98}}</ref> | rev5 = ''[[Mega (magazine)|Mega]]'' | rev5Score = 88%<ref>''[[Mega (magazine)|Mega]]'', issue 18, page 71</ref> | rev6 = ''[[:fr:Player One|Player One]]'' | rev6Score = 95%<ref>{{cite journal|title=Phantasy Star II|journal=[[:fr:Player One|Player One]]| date=March 1991 |issue=7|pages=24–5|url=http://www.abandonware-magazines.org/affiche_mag.php?mag=32&num=951&album=oui|accessdate=5 February 2012}}</ref> | rev7 = ''[[Raze (magazine)|Raze]]'' | rev7Score = 90%<ref name="raze_psii"/> | rev8 = ''[[Sega Power]]'' | rev8Score = 10/10<ref>''[[Sega Power]]'', issue 23, page 54</ref> | rev9 = ''[[VideoGames & Computer Entertainment]]'' | rev9Score = 9/10<ref name="vce">''[[VideoGames & Computer Entertainment]]'', March 1990</ref> | rev10 = ''[[Zero (video game magazine)|Zero]]'' | rev10Score = 89%<ref>{{cite journal|title=Phantasy Star 2|journal=[[Zero (video game magazine)|Zero]]| date=March 1991 |issue=17|url=http://amr.abime.net/review_5765|accessdate=5 February 2012|page=88}}</ref> | award1Pub = ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' (1997, 2001, 2006),<br />[[IGN]] (2003), [[GameSpot]] (2005), ''[[Stuff (magazine)|Stuff]]'' (2008) | award1 = [[List of video games considered the best|Best Games of All Time]] | award2Pub = ''[[Mega (magazine)|Mega]]'' (1992) | award2 = Top Mega Drive Games of All Time (29th)<ref name="mega">''[[Mega (magazine)|Mega]]'' magazine, issue 1, page 76, [[Future Publishing]], October 1992.</ref> | award3Pub = ''[[Nintendo Power]]'' (2009) | award3 = Greatest Role-Playing Games of All Time<ref name="febnp"/> | award4Pub = ''[[GamePro]]'' (2011) | award4 = 20 Games That Defined Role-Playing Games<ref name="gamepro_rpg">{{cite web|title=RPG Pillars: 20 Games That Defined Role-Playing Games|url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/221341/rpg-pillars-20-games-that-defined-role-playing-games/|work=[[GamePro]]|accessdate=6 September 2011|author=Kat Bailey|author2=Jason Wilson|date=July 22, 2011|archiveurl=http://www.webcitation.org/query?url=http://www.gamepro.com/article/features/221341/rpg-pillars-20-games-that-defined-role-playing-games/&date=2011-11-30+18:59:54|archivedate=2011-11-30}}</ref> }} ===Critical reception=== The game was well received upon release. The March 1990 issue of ''[[VideoGames & Computer Entertainment]]'' gave it a 9 out of 10, stating that it is "far longer, tougher and graphically superior to the original. It's also a little less cute and significantly more dramatic."<ref name="vce"/> In the April 1990 issue of ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'', its panel of four reviewers gave it scores of 9, 8, 8, and 7, adding up to 32 out of 40 overall.<ref name="EGM"/> Ed Semrad, who gave it a 9, described it as "Incredible" and "the hardest, longest, and best RPG cart ever made!" Martin Alessi, who gave it an 8, stated that RPGs are not his "thing, but this one has a monstrous quest anyone can get involved with and lost in" and that "''PS2'' is presented well." Steve Harris, who gave it a 7, stated that it "never really offers that much action or excitement" but "the storyline is interesting for a while."<ref>''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'', issue 9</ref> In the August 1990 issue of ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'', ''Phantasy Star II'' was described as "one of the best role-playing games yet to be released for any video game system."<ref name="Dragon160">{{cite journal|title=The Role of Computers|last1=Lesser|last2=Lesser|last3=Lesser|first1=Hartley|first2=Patricia|first3=Kirk|journal=Dragon|issue=160|date=August 1990|pages=47–52}}</ref> ''[[Wizardry]]'' designer Roe R. Adams wrote in the November 1990 issue of ''[[Computer Gaming World]]'' that ''Phantasy Star II'' was a [[killer app]] for the Genesis,<ref name="adams199011">{{cite news | url=http://www.cgwmuseum.org/galleries/index.php?year=1990&pub=2&id=76 | title=Westward Ho! (Toward Japan, That Is) | work=Computer Gaming World | date=November 1990 | accessdate=16 November 2013 | author=Adams, Roe R. III | pages=83}}</ref> stating that its "16-bit graphics are gorgeous, but the real fun lies in the science fiction story plot." He concluded that it is a "challenging and enjoyable" game with "superb combat and animated graphics."<ref name="cgw_psii">{{citation|first=Roe R.|last=Adams|work=[[Computer Gaming World]]|date=November 1990|issue=76|pages=85–6|title=Wishing on a Phantasy Star II}}</ref> ''[[Raze (magazine)|Raze]]'' concluded that it is a "challenging quest packed with gameplay."<ref name="raze_psii">{{cite journal|title=Phantasy Star II|journal=[[Raze (magazine)|Raze]]| date=April 1991 |issue=5|url=http://www.outofprintarchive.com/articles/reviews/MegaDrive.html|accessdate=29 January 2012}}</ref> The July 1991 issue of ''[[GamePro]]'' gave it a positive review, with reviewer John Sauer describing it as a "stunning sequel" that "offers a level of complexity and play that is unrivalled on any other system." He recommended that for "players who want the near ultimate experience in adventure role-playing, this is it!"<ref>https://archive.org/stream/GamePro_Video_Game_Greatest_Hits_1991-07_IDG_Publishing_US#page/n47/mode/2up</ref> Retrospective reviews have also been positive. [[IGN]]'s Levi Buchanan praised it as an "awesome game" with a "real sense of discovery" and one of his "favorite final twists in videogames."<ref name="ign_iphone">{{cite web|last=Buchanan|first=Levi|title=Phantasy Star II iPhone Review|url=http://uk.wireless.ign.com/articles/111/1116342p1.html|publisher=IGN|accessdate=28 January 2012|date=August 28, 2010}}</ref> On [[GameRankings]], it is one of the highest-rated games of 1989, with an average score of 85% based on a sample of 4 reviews.<ref name="gr_psii">{{cite web|title=Phantasy Star II|url=http://www.gamerankings.com/browse.html?site=&cat=0&year=1988&numrev=3&sort=0&letter=&search=|publisher=[[GameRankings]]|accessdate=30 January 2012|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120111134711/http://www.gamerankings.com/genesis/526675-phantasy-star-ii/index.html|archivedate=2012-01-11}}</ref> ===Legacy=== ''Phantasy Star II'' featured a much larger [[ROM cartridge|cartridge]] than its predecessor, holding 6 [[Mebibit|megabits]] (768 [[Kibibyte|kilobytes]]) of data, making it the largest game on any game machine up until that time.<ref name="cgw_psii"/> It was thus the first cartridge to cost [[United States dollar|$]]90,<ref name=IGN2003>{{cite web|url=http://uk.top100.ign.com/2003/91-100.html |title=IGN's Top 100 Games of All Time |publisher=[[IGN]] |accessdate=2013-11-06}}</ref> equivalent to ${{inflation|US|90|1990}} in {{currentyear}}. ''Phantasy Star II'' is regarded by many as a forerunner for certain aspects of [[console roleplaying game]]s, such as an epic, character-driven storyline, a strategy-based battle system, and the demand for extensive strategy guides for such games (Phantasy Star II included one with the game itself). It has made a number of ''"[[List of video games considered the best|greatest games of all time]]"'' lists. It was number 97 on [[Electronic Gaming Monthly|EGM's]] list of ''The 200 Greatest Games of Their Time'' in 2006, and in August 2005 it was inducted into [[Gamespot|Gamespot's]] ''Greatest Games of All Time'' list.<ref name="gspot_phanstar2">{{cite web|first=Greg|last=Kasavin|year=|title=Phantasy Star II |url=http://www.gamespot.com/features/6129293/index.html |publisher=[[Gamespot]]|accessdate=2010-01-29}}</ref> [[Nintendo Power]] has called it, along with ''[[Phantasy Star IV]]'', one of the greatest RPGs of all time.<ref name="febnp">Editors of [[Nintendo Power]]: Nintendo Power February, 2009; issue 2 (in English). Future US Inc, 39-42. Retrieved February 1, 2010.</ref> It was also listed among the best games of all time by ''Electronic Gaming Monthly'' in 1997,<ref name=EGM1997>{{cite web|url=http://kisrael.com/vgames/powerlist/egm100.html |title=EGM Top 100 |publisher=''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' |date=November 1997 |accessdate=2011-06-01}}</ref> 2001,<ref name=EGM2001>[http://web.archive.org/web/20011220003000/http://www.gamers.com/feature/egmtop100/index.jsp Top 100 Games of All Time], ''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'', 2001</ref> and 2006,<ref name=EGM2006>{{cite web |url=http://www.1up.com/features/egm-200-greatest-videogames |title=The Greatest 200 Videogames of Their Time |date=February 6, 2006 |website= |publisher=''[[Electronic Gaming Monthly]]'' |accessdate=November 19, 2013 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130801232104/http://www.1up.com/features/egm-200-greatest-videogames |archivedate=2013-08-01}}</ref> and by ''[[Stuff (magazine)|Stuff]]'' magazine in 2008.<ref name=Stuff2008>{{Citation | title = 100 Greatest Games | newspaper = [[Stuff (magazine)|Stuff]] | pages = 116–126 | date = October 2008 }}</ref>
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