Phantasy Star Zero -- Initial Impression.

Here we go again with another Phantasy Star title. I have spent more time with the Phantasy Star Online series than I have with any other series in video games. This time it's on the Nintendo DS in the form of the all new Phantasy Star Zero developed and published by SEGA. The challenge for SEGA is offering the full Phantasy Star Online experience within the confines of the Nintendo DS. Judging by my initial playtime I'd have to say that SEGA is more than up to said challenge. Given the state of the Nintendo DS' 3D capabilities I find the visuals to be rather impressive, especially in motion. The controls likewise seem about as good as can be expected when shrinking a title down to fit a handheld. What's actually most impressive though is the online aspect. We had no real issues connecting to each other and once on we stayed on for as long as we kept playing and all the while there wasn't a single hint of lag to be found. SEGA's fifteen years worth of online experience really shines through here. I played through the Japanese version of the game up until the final boss and decided to wait for the North American release. And what a wait it was too, almost an entire year. It'll be interesting to finally see what's going on with the story. A story which promises a rather decent and interesting connection to other titles within the Phantasy Star Online series. It's been a pretty good season so far, and it initially looks like we've got another winner on our hands.