> Sega ushered in the age of RPGs twelve years ago with the creation of Phantasy Star for their 8-bit Master System.  The sequels (II, III, and IV) appeared on Sega's 16-bit powerhouse, the Genesis.  Now, Sonic Team is hard at work on the latest Phantasy title, which will not be a proper sequel, rather more like a side story.

     > From the start of this project, Phantasy Star Online (PSO) was envisioned mainly as a cooperative network extravaganza.  It can fully be enjoyed, however, by experiencing the single-player and multiplayer online modes.  To be sure, the Japanese, American, and other versions will all be newtork playable.  Also, PSO can be completed online, offline, or using a mixture of each!  A character editor allows the choice of class (Ranger, Hunter, or Force), race (Human, Newman, or Android), and physical attributes.  You can build up stats and collect items which remain with your character both online and offline.

     > Although this game follows the universe of previous Phantasy titles, it takes place on an entirely new planet.  Another new feature is the addition of a real time battle system (for all modes).  PSO's 3D graphics are complemented with an involving story-line, freedom of movement, and a variety of quests.  That's about all I know for now, but rest assured necessary updates will follow.

     > By the way, don't bother importing this game, unless you don't mind playing offline.  Playing the import version online is quite difficult.  However, the Japanese version has an option to select various languages, including English!!  That's the reason for the 50% importability (online=hard to set up; offline=playable).  If you want to read up on connecting with the Japanese version, I suggest you visit gamefaqs.com.  Don't worry though, the American release is expected in early 2001...