Phantasy Star I - for the Genesis / Mega Drive?

[Phantar]

While I was browsing ebay for games of the Phantasy Star - Series (Games that I had sadly passed on for so long... it's time I remedied that) I stumbled upon this little item. (http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&rd=1&item=320090375918&ssPageName=STRK:MEWA:IT&ih=011)

Can someone confirm that this is genuine? Is there REALLY a japanese Mega Drive version of the very first Phantasy Star out there?

If so, then it seems that this is truly a rare item (with a very hefty price tag, I admit, I mean 70 € / about 95 $ is way too high!). I had never really heard of it before.

I took the pic of the box from the ebay-auction and put it up on imageshack, so you can have a look at the box. It seems legit to my unschooled eye.
http://img393.imageshack.us/img393/2888/661f1bca5.th.jpg (http://img393.imageshack.us/my.php?image=661f1bca5.jpg)

[Joe Redifer]

It's real and quite legitimate, but it is just the SMS version of the game inside a Mega Drive cartridge. Basically it just lets you play Phantasy Star without the need for a Master System converter of any kind.

I wonder if this works in the Nomad and/or Genesis 3. Or with a 32X attached.

[Genesis Knight]

It was a 1000 (IIRC) cart press run done to commemorate an anniversary of PS. Japan only, and as Joe says it's just the JAP Master System cart stuck in a G\MD shell.

I'd like someone to get a copy and try it out in various hardware configs, just for the heck of it.

[Sixfortyfive]

I own it. It's pretty much exactly the same as SMS Phantasy Star. If you start it up on a Japanese Mega Drive (or an American Genesis switched to Japanese mode), you even get a simple Mark III splash screen when you power on the system.

Can anybody attest to its supposed rarity? I've always heard figures between 1,000 to 10,000 but haven't really seen any evidence to that effect.

[108 Stars]

I don´t think it´s that rare; I´ve seen it way too cheap on eBay many times. The cheapest one I´ve seen was 40,-€ buy it now, CIB.

[Mr Smith]

Despite its rarity I've seen it go completely ignored on ebay, with a buy it now price of £20. I've heard that 1000 copies were produced also, making it the rariest game on the Mega Drive, behind Beggar Prince and Tetris.

[Elusive]

Ah. So this '1000 copies' issue is simply another myth.

[David J.]

Ah. So this '1000 copies' issue is simply another myth.

That or people are starting to realize it's nothing special...

[Genesis Knight]

We don't have any evidence for or against the limited run, other than that it was a commemorative edition and presumably scarce.

But yeah, really, why buy it? You can get the same game in English for your Master System.

[Phantar]

But yeah, really, why buy it? You can get the same game in English for your Master System.

Or play the Master System Cartridge on the Genesis with a Power Base Converter, for that matter...

Really, the Master System Cartidge AND a Power Base Converter together would be cheaper than what this guy is asking for in his auction!

[Mr Smith]

But yeah, really, why buy it? You can get the same game in English for your Master System.
Because, as Zebbe would point out, it's ultr@ r@re.

[Zebbe]

Hehe, actually I wouldn't. Any version available in English at a better price goes before anything that is even ultr@ r@re and in Japanese. Don't let the words ultr@ r@re condemn your Brain Power!

[Black_Tiger]

It used to go for a lot. But last time I was browsing MD games regularly on eBay, it could often be found for $40 - $50 from the right sellers.

From what I remember reading at one point years ago, it may be missing a katakana/hiragana language option or something. I'm too lazy to compare it to the Mark III version right now.

Unlike the SMS & Mark III versions, you can't ever run it with FM sound.

Its just a collectible, but a very cool one. It makes it so you can own all 4 real PS games for Megadrive. It looks a lot nicer next to the sequels on a MD cart shelf instead of the Mark III version.

You can buy the original Mark III version complete for less.