Phantasy Star: Return of Alis

[netpredakonn]

I've tried searching about this in the forum but couldn't find a thread about it.

I was reading the wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phantas...ega-CD_version) entry on Phantasy Star IV today, just to learn a bit more about the development of this game. However, I was quite surprised by this piece:

"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 Alys.[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."

Then I did some further research and found this article on IGN (http://cheats.ign.com/objects/816/816198.html):

"The planned fourth game in the Phantasy Star universe (not necessarily the same as Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium -- the game went through numerous changes in production), this title was originally planned for Sega Genesis and the new Sega CD, and was rumored to follow the story immediately after Phantasy Star III and the further terrors of the Dark Force. The game was designed to feature audio and video on the CD, with a game world 20 times that of previous entries, and ambitious upgrades in the 3D dungeon technology. It was unfortunately never released in this particular form, either on Genesis or Sega CD."

Is there any actual proof that this game ever existed? Did a beta or alpha of it or even demo was ever ackowledged to exist?

[DanceroftheShadows]

Doubt they ever got close to finishing it. Super interesting read though dude rep_1


PS4 was always my favorite, and it makes sense why it would have been a grand Sega CD epic. When it origianlly came out I asked my parents to buy it for me but the original price tag was 99.99

funny in 1990 I remember seeing Phantasy Star 2 in a sears catolouge for the same price. While all other games were 50-60 range

[netpredakonn]

BTW, just found this scan of Game Pro, where they talk about some rumours regarding this game:

[Clessy]

Its one of the biggest shames and greatest things. Ps4 is honestly the only true good traditional rpg for the genesis. Had it of been on the Sega CD it would of been vastly better however it would of ment that the Genesis had no truly good rpgs and the Sega CD would be king of rpgs forever!

[netpredakonn]

This is almost becoming an article

Here is one of screenshot (from a 1991 issue of Mega Play) of an unidentified Phantasy Star game which may be or may be not Phantasy Star: Return of Alis. Also, we have to keep in mind that there was going to be an enhanced Sega CD port of PS3 that was never released, so this screenshot could be from this game as well. So, there isn't any proof at all that this screenshot is from PS: Return of Alis.

[Gogogadget]

Tbh, all of the details about this game seem sketchy at best, I really doubt had the 'original' PS4 ever been released it would be 20 times the size of the other 3 games.

[StarMist]

No way. Sega clearly never developed it, as clearly as PSIV is a rush job. "20 times" the size of its predecessors though is what I'm talking about (recall that Games That Would Have Sold More Sega CD Units thread?). I think it hit home with Sega pretty early how feeble the console really was, hence the shift to FMV instead of 3D/POV improvements which were always the inevitable next step. I strongly doubt enough material was ever programmed to compose an 8 meg cart.

[Sik]

I really doubt had the 'original' PS4 ever been released it would be 20 times the size of the other 3 games.

FMV and voice acting alone would have been probably enough to push the size up that much.

Also the only pic I ever recall seeing of the original PSIV was a 3D dungeon concept art...

[Black_Tiger]

There are screen shots of 3D dungeons and other cut stuff for PSIV that were published in North American magazines bitd. The dungeon looked just like the original Phantasy Star, only with extra shading.

The EGM preview with most of this is pretty common and is likely posted on Sega-16 somewhere.

EDIT: Just Google "phantasy star iv egm".

[goldenband]

BTW, just found this scan of Game Pro, where they talk about some rumours regarding this game:

It's amusing just how little of that "news" ever came true. I assume that Chopper Command = Cobra Command, yes? And I guess you could fudge After Burner II for III, and Fantasia for Mickey Mania. So other than those and Rise of the Dragon, everything else was vaporware.

[Zebbe]

Its one of the biggest shames and greatest things. Ps4 is honestly the only true good traditional rpg for the genesis. Had it of been on the Sega CD it would of been vastly better however it would of ment that the Genesis had no truly good rpgs and the Sega CD would be king of rpgs forever!

If Square made their games for the Sega CD, they would have been so much better as well .

[Da_Shocker]

If Square made their games for the Sega CD, they would have been so much better as well .

The MCD would've been huge in Japan.

[Clessy]

I wish companies would of learned what they know now. You should pay other companies to exclusively make games for your system.

[Melf]

Its one of the biggest shames and greatest things. Ps4 is honestly the only true good traditional rpg for the genesis.

I do not believe this news.

[Clessy]

I do not believe this news.

Sorry, I've said it therefore it must be 100% true fact now and not just an opinion ^_^