One of the best RPGs of ALL TIME!
There isn't much that really needs to be said about the original Phantasy Star except that it truly was years ahead of it's time in almost every way. It has a deep, engrossing, and riveting story that takes some interesting twists along the way. The games mechanics set the foundation for nearly every that followed all the way up til the present day. Phantasy Star was sadly overshadowed by another RPG released at the time, The Legend of Zelda, which also happened to be on a much more popular system (at least in the US), the NES. But let me just say right now, Phantasy Star was BY FAR, the better game. PS recieved much critical acclaim, and was one of, if not THE best selling SMS game of all time. And rightfully so, Phantasy Star was a marvel of a RPG and perfected the turn-based battle system long before Final Fantasy and other games even came close.
Follows is a synopsis of the Phantasy Star story:
You start off the game witnessing the death of your brother, Nero. With his dying words he tasks you to finish what he started...bringing down the tyrannical King Lassic. He tells you to find a powerful warrior named Odin who may be able to help you. As you start your adventure you are alone, and pretty weak in a village on the planet Palma in the Algol System. Your only lead is to find this warrior named Odin who, you find out from the people in your village, lives in a near-by port town called Scion. Of course there are obstacles along the way, and in overcoming them you meet up with your first companion, a musk-kat named Miyu. Miyu was Odins pet and she tells you that he was turned stone hunting none other than the legendary Gorgon Queen, Medusa. Conveniently, Miyu has antidote in a bottle around her neck, but she can't open it b/c she has no hands, only paws. She tells you where he is and you go and use the antidote and turn him back into living flesh. Odin, being grateful that you saved him from life as a statue, becomes your 2nd companion and tells you that maybe you should head to Motavia, the 2nd planet in the system and speak with it's Govenor, who is 2nd in command of the system behind Lassic and is none too happy with his tyranical rule.
So you travel to Motavia and meet the Governor who gives you a letter recommending you to a friend of his, a powerful Esper (Wizard) named Noah. Noah agrees to help and becomes your 3rd, final, and by far, most powerful companion. With your full party assembled you set out and, after much adventuring, finally defeat the evil King Lassic. After Lassics death you go back to Motavia and speak with the Governor who is mysteriously missing. You fall through the throne room floor into a dungeon underneath the Govenors Palace. In the bowels of the palace you find a door. And on the other side of this door you find the real source of evil in the Algol System, a horrible, fiendish creature named Dark Fallz. After a very difficult battle you eventually defeat Dark Fallz and find out that Dark Fallz was behind everything. Dark Fallz was able to come into Algol after a dark religion, led by Lassic, summoned him into the system.
The Govenor then goes on to tell you that Alis is the daughter of the King of Algol (it is never really stated if Lassic was your father, or if your father was the King before Lassic) and that your rightful place is on the throne. You are given a choice (which really makes no difference on the ending except for different text in the final cutscene) to become Queen or to not become Queen. THE END (at least until PS2 ;) )