In the next scene, an expansive indoor arena with a fountain in the center opens up and Rumia greets Ethan. The two have a short conversation and head on up to the fourth floor where they eventually enter a room with a large video screen. The Neuman girl from earlier appears on the screen and performs a short ceremony. In the middle of the show, Allied ships in the background explode as meteors plunge through them...

View the back cover and screenshots on the main NCSX website.

Jan Code: 4974365831387

» Press START and the following options appear

● Start New Game STORY MODE
● Start New Game NETWORK MODE

» After starting a new STORY MODE game, a voice-over tells the story of the three planets and how war devastated planets and destroyed paradise to create a desert in the blink of an eye. After such devastation, a peace treaty was signed by the three planets to avoid future transgressions against each other. Another cinema plays where a space station is shown with legions of ships flying around it. Fireworks are shot which explode all around the ships - the Centennial Celebration is underway.

» The scene cuts to Ethan Waber who carries a board under his right arm. He gets a call from his sister Rumia on his communicator and he drops the board which rockets and he zooms down a corridor while performing swerves with steely eyed determination. Everything is smooth until he loses it in front of a vehicle. He drops and crashes and is greeted by the occupants of the vehicle. A Neuman girl with blue hair and violet eyes named Mirei approaches him and heals his wounded leg with a wave of her hand and a spark of light. Thanking her energetically, he is interrupted by the male occupant of the vehicle and they breeze off. He looks at his clock and realizes he's late and runs off.

» Another cinema plays where the blue haired girl appears, disappears, and the PSU title screen is shown again followed by the intro cinema from earlier. Skip it by pressing START.

» Chapter 1 Of Light and Darkness
A young girl named Rumia (sister) greets the Ethan who zooms in on his board. She grabs his hand and drags him to a fountain area where people are walking around in the background. Soon afterwards, control is handed over to the player.

CONTROLS (PS2 Version)
L-Analog.........Movement
R-Analog.........Camera Control
L-Trigger........Center Camera
O-Button.........Interact with NPC
START............Option menu

To perform a side or slow-step move, press and hold the L-trigger while moving the L-Analog stick.

» Run around and chat with people around the fountain. Its possible to walk right through Rumia and meld with her. Sort of. When you walk around, she follows closely and stays on your heels.

» There are many NPCs that walk around but the majority of them might as well be ghosts. They're nearly transparent and can't be interacted with since they don't contribute anything to the storyline but they do offer the semblance of a populated world. NPCs that can be interacted with are rendered in full color.

» To exit the first floor, run around until you find two entryways which curve into the distance. There are escalator-like things which slope upwards on the floor but they are blocked. Enter either of the two entryways and you'll be able to go to the fourth floor where you can check out the horizon of the city and speak to a number of NPCs.

» Towards the back area of the fourth floor is an entrance where the Ethan and Rumia may run into and eventually bump into a dude dancing by himself. He's a scoundrel who runs onto a train and escapes. Ethan jump on his board and chases after the train on the tracks and catches up with the bopper. To catch up to him, run past the two green doors (as signaled on the overhead map) and run into the aqua colored arrow. Once caught up to the guy, two motley thugs in leather and wacky hair greet the hero.

» The short, orange-haired thugs swings at Ethan but our hero avoids the blow and counterattacks with a knock on Archie's head. Rumia shows up on the scene and the blonde dog-haired thug grabs her. The bopper grabs Ethan from behind and orange-haired guy prepares a beat down but hero kicks both thugs in the groin and does a flying kick on the blonde dude. The orange haired guy pulls out an energy blade and things look like they're about to get serious when a Beast (Guardian member) with big ears shows up upon the scene and scares the thugs away.

» After impromptu introductions with the Beast named Leogini Santosa Berafort, Ethan and Rumia leave and go to a room to view the Centennial Celebration. The Neuman girl from earlier named Mirei Mikuna appears on a large video screen wearing a crown of some sort and big kimono. She leans back, looks to the heavens and in the video screen behind her, an attack is underway where space vessels are being destroyed by raining beams of blue light that look sort of like meteors. The crowd disperses and the scene shifts to the Beast from earlier who scared the thugs away.

» Ethan and Rumia run into Leogini Santosa Berafort again as an exodus commences behind them. Running back to the train tracks, they see that the tunnel has caved in and is blocked by massive boulders. Another quake causes dust and rocks to spill from above which separates Ethan from Rumia. Getting up, hero sees a massive wall of boulders blocking him from her. She's okay on the other side and can be heard speaking but there's no way for them to reunite. He barks out instructions and advice and runs off to find a way to find his sister.

» Going back inside, the area is a mess with crumbled structures and injured people. Running back to the point of origin, he runs into Leogini again and explains his predicament. Leo calls someone on his communicator and reassures Ethan that all will be okay. Another quake shakes and a purple object of some sort crashes in front of them which hatches into a creature. SEED.

» Leo brings out his blaster and is about to shoot when the creature lashes out a tentacle which knocks him down. Ethan grabs the gun and does a duck and roll to avoid a tentacle attack and shoots three blasts which connect squarely on the creature and knocks it out. The wounded Leo on the floor gives Ethan his sword and gun.

» After the scene, Ethan carries an energy blade which is swung by pressing either the SQUARE or TRIANGLE buttons. SQUARE is for a conventional attack while TRIANGLE is for a powerful attack which uses up photon power (a bar located below the new attack button indicators which are located on the lower right side of the screen). To shoot, press and hold the R-trigger and press the SQUARE button. Pressing the SQUARE button three times chains an attack together while pressing the TRIANGLE button twice chains two powerful strokes.

» To save your progress to memory card up to this point, walk towards the exit and step into the blue sphere that's floating in mid-air. Press the O button and then select a save slot to store your progress. Four saves may be stored on each memory card.

» While running back out, communications from Leo are received through hero's communicator. The concourse area has five creature which look sort of like penguin-munchkins if such a thing existed. Run up to them and slash away to destroy them all. When they're being attacked, they'll make squealing noises as they hop around and counterattack with negligible strikes. Each kill nets +4 EXP

» In the next few areas, two-bladed humanoid creatures join the penguin-munchkins which nets +8 EXP per kill. After slaying about 6 more creatures, hero reaches level 2 with 134 HP. All lost HP is also recovered with the new level achievement. Later, hero meets two of the thugs from earlier who gesticulate as they stand around. In an unlikely twist of events, they join hero's party and become followers. When creatures are encountered, the two brutes join in on the action with attacks and skilled movements.

» Phantasy Star Universe features four races: Humans, Beasts, Casts, and Neumans. The first two are self explanatory but Casts are robots and Neumans are sort of an elvish-like race with pointy ears.

» Hero starts the game at Level 1 with 112 HP.

» In the Now Loading Screen, the PSU logo is shown on the lower right screen while a spark of light runs through it.

» Loading times are brisk and when running around the expanse of the first area, there are no noticeable lags when going through the entire concourse and through the different floors. Video screens dot the sides of the circular shaped area and various scenes may be viewed on each one.

» Much of the introductory dialogue for the characters in STORY MODE is voiced by actors and actresses.

This document is ©NCSX 2006. All rights reserved. No reproduction in whole or in part of this document may be made without express written consent of National Console Support, Inc.

From the Publisher
Since its humble beginnings in 1988, Phantasy Star has revolutionized the RPG genre by creating new standards through innovative gameplay and online capability. Phantasy Star Universe offers a compelling story, both offline and online, that rebuilds the foundation of role-playing games with stunning cut scenes, sharply drawn personalities, and a cohesive narrative. This game revitalizes the Phantasy Star brand heritage while staying true to its roots.

"The reinvigoration of this beloved franchise on the Xbox 360 signifies another step for SEGA towards next-gen leadership," said Scott A. Steinberg, Vice President of Entertainment Marketing, SEGA of America, Inc. "Phantasy Star has a rich history, and now with Phantasy Star Universe in support of the Xbox 360 and Xbox Live, gamers can enjoy a fantasy role-playing experience of unprecedented depth both online with their friends, and offline in the robust single-player game."

Developed by SEGA Studios, Phantasy Star Universe offers long-time fans the single-player experience they have been clamoring for. The solo adventure features more than 40 hours of gameplay, an emotionally engaging story, stunning cut scenes, and a strong cast of characters with very distinctive personalities. The title's hero is Ethan Waber, a 17-year old cadet who begins his epic journey by first rescuing his sister at the GUARDIANS, a colony under siege by mysterious life forms known as THE SEED.

In Online Mode, players are given the opportunity to create their own characters from a range of races, as they explore all three planets in the Gurhal system. Fans can travel with their friends as a squad of six adventurers, enter urban sprawls teeming with hundreds of other players, and build their avatars into powerful warriors.

Phantasy Star Universe will offer a rich and constantly evolving world that will provide months of entertainment to fans of the series and RPG enthusiasts. The game is slated to ship in Fall 2006.

Key Product Features:
* Epic Story: Phantasy Star Universe offers a suspenseful single player adventure that fans have been clamoring for.
* Phantasy Star Brand Heritage: Since 1988, the franchise has evolved, and produced seven series to date - building itself as one of the most well established RPG franchises.
* Real-time battles where players choose their own strategies: Choose from over 200 weapon variations in over 20 weapon categories for melee, technique, or ranged-type combat. Players can also select numerous Photon Arts to defeat enemies.
* World Class Score: Soundtrack produced by premier orchestras and vocals from Poland, Hollywood, and New York.
* Online Gameplay: Offering the Best of Both Worlds
o Multiplayer: Create a squad of up to six players to explore the universe and conquer quests.
o Endless gameplay: In addition to over 40 hours of offline gameplay, gamers can spend endless hours online customizing characters, searching for rare items, leveling up, and joining friends for exhilarating new quests.
* Variety in transportation: Player-controlled vehicles offer a new type of gameplay for the Phantasy Star franchise.
* Character Customization: Go beyond standard customization for your character with precise measurements, an endless color palette, and outlandish outfits.
* Massive enemies: Over 70 unique enemy species, totaling over 220 enemy variations.

From the publisher
The long awaited new title in the beloved Phantasy Star series is on its way! Phantasy Star Universe delivers a rich, ever evolving world and will provide hours of entertainment to both online and offline RPG enthusiasts. Single-player fans will embark on an offline quest as Ethan Waber, a 17-year old cadet intent on saving his sister from an invasion of mysterious life forces called THE SEED. While online players will create their own characters from a range of races, and then set off to explore all three planets in the Gurhal solar system. Fans will travel with a squad of other adventurers, enter urban sprawls teeming with hundreds of other players, and build their avatars into powerful warriors.

Features
* Three enormous planets to explore. A gigantic overworld and more than 20 enormous dungeons are featured.
* All-new enemies to fight. Along with a brand-new roster of standard opponents, there are more than 15 major bosses to challenge.
* Player-controlled vehicles. Players no longer need to travel everywhere by foot, adding a new dimension to exploration.
* The best online Phantasy Star experience to date. Features a game world that will evolve with new content over the course of several years.