Phantasy Star
Shares rank 11 of 33 role-playing games by recommenders
People recommend it as a challenging, great-feeling 8-bit RPG with strong childhood memories. Critics say it feels outdated and that its appeal is mostly nostalgia.
People recommend it as a challenging, great-feeling 8-bit RPG with strong childhood memories. Critics say it feels outdated and that its appeal is mostly nostalgia.
12 people gave an opinion
- recommend it
- 10
- criticize it
- 2
- approval share
- 83%
Recommended in 3 of 13 months
- November 2025: recommended
- December 2025: not recommended
- January 2026: recommended
- February 2026: not recommended
- March 2026: not recommended
- April 2026: not recommended
- May 2026: recommended
- June 2026: not recommended
- July 2026: not recommended
- August 2026: not recommended
- September 2026: not recommended
- October 2026: not recommended
- November 2026: not recommended (month in progress)
Why it doesn’t carry the badge
- 10 people recommend itNeeds 10 or more, met.
- 5 recommenders for every criticNeeds 2 to 1 or better, met.
- Recommended in 3 of 13 monthsNeeds 4 or more, not met.
The same three rules apply to every product, and the badge can’t be bought. How the badge works
What people say about it
The reasons people give, with the number of comments that give each one. Open a reason to read what they said.
Why people recommend it
Each mark is one comment
Strong nostalgia and emotional memories
“that game didn't have a lasting impact on me. The absolute sense of wonder o exploring an open world.”
Comment from 10 Nov 2025 in “The Sega Master System” “Phantasy Star 1, 2, 3 and 4 played a huge part in the world of games I grew up with”
Comment from 26 May 2026 in “Phantasy Star IV – 1993 Developer Interviews” “I am klinging to those amazing positive emotions I can still remember”
Comment from 26 May 2026 in “Phantasy Star IV – 1993 Developer Interviews” - Comment from 30 Jan 2026 in “PlayStation 2 Recompilation Project Is Absolutely Incredible”
Impressive for an 8-bit game
“The original is amazing for an 8 bit game.”
Comment from 26 May 2026 in “Phantasy Star IV – 1993 Developer Interviews” “It's unquestionably the best 8 bit RPG”
Comment from 10 Nov 2025 in “The Sega Master System” Still challenging and feels great
“Still a very challenging RPG and stil feels great.”
Comment from 26 May 2026 in “Phantasy Star IV – 1993 Developer Interviews” “The original is still a great game.”
Comment from 26 May 2026 in “Phantasy Star IV – 1993 Developer Interviews” Played across the series
“Phantasy Star 1, 2, 3 and 4 played a huge part in the world of games I grew up with”
Comment from 26 May 2026 in “Phantasy Star IV – 1993 Developer Interviews” “I've played a lot of I, II, and IV”
Comment from 26 May 2026 in “Phantasy Star IV – 1993 Developer Interviews”
What people warn about
Each mark is one comment
Feels outdated by modern standards
“maybe skip the original unless you're really into it. It's quite outdated.”
Comment from 26 May 2026 in “Phantasy Star IV – 1993 Developer Interviews” Appeal is mostly nostalgia
“I recognize it is pure nostalgia.”
Comment from 30 Jan 2026 in “PlayStation 2 Recompilation Project Is Absolutely Incredible”
Other role-playing games people recommend
The four most recommended other role-playing games, with the same counts for each, so you can compare like for like. The tick on each bar marks the 2 to 1 line the badge needs.
| Product | Recommend | Criticize | Approval | Months | Owned | Badge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Baldur's Gate 3 | 71 | 11 | 87% | 11 | — | Approved |
| Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 | 58 | 10 | 85% | 11 | — | Approved |
| Ultima VII Revisited | 24 | 7 | 77% | 7 | — | Approved |
| Disco Elysium | 23 | 1 | 96% | 8 | — | Approved |
| Phantasy StarThis page | 10 | 2 | 83% | 3 | — | — |
What people said
13 of the 14 comments that mention it, newest first. Each links to the original comment.
“loved the dome shaped buildings it had going on”
“Still a very challenging RPG and stil feels great.”
“Phantasy Star 1, 2, 3 and 4 played a huge part in the world of games I grew up with”
“The original is amazing for an 8 bit game.”
“I am klinging to those amazing positive emotions I can still remember”
“I've played a lot of I, II, and IV”
“I tried playing the first three Phantasy Star games”
“includes a couple of quality of life improvements such as a map of the dungeons”
“The original is still a great game.”
“maybe skip the original unless you're really into it. It's quite outdated.”
“I recognize it is pure nostalgia.”
“that game didn't have a lasting impact on me. The absolute sense of wonder o exploring an open world.”
“It's unquestionably the best 8 bit RPG”
Counts come from 1,795,640 Hacker News comments, November 2025 to November 2026. How we count. Report a mistake.