Which is better? Robotrek vs Phantasy Star

Robotrek and Phantasy Star don’t have too much in common. While they’re both turn-based RPGs and have science fiction settings, there are way more differences. These are both fun games, but I had way more fun with one of them!

I enjoy the different takes on science fiction in these games. Phantasy Star is more serious, and Robotrek is a little more cartoonish. This should be a fun comparison because of the differences between these two.

Because of the differences in consoles, I won’t be bringing up graphics too much. Aside from going over how they tell their stories, the graphics won’t have too much of a factor in this. I will say that I like how each game looks. They’re both bright and colorful games.

I’m looking forward to this. Robotrek is an underappreciated RPG on the SNES, and Phantasy Star started my favorite series of RPGs. Let’s get into some brief descriptions of both games, and then see what they have to offer.

Game Descriptions/Overviews

These games have similar settings in that they’re both science fiction games. They also both go to space! After that, things get a little more complicated. The combat, stories, and gameplay are all pretty different. They also take different approaches to telling their stories and overall tone.

Robotrek has you play as an inventor, and you build robots to fight for you. The story starts off a little more grounded, and then goes off the rails as you travel back in time and eventually go to space. There is a crafting system in the game, which is how you build your robots’ weapons and how you can change their stats.

Phantasy Star is a science fantasy RPG where you play as a group of characters who are trying to overthrow an evil king. The game ends with a confrontation with the source of all evil. The player travels to three planets, gathers their party members, and has some very good comic book cutscenes. It has a great story, but it is rather grind heavy, especially at the beginning of the game.

These are basic overviews of each game. They have a lot to offer, and each one brings something different to the table. I do have more memories of one game than the other. Let’s get into the main differences between them.

Main Differences 

There are some big differences between these two games. Some of these will be expanded on in the next section, but I’ll be going over the story, gameplay, and tone in this one. These are going to be big picture looks, and I’ll try to keep this brief. In this case, I could end up going on for a while.

The stories in these games are quite different. Robotrek starts more grounded, with the player trying to save some kids, then it spirals out of control. You end up fighting terrorists, traveling through time, and ending up in space, where you’re trying to save the galaxy. Phantasy Star starts as a revenge tale, and then ends up with the player trying to defeat the source of all evil.

This ties into the tone of each game. Both stories do get a little crazy, but Robotrek’s gets really out there. It is also more comedic than it is serious. Phantasy Star’s story is taken very seriously, and things never feel too off the wall for what is happening in the game’s world.

The gameplay is quite different between these two games. Robotrek doesn’t have magic, as everything has to do with technology. The player uses robots to fight, and battles are similar to a tactical RPG. There is also a time limit at the beginning of each battle. If you can win before the time limit is up, then you’ll get bonus experience. There is also a crafting system for the robots’ weapons and the player’s key items.

Phantasy Star has a few archaic gameplay mechanics, namely the menu system that you have to use. It also allows the player to explore the game’s world, has more traditional turn-based mechanics, and has the player control more characters. The dungeons are also similar to how a dungeon crawler looks.

Those are some of the bigger things that are different between these games. In the next section, I’ll go over a few of these in more detail. It feels like I could write much more about this, but I don’t want to make this any longer than it needs to be. Let’s get into the core mechanics.    

Comparing Core Mechanics (Combat, Story, Visuals, etc)

There are a number of little things that are different between these games. They’re approaches to combat, magic, and visuals are different. I’ll try to keep this section brief and stick to just three or four things.

Combat in these games is totally different. Phantasy Star is closer to what you would see in other console RPGs. Robotrek takes a more tactical approach, where you move your robot across a grid and control when they attack. There is a cool down mechanic in Robotrek that isn’t present in Phantasy Star.

There isn’t a magic or technique system in Robotrek. Instead, you program attacks for your robots. Phantasy Star has a magic system that you’ll see in other console RPGs. Granted, the names of spells is a little more unique.

Both games are bright and colorful, but Robotrek is more cartoonish. Its enemies look more like wind-up toys, even when they’re creatures. Phantasy Star has simpler battles, as you don’t take on several enemy types at once. The sprites on the battle screen are much larger and more detailed in Phantasy Star.

Their approaches to telling their stories are quite different. Robotrek mostly uses in game graphics to tell the story. While there are a few cutscenes, they’re kept to a minimum. Phantasy Star uses a mix of in-game graphics and comic book cutscenes to tell its story. There are more cutscenes in this game compared to Robotrek.

These are some of the more minor things that were different between the two games. I’m sure that I could come up with more if I thought about it for a while. Let’s get into what each game does better than the other.

What Does Phantasy Star do Better?

Despite its age, there are several things that I enjoy about the first Phantasy Star. It does quite a few things very well, and it was different enough to stand out. This is one of the games that really shows off what the Sega Master System could do. Some of the things that I think are better in Phantasy Star include going on a quest to find your party members, the freedom the game gives you to explore, and the comic book cutscenes.

This game sends you on a quest to find your party members. It is something that I enjoy when it shows up in a game like this. Things like this help you to get to know the characters a little better, explore the game’s world, and learn how to play as each of your party members.

You’re free to move around and explore this game’s world. Instead of being restricted to a set path on the world map, you can travel to each of the game’s worlds and can explore every part of them. This is more fun for me, I just wish the dungeons were better.

It feels like I bring this up whenever I compare a game with one of the Phantasy Star games. The comic book cutscenes are very good, and I love how they enhance the game’s story. These are much better than just using in game graphics.

I like how the story feels more focused. While I love how bizarre the story in Robotrek is, there is something about a story that is told well and doesn’t go off the rails. Phantasy Star starts with a goal and builds up to the final confrontation quite well. The secret boss at the end is a welcome addition to an already good story.

These are the big areas that I think are better in Phantasy Star. This was a little harder than I thought it would be. It is a little like comparing a comedy to a hard drama. Some of these could’ve gone either way. Let’s get into what Robotrek does better.

What Does Robotrek do Better?

Robotrek has some things that I like more than what is offered in the first Phantasy Star. The dungeons, gameplay, and lack of an annoying menu system are the things that I like more about this game. If I think of anything else, I’ll add it at the end.

The dungeons in this game are much better. I prefer to have a top down view when I’m navigating dungeons, and the puzzles are better. Being able to see the enemies is a plus, especially when you know where the easy places to grind for levels are.

The gameplay is better in this game. Phantasy Star has a number of archaic mechanics that aren’t in Robotrek. Much of this has to do with the time between these games, but that doesn’t change how I felt when I played each game.

Many of the older RPGs on the home console had an annoying menu system where you had to open it to perform certain actions. While I understand why it was included in these games, it doesn’t mean I like it. Robotrek doesn’t have this. It makes playing the game so much easier on the home console.

I’m sure there is something that I’m missing. These are the areas that I felt were significantly better in Robotrek. It can be a little tricky when comparing games that have a big gap between their releases, or when they’re on different consoles. Let’s get into which is better overall.

Which is Better Overall and Why? 

Phantasy Star is the better RPG overall. It has more of what I want from a retro game in this genre. I like that you go on a quest for your party members, the comic book cutscenes are great, and I enjoy this take on the setting more.

I always enjoy it when an RPG sends you on a quest to find your party members. It is a nice way for games to introduce new mechanics and tell the character’s backstory. It is nice to see something like this in Phantasy Star, as it also gives you an excuse to explore the game’s world.

The comic book cutscenes are something that I love about the Phantasy Star series. While not all of them are great, the ones in this game are very good. They add a lot to a game like this and make it stand out from many other console RPGs of the time.

Phantasy Star’s take on science fiction is a little more enjoyable to me. The more serious tone of the game works for me. Also, traveling between planets is great, and things feel more developed. You also have the freedom to explore the game’s worlds.

There are quite a few things that are better in this game. It all depends on what type of RPG you want to play. When I look at both games as RPGs, I have to say that Phantasy Star has more of what I want to see in the genre.

Which Would I Rather Play?

Robotrek is the game I would rather play again. I have more memories of this game than I do of Phantasy Star. The story is more enjoyable, the gameplay is more fun, and I like the graphics more overall.

This is one of the games that I first played on an emulator. My friend Drew, who was a bit of an RPG snob, didn’t know much about it, which made it feel a little special. While I didn’t get too far back in the late 1990s, the game left enough of an impression for me to find it when I was collecting games.

I really like the story. It is one of the more off the wall games as it just does everything. The more retro RPGs that I play, the more I notice a bunch of tropes. Robotrek does all of them by having the player travel through time, go into space, and fight a friend who is the big bad guy of the game.

Robotrek has some wonderful gameplay elements. I like the tactical approach to combat, how you can swap between your three robots, and the crafting system. The plans for the robot’s weapons and armor are spread throughout the game, and are only accessible once you’ve reached a specific level.

The graphics in this game make me feel happy. Even when the game is trying to be serious, things never really feel that way. The game is bright and colorful, NPCs look goofy at times, and enemies look like toys you might find in one of those capsule machines.

At the end of the day, this is the game that I would rather come back to play. It is different enough to stand out from the other RPGs on the NES, SNES, and Genesis. I also have quite a few memories of playing and searching for this game.

Conclusion 

It is always fun to compare two games that I like. It makes me think a little more about what I want to say and why one is better than the other. At the end of the day, Phantasy Star is the better game, but Robotrek is the game that I would rather revisit if I were given the choice.

They have different takes on science fiction, which is always fun to see. Phantasy Star is the more serious game, and it is the start of my favorite series of RPGs. Robotrek is a little more unique and quirky. It is a weird game that is a lot of fun to go back and play.

I have memories of both of these games. The ones that I have of Robotrek are a little better. Phantasy Star was a game that I felt like I was forcing myself to play when I first got it on the GBA. Robotrek was different, as it was something I liked because of how different it was.

Robotrek is a game that I would love to see a sequel to. In that way, it isn’t too different from the Phantasy Star series as a whole. Both of these are games that are a lot of fun, but one is a little more obscure. I’m not too sure how accessible Robotrek is today, and I really want there to be a sequel or at least a rerelease.

If you like this post, check out my other comparison posts. Such as Inindo vs Robotrek or New Horizons vs Robotrek.