Robotrek and Phantasy Star III are both unique games, but for different reasons. Both games are science fiction, which is a fun change of pace from the high fantasy games I’ve been looking at. We also get a match up of an SNES game and a Sega Genesis game.
Robotrek is one of the games that I first discovered on an emulator. While I didn’t get too far in the game, I liked it enough to find a physical cartridge when I started collecting games. I have quite a few fond memories of playing this game.
Phantasy Star III is a game that I’ve changed my opinion on. It is much better than I initially thought when I first played the game back in the mid 1990s. The more I play this game, the more I enjoy it. It has quickly become one of my favorite Genesis games.
It is always fun to compare two games that I like. While it is easier to do one of these when I don’t enjoy one game, having two games I like makes me think a bit more. Let’s get into these games and see what they have to offer.
Game Descriptions/Overviews
These are both science fiction games, although Phantasy Star III has some fantasy elements in it. There are quite a few differences in their approaches to this genre, both in settings and RPGs in general. They each have something unique to them that helps them stand out from other games in the early 1990s.
Robotrek is a science fiction game where you play as an inventor. The game’s story gets more bonkers as it goes on. It starts fairly normal, where you’re fighting against some terrorists, and then you do some time traveling before going into space. The game has some unique gameplay in it, which makes this a fun game to play and to compare with other RPGs.
Phantasy Star III is a science fantasy game that takes place on a spaceship. Its story takes place across three generations of heroes and has the player fighting the source of all evil. This game takes place in the far future of the series history. It also has a muted color palette, which makes it stand out even more in the Phantasy Star series.
These are just brief overviews of these two games. They have something a little different from other games, which is one of the reasons that I enjoy them. While I’ve always enjoyed Robotrek, I have a newfound appreciation for what Phantasy Star III does. Let’s get into the differences between them and some of their core concepts.
Main Differences
There are a lot of differences between these games. The gameplay, story, graphics, settings, and overall tone are different. There are so many differences here that I’m going to have a hard time keeping this short.
These games take different approaches to combat. Robotrek is more tactical and uses an active time system. You also only have one character under your control. Phantasy Star III is a turn based game, you control a party of characters, and it is what you would expect to see from a console RPG from this time.
The stories are rather different as well. Phantasy Star III has a serious story that is told in three parts. Robotrek is a comedic story that gets more bonkers as it goes on. While it has some serious themes, it isn’t treated like a serious story.
These games have different approaches to their visuals. Robotrek is bright and colorful, as well as being more cartoonish. Phantasy Star III is a rather dark game that has muted colors. It is also a more cinematic game as the developers use a lot of comic book cutscenes.
These are the things that stood out to me. I know there are a ton of differences, but I wanted to keep this to the ones that I felt were significant. I’ll get into the things I felt were minor as I get into the core mechanics.
Comparing Core Mechanics (Combat, Story, Visuals, etc)
At their core, these are both RPGs and share several mechanics that are typical of the genre. They do have different approaches to combat, storytelling, and visual styles. Some of this will overlap with the main differences, so I’ll try to be brief or expand on what I’ve already gone over.
The combat systems in these games are radically different. Phantasy Star III is a typical turn based RPG, and looks similar to how these games look on the home console. Enemies have little animations, and can fight more of them during combat. Robotrek uses a tactical approach where you can move your character around. You only have one character in combat at a time, and the game uses an active time mechanic.
These games have different approaches to telling their stories, and they have different tones overall. Phantasy Star III is told in three parts and is a serious game. The player has some control over which of the four endings you’ll see. Robotrek starts off normal and gets bonkers as the game goes on. It is more of a comedic game than what you’ll see in other RPGs.
Robotrek is a bright and colorful game. The characters and enemies look more cartoonish, and there are fewer cutscenes. Phantasy Star III looks more realistic and is a darker game. The enemies look more like monsters, and nothing is all that cute. It uses more cutscenes, in particular is has more comic book style cutscenes.
These are some of the core mechanics in these two games. There are more things I could cover here, but I’ll get into them as the rest of this post goes on. Let’s get into what each game does better than the other.
What Does Robotrek do Better?
Robotrek does quite a few things better than Phantasy Star III. I’m going to take graphics into account on this one because it is SNES vs Genesis. Robotrek also has some unique gameplay and better characters.
The crafting system helps this game to stand out. I like how different it is, and how it works with the main character being an inventor. It also encourages the player to explore each location to find the books that hold plans for new weapons and equipment.
I like the characters in this game more. Much of this has to do with the overall tone of the game. Even when the characters are trying to take the plot seriously, I can’t help but laugh at what is going on.
Robotrek has better graphics. This is one of the cases where I’ll use that against the third Phantasy Star game. The graphics in Robotrek are bright and colorful, and while there aren’t as many cut scenes, they look much better then ones in Phantasy Star III.
The combat in Robotrek is a little more fun for me. I like the tactical approach that it takes and the use of an active time mechanic. These two things are a nice change of pace from what other RPGs did around this time.
These are a few of the things that I think are better in Robotrek. I’m sure that there are others that I’m overlooking, but I wanted to keep this brief. Let’s get into what Phantasy Star III does better.
What Does Phantasy Star III do Better?
Phantasy Star III does several things better than Robotrek. This game has a better story, it is more cinematic, and I like how you have more control over the story and game overall. If I think of other things, then I’ll add those in at the end.
I really like this story. It is told in a unique way, and I like how the developers took a plot point from the second game in the series and built on it. With it taking place across several generations, the developers can show the player how things have changed on the spaceship, and it gives the player a different experience depending on their choices.
There are more cutscenes in this game. While they aren’t on par with the other games in the Phantasy Star series, they are a welcome addition to a game like this. I like this approach to telling a story over just having in game graphics.
The player is given more freedom in this game. You can explore the game’s world, and you have some control over how the story plays out. While both games end with a fight against a big bad guy, Phantasy Star III lets you pick your character in each generation/chapter of the game. I also like that you’re not locked into a set path on the world map.
These are some of the things that I like more in Phantasy Star III. There are other things that I’m probably missing, or that aren’t as significant as these. Let’s get into which is better and which I would rather play.
Which is Better Overall and Why?
When I think about what I expect from a retro RPG, I have to pick Phantasy Star III. This is very close, and one of these games doesn’t stand out as being significantly better than the other. I really like this game’s story and the gameplay. While the cutscenes aren’t as good as those in Robotrek, I do like how they’re used in this game more.
When I sit down to play a retro RPG, Phantasy Star III is closer to what I want to experience. It is a little weird, has turn based combat, and a good story. Those three things are one of the reasons that this game is better overall.
The story is quite a bit of fun. I like how different it is, even from the other games in its series. It is told in three parts, and the player has some control over how the story goes. Because there are four endings, this means there is some replay value that doesn’t always exist in other games from this time.
Overall, the graphics in this game aren’t as good as those in Robotrek. However, I like that the developers used a lot of cutscenes to tell the story. The Phantasy Star series uses comic book cutscenes along with in game graphics. Phantasy Star III has some very good cutscenes and uses more than Robotrek.
These are the things that make me think this is the better game. It is a very close call. I really enjoy both games, but Phantasy Star III is more of the type of game I think of when I think about retro RPGs. Let’s get into which game I would rather play.
Which Would I Rather Play?
Phantasy Star III is the one I want to play again. This was very close, but I went with the game that I haven’t played as much. It has a fun story, I like the gameplay, and it has the advantage of being in my favorite series of retro RPGs.
The more I play this game, the more I enjoy its story. Being told in three parts is something different, and having some characters in each part of the story is fun. I also enjoy that you can control the story in some way by choosing who your descendants will be.
Phantasy Star III has a lot of things that I like. The gameplay is a lot of fun, and I like that you have a larger cast of playable characters. Things feel more connected in this game, and I like how you have different main characters in each chapter. They have different stats and abilities, which acts a little like a difficulty setting.
The Phantasy Star series is my favorite group of retro games. This third game is something that has grown on me as I’ve kept playing it. It is one of my favorite RPGs on the Genesis, and one of my favorites overall. I really enjoy this game.
These are the reasons I would rather play this game again. It has more of what I expect from a retro RPG, and I’m glad that I revisited this game a few years ago. I didn’t like it when I first played it, but I really enjoy it now.
Conclusion
This was much harder than I was expecting it to be. Both games are a lot of fun to play, and I enjoyed my time with them. Having two games that I like always makes things a little difficult, especially when I’m trying to decide on which one is better.
Robotrek is a game that I’ve always liked. At first, I wasn’t totally sure why I enjoyed the game, but as I kept playing, it really grew on me. Being one of the games I first played on an emulator helped this one stand out because it felt like a hidden gem back when I first found it.
When I first played Phantasy Star III, I didn’t like it all that much. My friends rented the fourth game, and that was my entry point to the series. After that, I was comparing each of the games to the fourth, and none of them gave me the same feeling. Then I started revisiting these games a few years ago, and my opinion of Phantasy Star III completely changed.
Comparisons like this are one of the reasons I enjoy doing this series. I get to talk about two games that I like, and see how they fare against each other. This also gives me a chance to write about games that I played before I started blogging about retro games. I’m really looking forward to sitting down and thinking about what games I want to compare next.
If you liked this post, check out some of the others in this series. Such as Dragon Quest III vs Dragon Quest IV or Robotrek vs Dragon Quest II.