Sega is planning a Phantasy Star Online 2 Beta test in the future. This beta test was announced in relation to Phantasy Star Online Blue Burst Japanese server shutdown.

Phantasy Star Online Blue Burst will shut down at 12/27/10 at 16:00

• 11/29/2010
  • Hunter’s License 30 Day and Automatic Billing Cycles End
  • ハンターズライセンス（30日権）販売終了,    ハンターズライセンス（自動継続権）販売終了
  • Registration Code, and Episode 4 Registration Codes are no longer available.
  • 利用コード登録終了, エピソード4登録コード登録終了
• 11/30/10/ ~ 12/27/10
  • Phantasy Star Online Blue Burst is Free
• 12/27/10
  • Phantasy Star Online Blue Burst Shuts Down

To thank everyone who loved Phantasy Star Online Blue Burst, they plan to give out a special beta test invitation for Phantasy Star Online 2. The details about such test will be revealed in the future.

[via psobbjp]

Phantasy Star Online 2

Aaron Webber from Sega gave us one small detail about Phantasy Star Online 2. He compared it to “Phantasy Star Zero.”  I guess that’s a good thing if you liked Zero, or a bad thing if you uh didn’t like it…

To help clarify, I’m actually saying that I have a lot of faith in the team being able to make a game that stays faithful to what made PSO great – and PSZ, to me at least, is that proof.   [Aaron Webber]

[via dualshockers]

Additional Comments

You can try to register for PSOBB here, it is the top option on the page.

Game

In Episode 1 you became a member of Little Wing, now Infinity adds Episode 2 to continue the story. The game comes with three networking modes, Multiplayer, Online Multiplayer, and Friend Search.  Friend search is a new passive communications mode where friends and bonds are created! Limits will be broken with the new reincarnation system!

Clad 6

Clad 6 where Little Wing resides! Here you can enter your room, battle shop and style shop. In addition you can now enjoy relaxing in the water at our artificial beach.

Clad 6 Beach

Welcome to the Clad 6 sea shore! Enjoy our bright blue skies! Feel the sensation of speed as you leap through the air with our catapult jumps.

This artificial beach was constructed within Clad 6.

Jaggo Rizona and various enemies are running amok.

Dyla Bravas

A Stateria Dragon given the task to protect an important base. But now he went berserk attacking various places.  Watch out for his electrical and tornado attacks!

Geer Zog

This huge creature recently appeared at our artificial beach. Once you attack his weak point for massive damage, he changes colors to a reddish tint.  If he hits you with his bubble attack you may fall asleep, and we don’t appreciate slackers here at Little Wing.

He spews bubbles, releases mines, and can tilt the platform!

Blog Updates

Yes Terada updated today, but at least he didn’t say anything too controversial like last time..

• Terada updated today with news of Reve’s PSZero outfit.  He said you can expect to see such names like “Duman” and “Planet Treasure” in infinity. But wait a minute, wasn’t Sakai supposed to answer questions today?
• Anyways Terada wants you to expect a super important item called:
•  ”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _∞” So what kind of item has the infinity symbol in the title. Hmm..
• So the commenters to his post are already trying to crack the name.
• Tsutsuji, a commenter on the blog, guessed it’s エクステンドコード∞  (ExtendCode∞)? Well it seems to fit with the spaces but I think now that Infinity Weapons are gone, this may not be the case.
•  What do you think this super important item’s name could be?

Early this morning the official site updated with information that was already obtained from this post about Mission Codes. But now we at least get to see pretty pictures to go alongside it. 

Infinity Mission

Infinity Missions are user created missions where one applies an item called a “Mission Code” to customize the look and feel of a mission.

You can obtain mission codes either by exchanging them with other people or collecting them within a mission.  When you play these missions the monsters that appear are random allowing for new surprising monsters to appear.

First find a Mission Disk that contains a Mission Code

Go to the Code Counter
Register this Mission Disk to create an Infinity Mission

Enjoy your infinity Mission at the Mission Counter.

Mission Codes

A mission code controls aspects of the field, boss, and enemies that appear, including special effects where certain items can drop easily. The name of the mission code is affected by the boss and field contained in that code. For example the mission code, “Huge Monster of the Fresh Green” contains the grassy plain fields of Parum and the De Ragan as the boss. The mission code level affects the priority of the mission. Mission codes can be played on any difficulty rank. This includes the Infinity Mission rank which contains monsters above level 200.

Mission Code Info Page 1

On page 1: Mission codes can contain the boss and the types of monsters that appear, for example in the picture above, De Ragan is the boss and Moatoob and SEED monsters appear. The “Monster Level” is based on the degree of difficulty you select, then adds that amount to it.

• Monster Levels
  • C Grade: 1+
  • B Grade: 50+
  • A Grade: 100+
  • S Grade: 150+
  • ∞ Grade: 200+

Mission Code Info Page 2

On Page 2:  The mission field and special effects are shown. The above shows how there’s a special effect to increase the drop rate.

Mission Code Info Page 3

On Page 3: The Mission code contains who discovered the mission code and the number of “synthesis points.” “Synthesis points” are used up when creating a mission code.

Mission Code Synthesis

Sort of like synthesizing a weapon in PSU, You can mix and match different mission codes to create your own customized mission. First you select a mission code that is specified as the “Base Mission” which contains the field that you will play on. Then you select the “Plus Mission” which contains the boss. Afterwards the “Result Mission” will be created with the aspects you selected before it.

Base (Field) + Plus (Boss) = Result (Mission)

For example, the picture above is using the “Huge Monster of the Fresh Green” mission code as the “Plus Mission” then changing the “base mission” to Neudaiz’ cherry blossom fields. This can also change what the enemies drop. 

In the original mission code, you have Moatoob and Seed enemies in the green plains of Parum. They, for example, would normally drop sword related weapons in that field, once you change it to the cherry blossom field, they will drop rifles instead.

The created mission code will have a brand new name that reflects the contents of the mission code. The resulting name became “Huge Monster of the Bloom.”

 [via pspo2i]

Additional Comments

The images confirm the ability of downloadable mission codes. Recall the Pre-order post where they will give you a card containing the mission code for Dyla Bravas to appear as a boss.

Zero Costume

Terada says there’s an outfit based on PSZero
He blurred it of course but it sure is obvious..

Captain T updated today with a little info about friend search, though personally I’d rather Sakai talk about it.  Instead we’ll go through Shougai’s interpretation on what Terada was talking about.

• Meet all your characters!
  • I can use my character as a “Partner Character” and bring them along in missions.
  • When you select partner characters to bring along in a mission:
  • You can bring yourself (A character you created becomes an NPC), your friend’s character (NPC), a Story Character and Colonel Sanders along with you in a mission.
  • Normally a partner character’s level is usually reflected by the party leader’s level however…
  • The level of your character as an NPC stays the same and does not gain any experience points. 
  • (Your partner character’s strength is not affected by the party leader’s level. )
  • (Remember this statement applies to partner characters that you personally made.)
    
  • (When Sakai talks about Friend Search, we’ll have better and clearer information)

Basically the confusion as to why “you” couldn’t gain any levels was that if you converted your own character (that you made) as a partner character, then that character can’t gain levels.

[via oh you captain t.]

DLC Items for 6/11/10

ヨノハテ・封 (Yonohate Seal)
50% Dark Sword
200 Yen

プリティヒガサ (Pretty Parasol)
50% Light Rod
200 Yen

These items are slated for the Japanese Playstation Store! You must have a Japanese Playstation Network Account to access the store! In addition the Samurai-ish DLC Cast Parts 「ブジンニシキ」「オウカフウビ」 will be available 6/11/10 as well.

Challenge 2

Some hints were posted on sakura wiki where most players get stuck at and waste time. The most notorious example is the blockade is located in Block 2.

In the first block when you reach up to a barrage of fire traps, instead of shooting at the fire traps, one most jump on every catapult jump consecutively.

There a a blue switch you stand on which allows others to gain optional extra healing items. This area can be a waste of time if you are trying to time attack this mission. Immediately after this area, The first Key 3  is located within a cherry tree that must be destroyed. If you skip this tree you will not be able to open gate 3. Afterwards there is a switch located on the upper wall where Gate 3 is located. After you clear all the enemies you have to shoot at this switch to reveal the second Key 3. The switch for gate 3 will disappear if you open Gate 2.

This three wall switch based on which one you shoot first will either give you an error sound, allow one person to catapult jump, or allow everyone to catapult jump. Sakura Wiki suggests shooting the leftmost switch. The rightmost switch will open a catapult jump, but it disappears after one use.

[via pspo2wiki]

MAX Event Reward

These four reward items can be exchange for one お 楽しみ引換券 Amusement Coupon!

Now that Maximum Attack X has come to a close, Multimode players can participate in the event offline, without the rare drop rate boosts as the online portion. In addition to Maximum Attack X I-IV, two exchange missions were released.

MAXイベント報酬交換所: MAX Event Reward Exchange can be accessed through Story Mode > 交換ミッションで Exchange Mission. Emilia will present you with 4 fun tickets for those who cleared Maximum Attack X mission once. In addition, 3 extend codes will be given out. Extend Codes allow you to strengthen weapons to S rank level when you grind them to “FULL” status. Extend Codes show up in your last tab of the items menu. Multimode players who didn’t have access to Internet Multimode can additionally obtain a お楽しみ引換券 Amusement Coupon just by playing one MAX mission.

It is possible to obtain every 80% elemental attribute of the four reward items by exchanging each of the following.

• Exchange Rate for a Reward Item
  • 1 お 楽しみ引換券 fun ticket  = 1 Reward item
• Exchange Rate for one お楽しみ引換券 Amusement Coupon
  • 10 Special Badges スペシャルバッヂ 
  • 10 Guardians Badges ガーディアンズバッヂ
  • 10 Little Wing Badges リトルウィングバッヂ
  • 10 Phantasy Star Badges ファンタシースターバッヂ

[via pspo2 blog]

Reward Item Data

チョウ・ヒー Chou Hi
LVL 80 | 11 Star | Spear
ATK: 583 ACC: 276

コテツ Kotetsu
LVL 70 | 10 Star | Saber
ATK: 432 | ACC: 255

イコテンヨク Ikotenyoku
LVL 70 | 10 Star | Twin Saber
ATK: 389 | ACC 286

グラン・オルカ Gran Orca
LVL 90 | 12 Star | Sword
ATK: 717 | ACC: 238

Download Items

Ouka fuubi outfit up close and personal!

The Bujin Nishiki outfit weilding a Zantetsu!

• The next batch of Download Items will feature Phantasy Star Zero items.
• New set of challenge missions will be released.
• Sega will hold another Item design contest commemorating PSU’s 4th anniversary.

Has Sakai gone mad? It’s like he’s changing so many things within SEGA. Eight Phantasy Star Soundtracks has been officially announced on iTunes Store on November 25th, 2009. With over 299 tracks, you can relive the sounds and wonders of Phantasy Star’s “Universe” on your iPod.

Sakai recalls the day in Warsaw Poland where the recorded the orchestral piece for Phantasy Star universe. It was recorded in Febuary in extremely cold temperatures. It was a large orchestra of about 120 people.

Also we’d like to announce a soundtrack for Phantasy Star Portable 2! It is titled “Phantasy Star Portable 2 Original Soundtrack: Wings of Universe“. Hideaki Kobayashi takes an active role in this soundtrack again composing the theme song “Living Universe” and other event music. The soundtrack’s cover will feature art by Mizuno.

Speaking of music, there is a function called “Jukebox” ジュークボックス in the retail version of the game. If you click on your partner Machine and select it, you can listen to various pieces of music in your room like the Theme of Burning Rangers! You can add music to your room by locating various music discs!

[via inside games]

Tropical Rain Forest

Sakai writes, “although this might look like a Neudaiz area, it is in fact a Moatoob field!” (Though Mr. Sakai, we would not have thought that if you didn’t re-skin Habirao Forbidden District…) Anyways, this area takes place in Chapter 2 of Story Mode. This is near the village of the Kashu family where Yuto lives. Most of the monsters in this area are ground attribute including the Sand Rappy.

The boss, “Bug Degga” (Bag Degga) roams this land. This boss has very strong armor and a painful electrical shock that emanates from the whole body.

Famitsu Scan

[view entire scan]

Emergency mission
A new mission concept similar to the rare missions in Phantasy Star Universe! Here a mission will show up randomly. Playing this mission gives you a high amount of type points, meseta, and it also includes a 300% drop boost rate. The mission included in the scan shows “Scorched Valley” of Operation Firebreak.

Battle Mission
Two new battle missions were revealed in the scan. The first one is a “meseta collecting” mission! The second mission is called “Electric Shock Death Match” where players fight each other in a small ring!

Famitsu Collab Item
Famitsu Magazine will feature a collaboration item. It is a shield that says “Famitsu” in Japanese characters when the shield is out.

New Character
Natsume Shuu, the president of the Inherit Company for hyperspace research! You will meet him in Chapter 3.

Meet Miss Capliko!

Well, Senior Director Terada posted this week about his medical condition. It appears he may have gastritis… Anyways, let’s introduce a new character. Mountain Climber “Miss Capliko!“  Everyday Capliko trains vigorously climbing the pink mountains of Neudaiz. Oh by the way, Miss Capliko is a man? “How U doin?”

• Terada will give some insight into the truth about Capliko tomorrow.
• “Her” name is kind of a play on words, “Capli daughter”
• Speculation that it may actually be a “daughter of a man”

[via pspo2 blog]

If you notice in the screenshot above, this story mode mission has a variable level difficulty between 1 through 20. The higher level you are, the harder the monsters.  For this particular mission, the highest level cap is 20. If you are level 21, the monsters will stay at Level 20 difficulty.

This variable level system was implemented because in PSP1, players would achieve higher levels during multimode. As they switched to story missions, the game would turn out much easier than expected.

Free missions on the other hand have a fixed level difficulty. Free Missions levels are based on C/B/A/S rank so feel free to play missions much easier for you.

As you play through Story Mode you are set up with a bunch of choices during gameplay. These choices affect the ending which you’ll get. (Speaking of which, Terada in his many rambling blog posts keeps mentioning a TLUE ending with Magashi? It’s probably likely the L is supposed to be an R.) (Also Sakai mentioned Dark Falz is not the final boss of the game).

Will Vivienne Appear (Part 2)

Oh yes, Vivienne is no longer blurred out in the screenshots and will appear in a Side Story Mission and a Extra mission. These missions will pop up as you clear Story Mode. Famitsu Magazine mentioned how her appearance in the game might actually be fan service. 

Even if you did not import your character from PSP1, you are still able to play that mission with her. (This should stop that debate over which ending is cannon…)

Item Trader

After exchanging partner cards with a friend, you can exchange items at the cafe, as long as they are not A/S rank and rare items. To combat drop trading, (you sneaky people) there is a limitation to what items you can drop on the ground. In multimode and internet multimode, only recovery items, buff items, and traps can be placed on the ground.

You can place down any item within a challenge mission. However you can not take any items with you during a challenge mission. Any item you pick up will disappear once the challenge mission is over.  (I don’t believe this applies to challenge mission rewards.)

Client Order

You can receive requests from Elias, Roletto (Loretto), and Pit in the Cafe. The content of each request is different based on the person who requested it. When you complete a request, meseta, room items, weapons, etc, can be obtained. You perform requests by following the instructions while playing a free mission.

• Elias restricts your time and weapons you can hold to clear the mission
  (She may ask you to clear a mission under  7 minutes.)
• Roletto wants you to clear several missions.
  (May ask you to complete two or more missions)
• Pit wants you to defeat a specified target.
  (Defeat a number of a specific enemy. For example defeat 50 Naval and Naval Rudda)

You can receive requests of up to 3 people at the same time, however you can only do one of the requests for each person respectively. (In other words you can take on Pit, Elias, and Roletto requests together, but you can not do 2 Elias requests at the same time.)

When you clear the free mission and succeeded with their requests you can receive the reward at the cafe.  A new request is generated after completion of a previous request. You can check the current requests by checking the mission information section in the start menu.

• Example Rewards you may receive From Elias
  • Buster (Weapon), Tornado Throw (Room Item), 2500 Meseta
• Example Rewards you may receive from Pit
  • Rappy Coffee Cup (Room item) Soda Brekka (Weapon) 2500 Meseta.

Snowy Mountain

Welcome to Elbars (Elbals) Snowy Field in Phantasy Star Portable 2

A new area is introduced called, “Elbars Snowy Mountain”  It consists of an ice cave and an outside field covered in snow. This area was shown in promo video 3 with the snowball that ran over Emilia many times. Douga Dounga (Duga Dunga) and Gohma Dilla appear at the end in a boss fight.

Douga Dounga moves slowly and the laser is fired at random as it rotates. The Gohma Dilla make this fight especially hard. I think your Just Guarding skills should be top notch to prevent the missile knock backs.

Extras!

• Rappy Child released new clocks for your website and wallpapers for your PSP.

Hi Res of New Bosses

Cool Rappy T-shirts for Phantasy Star Zero

[via pspo2 blog + mike + Famitsu]

Phantasy Star Zero now has a microsite. So because of this I can now update my Japanese terms to the American terms. During November, older blog posts related to PSZero will be updated to keep in sync with the American version, though I also have to keep up with PSP2 news so please be patient! I’m also very surprised to see this blog listed on the fan pages. Thanks Sega!

Phantasy Star Universe GM’s Ruby Eclipse and Edward will be holding an event in San Francisco on November 4th from 5:00PM to 8:00PM. If you attend we’d like you to not only ask questions about PSZero but about the fate of PSU. Shougai PSO speculates that Sega will announce PSZero Mini, PSU Supplemental update, and maybe even the PSP2 release date. (Remember these are speculations…) The rappy balloon will also be given out to attendees, for now 30 people will be invited to the event.

Sega will be giving out an assortment of prizes including this inflatable Rappy Arm Band derived from Phantasy Star Zero. In order to get the prize you’ll have to follow them on Twitter. You’ll need to send a message with certain number code in order to gain an entry into the contest.

Further details can be found at Sega Blog. Phantasy Star Zero is expected to release on November 10th, 2009 (according to Amazon).