Critical Error

As for the PC/Ps2 servers. The authentication servers are up, thus you will now be able to log into the game. Also the GM: Melchior is looking for information on what time zones received this error.

June 23rd was Sonic’s 17th Birthday. Sonic and Tails stopped by for some group photos. If you have any good quality photos you would like to see here, please comment below.

Sonic’s Birthday Bash
Click for Larger Images

When Is Sonic’s Birthday

From June 20 through July 4th, Phantasy Star Universe will once again celebrate Sonic’s Birthday. On June 23rd, type “Happy Birthday Sonic” without quotations to receive the Knuckles and Amy statues!

What is so special about Jaggo Sonichi?

During Sonic’s birthday, Jaggo Sonichi will drop these very exclusive items:

• Twin Snowy Claw - A Pair of Claws Used Only By Females
• Twin Kitty Claw - A Pair of Claws Used Only By Males
• Twin Bear Claw - A Pair of Claws Used By Both Males & Females
• Puyoment Aura - An Aura of Puyo
• Meow Mustache - A synthesis material used for claws

Jaggo Sonichi will only be available in certain areas. If you are looking for a certain weapon here is a list of recommended missions you can do. If you prefer to stay at one area, scroll down even further:

Twin Kitty Claw

• [B Rank] Lab Recovery, Duel in the Ruins, Caves of Ice
• [A Rank] White Beast, Duel in the Ruins, Caves of Ice
• [S Rank] System Defense, Desert Terror, Crimson Beast

Twin Snowy Claw

• [B Rank] White Beast, Awoken Serpent
• [A Rank] Lab Recovery, System Defense, Desert Terror
• [S Rank] Duel in the Ruins, Lab Recovery, Forest Infiltration, Mine Defense
• [S2 Rank] Lab Recovery, Crimson Beast, Forest Infiltration, System Defense

Twin Bear Claw

• [S Rank] White Beast, Caves of Ice, Awoken Serpent
• [S2 Rank] Duel in the Ruins, Caves of Ice, Awoken Serpent

If You Would Rather Stay In the Same Mission:

White Beast

• [B Rank] Twin Snowy Claw
• [A Rank] Twin Kitty Claw
• [S Rank] Twin Bear Claw

Duel In the Ruins

• [B Rank] Twin Kitty Claw
• [A Rank] Twin Kitty Claw
• [S Rank] Twin Snowy Claw
• [S2 Rank] Twin Bear Claw

Caves of Ice

• [B Rank] Twin Kitty Claw
• [A Rank] Twin Kitty Claw
• [S Rank] Twin Bear Claw

Lab Recovery

• [B Rank] Twin Kitty Claw
• [A Rank] Twin Snowy Claw
• [S Rank] Twin Snowy Claw
• [S2 Rank] Twin Snowy Claw

Awoken Serpent

• [B Rank] Twin Snowy Claw
• [A Rank] Twin Snowy Claw
• [S Rank] Twin Bear Claw
• [S2 Rank] Twin Bear Claw

[info via PSUPedia]

Phantasy Star Portable is expected to release in Japan on July 31, 2008. Phantasy Star Portable is set between Episode 1 and Episode 2, filling in the gaps of what was left off. Phantasy Star Portable adds two new characters into the story, Vivienne and Helga Neumann. Lets now take a look at new information that has been posted on the japanese site.

Story Mode & Multi Mode

Phantasy Star Portable comes in two modes: Story Mode & Multi Mode. In Story Mode you will play an original storyline alongside Vivienne. Whichever actions you take throughout the story will result in different endings. Story Mode will also include famous voice actors for each character and beautiful dramatic movie scenes.

In Multi Mode, you can have up to 4 people in a party. Unfortunately, Phantasy Star Portable will only allow ad-hoc mode, which currently isn’t a very effective choice here in the U.S. However, if you do plan to import this game, please check out X-Link for PSP.

Types

Phantasy Star Portable starts you off with 3 basic “types” or otherwise known as classes. You will be able to choose your type at the character creation screen. The first 3 types are Hunter, Ranger, and Force. After some playthrough, you can then achieve advanced types which are:

• FighMaster: Specializes in Meelee
• GunMaster: Specializes in Guns
• MasterForce: Specializes in Technics
• AcroMaster: Specializes in Speed and One Handed Weapons
• Protranser: Specializes in Traps?

Certain weapons will tend to drop more based on what the leader’s type is.

Missions & Lobbies

The biggest difference compared to the console version is the lobbies. In Phantasy Star Portable, lobbies are now on a map screen. You can just select where to shop and quickly start missions faster than ever before.

Phantasy Star Portable will also provide a special website to download missions. These missions will appear on the mission select screen.

My Room

My Room will not be customizable as it was on the console version. Instead, it will feature a logbook of monsters and items you have collected. It will also include a dictionary and mission history screen.

The dictionary will explain a a brief synopsis of the characters, items, and storylines that exist within the Phantasy Star Universe Saga.

While playing through the game, a “title” can be obtained by acquiring certain conditions. Having a “title” can help boost experience points, rare drop rates, money, and even boost photon art leveling. At the bottom right corner of the screenshot, you will see the percentages of what has been boosted.

Each monster you fight gets added to the monster logbook. It will display how many monsters of each type that you have killed. My Room also includes a weapon logbook of each weapon you have acquired with a picture and description of it.

You can purchase a certain item that will evolve your partner machinery into a different model including this model already featured in Ambition of Illuminus.

New Bosses

Bil Degoras

Phantasy Star Portable introduces the new Boss named “Bil Degoras”. This horned beast is found somewhere in the caves of Moatoob. When it strikes the ground, small creatures will arise from the earth to attack!

Helga

You will fight Helga in her SEED form. But what is her special relationship with the SEED?

Vivienne!?

A shocking twist! Vivienne can also be a boss depending on your actions in story mode. Watch out for her SUV attack!

Weapon System

PSUPedia has compiled a list of new weapons that will appear in the game. These weapons are currently exclusive to the portable version. With all the weapons and items included from both Phantasy Star Universe and its expansion pack, this game will have the most items available.

Rare Drops

Rare items now drop to all players in Multi-Mode. If you are hunting for a certain rare weapon, you will not need to worry if someone else gets your item. All party members will get the same item! Also enemies and boxes will only drop weapons and shields, including photon art disks. To make things even easier, you will no longer need to find materials to synthesize weapons.

Weapon Grinding

The grind system allows you to upgrade the strength of a weapon that you have. In portable, you will no longer ever fail a weapon. Instead, the strength and PP that is added to a weapon is now randomized.

[via JP Phantasy Star Portable Site Translation w/banken & Espio Kaos Translations of Shougai PSO]

Il Cabo Base has a brand new mission featuring pure fire enemies with one light. So bring your ice weapons and hope for the crossbow Cubo Musrana to drop. Also the Lab Set Room Decoration will drop. You can get to the new mission by heading to Galenigare Lake, by doing the mission System Defense then Desert Terror.

Screenshots
Click For Larger