Purchased at Super Potato in Akihabara for 880 yen last week, this hint book/mini strategy guide is one of the coolest Phantasy Star items I own.

Back cover of the dust jacket

Originally released in 1989 by Futabasha Publishers, my copy is a 1993 reprint, which apparently cost 370 yen at the time.

Book cover under the dust jacket

The guide is slim, coming in at a mere 63 pages (it’s full color at least). Aside from the simple maps, there is no original or additional art in the book- all of the images appear to be TV-screen-photos of the game. Take a look:

Page 1

Table of contents

Main characters and party combinations

Town and merchant guide

Sample map

OK, so the guide is far from the thousand-page-monsters that are released in Japan now for Monster Hunter and Dragon Quest games, but I love it anyway. It serves as an interesting glimpse into the pre-internet Japanese gaming experience and a unique addition to my collection.