Tales of Phantasia

 Game Boy Advance
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 29 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 20 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 9 out of 29
  3. Negative: 0 out of 29
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  1. My Gamer
    74
    While not spectacular by today's standards, Tales of Phantasia still has charm and an uncommon style of gameplay.
  2. N-Insanity
    74
    Tales of Phantasia will last you at least 20 hours, probably closer to 30 hours, though. There are a lot of side quests to fulfill, but the older game design shows through and you'll probably be quite confused on where to go and what to do if you haven't played this game before.
  3. Game Informer
    73
    While Tales of Phantasia may not shine with the glory that it did in its prime, there are still parts of the game that are worth checking out. [Mar 2006, p.116]
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  5. GameSpot
    72
    Tales of Phantasia still distinguishes itself with its action-oriented, side-scrolling battle sequences. Other than that, it's a pretty standard RPG filled with random encounters that drag down the pacing and pad out the playing time.
  6. Games Radar
    70
    Tales of Phantasia is a solid RPG. It doesn't have the story chops of the last classic to hit GBA - Final Fantasy IV did a much better job of making its cast and its quest worth caring about.
  7. Electronic Gaming Monthly
    70
    Phantasia still has an awful lot of charm for such an old game, and fans of traditional RPGs will appreciate its long, varied dungeons and action-packed, real-time battles. [Apr 2006, p.108]
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  8. Yahoo!
    70
    It's certainly a deep, well-made blast from the past, but its pacing issues can't be easily discounted.
  9. Eurogamer
    60
    This is a game that makes our GBA a Super Nintendo: and one with a decent d-pad, battery life and scratch-free screen that doesn't need us to fiddle with firmware and dally with grey-hued legality to enjoy.
  10. GameSpy
    60
    Tales of Phantasia ends up looking like a fossil -- and not one of the cool ones with spikes and sharp teeth. More like a fern or insect, existing mostly to study the past and gauge evolution. RPGs have evolved far beyond this port.

Awards & Rankings

7
#7 Best Game Boy Advance Game of 2006
3
#3 Most Discussed Game Boy Advance Game of 2006
3
#3 Most Shared Game Boy Advance Game of 2006

User Reviews

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User Score
8.1

Generally favorable reviews- based on 39 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 31 out of 39
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 39
  3. Negative: 4 out of 39
  1. Anda
    Oct 4, 2006
    10
    The best game ever played I don't know y the ppl think it has bad controls this game is only for pros man.
  2. PabloEnver
    Mar 11, 2023
    10
    Obra maestra. Perfectamente podría ser el mejor RPG para Game Boy Advance. Gráficamente no es nada increíble pero es bonito y el diseñoObra maestra. Perfectamente podría ser el mejor RPG para Game Boy Advance. Gráficamente no es nada increíble pero es bonito y el diseño artístico es muy bueno. La música es una maravilla, y los efectos de sonido más que decentes, incluso con voces durante las batallas. Si quieres completarlo todo (o casi todo), no creo que puedas antes de 35/40 horas. Tiene una cantidad de contenido exagerada. Decenas de armas, armaduras, accesorios, etc, decenas de magias y habilidades que aprender, decenas o incluso cientos de objetos distintos, mecánicas como la de cocinar y conseguir distintas recetas, un mundo enorme que explorar, cientos de NPC's con sus historias, decenas de sidequest, mazmorras secretas... Un juego gigantesco.

    Pero sin duda destaca el sistema de combate. No es un juego para emular en un movil o tablet, necesitas una consola o un teclado, porque el combate es complejo. Como action-rpg es sin duda lo mas complejo de todo el catálogo. En batalla puedes hacer de todo, varios ataques fisicos distintos, magias variadas, defender, cambiar de formación, realizar combos y distintas habilidades... cuesta cogerle el truco porque además no te explican nada (asi que recomiendo usar guía), y cuando le coges el tranquillo es muy satisfactorio y elaborado. Para rematar, tiene una historia entretenida e interesante, cosa que no siempre abunda en este género.

    En definitiva, un must play al que hay que echarle horas y disfrutar del mundo tan rico que ofrece.    … Full Review »
  3. Teemostarto
    Oct 3, 2020
    1
    I found the game horrible for a port of a Snes game, so many other good ports like Zelda A link to the past and Super Mario World that wereI found the game horrible for a port of a Snes game, so many other good ports like Zelda A link to the past and Super Mario World that were good ports, there are Tales of Phantasia that sinks once and for all the great RPG that was on Snes, the sound it’s horrible and the graphics are pretty good for the console, too bad… Full Review »
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