When Sega announced Phantasy Star Portable for PSP, it seemed like a good fit. The PSP is doing extremely well for itself in Japan currently, and with Phantasy Star Online servers shutting down left and right, a move to a hot platform certainly can't hurt. With Monster Hunter Portable G 2nd for the PSP moving some 2 million copies in Japan, more group beast slaying and item finding over a wireless connection will almost certainly be welcomed by the Japanese gamer.
Unsurprisingly, when seeing the newly revealed artwork for Phantasy Star Portable, I was immediately reminded of Capcom's Monster Hunter; surely not an accident on Sega's part. Gone are the soft illustrations of the pointy-eared character cast from Phantasy Star Online and Phantasy Star Universe, replaced by big action, big dragons and big weapons. The logo? Similarly Monster Hunter-ish in its grittiness.
Probably a step in the right direction for Sega, but we wonder how many Monster Hunter devotees will judge Phantasy Star Portable a worthy purchase by its cover.