Official Dreamcast Magazine

Official Dreamcast Magazine was a North American gaming magazine featuring the Sega Dreamcast and related games. It was published from June 1999 to April 2001, ending shortly after the Dreamcast itself was discontinued in the region. Although the magazine was officially endorsed by Sega, it was published by a third party company, Imagine Media Inc. Thirteen issues, #0 - #12, were published. Each issue included a demo disc for the Dreamcast. The discs included playable demos and videos of various games.

Most issues of the magazine mentioned Phantasy Star Online in some form. For many, the game was merely listed as a title the magazine staff was looking forward to playing in the "Hot List" feature. The issues covered here contained more in-depth coverage than that, all of which was in the form of news and previews for the original Dreamcast version. In issue #12, contents of the next issue were solicited, including a long awaited Phantasy Star Online review. Unfortunately that next issue was never published, leaving the magazine's run without an actual review of the game.

Featuring Phantasy Star

Official Dreamcast Magazine 1

A fan letter on page 5 suggests Phantasy Star V should be a Dreamcast launch title and mentions Project Ares, a then unrevealed title announced by the team responsible for Phantasy Star. An editor's reply on the same page teases the connection between Project Ares and Phantasy Star further with a box artwork logo from Phantasy Star Collection (Saturn). Later in the issue, on pages 26 and 27, screen shots and artwork from Project Ares are revealed in an article that also draws heavily on Phantasy Star references. The article is titled "Phanning the Flames" and mentions Espers, Musk Cats, Phantasy Star III, and Phantasy Star V. Project Ares was actually Skies of Arcadia, but the latter name is not used in the issue.

Official Dreamcast Magazine 3

Phantasy Star Online coverage begins with a preview.

Official Dreamcast Magazine 4

Short preview on page 61, relating early game play details.

Official Dreamcast Magazine 6

Two page interview with Yuji Naka, plus a photo from an early game announcement at a convention.

Official Dreamcast Magazine 7

Mentioned in an article about upcoming online games.

Official Dreamcast Magazine 8

Preview article revealing first plot details.

Official Dreamcast Magazine 9

Two preview articles featuring character art, screen shots, and release date announcements.

Official Dreamcast Magazine 10

Brief mentions in the magazine, including a GameStop advertisement focused on the game. The demo disc in this issue contained a game video.

Official Dreamcast Magazine 11

Six page, cover featured preview. Includes another Yuji Naka interview, descriptions of basic game functions, and a small listing of the previous Phantasy Star English releases.

Release History