Phantasy Star IV: The End of the Millennium is a role-playing game that Sega released for the Mega Drive in Japan on 17 December 1993. It reached North America in February 1995 and Europe in November 1995, although Sega had first said it would not publish the game in Europe. It closes the original Phantasy Star tetralogy and is the series' last traditional RPG.
The game introduced combination techniques in battle and told its story through manga-style panel illustrations. The American manual lists 15 combination attacks, yet only 14 have ever been found.
The naming is a small puzzle of its own. The game was announced as Phantasy Star IV, but the Japanese release dropped the numeral, while Western boxes kept it. It was also the first Phantasy Star game that Tec Toy did not localize for Brazil. Later it returned on the Wii Virtual Console in 2008 and on Nintendo Switch Online.12
Names and releases
| Region | Title on the box | Platform | Date | Publisher | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NA | Phantasy Star IVretailed for just under $100 | Genesis | February 1995 | Sega | 2 |
| JP | ファンタシースター 千年紀の終りに | Genesis | Dec 17, 1993 | Sega | 1 |
| EU | Phantasy Star IV | Genesis | November 1995 | Sega | 2 |
| WW | —Virtual Console | Wii | 2008 | Sega | 1 |
| WW | Phantasy Star IVNintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack | Switch | Oct 25, 2021 | Nintendo | 3 |
Also known as: ファンタシースター 千年紀の終りに JP1Fantashī Sutā: Sennenki no Owari ni JP1Phantasy Star IV NA2Phantasy Star: The End of the Millennium WW2
Box art by region
NA Phantasy Star IV 
EU Phantasy Star IV 
JP ファンタシースター 千年紀の終りに
Box art © its publishers, shown to identify each release. Scans: libretro-thumbnails.
Version differences
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TitleJPNA/EU
The game was announced as Phantasy Star IV but sold in Japan without the numeral, to show that it follows Phantasy Star II; North American and European boxes kept the 'IV', and every version's title screen says Phantasy Star: The End of the Millennium.2
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CoverNAEU
Western boxes use Boris Vallejo artwork that depicts Chaz, Rika and Rune differently from how they look in the game.2
Translations
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English Official
Sega1995Genesis · Japanese versionReleased · complete
Sega's official English localization came out in North America in 1995 and in Europe; GamePro praised the translation, while GameFan criticized it.2
Where to play legally today
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Nintendo Switch Online Subscription
Phantasy Star IV (SEGA Mega Drive - Nintendo Switch Online)
Mega Drive/Genesis version
Checked: 2026-10-134ec.nintendo.com
Reception
Critics at the time praised the gameplay and were split on the graphics and story; retrospective reviews are very positive. IGN ranked it 61st among the best games ever in 2007, and Complex put it second among Genesis games, behind Gunstar Heroes.2
In lists
Sources
Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13
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