Does "PS4" Equal "Phantasy Star IV" in Your Mind More Often Than "PlayStation 4" Does?

[Nz17]

Perhaps it is due to me getting older, but these days when I see PS or PS1, I think Phantasy Star I. Same goes with PS2, PS3, and PS4 being Phantasy Star II, III, and IV... especially PS4. Mayhaps that's due to myself only really playing through the active years of the PlayStation and not those of the PS2 (got it late, and it could only play CD's), PS3 (got one but I don't know if it works), and PS4 (don't have one), but that's how it is. What about you guys?

...now that I think about it, it doesn't work with PSP being Phantasy Star Portable though. To me, the PSP is the PlayStation Portable. I would like to pick up copies of Phantasy Star Portable and Phantasy Star Portable 2 though.

[Edmond Dantes]

For me it depends on what's been on my mind, but usually when I see PS2, PS3 or PS4 I think Playstation and not Phantasy Star due to conditioning.

For that matter, when you see "SF" do you think Shining Force or Street Fighter? When you see "FF" do you think Final Fantasy or Fatal Fury?

[Flojomojo]

PS4 = PlayStation 4, because Phantasy Star has Roman numerals!

I still feel frustrated when I see Wipeout used for game titles when it's not the futuristic hovercraft racer from Psygnosis. Even the XL sequel is vintage now at 20 years old.

I belong in a museum.

[Aussie2B]

Nope, because the games use Roman numerals. :P

I will say, though, that "SMB" will always equal "Super Mario Bros." in my brain, and it really threw me off when Super Monkey Ball came along, haha. I think there have been some others that share that acronym too. Oh, and sometimes I see Saturday Morning RPG abbreviated as "SMRPG", but, nope, sorry, that'll always register as "Super Mario RPG" for me.

[Emperor Megas]

Nah, I never would have thought that unless it was a discussion about Phantasy Star. The Roman numerals really make it a nonissue.

[SparTonberry]

Nope, because the games use Roman numerals. :P

I will say, though, that "SMB" will always equal "Super Mario Bros." in my brain, and it really threw me off when Super Monkey Ball came along, haha. I think there have been some others that share that acronym too. Oh, and sometimes I see Saturday Morning RPG abbreviated as "SMRPG", but, nope, sorry, that'll always register as "Super Mario RPG" for me.

There was also the Sailer Moon RPG for the Super Famicom. (which from what I've seen looks to be a pretty mediocre RPG but for some reason it was one of the first that people fan-translated. Though they also went for Vilgust and Magic Knight Rayearth RPGs, which were probably lesser-known animes).

[Tanooki]

If I were big on Sega in the 90s and had ever played or loved Phantasy Star 4 then perhaps I'd think of it both, but no in general I don't ever think PS4 is Phantasy Star 4 unless it's where the conversation has gone. Also as Flojo said PS4 is PS4, PSIV is Phantasy Star IV.

[kupomogli]

As amazing as Phantasy Star 4 is, doesn't ever come to mind whenever someone mentions PS4.

[Nz17]

For that matter, when you see "SF" do you think Shining Force or Street Fighter? When you see "FF" do you think Final Fantasy or Fatal Fury?

SF = Sci-Fi or San Francisco
FF = Final Fantasy


I will say, though, that "SMB" will always equal "Super Mario Bros." in my brain, and it really threw me off when Super Monkey Ball came along, haha. I think there have been some others that share that acronym too. Oh, and sometimes I see Saturday Morning RPG abbreviated as "SMRPG", but, nope, sorry, that'll always register as "Super Mario RPG" for me.

For me, when I was younger SMB = Super Mario Bros. Now that I'm older and you see the SMB acronym used less when referring to the Mario series due to the variety of names which the games have taken, instead SMB means to me the computer networking technology Server Message Block. Hopefully Mario will not attempt to break those blocks for coins!

SMRPG = Super Mario RPG. It confused the Hell outta me when I first saw that acronym being used for that other one instead.

[Scissors]

I always think PlayStation 4 when I see PS4. It would have to be PSIV for me to think of Phantasy Star.

Oddly enough, when Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 came out and people would refer to it as MW3, I kept thinking Wonder Boy V: Monster World III.

[Nz17]

Oh yeah, and when I would see SMBC I wouldn't interpret that as "Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal" (the Web comic), I would stare at it and think, "...Super Mario Bros. C?"

[Edmond Dantes]

I always think PlayStation 4 when I see PS4. It would have to be PSIV for me to think of Phantasy Star.

Oddly enough, when Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 came out and people would refer to it as MW3, I kept thinking Wonder Boy V: Monster World III.

To me MW3 parses as "Mechwarrior 3."

[7th lutz]

It never does to me and this is from a person who became a fan of the Phantasy Star Series in the 1990's. While I am not into modern console gaming, I heard of the system.

The other thing is the Phantasy Star series used roman numerals.

[Nz17]

The other thing is the Phantasy Star series used roman numerals.

Except for those such as Phantasy Star 0.

[WelcomeToTheNextLevel]

I never associated Phantasy Star IV with "PS4". It just doesn't sound right. If I was going to abbreviate the name, it would be PS IV. But usually I just call it Phantasy Star IV.

[Edmond Dantes]

I swear I've seen the initials SMB used in a non-gaming context, some sort of technology thing I think? Anyone know what I'm talking about?

On that note, first time I played Duke Nukem 3D and got a weapon called the RPG I was like "huh?" Fortunately the game itself explained it meant Rocket-Propelled Grenade, but I still tend to see that as "Role Playing Game" by default.

[jb143]

I swear I've seen the initials SMB used in a non-gaming context, some sort of technology thing I think? Anyone know what I'm talking about?


It's the name of a connector similar in usage to a BNC cable. I think it's also the name of a network protocol.

[Nz17]

I swear I've seen the initials SMB used in a non-gaming context, some sort of technology thing I think? Anyone know what I'm talking about?

SMB is Server Messaging Block, a protocol used by Microsoft for its products to enable networked file and printer sharing.

[megasdkirby]

SMS will always be the Sega Master System for me. It's been used for Super Mario Sunshine and even as a text messaging protocol.

[Cloud121]

Whenever I hear (emphasis on "Hear". PS4 is the console, and PSIV is the game when written) "PS4" I always think "Phantasy Star IV". I've always referred to it by the codenames "Orbis" and "Neo" due to my being so used to calling the console that for so long before the official reveals. Same with "Durango" and "Scorpio" when referring to the current Xbox consoles. Luckily, most of the people I am associated with know what I am talking about when I say "Orbis" and "Durango". Same with "MegaDrive" when talking about the Genesis.

I've always felt the Japanese names are/were better names for consoles.

When I hear PS1, I think "Phantasy Star". To me the original PlayStation will always be the "PSX" (I call the actual PSX the "PS2 DVR").

Though when I hear "PS2" or "PS3" I always think of the consoles. Yeah, weird I know.

At the 360 launch, whenever I heard "PDZ" when referring to Perfect Dark Zero, I ALWAYS thought people were talking about Panzer Dragoon Zwei.


And yes, SMS will always be the Master System for me as well.

[Edmond Dantes]

The SMS thing reminds me of something. Recently I was at a Gamestop and they had a fill-out form that said "register for SMS to be entered for a chance to win an NES Classic!" Or something like that. I immediately was amused.

[jb143]

I wonder how referring to the Atari VCS is going to play out?

[bb_hood]

PS4 = PlayStation 4.
Get with the program. Its a really good system, if you dont already know. Its not over-hyped.