dumb Phantasy Star question

[jhd7]

Help! I've searched online sites and read the manual, but somehow it's escaped me. How do I find & open secret doors in the dungeons of SMS Phantasy Star? I don't see any hint or clue about their location. And when I do find one, do I use the SRCH command? TRAP or OPEN spells? Just run into the wall and pass through?

As most RPG fans know, there are subtle clues that ordinary things are actually important... a lonely tree, paths that lead to dead ends, odd coloring, and so on. Are the secret doors denoted by some slightly-different shape or color? I used a crudely-drawn online map to locate one of the doors. But when I visited that area in the dungeon, nothing worked, and I couldn't even pinpoint the exact location of the door.

Thanks,

Jeff D

btw- Phantasy Star is the only game I have for the Master System. When/if I win, I'll sell both game and system. That'll leave me with NES, CV, TG16, and SNES.

[Raccoon Lad]

turn and face the wall, if there's a secret door there, it'll appear. Nothing special needed to open.

[TheRedEye]

I think there are some points later in the game where you have to actually walk through indistinct walls, too. In fact, I think that's how you get out of imprisonment.

[Graham Mitchell]

btw- Phantasy Star is the only game I have for the Master System. When/if I win, I'll sell both game and system. That'll leave me with NES, CV, TG16, and SNES.


That's a shame. SMS is a really good system. There are tons of good games for it.

As for those dungeons, I played through PS last year, and those stinkin' things were the bane of my existence. I had to cheat my way through it.
Go to www.rpgclassics.com and search for the Phantasy Star webshrine there, and you can get all the dungeon maps, which are clearly laid out and easy to read. The dungeons themselves are actually really simple, so if you get out the graph paper and a pencil you should be fine. Thing is, though, the hidden doors are pretty much impossible to find unless you already know where they are. That isn't much of a big deal because all they've got in them is either a cola (worthless) or some piece of equipment that you probably already bought before you even came into the stupid dungeon; they definitely don't contain anything you need. There are very few times where you'll be actually forced to find a hidden passage, and you'll find yourself locked in a short corridor or something, so it'll be easy to find it by trial and error. ;)

[jhd7]

SMS is a really good system. There are tons of good games for it.


Understood. I had over 100 SMS games earlier this year, but sold all but one (Phantasy Star). This is probably sacrilege here, but I became overwhelmed by too much gaming stuff. With three systems and 1000+ games, there's already enough to keep me occupied for several lifetimes. I want to play most of these games, and there's not enough time in the day as it is.


The dungeons themselves are actually really simple, so if you get out the graph paper and a pencil you should be fine. Thing is, though, the hidden doors are pretty much impossible to find unless you already know where they are.


I always use graph paper when playing RPGs... adds to the sense of exploration. But you're right about those doors... I still can't see any clue as to their presence.


That isn't much of a big deal because all they've got in them is either a cola (worthless) or some piece of equipment that you probably already bought before you even came into the stupid dungeon; they definitely don't contain anything you need.


Really???? I was sure something special had to be hidden behind them. Otherwise, why are they there?

Thanks everyone!

Jeff D

[Dr. Morbis]

There are only two places that you can find yourself "stuck" where you need to find a hidden door to adcance/escape. One spot is when you fall down a trap in the floor, but there is a person down there that informs you that there is a way out. The other time is (IIRC) the palace in the sky and it's pretty obvious from the layout of the floor where the hidden door is. All other hidden doors contain stuff you don't really need and are virtually impossible to discover by happenstance anyway.

[NE146]

It must not be that impossible because PS1 on the sms was my very very FIRST jap rpg I ever played way before there was anything else like it on the U.S. console market (No FF, no Dragon Warrior, etc.).... and I finished it fine.

'Course I probably took a few months but I enjoyed every minute of it. And.. I completed it a second time after the first time through I know that :D