I still remember the craziest thing in this game that will stick with me for the rest of my life. Got matched with a Japanese dude way back in the day and the Japanese guy had something I never saw any arsenal: Phantom Dust. Phantom Dust had 99 Aura and he held onto this unknown skill for so long and I was just so confused, and more or less once he already had his setup for 99 Aura and doing insta-kills that would go nowhere; up until the last moments of back and forth when he had nothing left except that skill, alongside his perfect dodging, waiting for his aura to tick back up to 99 during extremely sweaty gamplay, he used it. ... It reset the entire match, back to the start. For that fact alone I just stopped attacking and walked around and just let him have the match. That moment alone had solidified how good and versatile any arsenal let alone the game can get and my love for it grew so much more. God damn I love this game.
holy shit. i’ve seen the Phantom Dust skill in card lists, but never once heard of someone jumping though all the hoops to deploy it in an actual multiplayer match. what an incredible moment that must have been! thanks so much for sharing this
Look, I've only known about this game for a total of about a half an hour, but whoever this guy is you were playing against is an absolute legend. And whoever decided that skill card would have that ability is the equivalent of a demigod.
@@babylonian If it's one thing I know, is that the japanese players that would log on in the dead of night in the states (2-4AM back in the late 00's) - they would have some of the greatest, strangest and unique arsenals and it was usually a "Japanese guy? Probably gonna lose this one" sort of affair, but it never made me stop playing. This match in question though took the cake.
This is why I miss like the ps2/xb generation of consoles, designers got experimental in the craziest ways. And you'd just be browsing like 2nd hand stores and find something, pick it up and it could be excellent or terrible, but you never knew and that was the magic of it. It started dying out throughout ps3/360 gen and I feel it completely died with the ps4 and xbone, game making just got too expensive so it all migrated onto PC
Seeing so many people interested in this game is amazing. Really hope the community sees a resurgence because if any game needs it, it's 100% this one.
agreed! it really seems like people are getting it. right now, if you hop online, there’s CONSTANTLY active matches - like, every minute of every day. i’m so happy 😭
@@babylonian that's awesome. Played it back when they first re-released it and was thinking about it recently. Sadly, computer is messed up and I dont have an xbox. Just a PS4Pro. :(
This game was my childhood and holds a special place in my heart. To the GameStop employee recommending this game to me, discovering the amazing real time card like gameplay, depressing (yet mysterious) story, and having a blast playing split screen. I really do hope they do make a sequel😭
@@babylonian Listen you have to hear me, there is a digital card game, forbidden, lost to time. It is the Eye of Judgement (PS3). It is what the Yugioh show was in a sense.
there were plans but it got cancelled, but they really should, maybe with protagonist creating his own civilisation like edgar did, or finding some more humans
Went to install the game online, and the servers aren’t loading their end. I think your video has sent so many people to the Microsoft store that their servers are overloaded. You succeeded in getting a lot of new people to play ur favourite game, me included ✊
hope thats the case lol, its been hard for me to find games cause only a few still play as of now, so i hope the playerbase grows over time because of this video. theres also a fb group where you can find people to play with though
This one had custom soundtracks so I would run around the urban apocalypse setting throwing energy orbs while blasting Korn. The early to mid 2000s were legendary.
The madlad Yukio Futatsugi really just invented a new game genre twenty years ago and almost nobody noticed. I really hope this game's resurgence inspires new creations based on real-time+card-game action. "Dustlikes," maybe?
I had always wished that there were games that combined the Harry Potter 2 tie-in's spell casting with some more dynamic movement and maybe deck-building. Blew my fucking mind that the game had already been made a decade ago.
@@smokythecameraman bro. beat em' ups are supposed to be 2d side-scrollers which focus on defeating all the enemies on screen before being allowed to progress. and that is DEFINITELY NOT what phantom dust is!
I randomly bought this game back in 2005 at game stop. Man, I loved this game. I can remember thinking, "I can't possibly be the only one playing this game". The things they could do with a remake would be amazing. I normally would not have purchased a card type game, but this was done right. I loved the stage with the floating bridges and highway.
Like the first Suffering, Bully, any Squaresoft game (at least we got the remake of FFVII and a new KH game), Black, Area 51, Dark Cloud, and Onimusha, and many many more. The PS2 era had a lot of licenses that became abandoned. Though I don't wish for a remake or a sequel for all of them. I do wish for a port instead of having to emulate everything on my PC which I have but it's so much easier to just get them on a console.
Cause the niche works of an artist have almost always the most fond personal themes of that person, themes that are no always the cup of tea for the general public but a small circle (sorry for my bad english)
It feels like it’s the opposite fate that the Souls series met when Demon Souls was released. Sony didn’t initially believe in it, at E3 the demo was a total flop, too hard for a brief demo for E3 players, but Miyazaki kept on forging ahead, Bandai Namco trusted the idea and BOOM, we’ve arrived in 2022 with Elden Ring, after a Sony’s Bloodborne, a Demon Souls remake, 3 Dark Souls and Sekiro. Literally a milestone in modern gaming born by perseverance and weird coincidences. Hope Phantom Dust gets the fame it deserves.
Their problem is not much about the game, it's just the platform they're releasing. Xbox doesn't even sell that well in Japan and if they partnered with sony instead this probably would've become a franchise now.
This game was one of the most polarizing games when it came out. People either loved it or they didn't like it at all. I remember asking on forums if it was worth purchasing at the time, and the results were usually around 50/50.
Yeah, I get that. I'm about 75% throught the video and as much as Nick's trying to hype up the game, the most impressive mechanic he's spoken about is the ability to dodge a fireball. Which is super amazing because you cant normally dodge fireballs in card games hype hype hype. Ignoring the existance of almost every other action game ever made with dodgeable projectiles. Dont get me wrong, I don't think the game looks bad and I'm certainly willing to give it a try but I dont see how it's some kind of hidden master piece or one of the best video games ever made
I feel like most of the people that didn't like it probably didn't play it long enough to get lots of skills to build decks. The game starts out really slow it isn't until later on and you have all these amazing skills to use against other players that it pays off. I do love the single player story it is so dark and tragic.
@@UrsaFrank It's not that you can dodge a fireball, it's _how_ you dodge a fireball. Do you block it? Do you teleport of of the way? Roll? Cartwheel? Jump? Do you reflect it back at your opponent? Do you _fucking eat it_ to power your own counterattack? All of this and more is possible in Phantom Dust. Phantom Dust is as good a game as you make it out to be.
@@UrsaFrank I don't think you get the game, at all, lol, dodging is literally one of the most minor details, what about debris causing damage, destructible environment, and actually interesting dynamics with skills? Maybe the game is too complex for you if you hyperfixate on dodging, as if that wasn't just another aspect of many, there are tons of utility and trap spells, tons of interesting dynamics and combinations, tons of defense etc.
@@UrsaFrank I just think you and the people who upthumbed you need to stick to cod and mobile phone games. It's more your speed, leave brain games to those with.
It's really cool when you find old game communities that stay faithful to a passion and that you went through all the time to research this interesting obscure game. I can only imagine what it's like to get to interview the head creator of your favorite game. It looks really cool and it gives me lots of memories of that old 2000's Japanese video game aesthetic. The blue/green layout and crazy cyberpunk clothes and matrix style and all the old DnB jungle music. It's really cool you played the soundtrack for the video. Well done, an exceptional video essay on a rare situation in gaming.
Phantom Dust is truly a forgotten masterpiece. So many hours in that game as a kid. I even "played" it at recess with a friend. So many memories from the music alone.
I saw it installed on my Xbox (my brother used to use it from time to time) and i thought it was just a generic fighting game.ill check it out once I'm back in America
That kinda aesthetic hits different. What a masterpiece. Even emulated, its still an absolute slapper! Like I will jump off a balcony with the amount of force this game has in pure awesomeness.
I remember seeing the game on the xbox store when I was like 15 or 16. I was immediately interested by the cover art but by that time I didn’t trust free games. I gave it a shot and didn’t stop playing for weeks. I was addicted to the skills, the arsenals, the story, the art style, everything. It felt like I was playing a game from an alternate universe. And I still frequent online matches to this day.
I had never heard of Phantom Dust before, but just watching this video has almost instantly turned me into a fan and made me jealous I don't have memories of this gem.
he literally brought tears to my eyes i occasionally watch vids on this game because i remeber being to young to understand it but my late uncle would watch me fuc around on it all day
Never heard of this in my life, but this is exactly my preferred aesthetic for video games. Post-apocalyptic, soundtrack full of break and classical, action multiplayer, and the graphics. I do not like card games that much, though this is easily an exception I will make. As soon as it was mentioned that it was free, I filled with excitement, thinking through the whole thing I would not have a chance to try it out. Thanks Nick!!!💖
The nostalgia that hit me when I clicked on this video 😂. I used to play this game all of the time as a kid and just last year it suddenly popped into my mind again but I couldn't remember the name of it. Good to see you covering it in a video Nick! I'm definitely gonna get it for free on the Xbox Store rn.
The most exciting game anouncement of 2022 is a game I never heard of til now from 2004. Says a lot about both the games industry and how timeless this game is. I'm going to be trying it out, and also I'm gonna be reading about Yukio Futatsugi he seems like a really awesome dude.
What's crazy is that I didn't even originally know all of this history, I just found it on the Microsoft store and fell in love! I can't wait to try and play during the happy hour, and I'm so glad you made this video.
I cannot believe you did it again, you got to talk with Futatsugi! That's also one of my dreams! Man your videos are awesome, it's so good to know someone else who loved Phantom Dust. I tried remaking it as a Indie Project last year.
I'm always stunned by how many games were doing fully destructive environments well back in the early 2000s. Red Faction blew me away OVER 20 YEARS AGO. it's like game devs have slowly unlearned how to make good games.
No, they're just focusing on the wrong things. As games get more difficult, expensive and time consuming to make, why spend valuable time/resources on making a wall crumble realistically when you can can just make every texture 16k so you can brag about it being the most realistic looking game on TVs that don't exist yet
@Will phantom dust is clash royal but on 3d, which is something you would love unless you don't have pc or console and just bitching about things you can't have.
This reminds me a lot of Battle Network, from the card-game style gameplay to the wonky behind the scenes business issues and the hardcore multiplayer community that keeps it alive. I'm definitely gonna check this out.
They really need to reboot that series. Perfect for people who like the collecting and customization of rpgs and cgs but don't like being slowed down by turn based fighting
@@omgazr0 The N1 Grand Prix discord server has regular multiplayer tournaments and friendly matches for it and instructions for how to setup the mod that allows multiplayer. It recently got rollback netcode added to it, so it's pretty stable matches now.
Omg im kinda tearing up. I played this game in a demo I got with my Xbox magazine so much I forgot about it and couldn't remember the name of it. I kept checking with the game store to see if it came in and after a while I just lost track.
First-time watcher. I never heard of this game before today, but I felt emotional when I heard you got to speak to Yukio. XD I can definitely relate to the need to research and document something tragically passed over in need of love and its place in history. I would have been very happy to have done this too.
Yeah... This was on my list of games to buy for so long, but I kept passing up on getting it. That was when it was only like $18-$30 for a copy... Ughhh...
It's pretty uncommon and now thousands of people want a copy. I think price will always be $100+ from now on unfortunately. We should have bought a copy while it was an overlooked hidden gem. I was following an auction on ebay yesterday that had 90 watchers!
@@MitchJohnson0110 considering how Microsoft is a PC company, it would make sense that their 1st consoles would be more powerful than the others since Xboxes used modified windows
Clicked this video on a whim. Never heard of you before. Watched the whole thing and I'm downloading it now. Absolutely piqued my curiosity. Good work.
the graphics are insane. like unbelievable. If I knew about this game back in 2004 or whatever I would have played the shit out of it. I had an OG xbox and wanted something like this
It''s funny, 7 days ago i saw a video on how panzer dragoon saga was a forgotten classic, much like phantom dust is....only to now realize they were spearheaded by the same developer. To have not just one but two incredible rpgs share a similar fate is both fascinating and cruel.
I didn't play this game, but when you say "Cardgame but fun" i inmediatly think of Megaman battle network and Starforce. The later being my personal favorite.
Xbox was waaay less popular in Japan. My friends in youth, no one's playing it. I guess that is the main reason of sales failure. But thanks to you, every gamers who missed the opportunity to play Phantom Dust, now got a chance. Amazing job!
This video must've had an insane impact on the original game. The price of this game on the used market spiked from the $20-30 range to $100+ not long after this video launched (literally overnight/same day!) I don't have an XB One & don't PC game so I may have to miss out on this one. Hopefully, the popularity reaches to a company like Limited Run/Pixel Heart/Strictly Limited & they'll do some kind of rerelease physically.
@@DotHackish Yes, digitally, but some are still interested in physical media. For whatever reason, not long after this video launched every copy on all the used seller sites were bought. The day before this video released, the original XBox game was very affordable & could easily be found for under $30. Now that's it caught wind just about every remaining copy is marked up to $100+ & people are actually paying this in auctions.
@@AlphaCarinae You must not be aware of the retro game market. Games are still being made for the Sega Dreamcast, NES, Neo Geo, Sega Genesis, & Dreamcast in 2022. The Sega Genesis sold 30+ million, Dreamcast 9+ million, while the XBox sold 24 million & came out later. If games are still being developed & sold for those systems than it would certainly be viable. Also, the XBox modding scene is strong, well, & very much alive.
This game looks so unique. I'm currently playing the rematered version, which is a free-to-play. This game is such a hidden gem, just like Crimson Dragon and Lost Odyssey.
I was the top ranked player alongside an old friend named "Oskical" (I think his name was) in this when it was on the original Xbox. This game is still the best video game I've played till this day! No matter what game comes out, I always think to myself, "Phantom Dust was better".
I never forgot it. It was one of my favorite games when it released. Still one of my favorites to this day. If I ever actually take the time to learn game dev, it's the type of game I'd make.
I can only imagine how mind blowing this must have been playing it at the time. Even now its hard to believe this was og xbox. The soundtrack sounds like peak 2000s game music
Right? I love how all those Sci Fi 2000s games (especially the Japanese ones) had that jungle music like some from Toonami and how they all had that blue/green layout to everything. Didn't matter if it was a shooting game, fighting game or mech game, all the Japanese 2000s games had that dope futuristic aesthetic and sound....and then one day, it just stopped. It's always odd when a thing that is really prominent, but that no body talks about or has a name for just disappears and nobody talks about it. Like that blue splash and squiggly 90's aesthetic on cups. That used to be everywhere.
They were planning one, but canceled it and gave out the game for free instead. With how games are today it's for the best. The monetization that would've been in it would have ruined the game.
Wow. I've actually written a short novel called Decca: The Battle of Cards, not yet complete, about a sci-fi colony on Saturn that compete with cards in a live action tournament like an official sport event. I've never had an XBox and never heard and played this game, only until I've seen your video. I love card games and that was my inspiration for the story. I've always wondered If there was some other media that was similar to what I've had in mind for years before I wrote my story down on paper in 2018. The idea has been floating in my head for years before that.
I didnt even have to look through the video, I saw that disc and I knew it was Phantom Dust. An underappreciated, underfunded, untold masterpiece of rogue game design. I have the game on my Xbox One, and I play it relentlessly. No matter how bored I get of other games, of other systems, Phantom Dust always ropes me in somehow, and I love it every single time. Can never find an online match, for obvious reason, but that story is fucking perfect.
i just wanna come and say thank you so much for bringing a lost gem from my childhood back, i love you for that. i dont know if ive ever done this but i genuinely wanna say thank you, im having more fun with this than i have in a game in years.
I've tried this game when it got re-released for PC and Xbox One but never gave it the right chance i think. This video really convinced me to give it another shot. The people behind it and every part of the community is just...heartwarming. It's rare these days to see this kind of love for a game, developers included, and i really want to jump on the hype train with you all
@@babylonian Oh! I didn't even realise that this was from the soundtrack of the game, that makes it even better! Phantom Dust was ahead of its time in so many different ways.
This is an incredibly well made video. I think it is the definitive video about one of the most incredible games ever made. I am proud to have been able to make a contribution to its creation. That and the game. :-)
I love how you can interview all these influential people within the video game industry. You sure have come a long way and every upload of yours is better than the last. For real Nick, the professionalism you have when it comes to interviews is incredible. Keep up the phenomenal work!
Seeing this kind of passion being realized after so many years actually brings a tear to my eye, i'm genuinely happy for you man. I'll definitely check this one out
I can't believe I've never heard of this game before. Custom Robo is my personal favorite game, and this is just "what if custom robo was a dystopian card game". Definitely going to have to find some friends to try this out with
PLAY LBX FOR 3DS! It's a crying shame that Danball Senki was so overlooked here in NA, and LBX was the only game we got due to low sales. It's every bit of Custom Robo fun you're looking for with so many more parts and robots and weapons, and moves, etc. I'm kind of devastated that the Online community never picked up on the 3DS and with Nintendo Online services going offline, there will be no hope of ever playing Danball Senki PvP in North America again. Not to mention all of the DLC and additional content that will be forever lost to online service shut down, as a ton of it's post game content and additional quests were only obtainable through connecting Nintendo Online services. It really breaks my heart, because so many people talk about their love for Custom Robo and Gotcha Force, but no one knows there was a spiritual successor to them released on the 3DS here in NA (it was a PSP release in Japan with multiple games in the series) so I never got to play with them when the game was in it's prime and it was possible.
Somehow I only stumbled upon this video now but it's hell of a video and such a great introduction to the game! Thank you for bringing it to the attention of millions and supporting this franchise!
i had never heard of this game until now yet im just so intrigued by everything sorrounding it, you presented this in a way where this complex narrative was very easy to follow and motivated me to try the game out, really great video
I'd recognize that aesthetic anywhere. Phantom Dust fucks so hard, despite its flaws its always been one of my favorite games of all time, and it's always had one of my favorite stories. I'd love if this video ends up pumping a little life into the online community for the re-release.
10/10 content. It takes real cojones to get a special surprise on the level you have in store and not mention it until it happens. My jaw dropped when you read that email.
Bro, this game was free on the xbox game store for xbox one and I remember me and my friend playing it because we had nothing else to play. So much fun.
Phantom Dust always held a special place in my heart. I got it back in 2005 after my grandfather bought it for me for doing well in school. He doesn't really know which video games were popular, so I consider it just pure luck that he happened to pick out Phantom Dust that day. Everything about that game had me hooked. The whole dystopia aesthetic, the unique gameplay and the flashy skills, the depressing story, the music, it was an unforgettable experience. Eventually, my Xbox broke and I didn't really get to own any consoles after that, so Phantom Dust was just a fond memory since. That's why I was so happy when I was finally able to replay it on PC. I even got my cousin to play it with me so we could do multiplayer, and we'd reminisce about the nights we spent playing split screen or taking turns trying to beat the bosses. I love this game to death and while I'l always be a little bit bummed that it never got the recognition and praise I felt it deserved, I'm happy to be part of a very vocal and passionate community that appreciates it just as much as I do. Thanks for making this video. Hopefully, Phantom Dust Happy Hour becomes a success. I'll try my best to participate!
I feel that this is the same love that me and many others have for Outer Wilds. Not popular enough for its brilliance but passionately loved by everyone who's played it because of the sheer innovation in game design and effort put into the game creating a true masterpiece.
Not that I disagree, but I haven't gone more than a week without being recommended Outer Wilds since 2019. It's not even in the same ball park in terms of obscurity.
I can't put it better than Newman, Outer Wilds is still wildly popular today. And it plagues Backloggd profile favorites. Even if not everyone has played the game, they at least know it by ear. That can't be said with something like Phantom Dust
@@zwein1817 I've never said that Outer Wilds is less known than Phantom Dust, it definitely isn't. I compared the love for the games, not the popularity. I'm glad to hear Outer Wilds is well known in your circles. It definitely isn't as popular in mine (and ppl still confuse it with Outer Worlds which makes it even worse) and I think it deserves much more.
Isn't it nuts when guys like Yukio Futatsugi work on a game they truly love and want to be great, it is. It would be cool to see more games like that today where the developers truly want to push boundaries and make a unique and fulfilling experience. Thanks for this video. It was also fantastic!
Nick, thank you so much for getting me into Phantom Dust. I've made so many contacts with so many people and had an absolute blast competing in the beginners tournament. Phantom Dust is now my favorite game thanks to you. ♥
I've never seen or heard of this game in my 26 years of life and I can only feel regret that I couldn't share the nostalgia. This would still be a amazing game if released today and I truly hope that one day we can see a phantom dust 2
The fact that this masterpiece has been in the back of my mind for years and I never realised it was on Xbox for FREE I can’t wait to get back on it I was like 5 when I played this game so now I’m older I can fully understand why I loved this game as a kid Thank you for shining light on this game for so many years ❤️
This sounds like a game that would be great for Microsoft to push to steam with proton compatibility for like 10$ using steams multiplayer/matching etc. I would love to try it on the Steam Deck
Been playing this because of you, the fact that this game doesn't just holds up but contests modern design so well its shocking. It's not without it's flaws but this is an excellent proof of concept. Just needs polish and a few new modern mechanics. This game was denied it's greatness, we would've been rolling in clones if had it's due.
How about a multiplayer concept of playing with the cards you are dealt? PUBG type of map format, beginning with randomized decks, but with a few select choices granted at the beginning for customized additions to prevent any meta from fully stabilizing while allowing some creativity and expression if you enjoy using specific cards. I can see this entire game translating over into an MMO replacing gear with cards or even an Overwatch styled competitive scene if tweaks were made to the targeting system. This game generates a ton of potential. Great video!
I didn't even know this game existed. Now I'm downloading it. This would have been my absolute jam back in the day. Magic the Gathering Battlegrounds was also crazy fun. Looking forward to the happy hour!
I used to watch my older cousins play this, but never remembered the name. I’m so glad you covered it. I would have never thought about it again if it were not for this video.
This game was my childhood. I spent so many hours just replaying the campaign over and over and redoing missions, building decks to make more and more interesting combos. I miss it dearly. Not until adulthood did I finally beat the last boss fight years later (because I was stubborn about what deck I wanted to use) in my buddies room after dusting off the old Xbox, and it felt like I finally completed my childhood. It was a very fulfilling yet sad time watching the last cut scene for the first time.
This is 10/10 content right here. Im always impressed by what you are able to accomplish in every one of your long format videos. Your ability to storytell is in one word amazing and makes these videos 100 times better.
This was on my recommend list for days and today, I went “Fine. I’ll watch it.🙄” This is amazing! Not just the game, but the development, the struggles they went through, and what everyone, including you, has to say about it. I’m surprised I’d never heard of this before.
Man, this video is far reaching than you can imagine, I'm watching from Africa and I'm learning about this game for the first time ever. I'm also convinced it's a beautiful game that deserves a sequel and I'll love to play this game.
I love how you’ve managed to make me care so much about a game I’ve never played or even heard of Side note: Couldn’t help but notice that Rhythm Tengoku arcade cabinet in the background, which is just awesome
Going to try this game out for the first time tonight. The single player campaign that introduces you to the mechanics and the infinite amount of decks you can build and the fact it translates into an action combat game has really got me interested.
It's great seeing people talking so passionately about a game they love, the environmental impact on cards seems really cool too, pretty impressive considering the hardware it's running on. If anyone wants to play a fighting game that has similar card/deck mechanics that are central to the game, Touhou Hisoutensoku is a great game to try out. A lot of this game's strengths are shared with Hisoutensoku I think, and it has a big community with a similar passion to what was shown here, with players who've been playing it for 10 years + being pretty common.
This is downloading as we speak. The multi-player aspect honestly looks so lovely but thats never been my type of game. I'm going to get that fourteen hours out of the campaign and I may just join your weekly events. So thank you for showing me something I somehow didn't know about. I'll come back and tell you my thoughts! ♡
@@krazykuz13cmc I just started, so I am definitely in for a treat. What game would do that now a days!? Besides like elden ring. There isn't too many things. But wow, like I just started it so I don't know much. I watched this video and it definitely persuaded me to try it myself. When I have the free time I'll put a little bit of time into it. Thanks for that piece of information :) I'll be surprised.
I feel the same way about Custom Robo Battle Revolution. I'm glad you Phantom Dust fans were able to get your game back and potentially even have the platform to revive it.
@@elyjahkidnot I'd take a re-release on the switch if that's all I could get. I know they released the first 2 Custom Robo on the JP virtual console. I just want more people to know about Battle Revolution. Although it lacks any kind of online to boost it like Phantom Dust. I think Arena was the only one that had online if I recall. Not sure how the JP fans see the radical departure from the classic aesthetic and style that the Game Cube iteration had though.
So beautiful to see people talk about something they are vividly passionate about, both you and Futatsugi! I've never heard of the game before, but thanks to youtube recommendation magic, I'm certainly going to try it soon!
Wtf, not only did I last night go "huh, wonder whatever happened to Phantom Dust?" completely out of nowhere, I now find the random TH-cam guy that helped me through the depression of lockdown with Michaelsoft Binbows and Pokemon recoveries IS A FAN OF THE GAME?!?!?! And this video is a year old....which makes me sad....but holy shit this made my night....Glad I'm not the only one that was absolutely in love with this thing back in the day, honestly it kind of felt like I was for a while. Cheers man.
Man, some card games will be huge if they decided to go the route of Phantom Dust, just imagine a 3D YuGiOh game where you can summon monsters, use trap cards while moving or even controlling those monsters.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE YUGIOH! I want to play it in VR so i'd feel like i was a character in this universe playing the game. Imagine a VR compatible cards that when u draw them the exact same card will get drawn in the game so u'll play real yugioh with 3dFX (pun intended).
18:05 this bit just shows, SHOWS how much passion and love he had for his game and the video game making craft. wow, i don't have words to explain how much this means
Thank you for reviving the PD online play, if it was you. I really appreciate it man. I'm loving playing with others with my favourite decks again. Thank you so much
my cousin bought me a large collection of old xbox game right before 360 came, and i'm one of the rare lucky one who found this gem, and it still lives rent free in my head as one of the most unique and fun game i played in my youth.
I like when you talk directly to us (like when you say "viewer I can tell you one thing...) because it feels like ur a friend who is really excited to share something you love and you are just happy to talk about. Like a friend who wants you to get into something, and that's exactly what this video is and I can tell. You really wanna get this game out there and I like that :)
I still remember the craziest thing in this game that will stick with me for the rest of my life.
Got matched with a Japanese dude way back in the day and the Japanese guy had something I never saw any arsenal: Phantom Dust.
Phantom Dust had 99 Aura and he held onto this unknown skill for so long and I was just so confused, and more or less once he already had his setup for 99 Aura and doing insta-kills that would go nowhere; up until the last moments of back and forth when he had nothing left except that skill, alongside his perfect dodging, waiting for his aura to tick back up to 99 during extremely sweaty gamplay, he used it.
...
It reset the entire match, back to the start. For that fact alone I just stopped attacking and walked around and just let him have the match. That moment alone had solidified how good and versatile any arsenal let alone the game can get and my love for it grew so much more. God damn I love this game.
holy shit. i’ve seen the Phantom Dust skill in card lists, but never once heard of someone jumping though all the hoops to deploy it in an actual multiplayer match. what an incredible moment that must have been! thanks so much for sharing this
Look, I've only known about this game for a total of about a half an hour, but whoever this guy is you were playing against is an absolute legend. And whoever decided that skill card would have that ability is the equivalent of a demigod.
@@babylonian If it's one thing I know, is that the japanese players that would log on in the dead of night in the states (2-4AM back in the late 00's) - they would have some of the greatest, strangest and unique arsenals and it was usually a "Japanese guy? Probably gonna lose this one" sort of affair, but it never made me stop playing.
This match in question though took the cake.
Killer Queen!
@@bakasta5992 BITES ZA DUSTO
This is why I miss like the ps2/xb generation of consoles, designers got experimental in the craziest ways. And you'd just be browsing like 2nd hand stores and find something, pick it up and it could be excellent or terrible, but you never knew and that was the magic of it. It started dying out throughout ps3/360 gen and I feel it completely died with the ps4 and xbone, game making just got too expensive so it all migrated onto PC
Right? God Hand comes to mind.
Yeah there was definitely something special about those old school titles, I think what happened to the music industry is somewhat analogous
Too human, Afro samurai, loved random Xbox 360 game picks it was like playing a good game lottery
Yes totally nailed it!
It was alot more fun back on those days now it is "pussified" and corporate.
@@CJ9007 Yeah it stopped around mid gen of the 360. Around when xbox live arcade died.
Seeing so many people interested in this game is amazing. Really hope the community sees a resurgence because if any game needs it, it's 100% this one.
agreed! it really seems like people are getting it. right now, if you hop online, there’s CONSTANTLY active matches - like, every minute of every day. i’m so happy 😭
Indeed
@@babylonian Can you play this game on 360 though ? 🥺🥺
@@babylonian If there ever was an OG Xbox game deserving to be put on Game Pass, this is the ONE
@@babylonian that's awesome. Played it back when they first re-released it and was thinking about it recently. Sadly, computer is messed up and I dont have an xbox. Just a PS4Pro. :(
This game was my childhood and holds a special place in my heart. To the GameStop employee recommending this game to me, discovering the amazing real time card like gameplay, depressing (yet mysterious) story, and having a blast playing split screen. I really do hope they do make a sequel😭
ah man - the gamestop employee who recommended Phantom Dust to you is my hero, hahah. what a legend!
@@babylonian Listen you have to hear me, there is a digital card game, forbidden, lost to time. It is the Eye of Judgement (PS3). It is what the Yugioh show was in a sense.
LMAO! I still have my box of that game. Didn't play much of it cause of my young smooth brain not being patience setting it up @@NexusARC
there were plans but it got cancelled, but they really should, maybe with protagonist creating his own civilisation like edgar did, or finding some more humans
Went to install the game online, and the servers aren’t loading their end. I think your video has sent so many people to the Microsoft store that their servers are overloaded. You succeeded in getting a lot of new people to play ur favourite game, me included ✊
hope thats the case lol, its been hard for me to find games cause only a few still play as of now, so i hope the playerbase grows over time because of this video. theres also a fb group where you can find people to play with though
I gave my og Xbox to my little brother and he's addicted to this game like I was. I'm excited to tell him about this resurgence.
Go try now but I am on pc but downloaded fast and am about to start it
Nice!
No the Xbox store is just dogshit
This one had custom soundtracks so I would run around the urban apocalypse setting throwing energy orbs while blasting Korn. The early to mid 2000s were legendary.
i mean this as a compliment: that might be the most 2005 sentence ever written
@@babylonian Thanks, bro
Oh man, ripping CDs to the xbox's hard drive. So good.
Oh my god! I totally forgot about the custom soundtrack. We listened to Kryptonite basically on a loop while throwing fireballs at each other.
Oh man I wish I had an Xbox back then and have experienced that kind of feature in its hayday......they don't do custom soundtracks anymore do they?
The madlad Yukio Futatsugi really just invented a new game genre twenty years ago and almost nobody noticed. I really hope this game's resurgence inspires new creations based on real-time+card-game action. "Dustlikes," maybe?
it is not a new genre - that's only in his head in reality it's just a beat em up
@@smokythecameraman That's like saying Battle Royale is just a First Person Shooter
@@MyNamaAdam not really, in fact it's less in debt than most games that play that way
I had always wished that there were games that combined the Harry Potter 2 tie-in's spell casting with some more dynamic movement and maybe deck-building. Blew my fucking mind that the game had already been made a decade ago.
@@smokythecameraman bro.
beat em' ups are supposed to be 2d side-scrollers which focus on defeating all the enemies on screen before being allowed to progress.
and that is DEFINITELY NOT what phantom dust is!
I randomly bought this game back in 2005 at game stop. Man, I loved this game. I can remember thinking, "I can't possibly be the only one playing this game". The things they could do with a remake would be amazing. I normally would not have purchased a card type game, but this was done right. I loved the stage with the floating bridges and highway.
Its always seems to be the niche, forgotten projects that creators are most proud of and humbled when people remember them.
You're right. I guess the test of time vindicates a lot of hidden gems eventually. 🙂
Like the first Suffering, Bully, any Squaresoft game (at least we got the remake of FFVII and a new KH game), Black, Area 51, Dark Cloud, and Onimusha, and many many more.
The PS2 era had a lot of licenses that became abandoned. Though I don't wish for a remake or a sequel for all of them. I do wish for a port instead of having to emulate everything on my PC which I have but it's so much easier to just get them on a console.
That’s not just for video game developers, that’s for all artists in general
Shoutout to God Hand
I miss the PS2 era ;;
Cause the niche works of an artist have almost always the most fond personal themes of that person, themes that are no always the cup of tea for the general public but a small circle (sorry for my bad english)
It feels like it’s the opposite fate that the Souls series met when Demon Souls was released. Sony didn’t initially believe in it, at E3 the demo was a total flop, too hard for a brief demo for E3 players, but Miyazaki kept on forging ahead, Bandai Namco trusted the idea and BOOM, we’ve arrived in 2022 with Elden Ring, after a Sony’s Bloodborne, a Demon Souls remake, 3 Dark Souls and Sekiro. Literally a milestone in modern gaming born by perseverance and weird coincidences. Hope Phantom Dust gets the fame it deserves.
Their problem is not much about the game, it's just the platform they're releasing. Xbox doesn't even sell that well in Japan and if they partnered with sony instead this probably would've become a franchise now.
@@gre8000 we would have never had it free to play or on pc, since Sony Is greedy as fuck
@@gre8000yeah no fuck Sony
This game was one of the most polarizing games when it came out. People either loved it or they didn't like it at all. I remember asking on forums if it was worth purchasing at the time, and the results were usually around 50/50.
Yeah, I get that. I'm about 75% throught the video and as much as Nick's trying to hype up the game, the most impressive mechanic he's spoken about is the ability to dodge a fireball. Which is super amazing because you cant normally dodge fireballs in card games hype hype hype. Ignoring the existance of almost every other action game ever made with dodgeable projectiles. Dont get me wrong, I don't think the game looks bad and I'm certainly willing to give it a try but I dont see how it's some kind of hidden master piece or one of the best video games ever made
I feel like most of the people that didn't like it probably didn't play it long enough to get lots of skills to build decks. The game starts out really slow it isn't until later on and you have all these amazing skills to use against other players that it pays off. I do love the single player story it is so dark and tragic.
@@UrsaFrank It's not that you can dodge a fireball, it's _how_ you dodge a fireball.
Do you block it? Do you teleport of of the way? Roll? Cartwheel? Jump? Do you reflect it back at your opponent? Do you _fucking eat it_ to power your own counterattack?
All of this and more is possible in Phantom Dust.
Phantom Dust is as good a game as you make it out to be.
@@UrsaFrank I don't think you get the game, at all, lol, dodging is literally one of the most minor details, what about debris causing damage, destructible environment, and actually interesting dynamics with skills? Maybe the game is too complex for you if you hyperfixate on dodging, as if that wasn't just another aspect of many, there are tons of utility and trap spells, tons of interesting dynamics and combinations, tons of defense etc.
@@UrsaFrank I just think you and the people who upthumbed you need to stick to cod and mobile phone games. It's more your speed, leave brain games to those with.
It's really cool when you find old game communities that stay faithful to a passion and that you went through all the time to research this interesting obscure game. I can only imagine what it's like to get to interview the head creator of your favorite game. It looks really cool and it gives me lots of memories of that old 2000's Japanese video game aesthetic. The blue/green layout and crazy cyberpunk clothes and matrix style and all the old DnB jungle music. It's really cool you played the soundtrack for the video. Well done, an exceptional video essay on a rare situation in gaming.
Phantom Dust is truly a forgotten masterpiece. So many hours in that game as a kid. I even "played" it at recess with a friend. So many memories from the music alone.
Acting out video games was a truly underrated experience
I saw it installed on my Xbox (my brother used to use it from time to time) and i thought it was just a generic fighting game.ill check it out once I'm back in America
phantom dust is truly one of the games of all time
That kinda aesthetic hits different. What a masterpiece. Even emulated, its still an absolute slapper! Like I will jump off a balcony with the amount of force this game has in pure awesomeness.
"iSnT EmULaTinG iLLeGaL?"
XBOX aesthetics especially among its sci-fi games have always fascinated me.
Bruh the game is literally free on Xbox Windows App
@@Gilgamoth also free through emulation
@@Rpodnee It just doesn’t make sense to emulate it if you have the game free, on the same platform and with more content
I LOVE discovering hidden gems like this AND the fact that it’s legaly FREE to download, remastered on top of that absolutely blew my fuckin mind.
Where can you get this game?
@@suckmaster1768 it's in the description
Its on xbox free to play
It's free on xbox
@@suckmaster1768 xbox store
I remember seeing the game on the xbox store when I was like 15 or 16. I was immediately interested by the cover art but by that time I didn’t trust free games. I gave it a shot and didn’t stop playing for weeks. I was addicted to the skills, the arsenals, the story, the art style, everything. It felt like I was playing a game from an alternate universe. And I still frequent online matches to this day.
I had never heard of Phantom Dust before, but just watching this video has almost instantly turned me into a fan and made me jealous I don't have memories of this gem.
mood
he literally brought tears to my eyes i occasionally watch vids on this game because i remeber being to young to understand it but my late uncle would watch me fuc around on it all day
Agreed. The one time ima little sad I was a ps kid. That og Xbox was just not worth it to me as a kid.
@@mikeykane5938 that’s a shame considering it was one of the best Xbox’s so far aside from that damn duke controller
its free on pc go buy it
Never heard of this in my life, but this is exactly my preferred aesthetic for video games. Post-apocalyptic, soundtrack full of break and classical, action multiplayer, and the graphics. I do not like card games that much, though this is easily an exception I will make. As soon as it was mentioned that it was free, I filled with excitement, thinking through the whole thing I would not have a chance to try it out. Thanks Nick!!!💖
The nostalgia that hit me when I clicked on this video 😂. I used to play this game all of the time as a kid and just last year it suddenly popped into my mind again but I couldn't remember the name of it. Good to see you covering it in a video Nick! I'm definitely gonna get it for free on the Xbox Store rn.
Yo fusion never expected to see you here lol
Multiplayer game when
Oh hey I watched you a bunch when i was younger
Hello (L-1)
Interesting to see you here, fusion.
You have no idea how long I've looked for this game and never found it. The nostalgia is insane. Thank you.
hahahah hell yeah! happy to help
The most exciting game anouncement of 2022 is a game I never heard of til now from 2004. Says a lot about both the games industry and how timeless this game is. I'm going to be trying it out, and also I'm gonna be reading about Yukio Futatsugi he seems like a really awesome dude.
You'll love it
This has been free couple of years.
@@UltraCasualPenguin game pass ?
@@mustbemeech This has been free on MS Store for couple of years now. I added it to my library when I still had Xbox One X.
Fucking right! Same here first time ever hearing about this. How sad that is.
No matter how big this channel gets, its still feels incredibly personal, passionate and... small? And i mean that in the best way possible
What's crazy is that I didn't even originally know all of this history, I just found it on the Microsoft store and fell in love! I can't wait to try and play during the happy hour, and I'm so glad you made this video.
Kind of crazy that it holds up so well graphically that you didn't know it was so old. The reflections and textures are actually incredible.
@@halcyonacoustic7366 yea it looks great
same bro
I really loved this video and I'll be playing Phantom Dust today!
Tákray v: até tu jkkkkkk
I was so hyped after watching this video that I went to the MS Store and downloaded the game, then it just constantly crashed at startup.
@@wade.wilson it worked right out of the gate for me.
I cannot believe you did it again, you got to talk with Futatsugi! That's also one of my dreams!
Man your videos are awesome, it's so good to know someone else who loved Phantom Dust. I tried remaking it as a Indie Project last year.
Dude, if possible, you can even help develop the sequel!
@@greatwavefan397 Good point!! OP, try messaging the guy. You never know what doors you might open. 🙂
@@greatwavefan397exactly anything could happen with passion and hard work 🙏
I'm always stunned by how many games were doing fully destructive environments well back in the early 2000s. Red Faction blew me away OVER 20 YEARS AGO. it's like game devs have slowly unlearned how to make good games.
Cutting corners at its best. Back in the day, games slipped by with extra love built in.
No, they're just focusing on the wrong things. As games get more difficult, expensive and time consuming to make, why spend valuable time/resources on making a wall crumble realistically when you can can just make every texture 16k so you can brag about it being the most realistic looking game on TVs that don't exist yet
stop blaming devs on stuff the higher ups are responsible for
Eh idk, it's definitely grown in many ways and these companies respond to what we spend money on. Blame consumer behaviors too
Need a remake
the overwhelming amount of passion from everyone is crazy, i hope Happy Hour Thursdays go strong enough to get a new Phantom Dust
I'll be joining in for sure.
@Will clash royale wishes it was phantom dust
@Will phantom dust is clash royal but on 3d, which is something you would love unless you don't have pc or console and just bitching about things you can't have.
@Will dude you are either trolling or mentally disabled, probably both
I saw the thumbnail and immediately, I knew. You brought back a deeep memory from the back of my mind, man. Thank you for this video.
This reminds me a lot of Battle Network, from the card-game style gameplay to the wonky behind the scenes business issues and the hardcore multiplayer community that keeps it alive. I'm definitely gonna check this out.
They really need to reboot that series. Perfect for people who like the collecting and customization of rpgs and cgs but don't like being slowed down by turn based fighting
@@matmoome We're finally getting a Legacy collection on the Switch, so that's...something.
@@GreekDudeYiannis No mention on multiplayer though which is a little harrowing considering that was half of the fun of collecting battlechips.
@@omgazr0 The N1 Grand Prix discord server has regular multiplayer tournaments and friendly matches for it and instructions for how to setup the mod that allows multiplayer. It recently got rollback netcode added to it, so it's pretty stable matches now.
@@Emilamlom I'm well aware, I was looking at it more from a casual customer perspective and less my own sensibilities.
One semi-big person telling him to talk to a literal legend among legends is a classic Nick Robinson moment
Imagine being the reason your FAVORITE game is revived 😭
i really hope this is true, phantom dust was always a cool ass game.
Fr dammm
@@Teesleazey fr fr
Yeah that's really amazing
@@mihailmilev9909 fr fr fr
Omg im kinda tearing up. I played this game in a demo I got with my Xbox magazine so much I forgot about it and couldn't remember the name of it. I kept checking with the game store to see if it came in and after a while I just lost track.
First-time watcher. I never heard of this game before today, but I felt emotional when I heard you got to speak to Yukio. XD I can definitely relate to the need to research and document something tragically passed over in need of love and its place in history. I would have been very happy to have done this too.
I love how the moment he released this video everyone bought the entire stock on eBay, now there's one listing going for almost $200...
Yeah... This was on my list of games to buy for so long, but I kept passing up on getting it. That was when it was only like $18-$30 for a copy... Ughhh...
@@Bad_Nutrition so glad I bought a copy before hand.
well, on the bright side, seems like the video was effective enough to get people interested in the game.
It's pretty uncommon and now thousands of people want a copy. I think price will always be $100+ from now on unfortunately. We should have bought a copy while it was an overlooked hidden gem.
I was following an auction on ebay yesterday that had 90 watchers!
This always happens when a game regains popularity. It happened when OneyPlays played Illbleed and Wild Woody. People are just scummy.
This game looks so insanely good for it's age wtf
Gamefreak should look this up lol
Most original Xbox exclusives games look closer to early 360 games than PS2 ones. The console could do 720p,a release in 2001 which is insane
The Xbox was way more powerful than its competition at the time
@@MitchJohnson0110 considering how Microsoft is a PC company, it would make sense that their 1st consoles would be more powerful than the others since Xboxes used modified windows
Yeah some of the old Xbox games were like that. The original Ninja Gaiden still looks great for it's age.
Clicked this video on a whim. Never heard of you before. Watched the whole thing and I'm downloading it now. Absolutely piqued my curiosity. Good work.
the graphics are insane. like unbelievable. If I knew about this game back in 2004 or whatever I would have played the shit out of it. I had an OG xbox and wanted something like this
The gameplay footage was not taken from an OG Xbox.
the footage here is from an emulator running in 4k....quite misleading
@@mcnappa828 with a CRT, the game would look even better then. Love that fuzz
@@mcnappa828 not an emulator, Microsoft re-released a remaster version of the game for free back in like 2017
It''s funny, 7 days ago i saw a video on how panzer dragoon saga was a forgotten classic, much like phantom dust is....only to now realize they were spearheaded by the same developer. To have not just one but two incredible rpgs share a similar fate is both fascinating and cruel.
I know right? I think it was just how the people were at the time just didn't understand Japanese stuff thinking it was wierd and stuff.
I didn't play this game, but when you say "Cardgame but fun" i inmediatly think of Megaman battle network and Starforce. The later being my personal favorite.
This is exactly the game it put on my mind but i didnt remember the name
Xbox was waaay less popular in Japan. My friends in youth, no one's playing it. I guess that is the main reason of sales failure. But thanks to you, every gamers who missed the opportunity to play Phantom Dust, now got a chance. Amazing job!
Yea....the Xbox struggled really hard to gain any traction against the playstation.
This video must've had an insane impact on the original game. The price of this game on the used market spiked from the $20-30 range to $100+ not long after this video launched (literally overnight/same day!)
I don't have an XB One & don't PC game so I may have to miss out on this one.
Hopefully, the popularity reaches to a company like Limited Run/Pixel Heart/Strictly Limited & they'll do some kind of rerelease physically.
lol but its free
@@DotHackish Yes, digitally, but some are still interested in physical media.
For whatever reason, not long after this video launched every copy on all the used seller sites were bought. The day before this video released, the original XBox game was very affordable & could easily be found for under $30.
Now that's it caught wind just about every remaining copy is marked up to $100+ & people are actually paying this in auctions.
It was absolutely this video. Congrats on the attention. Lol
@@AlphaCarinae You must not be aware of the retro game market.
Games are still being made for the Sega Dreamcast, NES, Neo Geo, Sega Genesis, & Dreamcast in 2022. The Sega Genesis sold 30+ million, Dreamcast 9+ million, while the XBox sold 24 million & came out later.
If games are still being developed & sold for those systems than it would certainly be viable.
Also, the XBox modding scene is strong, well, & very much alive.
@@jonathanlisowski5618 Ugh, scrapers are the worst.
This game looks so unique. I'm currently playing the rematered version, which is a free-to-play. This game is such a hidden gem, just like Crimson Dragon and Lost Odyssey.
Glad to hear you liked Crimson Dragon.
I was the top ranked player alongside an old friend named "Oskical" (I think his name was) in this when it was on the original Xbox. This game is still the best video game I've played till this day! No matter what game comes out, I always think to myself, "Phantom Dust was better".
I miss those days dude, xbox was the shit
I was the best player!
Nice
@@iiXanxusii420 Oskical?!
@@Ciniboi no the name is Xanxus
I never forgot it. It was one of my favorite games when it released. Still one of my favorites to this day. If I ever actually take the time to learn game dev, it's the type of game I'd make.
Thanks for sharing your story and passion for this game!
I can only imagine how mind blowing this must have been playing it at the time. Even now its hard to believe this was og xbox. The soundtrack sounds like peak 2000s game music
Right? I love how all those Sci Fi 2000s games (especially the Japanese ones) had that jungle music like some from Toonami and how they all had that blue/green layout to everything. Didn't matter if it was a shooting game, fighting game or mech game, all the Japanese 2000s games had that dope futuristic aesthetic and sound....and then one day, it just stopped. It's always odd when a thing that is really prominent, but that no body talks about or has a name for just disappears and nobody talks about it. Like that blue splash and squiggly 90's aesthetic on cups. That used to be everywhere.
I don't normally like these long kind of documentary videos but I really enjoyed your passion and the story itself, well done
*Please sign the petition to get a sequel made!* Nick left the link in the description
its free on xbox now :D
I can’t wait to see how they ruin it…
Is it available on Game pass?
They were planning one, but canceled it and gave out the game for free instead. With how games are today it's for the best. The monetization that would've been in it would have ruined the game.
*Petition?*
Wow. I've actually written a short novel called Decca: The Battle of Cards, not yet complete, about a sci-fi colony on Saturn that compete with cards in a live action tournament like an official sport event. I've never had an XBox and never heard and played this game, only until I've seen your video. I love card games and that was my inspiration for the story. I've always wondered If there was some other media that was similar to what I've had in mind for years before I wrote my story down on paper in 2018. The idea has been floating in my head for years before that.
i wish you all the good luck when you release your novel!!!
.
I didnt even have to look through the video, I saw that disc and I knew it was Phantom Dust. An underappreciated, underfunded, untold masterpiece of rogue game design.
I have the game on my Xbox One, and I play it relentlessly. No matter how bored I get of other games, of other systems, Phantom Dust always ropes me in somehow, and I love it every single time.
Can never find an online match, for obvious reason, but that story is fucking perfect.
The ending made me sad 😔
i just wanna come and say thank you so much for bringing a lost gem from my childhood back, i love you for that.
i dont know if ive ever done this but i genuinely wanna say thank you, im having more fun with this than i have in a game in years.
Fr
I've tried this game when it got re-released for PC and Xbox One but never gave it the right chance i think. This video really convinced me to give it another shot. The people behind it and every part of the community is just...heartwarming. It's rare these days to see this kind of love for a game, developers included, and i really want to jump on the hype train with you all
Me either. I just watched a buddy play. Now I want to give it a real chance too
Same here. I'm downloading it right now. never knew about it but this Video got me interested.
The choice of synthesised remixed classical music is so beautiful. Such an inspired choice. Fantastic job as always on this video!
agreed! the soundtrack is really one-of-a-kind, and i've never come across anything with its exact vibe since. thanks for watching!!
@@babylonian Oh! I didn't even realise that this was from the soundtrack of the game, that makes it even better! Phantom Dust was ahead of its time in so many different ways.
This is an incredibly well made video. I think it is the definitive video about one of the most incredible games ever made. I am proud to have been able to make a contribution to its creation. That and the game. :-)
you are a legend and thank you for going above and beyond to help. im so jealous
Thank you so much for your work and being so open and gentle to a fan. Wish you the best!
You’re legendary man, you and everyone who worked on it
is it really the man himself?
@@Radassbadass69 no 💀
I love how you can interview all these influential people within the video game industry. You sure have come a long way and every upload of yours is better than the last. For real Nick, the professionalism you have when it comes to interviews is incredible. Keep up the phenomenal work!
Seeing this kind of passion being realized after so many years actually brings a tear to my eye, i'm genuinely happy for you man. I'll definitely check this one out
I can't believe I've never heard of this game before. Custom Robo is my personal favorite game, and this is just "what if custom robo was a dystopian card game". Definitely going to have to find some friends to try this out with
Watching this video reminded me a lot of custom robo, so hooked up my GameCube and gave it a go again. Still an absolute banger.
PLAY LBX FOR 3DS! It's a crying shame that Danball Senki was so overlooked here in NA, and LBX was the only game we got due to low sales. It's every bit of Custom Robo fun you're looking for with so many more parts and robots and weapons, and moves, etc. I'm kind of devastated that the Online community never picked up on the 3DS and with Nintendo Online services going offline, there will be no hope of ever playing Danball Senki PvP in North America again. Not to mention all of the DLC and additional content that will be forever lost to online service shut down, as a ton of it's post game content and additional quests were only obtainable through connecting Nintendo Online services. It really breaks my heart, because so many people talk about their love for Custom Robo and Gotcha Force, but no one knows there was a spiritual successor to them released on the 3DS here in NA (it was a PSP release in Japan with multiple games in the series) so I never got to play with them when the game was in it's prime and it was possible.
Custom Robo was another game that took me completely off guard and made me fall in love with it's strange premise and tight gameplay.
Never heard of this game but before it's graphics were mentioned I was literally looking at the gameplay thinking "must have been remastered".
Yeah me too
@@samuel-wankenobi It did get remastered and rereleased on Xbone and PC
@@ShockedBones which was mentioned in the video
The detail was still pretty impressive for the time. Plua destruction effects and particles.
Of course all the maps are pretty small.
@@phaeste Yes
Somehow I only stumbled upon this video now but it's hell of a video and such a great introduction to the game! Thank you for bringing it to the attention of millions and supporting this franchise!
i had never heard of this game until now yet im just so intrigued by everything sorrounding it, you presented this in a way where this complex narrative was very easy to follow and motivated me to try the game out, really great video
Yeah me too, I’m also wondering why the game looks better than fallout 3 or fallout new Vegas…
@@OversteerAllDay literally playing FNV rn
Its free on xbox
Yesterday I found this video and today I played the game and I still wonder how is it so good
I'd recognize that aesthetic anywhere. Phantom Dust fucks so hard, despite its flaws its always been one of my favorite games of all time, and it's always had one of my favorite stories. I'd love if this video ends up pumping a little life into the online community for the re-release.
I played phantom dust on xbox one from backwards compatibility.
its actually still up on the win10 store for free, i tried playing it and it runs fine but controls kinda jank on kbm
You called it!
We nailed it man
correct!
10/10 content. It takes real cojones to get a special surprise on the level you have in store and not mention it until it happens. My jaw dropped when you read that email.
Bro, this game was free on the xbox game store for xbox one and I remember me and my friend playing it because we had nothing else to play. So much fun.
Phantom Dust always held a special place in my heart. I got it back in 2005 after my grandfather bought it for me for doing well in school. He doesn't really know which video games were popular, so I consider it just pure luck that he happened to pick out Phantom Dust that day. Everything about that game had me hooked. The whole dystopia aesthetic, the unique gameplay and the flashy skills, the depressing story, the music, it was an unforgettable experience.
Eventually, my Xbox broke and I didn't really get to own any consoles after that, so Phantom Dust was just a fond memory since. That's why I was so happy when I was finally able to replay it on PC. I even got my cousin to play it with me so we could do multiplayer, and we'd reminisce about the nights we spent playing split screen or taking turns trying to beat the bosses. I love this game to death and while I'l always be a little bit bummed that it never got the recognition and praise I felt it deserved, I'm happy to be part of a very vocal and passionate community that appreciates it just as much as I do. Thanks for making this video. Hopefully, Phantom Dust Happy Hour becomes a success. I'll try my best to participate!
I feel that this is the same love that me and many others have for Outer Wilds. Not popular enough for its brilliance but passionately loved by everyone who's played it because of the sheer innovation in game design and effort put into the game creating a true masterpiece.
Outer Wilds is such a masterpiece! One of my favorite stories I’ve ever experienced, and the way the story is told is nothing short of brilliant.
Not that I disagree, but I haven't gone more than a week without being recommended Outer Wilds since 2019. It's not even in the same ball park in terms of obscurity.
I can't put it better than Newman, Outer Wilds is still wildly popular today. And it plagues Backloggd profile favorites. Even if not everyone has played the game, they at least know it by ear. That can't be said with something like Phantom Dust
@@zwein1817 I've never said that Outer Wilds is less known than Phantom Dust, it definitely isn't. I compared the love for the games, not the popularity. I'm glad to hear Outer Wilds is well known in your circles. It definitely isn't as popular in mine (and ppl still confuse it with Outer Worlds which makes it even worse) and I think it deserves much more.
Isn't it nuts when guys like Yukio Futatsugi work on a game they truly love and want to be great, it is. It would be cool to see more games like that today where the developers truly want to push boundaries and make a unique and fulfilling experience.
Thanks for this video. It was also fantastic!
One of the most interesting videos I've seen on this platform regarding a game I never knew about until few hours ago. Great job!
same dude lol
Nick, thank you so much for getting me into Phantom Dust. I've made so many contacts with so many people and had an absolute blast competing in the beginners tournament. Phantom Dust is now my favorite game thanks to you. ♥
I've never seen or heard of this game in my 26 years of life and I can only feel regret that I couldn't share the nostalgia. This would still be a amazing game if released today and I truly hope that one day we can see a phantom dust 2
The fact that this masterpiece has been in the back of my mind for years and I never realised it was on Xbox for FREE I can’t wait to get back on it I was like 5 when I played this game so now I’m older I can fully understand why I loved this game as a kid Thank you for shining light on this game for so many years ❤️
2:55 “MagIc: tHe GatHeriNg pRo toUr” lol. I couldn’t not see the sPoNgEbOb meme.
This sounds like a game that would be great for Microsoft to push to steam with proton compatibility for like 10$ using steams multiplayer/matching etc. I would love to try it on the Steam Deck
For real, it kills me that I can't install this on the Deck without downloading Windows
It used to be free on game pass
the game is literally free
@@erikkelley412 my thoughts exactly
@@erikkelley412 yes and I would pay $10 to have it accessed through the steam store and able to be played with proton on a steam deck
Phantom Dust is the pinnacle of a "Hidden Gem". To this day I haven't experienced a more mind bending and surreal story.
Been playing this because of you, the fact that this game doesn't just holds up but contests modern design so well its shocking. It's not without it's flaws but this is an excellent proof of concept. Just needs polish and a few new modern mechanics. This game was denied it's greatness, we would've been rolling in clones if had it's due.
How about a multiplayer concept of playing with the cards you are dealt? PUBG type of map format, beginning with randomized decks, but with a few select choices granted at the beginning for customized additions to prevent any meta from fully stabilizing while allowing some creativity and expression if you enjoy using specific cards.
I can see this entire game translating over into an MMO replacing gear with cards or even an Overwatch styled competitive scene if tweaks were made to the targeting system.
This game generates a ton of potential. Great video!
I didn't even know this game existed. Now I'm downloading it. This would have been my absolute jam back in the day. Magic the Gathering Battlegrounds was also crazy fun.
Looking forward to the happy hour!
I used to watch my older cousins play this, but never remembered the name. I’m so glad you covered it. I would have never thought about it again if it were not for this video.
This game was my childhood. I spent so many hours just replaying the campaign over and over and redoing missions, building decks to make more and more interesting combos. I miss it dearly. Not until adulthood did I finally beat the last boss fight years later (because I was stubborn about what deck I wanted to use) in my buddies room after dusting off the old Xbox, and it felt like I finally completed my childhood. It was a very fulfilling yet sad time watching the last cut scene for the first time.
This is 10/10 content right here. Im always impressed by what you are able to accomplish in every one of your long format videos. Your ability to storytell is in one word amazing and makes these videos 100 times better.
This was on my recommend list for days and today, I went “Fine. I’ll watch it.🙄”
This is amazing! Not just the game, but the development, the struggles they went through, and what everyone, including you, has to say about it. I’m surprised I’d never heard of this before.
The one time the algorithm was actually useful
You weren't meant to, unfortunately
It's low-key
Part of why we've been bummed out for 15 years
Same
Man, this video is far reaching than you can imagine, I'm watching from Africa and I'm learning about this game for the first time ever. I'm also convinced it's a beautiful game that deserves a sequel and I'll love to play this game.
I love how you’ve managed to make me care so much about a game I’ve never played or even heard of
Side note: Couldn’t help but notice that Rhythm Tengoku arcade cabinet in the background, which is just awesome
Going to try this game out for the first time tonight. The single player campaign that introduces you to the mechanics and the infinite amount of decks you can build and the fact it translates into an action combat game has really got me interested.
It's great seeing people talking so passionately about a game they love, the environmental impact on cards seems really cool too, pretty impressive considering the hardware it's running on.
If anyone wants to play a fighting game that has similar card/deck mechanics that are central to the game, Touhou Hisoutensoku is a great game to try out.
A lot of this game's strengths are shared with Hisoutensoku I think, and it has a big community with a similar passion to what was shown here, with players who've been playing it for 10 years + being pretty common.
wau
hella based
The answer is simple, they made the game look so much like a 360 title that they were afraid it will hurt the sales of gears of war later on
Calling it; Phantom Dust
fuck yeah it is
Correct!
PROPHET
nice
ur correct!!
This is downloading as we speak. The multi-player aspect honestly looks so lovely but thats never been my type of game. I'm going to get that fourteen hours out of the campaign and I may just join your weekly events. So thank you for showing me something I somehow didn't know about. I'll come back and tell you my thoughts! ♡
Its 40hrs NOT 14hrs.
@@krazykuz13cmc I just started, so I am definitely in for a treat. What game would do that now a days!? Besides like elden ring. There isn't too many things. But wow, like I just started it so I don't know much. I watched this video and it definitely persuaded me to try it myself. When I have the free time I'll put a little bit of time into it. Thanks for that piece of information :) I'll be surprised.
22:14 I can't understand how can i be so hyped for a video about a game i didn't know 30 minutes ago. the goosebumps on my back wtf WTFAAAAA
It's cool to see two people interact both speaking their native tongues, understanding each other all the better for it 😊
I feel the same way about Custom Robo Battle Revolution. I'm glad you Phantom Dust fans were able to get your game back and potentially even have the platform to revive it.
It's really a damn shame that the custom robo IP has been dormant since the DS. It would be awesome to get a new game in the franchise
@@elyjahkidnot I'd take a re-release on the switch if that's all I could get. I know they released the first 2 Custom Robo on the JP virtual console. I just want more people to know about Battle Revolution. Although it lacks any kind of online to boost it like Phantom Dust. I think Arena was the only one that had online if I recall.
Not sure how the JP fans see the radical departure from the classic aesthetic and style that the Game Cube iteration had though.
Bro I spent hundreds upon hundreds in Custom Robo Battle Revolution with my best friend as a kid, that game was so cool!
So beautiful to see people talk about something they are vividly passionate about, both you and Futatsugi!
I've never heard of the game before, but thanks to youtube recommendation magic, I'm certainly going to try it soon!
Wtf, not only did I last night go "huh, wonder whatever happened to Phantom Dust?" completely out of nowhere, I now find the random TH-cam guy that helped me through the depression of lockdown with Michaelsoft Binbows and Pokemon recoveries IS A FAN OF THE GAME?!?!?! And this video is a year old....which makes me sad....but holy shit this made my night....Glad I'm not the only one that was absolutely in love with this thing back in the day, honestly it kind of felt like I was for a while. Cheers man.
Man, some card games will be huge if they decided to go the route of Phantom Dust, just imagine a 3D YuGiOh game where you can summon monsters, use trap cards while moving or even controlling those monsters.
I ABSOLUTELY LOVE YUGIOH! I want to play it in VR so i'd feel like i was a character in this universe playing the game. Imagine a VR compatible cards that when u draw them the exact same card will get drawn in the game so u'll play real yugioh with 3dFX (pun intended).
Some Yugioh arc v game (action duels/fields)
Would be cool
18:05 this bit just shows, SHOWS how much passion and love he had for his game and the video game making craft. wow, i don't have words to explain how much this means
Nick doesn’t mess around. He usually flies to japan for his videos. Guy is a top tier youtuber.
@@krusher181 yeah, I couldn't say I'm one of his biggest fans, but I forget his channel and rediscover it every few months and it's always a blast
Thank you for reviving the PD online play, if it was you. I really appreciate it man. I'm loving playing with others with my favourite decks again. Thank you so much
Wait, people are playing this again!!!?
@@upswithgames dude so many! 1-3 lobbies everytime I log on the past two weeks. Its as lively as 2005-2008
@@Esltenme 🥹 Wonderful
my cousin bought me a large collection of old xbox game right before 360 came, and i'm one of the rare lucky one who found this gem, and it still lives rent free in my head as one of the most unique and fun game i played in my youth.
You’re making some of the best content on the platform. The research, the work and the passion in each video is top notch.
Agreed!!
That soundtrack is baller. Thanks for showing older gems 💎
Anyone who makes a 40 minute video about Phantom Dust being dope immediately gets a subscribe
I like when you talk directly to us (like when you say "viewer I can tell you one thing...) because it feels like ur a friend who is really excited to share something you love and you are just happy to talk about. Like a friend who wants you to get into something, and that's exactly what this video is and I can tell. You really wanna get this game out there and I like that :)
parasocial loser talk, cant believe he hearted this lmao
@@SobeCrunkMonster it is a bit of a weird thing to praise, isn't it?