<s>
is	O
an	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
developed	O
by	O
tri-Ace	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Enix	O
for	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Color	I-Device
handheld	B-Application
video	I-Application
game	I-Application
console	I-Application
in	O
June	O
2001	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
is	O
a	O
spin-off	O
entry	O
in	O
the	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
series	O
,	O
acting	O
as	O
a	O
direct	O
sequel	O
to	O
the	O
1998	O
PlayStation	B-Device
title	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Second	I-Application
Story	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
gameplay	O
carries	O
over	O
multiple	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
elements	O
,	O
including	O
real-time	O
combat	O
and	O
optional	O
side	O
conversations	O
between	O
party	O
members	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
New	O
elements	O
include	O
item	O
creation	O
tied	O
to	O
the	O
skill	O
system	O
,	O
and	O
local	O
multiplayer	O
options	O
unlock	O
through	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Link	I-Device
Cable	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
Development	O
began	O
in	O
2000	O
as	O
a	O
spin-off	O
from	O
the	O
main	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
series	O
,	O
taking	O
approximately	O
one	O
year	O
to	O
complete	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Multiple	O
core	O
staff	O
from	O
earlier	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
titles	O
returned	O
,	O
including	O
series	O
composer	O
Motoi	O
Sakuraba	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
:	I-Application
Blue	I-Application
Sphere	I-Application
is	O
an	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
game	I-Application
set	O
on	O
the	O
planet	O
Edifice	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
local	O
multiplayer	O
option	O
is	O
available	O
:	O
using	O
the	O
console	O
's	O
Game	B-Device
Link	I-Device
Cable	I-Device
,	O
players	O
can	O
fight	O
each	O
other	O
with	O
their	O
parties	O
,	O
or	O
exchange	O
items	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Taking	O
place	O
in	O
S.D	O
368	O
(	O
A.D	O
2454	O
)	O
,	O
2	O
years	O
after	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Second	I-Application
Story	I-Application
and	O
the	O
defeat	O
of	O
the	O
10	O
Wise	O
Men	O
,	O
all	O
the	O
characters	O
have	O
since	O
moved	O
on	O
with	O
their	O
lives	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Blue	O
Sphere	O
was	O
specifically	O
designed	O
as	O
a	O
side	O
story	O
within	O
the	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
series	O
,	O
in	O
addition	O
to	O
being	O
a	O
sequel	O
to	O
The	O
Second	O
Story	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
decision	O
to	O
create	O
the	O
side	O
story	O
was	O
inspired	O
by	O
the	O
wish	O
to	O
fill	O
the	O
gap	O
between	O
the	O
release	O
of	O
The	O
Second	O
Story	O
and	O
the	O
in-development	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
:	I-Application
Till	I-Application
the	I-Application
End	I-Application
of	I-Application
Time	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
As	O
with	O
earlier	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
titles	O
,	O
the	O
setting	O
was	O
primarily	O
based	O
on	O
fantasy	O
with	O
science	O
fiction	O
elements	O
incorporated	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
battle	O
system	O
was	O
an	O
entirely	O
original	O
creation	O
,	O
designed	O
to	O
work	O
within	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Color	I-Device
's	O
limited	O
specifications	O
while	O
retaining	O
the	O
action-based	O
system	O
of	O
the	O
main	O
series	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
music	O
was	O
composed	O
by	O
regular	O
series	O
composer	O
Motoi	O
Sakuraba	O
:	O
he	O
created	O
the	O
soundtrack	O
on	O
a	O
PC-9801	B-Operating_System
Composing	O
for	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Color	I-Device
presented	O
multiple	O
limitations	O
in	O
cord	O
numbers	O
and	O
quality	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
publicity	O
was	O
coordinated	O
by	O
Syuichi	O
Kobayashi	O
,	O
a	O
newcomer	O
to	O
Enix	O
who	O
would	O
later	O
go	O
on	O
to	O
act	O
as	O
publicity	O
producer	O
for	O
multiple	O
tri-Ace	O
properties	O
including	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
released	O
on	O
June	O
28	O
,	O
2001	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
designed	O
to	O
be	O
compatible	O
with	O
both	O
the	O
original	O
Game	O
Boy	O
and	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Color	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
This	O
was	O
partially	O
due	O
to	O
the	O
size	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
and	O
therefore	O
the	O
difficulty	O
in	O
fitting	O
the	O
translated	O
version	O
onto	O
a	O
cartridge	O
,	O
but	O
primarily	O
due	O
to	O
Enix	O
's	O
change	O
in	O
strategy	O
to	O
focus	O
on	O
the	O
newly	O
released	O
Game	O
Boy	O
Advance	O
rather	O
than	O
the	O
Game	B-Device
Boy	I-Device
Color	I-Device
;	O
the	O
company	O
did	O
not	O
want	O
to	O
release	O
any	O
more	O
GBC	O
games	O
and	O
was	O
unwilling	O
to	O
devote	O
the	O
resources	O
to	O
port	O
the	O
game	O
from	O
the	O
GBC	O
to	O
the	O
Advance	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Versions	O
for	O
Yahoo	B-Application
!	I-Application
</s>
