<s>
is	O
a	O
1996	O
action	B-Application
role-playing	I-Application
game	I-Application
developed	O
by	O
tri-Ace	O
and	O
published	O
by	O
Enix	O
for	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
game	O
in	O
the	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
series	O
,	O
it	O
was	O
released	O
only	O
in	O
Japan	O
in	O
July	O
1996	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
the	O
first	O
game	O
developed	O
by	O
tri-Ace	O
,	O
consisting	O
of	O
staff	O
that	O
had	O
previously	O
left	O
Wolf	O
Team	O
due	O
to	O
being	O
unhappy	O
with	O
the	O
development	O
process	O
for	O
Tales	B-Application
of	I-Application
Phantasia	I-Application
with	O
Namco	O
in	O
1995	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
used	O
a	O
special	O
compression	O
chip	O
in	O
its	O
cartridge	O
to	O
compress	O
and	O
store	O
all	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
data	O
due	O
to	O
possessing	O
graphics	O
that	O
pushed	O
the	O
limits	O
of	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
version	O
was	O
never	O
released	O
outside	O
Japan	O
due	O
to	O
Enix	O
closing	O
its	O
American	O
branch	O
shortly	O
before	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
finished	O
,	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
Nintendo	O
's	O
focus	O
on	O
supporting	O
the	O
then-upcoming	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
video	B-Device
game	I-Device
console	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
However	O
,	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
later	O
remade	O
by	O
Tose	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
Portable	I-Operating_System
under	O
the	O
title	O
,	O
and	O
released	O
in	O
English-speaking	O
regions	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
,	O
Europe	O
,	O
and	O
Australia	O
in	O
October	O
2008	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
remastered	O
version	O
titled	O
was	O
released	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
and	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
worldwide	O
in	O
December	O
2019	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
the	O
start	O
of	O
the	O
entire	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
series	O
,	O
featuring	O
six	O
main	O
games	O
,	O
3	O
spin-offs	O
,	O
a	O
remake	O
,	O
a	O
remaster	O
,	O
and	O
a	O
manga	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
is	O
a	O
role-playing	O
video	O
game	O
that	O
is	O
played	O
from	O
a	O
top-down	O
perspective	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
the	O
original	O
game	O
,	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
Portable	I-Operating_System
remake	O
includes	O
a	O
world	O
map	O
for	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
navigate	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Unlike	O
games	O
in	O
the	O
Final	B-Application
Fantasy	I-Application
or	O
Dragon	B-Application
Quest	I-Application
series	O
,	O
the	O
battles	O
are	O
not	O
turn	O
based	O
,	O
but	O
play	O
out	O
in	O
real	O
time	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Up	O
to	O
four	O
characters	O
can	O
participate	O
in	O
battles	O
,	O
but	O
the	O
player	O
is	O
only	O
able	O
to	O
control	O
one	O
character	O
at	O
a	O
time	O
,	O
leaving	O
the	O
others	O
to	O
be	O
controlled	O
by	O
the	O
computer	O
's	O
artificial	B-Application
intelligence	I-Application
.	I-Application
</s>
<s>
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
has	O
a	O
game	O
mechanic	O
called	O
"	O
Private	O
Actions	O
"	O
that	O
plays	O
a	O
role	O
in	O
character	O
development	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
When	O
they	O
reach	O
the	O
summit	O
,	O
they	O
are	O
confronted	O
by	O
Ronyx	O
J	O
.	O
Kenny	O
and	O
Ilia	O
Silvestri	O
,	O
two	O
crew	O
members	O
of	O
the	O
Earth	O
Federation	O
(	O
Terran	O
Alliance	O
in	O
the	O
PSP	B-Operating_System
remake	O
)	O
starship	O
Calnus	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
is	O
voiced	O
by	O
Yuri	O
Lowenthal	O
in	O
the	O
English	O
version	O
,	O
Mamoru	O
Miyano	O
in	O
the	O
Japanese	O
remake	O
and	O
remastered	O
,	O
and	O
Hiro	O
Yuki	O
in	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
original	O
and	O
remastered	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
She	O
is	O
voiced	O
by	O
Katie	O
Leigh	O
in	O
the	O
English	O
version	O
,	O
Hitomi	O
Nabatame	O
in	O
the	O
Japanese	O
remake	O
and	O
remastered	O
,	O
and	O
Konami	O
Yoshida	O
in	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
original	O
and	O
remastered	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
is	O
the	O
father	O
of	O
Claude	O
C	O
.	O
Kenny	O
,	O
the	O
protagonist	O
of	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Second	I-Application
Story	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
is	O
voiced	O
by	O
Sam	O
Gold	O
in	O
the	O
English	O
version	O
,	O
Kenji	O
Hamada	O
in	O
the	O
Japanese	O
remake	O
and	O
remastered	O
,	O
and	O
Akira	O
Okamori	O
in	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
original	O
and	O
remastered	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
She	O
is	O
voiced	O
by	O
Julie	O
Maddalena	O
in	O
the	O
English	O
version	O
,	O
Sanae	O
Kobayashi	O
in	O
the	O
Japanese	O
remake	O
and	O
remastered	O
,	O
and	O
Wakana	O
Yamazaki	O
in	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
original	O
and	O
remastered	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
is	O
voiced	O
by	O
Michael	O
McConnohie	O
in	O
the	O
English	O
version	O
,	O
and	O
Norio	O
Wakamoto	O
in	O
the	O
Japanese	O
remake	O
and	O
remastered	O
,	O
and	O
Kazuhiko	O
Inoue	O
in	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
original	O
and	O
remastered	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
She	O
is	O
voiced	O
by	O
Dorothy	O
Fahn	O
in	O
the	O
English	O
version	O
,	O
Megumi	O
Toyoguchi	O
in	O
the	O
Japanese	O
remake	O
and	O
remastered	O
,	O
and	O
Konami	O
Yoshida	O
in	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
original	O
and	O
remastered	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
She	O
is	O
voiced	O
by	O
Tara	O
Platt	O
in	O
the	O
English	O
version	O
,	O
Hoko	O
Kuwashima	O
in	O
the	O
Japanese	O
remake	O
and	O
remastered	O
,	O
and	O
Nozomi	O
Nonaka	O
in	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
original	O
and	O
remastered	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
is	O
voiced	O
by	O
Ezra	O
Weisz	O
in	O
the	O
English	O
version	O
,	O
Jun	O
Fukuyama	O
in	O
the	O
Japanese	O
remake	O
and	O
remastered	O
,	O
and	O
Nobuyuki	O
Hiyama	O
in	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
original	O
and	O
remastered	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
He	O
is	O
voiced	O
by	O
Vic	O
Mignogna	O
in	O
the	O
English	O
version	O
,	O
Chihiro	O
Suzuki	O
in	O
the	O
Japanese	O
remake	O
and	O
remastered	O
,	O
and	O
Takuya	O
Fujisaki	O
in	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
original	O
and	O
remastered	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
She	O
is	O
voiced	O
by	O
Alicyn	O
Packard	O
in	O
the	O
English	O
version	O
,	O
Yukari	O
Tamura	O
in	O
the	O
Japanese	O
remake	O
and	O
remastered	O
,	O
and	O
Wakana	O
Yamazaki	O
in	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
original	O
and	O
remastered	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Erys	O
does	O
not	O
appear	O
in	O
the	O
original	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
release	O
,	O
and	O
is	O
voiced	O
by	O
Stephanie	O
Sheh	O
in	O
English	O
,	O
and	O
Kana	O
Ueda	O
in	O
Japanese	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
She	O
first	O
appeared	O
as	O
a	O
non-playable	O
character	O
in	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
but	O
has	O
been	O
retroactively	O
added	O
to	O
the	O
first	O
two	O
games	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
1994	O
,	O
video	O
game	O
developers	O
Wolf	O
Team	O
signed	O
a	O
deal	O
with	O
publisher	O
Namco	O
to	O
release	O
the	O
game	O
that	O
would	O
be	O
Tales	B-Application
of	I-Application
Phantasia	I-Application
,	O
which	O
was	O
later	O
released	O
in	O
1995	O
in	O
Japan	O
for	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
After	O
Tales	B-Application
of	I-Application
Phantasia	I-Application
was	O
completed	O
,	O
some	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
designers	O
felt	O
that	O
the	O
core	O
skill	O
and	O
item	O
systems	O
were	O
too	O
"	O
generic	O
"	O
,	O
and	O
for	O
their	O
next	O
game	O
they	O
would	O
make	O
a	O
much	O
deeper	O
gameplay	O
experience	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Both	O
Tales	B-Application
of	I-Application
Phantasia	I-Application
and	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
stretched	O
the	O
power	O
of	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
to	O
its	O
limits	O
,	O
with	O
a	O
total	O
of	O
48	O
megabits	O
of	O
data	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Additionally	O
,	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
was	O
also	O
one	O
of	O
two	O
games	O
that	O
used	O
a	O
special	O
S-DD1	O
chip	O
to	O
aid	O
in	O
compression	O
of	O
almost	O
all	O
graphics	O
and	O
map	O
data	O
,	O
meaning	O
that	O
it	O
effectively	O
stored	O
even	O
more	O
data	O
than	O
Tales	B-Application
of	I-Application
Phantasia	I-Application
,	O
though	O
the	O
compression	O
led	O
to	O
a	O
lower	O
audio	O
quality	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
also	O
featured	O
special	O
technology	O
called	O
a	O
"	O
Flexible	O
Voice	O
Driver	O
"	O
that	O
allowed	O
for	O
the	O
compression	O
of	O
sound	O
,	O
allowing	O
for	O
voice	O
clips	O
for	O
characters	O
when	O
in	O
battles	O
,	O
another	O
trait	O
that	O
was	O
both	O
very	O
rare	O
for	O
a	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
game	O
,	O
and	O
shared	O
with	O
Tales	B-Application
of	I-Application
Phantasia	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Planning	O
for	O
a	O
sequel	O
began	O
as	O
soon	O
as	O
development	O
was	O
completed	O
on	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Feedback	O
about	O
weak	O
boss	O
monsters	O
later	O
led	O
to	O
more	O
challenging	O
battles	O
in	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Second	I-Application
Story	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
Despite	O
appearing	O
in	O
North	O
American	O
video	O
game	O
magazine	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Power	I-Application
in	O
1996	O
,	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
version	O
was	O
never	O
officially	O
released	O
anywhere	O
outside	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Enix	O
America	O
ceased	O
to	O
publish	O
games	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
by	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
1995	O
due	O
to	O
poor	O
sales	O
,	O
and	O
Nintendo	O
had	O
already	O
passed	O
on	O
publishing	O
Tales	B-Application
of	I-Application
Phantasia	I-Application
a	O
year	O
prior	O
,	O
instead	O
choosing	O
to	O
focus	O
on	O
the	O
then-upcoming	O
Nintendo	B-Operating_System
64	I-Operating_System
video	B-Device
game	I-Device
console	I-Device
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
would	O
not	O
be	O
officially	O
available	O
in	O
English	O
until	O
12	O
years	O
later	O
,	O
when	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
remade	O
for	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
Portable	I-Operating_System
as	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
:	O
First	O
Departure	O
in	O
2008	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
:	O
First	O
Departure	O
is	O
an	O
enhanced	O
remake	O
of	O
the	O
original	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
,	O
developed	O
by	O
TOSE	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
first	O
details	O
of	O
the	O
game	O
were	O
revealed	O
at	O
the	O
"	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
Special	O
Stage	O
"	O
during	O
the	O
Square	O
Enix	O
Party	O
2007	O
,	O
alongside	O
those	O
of	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Second	I-Application
Story	I-Application
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
game	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
Japan	O
on	O
December	O
27	O
,	O
2007	O
,	O
and	O
was	O
released	O
in	O
North	O
America	O
and	O
Europe	O
on	O
October	O
21	O
,	O
2008	O
and	O
October	O
24	O
,	O
2008	O
respectively	O
;	O
making	O
it	O
the	O
first	O
time	O
that	O
the	O
original	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
was	O
officially	O
released	O
outside	O
Japan	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
English	O
localization	O
was	O
handled	O
by	O
Nanica	O
,	O
Inc.	O
,	O
with	O
voice-over	O
production	O
services	O
provided	O
by	O
Epcar	O
Entertainment	O
,	O
Inc	O
.	O
First	O
Departure	O
uses	O
a	O
slightly	O
altered	O
version	O
of	O
the	O
engine	O
used	O
for	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Second	I-Application
Story	I-Application
with	O
similar	O
features	O
,	O
including	O
prerendered	O
backgrounds	O
,	O
3D	O
battle	O
fields	O
and	O
hand	O
drawn	O
facial	O
animations	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
A	O
limited	O
edition	O
called	O
the	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
:	O
First	O
Departure	O
Eternal	O
Edition	O
was	O
released	O
exclusively	O
in	O
Japan	O
alongside	O
the	O
standard	O
version	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
It	O
features	O
alternate	O
box	O
art	O
and	O
was	O
bundled	O
with	O
a	O
Star	O
Ocean-themed	O
PSP-2000	O
handheld	O
and	O
carrying	O
pouch	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
HD	O
remaster	O
of	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
Portable	I-Operating_System
version	O
titled	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
:	O
First	O
Departure	O
R	O
for	O
the	O
Nintendo	B-Application
Switch	I-Application
and	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
was	O
announced	O
on	O
May	O
25	O
,	O
2019	O
and	O
was	O
set	O
for	O
release	O
later	O
that	O
year	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
new	O
release	O
features	O
re-balanced	O
game	O
difficulty	O
and	O
increased	O
world	O
map	O
movement	O
speed	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
the	O
option	O
to	O
toggle	O
between	O
character	O
portraits	O
from	O
the	O
PSP	B-Operating_System
version	O
or	O
re-drawn	O
designs	O
based	O
on	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
version	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
English	O
release	O
allows	O
the	O
player	O
to	O
choose	O
between	O
English	O
voices	O
or	O
Japanese	O
audio	O
from	O
either	O
the	O
PSP	B-Operating_System
version	O
or	O
re-recorded	O
dialogue	O
from	O
the	O
original	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
voice	O
actors	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
scores	O
for	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
and	O
First	O
Departure	O
were	O
composed	O
and	O
arranged	O
by	O
Motoi	O
Sakuraba	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Music	O
from	O
the	O
game	O
was	O
included	O
on	O
the	O
album	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
Perfect	O
Sound	O
Collection	O
,	O
released	O
November	O
1	O
,	O
1996	O
by	O
Sony	O
Records	O
,	O
which	O
included	O
arranged	O
medleys	O
of	O
themes	O
from	O
the	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
version	O
by	O
Sakuraba	O
,	O
Yoshiharu	O
Gotanda	O
,	O
and	O
Kazushi	O
Satoh	O
as	O
well	O
as	O
voice	O
tracks	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
An	O
album	O
containing	O
music	O
from	O
the	O
PSP	B-Operating_System
version	O
was	O
released	O
on	O
January	O
30	O
,	O
2008	O
by	O
Sony	O
Music	O
and	O
Square	O
Enix	O
which	O
contained	O
68	O
tracks	O
across	O
two	O
discs	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Critics	O
praised	O
Sakuraba	O
's	O
progressive	O
rock	O
style	O
,	O
and	O
highlighted	O
his	O
musical	O
experimentation	O
throughout	O
the	O
original	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
score	O
and	O
First	O
Departure	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Tracks	O
added	O
from	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
:	I-Application
The	I-Application
Second	I-Application
Story	I-Application
received	O
mixed	O
reviews	O
on	O
the	O
First	O
Departure	O
album	O
,	O
adding	O
some	O
familiar	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
themes	O
but	O
also	O
some	O
lesser	O
known	O
songs	O
to	O
the	O
mix	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
original	O
Super	B-Application
Famicom	I-Application
release	O
of	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
sold	O
approximately	O
235,000	O
copies	O
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
of	O
which	O
just	O
over	O
175,000	O
copies	O
were	O
sold	O
during	O
1996	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
In	O
a	O
2009	O
retro	O
review	O
,	O
NintendoLife	O
praised	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
technical	O
aspects	O
calling	O
it	O
"	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best-looking	O
Super	B-Application
Nintendo	I-Application
games	O
ever	O
created	O
"	O
and	O
that	O
the	O
soundtrack	O
"	O
never	O
ceases	O
to	O
amaze	O
"	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
:	O
First	O
Departure	O
on	O
the	O
PlayStation	B-Operating_System
Portable	I-Operating_System
sold	O
115,280	O
copies	O
in	O
its	O
debut	O
week	O
in	O
Japan	O
,	O
with	O
lifetime	O
sales	O
of	O
approximately	O
204,996	O
copies	O
in	O
the	O
region	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
GameSpy	O
would	O
additionally	O
declare	O
that	O
"	O
Despite	O
a	O
couple	O
of	O
minor	O
hitches	O
,	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
:	O
First	O
Departure	O
is	O
one	O
of	O
the	O
best	O
remakes	O
Square	O
Enix	O
has	O
brought	O
to	O
portable	O
consoles.	O
"	O
</s>
<s>
First	O
Departure	O
R	O
for	O
the	B-Operating_System
PlayStation	I-Operating_System
4	I-Operating_System
earned	O
a	O
73	O
out	O
of	O
100	O
average	O
from	O
Metacritic	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Dualshockers	O
called	O
it	O
"	O
an	O
underwhelming	O
port	O
of	O
an	O
excellent	O
but	O
often	O
forgotten	O
Square	O
Enix	O
JRPG	O
,	O
"	O
remarking	O
that	O
any	O
improvements	O
to	O
the	O
PSP	B-Operating_System
version	O
were	O
"	O
mostly	O
minor	O
"	O
such	O
as	O
the	O
re-balance	O
to	O
the	O
game	O
's	O
difficulty	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
The	O
website	O
remarked	O
that	O
the	O
character	O
designs	O
featured	O
in	O
the	O
animated	O
cutscenes	O
originally	O
created	O
for	O
the	O
PSP	B-Operating_System
version	O
do	O
not	O
match	O
the	O
remaster	O
's	O
new	O
artwork	O
,	O
adding	O
that	O
"	O
these	O
scenes	O
were	O
rare	O
,	O
but	O
they	O
are	O
emblematic	O
of	O
the	O
fairly	O
low-effort	O
port	O
that	O
Star	B-Application
Ocean	I-Application
First	I-Application
Departure	I-Application
R	O
is	O
.	O
</s>
