Phantasy Star was the first installment of the series, released for the Sega Master System in Japan on December 20, 1987, and then in the United States in 1988. It introduced players to the planets, races, and lore of the series. It is considered a trailblazer amongst the role-playing video game genre, both for its advanced graphics technology, and for being one of the first story-driven games released in the United States. The game centered around the adventures of Alis Landale, a young woman from Palma and notably one of the genre's first female protagonists. In a quest sparked by revenge, but sustained by urgent needs of Algol's citizens, she is joined by a muskcat named Myau, a warrior named Odin, and a wizard named Noah. Together, the group is pitted against Lassic and ultimately Darkfalz.