Previous PSOs used a keyboard peripheral (or, in the case of the PC games, the keyboard) for chat, and that was bad enough. You could save some preset phrases to the function keys -- generally, most people would map frequently-used stuff like "OH GOD HEAL PLZ" or "GET AWAY FROM THAT TREASURE IT'S MINE" or, in the case of some of the delightful folks I met online, a long string of single characters that could be repeated quickly to fill the screen with voice bubbles. It works, but takes a little extra time to set up, and it sets an unnecessary limit on the things you can say in a hurry.
The Xbox port of Phantasy Star Online Episodes I&II offers something even more useful: voice chat. Rather than having to laboriously draft a message then save it to a macro, or drop what you're doing to type in real time in the case of a new statement, you can just ... say it. With your mouth. While your hands remain on the controller and possibly fighting. It's quite handy.
Phantasy Star Zero, on the other hand, features a chat system that is slower than either voice or typing. If you only speak in preset phrases, it's probably okay. Alternatively, if you can scribble in very clear cursive, you might find it useful. Otherwise, it's a pretty inefficient mode of communication. Even if you eschew words and employ your expert Pictionary skills, the sheer motions of communicating with a pen take longer than speech or typing.
And what if your handwriting is bad? I have to make multiple attempts before I can write anything legible on the DS screen. Am I doomed to long preparation time before any Phantasy Star Zero outing?
The DS is equipped for voice chat. Metroid Prime Hunters, Pokémon, and other games proved that it works. Even if you don't want to buy a headset, the DS mic and any headphones will work pretty well. And it would significantly improve the experience of communicating with friends in-game, rather than hampering it. And filling up the screen with pink bubbles.
_cg_oct22_kjgfdhd_thumbnail.jpg "Grand Theft Auto: Chinatown Wars")
