Tales Series

Tales of Phantasia was first released for the Western market on the Game Boy Advance in 2006. It was subsequently made available for the PlayStation, PlayStation Portable (PSP) and Apple iOS. The PlayStation received two original Tales games: Tales of Destiny in 1997, which was the first title to be released in North America, and Tales of Eternia in 2000 (later released in North America as Tales of Destiny 2). Most of the main Tales games have been localized for North America and Europe, although very few of the Escort titles have been released abroad. As far as its presence in Japan, the franchise became one of the biggest RPG series in the country, behind Final Fantasy and Dragon Quest, at the time of Tales of Phantasia's release. The series has been gaining popularity in the West since the 2004 release of Tales of Symphonia, which is still considered one of its most popular titles.

The Linear Motion Battle System (LMBS) is the real-time battle system distinctive to the Tales series. LMBS is similar to a fighting game in that it allows a wide array of combos. Another element that defines the Tales series is their frequent use of a "characteristic genre name," which is essentially a short phrase that outlines each game's overall theme. The main reason for this is to distinguish the Tales series from other role-playing games. As stated by Tales producer Makoto Yoshizumi, the Tales series was not seen as a role-playing series by the development team but rather a "character playing game," with an emphasis on the player learning about and growing with the game's characters rather than just using them as avatars.

Multiple Tales games have been adapted into anime OVAs and TV series. The Symphonia OVA was released in three parts between 2007 and 2011, and was then re-released as a single collection in 2013. Tales of the Abyss was adapted into a 26-episode TV series between October 2008 and March 2009. Tales of Phantasia and Tales of Eternia have also received anime adaptations. The series' first theatrical film, a prequel to Tales of Vesperia called Tales of Vesperia: The First Strike, was released in 2009 in Japan and 2012 in North America. A made-for-television anime based on the opening sections of Tales of Zestiria: Dawn of the Shepherd was produced as part of the 20th anniversary celebrations related to the title.