Today marks the release for Sega's Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II in Japan. A port of the Dreamcast game of the same name with several enhancements, thus the Episode I & II moniker, PSO is the first game to feature online play for the Nintendo GameCube.

As such, the Dial-Up Modem for the console is also available today. Unfortunately, the Broadband Adapter for the GC won't be shipping until the 30th of this month, but Phantasy Star Online EI&II is compatible with the device; gamers with ethernet connections will just have to wait it out for the next couple weeks.

Two versions of PSO are available; one contains the game with the modem packed-in, while the other is just the software itself. Similarly, at the end of the month, a retail version with the Broadband Adapter will also be available.

Sega is expected to release Phantasy Star Online Episode I & II for the Nintendo GameCube in North America in late October. We'll have more coverage as its domestic release approaches.