The Community Spotlight features some of the best unedited articles that didn't quite make the front page. This week, we've got a look back at the Phantasy Star series, an examination of sidequests, an analysis of competitive role-playing games, an introduction to Guild Wars 2, and more. It's RPG-tastic!

A real Phantasy adventure
By Patrick Molloy
I'm sad to say that I have no personal experience with the Phantasy Star series, as I never owned a Sega console when I was younger. Patrick tells us why the series was so unique and memorable. Check it out.

Why sidequests matter: Creating player motivation
By Steven Sukkau
Ah, sidequests. You just can't help stacking them into your quest log and checking them off one by one, no matter how little they have to do with the main story of a game. But Steven contends that you need sidequests to balance the dramatic stakes between saving the world and saving one person's life. Interesting.

Competitive RPG components
By Patrick Molloy
Patrick's back again, and this time he's taking a look at the structural similarities in games like Defense of the Ancients and Pokemon and comparing them to traditionally competitive titles like Street Fighter. The biggest challenge is balance, he writes. 

A guide to Guild Wars 2
By Chandler Tate
If you aren't completely MMO-ed out yet (I can barely keep up), Chandler's got a perfect introduction to the upcoming sequel from ArenaNet. I played a little of the original and got some hands-on time with this latest iteration at last year's PAX Prime, and it definitely intrigued me. 

Prodigy or prodigal? A take on morality in RPGs
By Akshit Goyal
As everyone warms up for next month's release of Mass Effect 3, it's a good time to take a look back at previous games in the series. Akshit's observations are astute...plus he throws in a Lemony Snicket reference. Major bonus points there, dude.