Also On: Nintendo Switch, PC, Xbox
Publisher: GungHo Online Entertainment America
Developer: Ashibi, Game Arts
Medium: Digital/Cart
Players: 1
Online: No
ESRB: T
Way back in the early 1990s, a little known RPG series made it way to the United States. It was called Lunar, and debuted on the Sega CD system with 2 games released about a year apart. These games were epic and a nice change from the RPGs that were being released for other platforms. These epic adventures were fantastic, and Working Designs, the company that brought these overseas, really showed how decent JRPGs could be.
Fast forward a few years and new systems like the Sega Saturn and the Sony PlayStation were in full swing. Working Designs once again brought out updated versions of the 2 Lunar games for the PlayStation, this time with added story, different story paths and a complete overhaul of the battle system. Sadly the Sega Saturn was left out and those versions stayed in Japan. Today, Thanks to GungHo Online Entertainment and original publisher Game Arts, these updated versions of Lunar can once again be enjoyed on modern platforms and PC with Lunar Remastered Collection. Do these RPGs stand the test of time? Lets dive in.
With this collection, you get both Lunar games, The Silver Star and Eternal Blue. Both based on the Sony PlayStation and Sega Saturn versions of the games. Sadly the Sega CD originals are not included, as those versions still belong to Working Designs. Along with the Original Games, you also get updated remastered versions that offer full screen cutscenes, and brighter, cleaner visuals. Along with still owning the original Sega CD versions, Working Designs also owns the translated scripts and voiceover from all releases of Lunar in the USA, because of this, changes had to be made to the written dialog and the voice overs had to be redone with new actors. These changes do not effect the main story in any way, but for those who have played the original games, some of the “quality of life” changes that were made will feel and also sound a little strange to veteran players.
If you’ve never played a Lunar game before, the first game is called “The Silver Star” and focuses around a young adventurer named Alex. One day, Alex, his best friends Ramus, Luna and his little pet Nall, set out on a journey to find a legendary Dragon Diamond. Their intension is to make it rich by selling the Diamond, but as their adventure begins they become entangled in a much larger adventure than they could ever imagined.
Alex sets off to become a “Dragon Master” by finding all of the Elder Dragons hidden across the world. Along the way he will meet new allies, enemies and finally learn the dark secrets that the world holds. Without spoiling anything, it’s a long and epic adventure that can satisfy the boldest of RPG players.
Lunar 2 “Eternal Blue” takes place 1000 years after the events of “The Silver Star”. A young archaeological apprentice named Hiro, his pet Ruby, and his Grandfather Gwyn set out to explore an ancient tower that, until recently, sat dormant and lifeless. One day, a blue light shined through the tower, prompting a response from the Captain of the Goddess’ Royal Guard.
Upon entering the tower, Hiro and Gwyn meet with a Sorceress named Lucia, tasked with protecting the planet from an evil wizard named Zophar. Hiro, Gwyn and a host of other allies ban together to help Lucia on her mission. Eternal Blue is twice as long as the original but will also will keep you hooked throughout the adventure.
In both games, the gameplay formula stays the same. You’re main focus is on the main character and his team, completing tasks and making your way through dungeons crawling with powerful monsters and getting stronger. You’ll have opportunities to upgrade your weapons and armor in towns and cities, plus some characters will learn magic spells that can heal characters or help you in battles. Everything you do moves the story along until you reach the climax battle with the main antagonist. The battle system is turn based, with some characters being able to attack twice in one move. Once you defeat all of the monsters in your way, the battle ends and you collect experience and any items that the enemies drop. If you lose all of your party in a battle, the game ends and you have to start over from where you last saved. You can save your game pretty much anywhere and I strongly suggest you save often, as you never know what kind of battle will await you.
New to the remastered versions is the option to fast forward some of the more easier battles that you’ll have no problem winning. This option does speed up the game a little, and can come in handy if you are tearing through the monsters in an area. Also added is a faster leveling system where characters will level up much faster than in the previous versions. It takes about the same amount of time to get stronger and gain more Health and Magic Power, but this quick leveling will allow characters that can learn spells to learn them much faster.
When it comes to the visuals, it is a mixture of painted backgrounds and 32bit sprites. With the Remastered versions, these same visuals are used with higher color and slightly more animation. You also get a widescreen presentation while the original versions stay in 4:3 with optional artwork borders. Both games retain the same soundtrack and voiceovers which, as stated earlier, have been completely redone due to licensing. While most of the music and sound effects remain the same or very similar to the originals, some voices don’t sound completely how you might remember, this is especially noticeable when you hear Null or Ruby speaking. Their dialog was also toned down a bit from the original games, eliminating some of the more risqué jokes they make. Keep in mind that none of these changes will effect either storyline or make the games any less amazing.
Lunar Remastered Collection is a fantastic collection of two of the greatest early ’90s RPGs to ever be released for home consoles. Even with the subtle changes that were made to the voices and some of the dialog, you will never find yourself hating your experiences with either of the games included. Definitely pick this one up if you love classic RPGs, have already experienced the world of Lunar or are looking for a pair of fantastic games that offer experiences that will stay with you for a long time.
Note: GungHo Online Entertainment provided us with a Lunar Remastered Collection code for review purposes.
LUNAR Remastered Collection for Nintendo Switch
10 used & new available from $69.80
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