Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete
Encyclopedia
Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete, originally released in Japan as simply , is a console role-playing game developed by Game Arts
and Japan Art Media
as a remake of Lunar: The Silver Star
. Initially released on the Sega Saturn
in 1996, the game has gone through several variations, beginning with enhanced video support in conjunction with the Saturn's MPEG
graphics add-on in 1997, and later being ported to Sony
's PlayStation in 1998. The PlayStation version was released in North America by Working Designs
, who had also produced the English adaptation of the original game, in May 1999. In 2002, a new version of the game developed by Media Rings
was released for the Game Boy Advance
handheld system under the name , with the title's English version being the first game in the series not published by Working Designs, but rather Ubisoft
.
While the overall plot remains true to the original, accommodations are made to the game's story to allow for a larger, richer cast, as well as additional scenarios. Like its forerunner, the game follows the exploits of Alex, a young boy from a small, humble town who enters a life of adventure and intrigue after being chosen as the heir-apparent to the title of "Dragonmaster", guardian of the forces of the planet. With the help of his expanding band of companions, Alex must pass the trials set by ancient dragons to claim his place in history, and stop a powerful sorcerer and former hero from controlling the world.
Since its English release, Silver Star Story has garnered much attention from critics for its use of fluid full-motion animated sequences, lavish game packaging, and quality of the English script. The game was followed by a sequel, Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete
in 1998.
Silver Star Story Complete is a traditional, top-down console role-playing game featuring two-dimensional character and background graphics. Using the Sega Saturn
and PlayStation's advanced hardware, many elements of the original game
's presentation have been altered, including a larger color palette, more sophisticated visual effects, and improved sound quality. Throughout gameplay, the story is interspersed with fully animated cut scenes designed to give the game a cinematic feel, and allow the player to get more involved in the game's plot. Players advance the game's narrative by completing story-based objectives and interacting with non-player character
s. In the original version, players encountered enemy monsters randomly every few steps when traveling in a harsh environments, while the remake now makes enemies visible, with combat ensuing only after a character has come in contact with one.
Many of the game's new battle features were adapted from Lunar: Eternal Blue
, including the auto-battle feature that allows players to set moves and actions in advance. While in combat, a player may choose to attack an enemy, move about the battlefield, use magic or items, stand their ground and defend, or flee the battle entirely. Silver Star Story Complete retains the original version's movement feature, which requires characters to be within a certain distance of an enemy before it can be attacked. Battles are won when all enemies are defeated, yielding experience points that allow characters to gain levels, making them stronger as well as allowing access to better abilities. By gaining levels, as well as finding or purchasing increasingly more powerful weapons and armor, characters can battle increasingly more powerful enemies as the game progresses.
and manga
artist Toshiyuki Kubooka
. Players assume the role of Alex, who is joined by a menagerie of playable and supporting characters who aid him on his quest.
Each character's personalities were expanded for the new version to make them easier for the player to relate to, and give each of them more presence in the game's story. As the game’s designers felt that Luna was lacking presence in the original game, she was included in the player's party for a longer period and her past was expanded by giving her confounding dream sequences.
Ghaleon, a dark magician who seeks godhood, serves as the primary antagonist, and initially appears as an ally to Alex's cause. In the new version, Ghaleon's personality is altered to make him a more sympathetic character. Motivation for his plans to rule the world were shifted from revenge to misplaced concern for humanity not having a true leader. He is still however, undeniably ruthless and cruel. Game Arts added new villains to the story, feeling that the game's opposition lacked enough characterization. These include Royce and Phacia, two powerful sorceresses who are sisters to Xenobia, Ghaleon's top general who appeared in the original as his sole underling (whom in this version actually has romantic feelings for him).
version written by Kei Shigema. Novelist Keisuke Shigematsu was recruited as the remake's scenario writer, and was tasked with expanding the previous script written by Shigema to make the game more current. Just as in the original, players assume the role of Alex, a young boy who hopes to become a great hero like his idol, the legendary Dragonmaster Dyne. At the insistence of his fortune-hunting friend Ramus, Alex travels to the nearby Dragon's Cave with his cat-like companion Nall, and sweetheart Luna, to seek a precious gem. When the team reaches the cave's interior, they find Quark, an aged, wise dragon who sees hidden potential in Alex, and beckons him to travel the world and become its protector as the new Dragonmaster. Returning home, the group expresses mutual interest in Alex's quest; Ramus wishes to sell the dragon gem at a large city, Nall wants to find out what he is, and Luna merely to protect Alex. The group sets off across the frontier to the port town of Saith to continue their journey.
Traveling through the Weird Woods, Luna sings a magic song to clear a patch of thick fog in their path, yet is not sure how she knew it would work. The group is surrounded by a horde of monsters, and are defended by a traveling warrior named Laike. Finding Alex's quest to become Dragonmaster humorous, Laike nonetheless wishes him and his friends luck as they leave the forest. Arriving at Saith, the group meets Nash, a magician-in-training from a prestigious magic school who needs transport back to his home, and joins the group on a boat to the eastern continent. Unlike the original Sega-CD version, Luna continues with Alex rather than stay behind to give her a bigger role in the plot. After arriving in the port town of Meribia, Ramus leaves the group to become a salesman at his own shop, while the rest of the team travels to the floating city of Vane to meet Ghaleon, a former adventurer who traveled with Dyne before his death. Ghaleon sends Alex and Luna on a quest to stop a false Dragonmaster from harassing a village where he meets Jessica, a priestess and daughter of the legendary hero "Hell" Mel. Returning to Vane, Ghaleon tells Alex he wants to see Quark to discuss his future as Dragonmaster, with Luna joining them on a return trip to Burg. After arriving at the dragon cave, Ghaleon and Quark reminisce before Ghaleon cryptically asks whether Luna is "the one from back then". Upon hearing an affirmation, Ghaleon's mood changes, and suddenly transforms into a more sinister form, The Magic Emperor, who turns Quark to energy and kidnaps Luna, remarking that he will now use her in his quest to rule the world.
The game's final scenario and the reason for Ghaleon's actions differ slightly from the original, with the Goddess Althena's instability serving as the catalyst for the events rather than a rampaging Black Dragon. In this version, Laike relates the story of how one day fifteen years ago, the Goddess Althena concluded that people were depending too much on her, rather than growing as people and as a civilization, and that by continuing to mother them, she was doing more harm than good. Despite Ghaleon's pleas, Dyne and Althena used their powers to spread her life force throughout the world, transforming her into an infant, to live out a mortal life as a human. Ghaleon, believing humanity could not survive without a god watching over them, cut off all ties to his former friend and set his plan into motion to ascend to godhood himself in Althena's place; his cause set on rule rather than revenge as in the original. Believing that humanity was strong and resourceful enough to live on their own, Dyne left the young girl in the care of Alex's parents to raise her as their own daughter before he began his new life as a traveling adventurer. Now knowing the truth of Luna's origins, Alex and his friends travel to the Goddess tower to save her and stop Ghaleon from seizing control of the world. Defeating his generals, Alex confronts Ghaleon at the tower's upper pagoda
, where the ritual to transfer Luna's power to him has already begun. Echoing Dyne's earlier declaration on the strength of humanity, Alex's team attacks and defeats Ghaleon as his fortress crumbles around them. With Luna still caught in a trance, Alex attempts to reason with her to leave while the others are teleported to safety. Playing his ocarina
, Alex awakens Luna's memories before the two are transported to the surface as the tower collapses, re-uniting with their companions.
and Japan Art Media
. Immediately after producing Lunar: Eternal Blue
for the Sega-CD
console in 1994, much of the original staff expressed interest in remaking the first Lunar title on current, more advanced hardware. Displeased with many aspects of the original game's design, Game Arts sought to improve the original version to coincide with their initial vision of the project, including more sophisticated animation, better quality CD
music, and a more engaging script. Silver Star Story was headed by producer
Youichi Miyaji, who had previously worked on the first two Sega-CD Lunar titles, who enlisted help from the staff of Japan Art Media to aid in the heavy-cost production of the game. While the original game contained roughly ten minutes of animation produced internally, the remake features fifty minutes of new, fully animated cut scenes by Studio Gonzo. For the game's first release on the Sega Saturn
in October 1996, in-game movies could only display in quarter-screen and low fidelity due to the system's video limitations. This was corrected for the game's second release in June 1997 with the introduction of the Saturn's MPEG
card adapter, which allowed for full-screen playback at better quality. Both Saturn versions would be published by Kadokawa Shoten
. In May 1998, Silver Star Story was ported to the PlayStation system in Japan, this time published by Entertainment Software Publishing
. This version, while retaining all the extra features of the second Saturn release, including full-screen movies, was unable to produce the same high-fidelity playback as its video card-enhanced predecessor.
In late 1995, California-based software company Working Designs
, who had previously provided the translation for the original Silver Star, signed on to produce the English-language version. The company originally expressed interest in localizing the Saturn version under the name Lunar: Silver Star Story Director's Cut to be released in Fall 1996. The initial project was dropped due to internal conflicts between Working Designs and Sega of America
, and work began on the PlayStation version in 1998. Silver Star Story Complete was headed by company president Victor Ireland, who also served as head translator and localizer. Like the original game, the English version features a lighthearted, non-literal interpretation of the original Japanese script while retaining the same basic story, which now includes American pop culture
references, breaking the fourth wall
, and slapstick humor. Working Designs kept in close contact with the original Japanese team, adding several new features to the North American version including DualShock
controller support, the ability to switch between memory card
slots on the save screen, and the ability to create up to fifteen save files instead of three. Programming and production difficulties stifled progress, resulting in numerous delays and changing release dates until the game's eventual release in May 1999. A stand-alone demo version of the game was distributed to several game stores across the United States which preceded the final version, as well as a Ghaleon punching puppet
available with pre-order of Lunar 2 Eternal Blue
Silver Star Story Complete was initially released in North America as a limited collector's edition which included two game discs, a hardbound instruction manual, a soundtrack CD, a "Making of Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete" special disc, and a cloth map of the Lunar world. The package retailed for $60.00 to cover the cost of the elaborate extras. Working Designs would also publish their own strategy guide for the game, also billed as a collector's item. Ireland's team would add an easter egg
to the "Making of" video disc in the form of a minigame based on Atari
's arcade game Warlords called Lords of Lunar accessed by using a code found in-game. In February 2002, a special "Fan-Art Edition" of the game was released featuring disc artwork by contributors to the Working Designs website, which lacked the extras of the collector's edition. A Windows
-based PC version of Silver Star Story was released in Japan in December 1999 by DigiCube
featuring higher resolution graphics and video playback. Working Designs had expressed interest in bringing this version to North America in 2002, but claimed that the English version was too buggy and unstable to be released.
. While Hiroshi Fujioka
, Isao Mizoguchi, and Yoshiaki Kubodera collaborated with Iwadare on the Sega-CD version, only Iwadare would return for the remake, composing nearly one hundred new songs. When creating the music for Silver Star Story Complete, Iwadare drew from his own experiences, admitting that he was trying to put a personal touch on his work and "express [myself] through [my] honest emotions". Music director Isao Mizoguchi claims that the music process was "a little different" than the companies' previous works, with the game's main themes being composed before they viewed the scenes that required them, making adjustments as they went along. Each song was divided into four categories: town or village, dungeon, battle, or field; each with their own pacing and emotional direction. Iwadare described the game's music as "very well received" according to fan feedback. The Japanese version features a new opening theme, Tsu·Ba·Sa (Tsubasa, lit. Wings) performed by Kyōko Hikami
. An intermediary song, , also called "The Boat Song", was added to the game to heighten the emotion of Alex and Luna's departure into the world, which was kept at Mizoguchi's insistence even as material was being cut for time.
For the North American release, Victor Ireland had expressed interest in replacing many of the new themes with ones from the Sega-CD version, including the original opening theme Fighting Through the Darkness. After translating the game, however, Working Designs
was left with very little extra space on each game disc, and the idea was abandoned. Many of the arranged songs meant for the English release were included on a special soundtrack packaged with the collector's edition. The English version features the opening theme, Wings, performed by Jennifer Stigile
, who also performs Wind's Nocturne. Additionally, Working Designs' arrangements of classic Lunar: The Silver Star pieces were used to replace the new music in two animation sequences, A Trinity of Terror and The Green Earth.
Silver Star Story Complete features twenty voiced characters, four times the original version. The characters' voices are used in pre-designated cut scenes, animated interludes and when using special attacks in battle. The English cast was composed of family and friends of the Working Designs staff, as well as local talent from the area. Ashley Angel
, Jenny Stigile (Magallanes), Rhonda Gibson, Jackie Powers, Hal Delahousse, and John Truitt reprise their roles, and were joined by a number of talents to fill out the game's expanded speaking roles. Working Designs had considered replacing Angel, as Victor Ireland felt he may have aged too much to convincingly play a young boy, but reconsidered after his rehearsal, commenting that "the players have all aged a bit since the original, so Alex could have aged a bit, too". Jenny Stigile (Magallanes) sings the intro song as well as the "Boat Song" in the English version. While the English cast returned, the Japanese version was completely re-cast from the Sega-CD original, bringing in several established anime
and game voice actors, including pop idol
Sakura Tange
. A four-volume sound drama
album series, Lunatic Festa, was released in Japan between August and November 1996 featuring the Japanese voice actors performing skits and songs in-character, as well as arranged music tracks from the game.
and was developed by Media Rings Corporation
after acquiring the rights to produce a handheld adaptation of Game Arts
' role-playing game. The game was announced in a November 2001 issue of Japanese Weekly Famitsu
magazine as a "powered up" version of the original Sega-CD and the 32-bit versions, with changes that would benefit players on the go and provide new story materials for veteran fans. Because of the game's limited 8-megabyte
cart size, many features standard to the Lunar series such as voice acting and video sequences were omitted, with Media Rings instead utilizing real-time cutscenes using larger, more detailed character sprites to tell the story. Still images taken directly from Silver Star Story Completes animated videos would appear at certain points during the game to give it a more cinematic feel. Game Arts' primary goal in co-developing the new version was to provide the previous game's music, art, and script for Media Ring's use. Series producer Yoichi Miyaji joined the development team as a consultant, along with several other members of the Game Arts staff, in assisting project director Hisashi Sugawara in crafting a new vision of the game that would retain the same feel as previous adaptations. The game was originally scheduled for an March 2002 release, but was pushed back to the following April for last-minute changes.
The North American version became the first English Lunar title to not be produced by Working Designs
, with company president Victor Ireland passing on the project for undisclosed reasons. During the 2002 IEMA
Executive Summit, Ubisoft Entertainment
announced they had acquired the publishing rights to Lunar Legend, with an initial release date of November 2002. Ubisoft's script remained closer to the original Japanese version than previous English endeavors, but retained Working Designs' character names and overall light-hearted tone. Rather than develop their own official Lunar Legend website, Ubisoft approached Mickey Shannon, webmaster of Lunar series fansite LunarNET, to create and host the game's official English page on his server.
announced Lunar: Silver Star Harmony for North America; originally set to be released on February 12, 2010, the game was later delayed until Feb. 23, then March 2. At release, a limited edition of the game was also available, which includes a soundtrack CD and full set of bromides
featuring the female characters. The game mostly reused Working Designs' scripts and XSeed also recruited Jennifer Stigile (who performed the English versions of the songs for Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete) to re-record the songs for Lunar: Silver Star Harmony.
's PlayStation the Best distinction, and was subsequently re-released in Japan in April 1999 at a budget price.
Silver Star Story Complete sold over 223,000 units within its first year in North America, including the entire production run of the four-disc collector's edition. The game became the highest-selling Working Designs title to date, and the second highest-selling role-playing game of 1999 behind Final Fantasy VIII
. A heavy media push in magazines and websites brought recognition to the game, and alerted customers that Working Designs planned to cease production of the title starting December 31, 1999. English reviews of the game were typically favorable, with critics such as Electronic Gaming Monthly
remarking that Lunars "plot, writing and voice acting are about the best you'll find", awarding the game a 9 out of 10 and an editor's choice gold award. The game's translation was equally applauded by PlayStation: The Official Magazine
, calling it "spotless", and remarking that Working Designs' unique humor was applied to every bit of text in the game, including weapon descriptions. Official PlayStation Magazine remarked that "what little [Lunar] lacks in visual punch, it more than makes up for in style, story and wholly engrossing gameplay" calling attention to the game's programming and extra packaging.
The game's two-dimensional graphics were among its most panned feature, with GamePro
commenting that the "flat battle areas, wimpy spells, and itty-bitty enemies will assault your eyes", citing the in-game animated cut scenes as the only saving grace. Game Informer
conversely declared that the animated interludes were grainy and often would not display in true fullscreen, but remarked that it was "really a small gripe because Lunar has an entertaining story filled with enjoyable quips". Gamers' Republic recognized the inferiority of Lunars graphics to current role-playing games, but nonetheless found them "charming". GameSpot
simply described the graphics as "truly dated", adding that many of Lunars aesthetic qualities could be re-created on a Super Nintendo
. Technology magazine Silicon Mag called the game a "masterpiece", awarding it a 95% rating and declared it an asset to the game industry, calling it "a game that will sell systems, with gamers actually buying PlayStations just to play it". In 2000, Silver Star Story Complete ranked 22nd in IGN
's Top 25 PlayStation Games of All Time list, while in 2001 Electronic Gaming Monthly ranked it 75th on its list of the top 100 games of all time.
in 1997 and Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete
in 1998. Working Designs used the game's strong sales as justification to produce the English version of Eternal Blue Complete in North America, which also featured an elaborate collector's edition. A four-part Japanese novelization of Silver Star Story's events would later be written by Kei Shigema and published in 2001.
Game Arts
is a Japanese video game software developer located in Tokyo, Japan. Originally established in 1985 as a computer software company, they have since expanded their enterprise to produce for a number of game console and handheld systems...
and Japan Art Media
Japan Art Media
Japan Art Media, or JAM, is a Japanese video game development studio founded in 1989. The studio began developing games for the Game Boy, but soon branched out to develop games on many other platforms, mainly Super Nintendo and PlayStation...
as a remake of Lunar: The Silver Star
Lunar: The Silver Star
is a role-playing video game developed by Game Arts and Studio Alex for the Mega-CD console. Originally released in Japan on June 16, 1992 to critical acclaim, the game was translated and released in English by Working Designs the following year...
. Initially released on the Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
in 1996, the game has gone through several variations, beginning with enhanced video support in conjunction with the Saturn's MPEG
Moving Picture Experts Group
The Moving Picture Experts Group is a working group of experts that was formed by ISO and IEC to set standards for audio and video compression and transmission. It was established in 1988 by the initiative of Hiroshi Yasuda and Leonardo Chiariglione, who has been from the beginning the Chairman...
graphics add-on in 1997, and later being ported to Sony
Sony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
's PlayStation in 1998. The PlayStation version was released in North America by Working Designs
Working Designs
Working Designs was an American video game publisher that specialized in the localization of Japanese console role-playing games, strategy video games and top-down shooters for various video game platforms. Though the company had published many 'cult hits', it was known best to fans as the...
, who had also produced the English adaptation of the original game, in May 1999. In 2002, a new version of the game developed by Media Rings
Media Rings
was a Japanese music, video game, and software publishing company located in Akasaka, Tokyo. Founded in October 1989 as a music and video packaging firm, it since became a distributor and producer of electronic entertainment...
was released for the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
handheld system under the name , with the title's English version being the first game in the series not published by Working Designs, but rather Ubisoft
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
.
While the overall plot remains true to the original, accommodations are made to the game's story to allow for a larger, richer cast, as well as additional scenarios. Like its forerunner, the game follows the exploits of Alex, a young boy from a small, humble town who enters a life of adventure and intrigue after being chosen as the heir-apparent to the title of "Dragonmaster", guardian of the forces of the planet. With the help of his expanding band of companions, Alex must pass the trials set by ancient dragons to claim his place in history, and stop a powerful sorcerer and former hero from controlling the world.
Since its English release, Silver Star Story has garnered much attention from critics for its use of fluid full-motion animated sequences, lavish game packaging, and quality of the English script. The game was followed by a sequel, Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete
Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete
Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete is a retitled version of , a Japanese role-playing video game. It is the sequel to Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete. Originally released in 1998 for the Sega Saturn console in Japan, it was ported to the PlayStation in 1999 and translated for the North American...
in 1998.
Gameplay
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
and PlayStation's advanced hardware, many elements of the original game
Lunar: The Silver Star
is a role-playing video game developed by Game Arts and Studio Alex for the Mega-CD console. Originally released in Japan on June 16, 1992 to critical acclaim, the game was translated and released in English by Working Designs the following year...
's presentation have been altered, including a larger color palette, more sophisticated visual effects, and improved sound quality. Throughout gameplay, the story is interspersed with fully animated cut scenes designed to give the game a cinematic feel, and allow the player to get more involved in the game's plot. Players advance the game's narrative by completing story-based objectives and interacting with non-player character
Non-player character
A non-player character , sometimes known as a non-person character or non-playable character, in a game is any fictional character not controlled by a player. In electronic games, this usually means a character controlled by the computer through artificial intelligence...
s. In the original version, players encountered enemy monsters randomly every few steps when traveling in a harsh environments, while the remake now makes enemies visible, with combat ensuing only after a character has come in contact with one.
Many of the game's new battle features were adapted from Lunar: Eternal Blue
Lunar: Eternal Blue
is a role-playing video game developed by Game Arts and Studio Alex for the Mega-CD as the sequel to Lunar: The Silver Star. The game was originally released in December 1994 in Japan, and later in North America in September 1995 by Working Designs...
, including the auto-battle feature that allows players to set moves and actions in advance. While in combat, a player may choose to attack an enemy, move about the battlefield, use magic or items, stand their ground and defend, or flee the battle entirely. Silver Star Story Complete retains the original version's movement feature, which requires characters to be within a certain distance of an enemy before it can be attacked. Battles are won when all enemies are defeated, yielding experience points that allow characters to gain levels, making them stronger as well as allowing access to better abilities. By gaining levels, as well as finding or purchasing increasingly more powerful weapons and armor, characters can battle increasingly more powerful enemies as the game progresses.
Characters
The cast of The Silver Star all return for the game's remake, retaining their original designs by animeAnime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
and manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
artist Toshiyuki Kubooka
Toshiyuki Kubooka
Toshiyuki Kubooka is a Japanese animator, character designer, and illustrator. He is particularly known for his work on games of the Lunar series.-Anime:*Batman: Gotham Knight...
. Players assume the role of Alex, who is joined by a menagerie of playable and supporting characters who aid him on his quest.
- Alex - a young boy from a small town who dreams of becoming an adventurer like his idol, Dyne.
- Luna - his childhood friend and sweetheart
- Nall - a winged, white, cat-like creature with an uncertain origin
- Ramus - son of the town mayor with dreams of becoming a rich businessman
- Nash - a boisterous magician-in-training from a prestigious magic school
- Mia - quiet daughter of the magic guild's headmistress
- Jessica - a tomboyish priestess
- Kyle - a self-absorbed vagrant and ladies' man as well as Jessica's strained boyfriend.
Each character's personalities were expanded for the new version to make them easier for the player to relate to, and give each of them more presence in the game's story. As the game’s designers felt that Luna was lacking presence in the original game, she was included in the player's party for a longer period and her past was expanded by giving her confounding dream sequences.
Ghaleon, a dark magician who seeks godhood, serves as the primary antagonist, and initially appears as an ally to Alex's cause. In the new version, Ghaleon's personality is altered to make him a more sympathetic character. Motivation for his plans to rule the world were shifted from revenge to misplaced concern for humanity not having a true leader. He is still however, undeniably ruthless and cruel. Game Arts added new villains to the story, feeling that the game's opposition lacked enough characterization. These include Royce and Phacia, two powerful sorceresses who are sisters to Xenobia, Ghaleon's top general who appeared in the original as his sole underling (whom in this version actually has romantic feelings for him).
Story
The plot of Silver Star Story Complete remains true to the original Sega-CDSega Mega-CD
The is an add-on device for the Mega Drive video game console, designed and produced by Sega and released in Japan, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The device was also released in North America under the name Sega CD, for the Sega Genesis...
version written by Kei Shigema. Novelist Keisuke Shigematsu was recruited as the remake's scenario writer, and was tasked with expanding the previous script written by Shigema to make the game more current. Just as in the original, players assume the role of Alex, a young boy who hopes to become a great hero like his idol, the legendary Dragonmaster Dyne. At the insistence of his fortune-hunting friend Ramus, Alex travels to the nearby Dragon's Cave with his cat-like companion Nall, and sweetheart Luna, to seek a precious gem. When the team reaches the cave's interior, they find Quark, an aged, wise dragon who sees hidden potential in Alex, and beckons him to travel the world and become its protector as the new Dragonmaster. Returning home, the group expresses mutual interest in Alex's quest; Ramus wishes to sell the dragon gem at a large city, Nall wants to find out what he is, and Luna merely to protect Alex. The group sets off across the frontier to the port town of Saith to continue their journey.
The game's final scenario and the reason for Ghaleon's actions differ slightly from the original, with the Goddess Althena's instability serving as the catalyst for the events rather than a rampaging Black Dragon. In this version, Laike relates the story of how one day fifteen years ago, the Goddess Althena concluded that people were depending too much on her, rather than growing as people and as a civilization, and that by continuing to mother them, she was doing more harm than good. Despite Ghaleon's pleas, Dyne and Althena used their powers to spread her life force throughout the world, transforming her into an infant, to live out a mortal life as a human. Ghaleon, believing humanity could not survive without a god watching over them, cut off all ties to his former friend and set his plan into motion to ascend to godhood himself in Althena's place; his cause set on rule rather than revenge as in the original. Believing that humanity was strong and resourceful enough to live on their own, Dyne left the young girl in the care of Alex's parents to raise her as their own daughter before he began his new life as a traveling adventurer. Now knowing the truth of Luna's origins, Alex and his friends travel to the Goddess tower to save her and stop Ghaleon from seizing control of the world. Defeating his generals, Alex confronts Ghaleon at the tower's upper pagoda
Pagoda
A pagoda is the general term in the English language for a tiered tower with multiple eaves common in Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam and other parts of Asia. Some pagodas are used as Taoist houses of worship. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most commonly Buddhist,...
, where the ritual to transfer Luna's power to him has already begun. Echoing Dyne's earlier declaration on the strength of humanity, Alex's team attacks and defeats Ghaleon as his fortress crumbles around them. With Luna still caught in a trance, Alex attempts to reason with her to leave while the others are teleported to safety. Playing his ocarina
Ocarina
The ocarina is an ancient flute-like wind instrument. Variations do exist, but a typical ocarina is an enclosed space with four to twelve finger holes and a mouthpiece that projects from the body...
, Alex awakens Luna's memories before the two are transported to the surface as the tower collapses, re-uniting with their companions.
Development
The remake initially began as Lunar: Silver Star Story, developed by a collaboration between Game ArtsGame Arts
is a Japanese video game software developer located in Tokyo, Japan. Originally established in 1985 as a computer software company, they have since expanded their enterprise to produce for a number of game console and handheld systems...
and Japan Art Media
Japan Art Media
Japan Art Media, or JAM, is a Japanese video game development studio founded in 1989. The studio began developing games for the Game Boy, but soon branched out to develop games on many other platforms, mainly Super Nintendo and PlayStation...
. Immediately after producing Lunar: Eternal Blue
Lunar: Eternal Blue
is a role-playing video game developed by Game Arts and Studio Alex for the Mega-CD as the sequel to Lunar: The Silver Star. The game was originally released in December 1994 in Japan, and later in North America in September 1995 by Working Designs...
for the Sega-CD
Sega Mega-CD
The is an add-on device for the Mega Drive video game console, designed and produced by Sega and released in Japan, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The device was also released in North America under the name Sega CD, for the Sega Genesis...
console in 1994, much of the original staff expressed interest in remaking the first Lunar title on current, more advanced hardware. Displeased with many aspects of the original game's design, Game Arts sought to improve the original version to coincide with their initial vision of the project, including more sophisticated animation, better quality CD
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
music, and a more engaging script. Silver Star Story was headed by producer
Game producer
A video game producer is the person in charge of overseeing development of a video game.The earliest documented use of the term producer in games was by Trip Hawkins, who established the position when he founded Electronic Arts in 1982...
Youichi Miyaji, who had previously worked on the first two Sega-CD Lunar titles, who enlisted help from the staff of Japan Art Media to aid in the heavy-cost production of the game. While the original game contained roughly ten minutes of animation produced internally, the remake features fifty minutes of new, fully animated cut scenes by Studio Gonzo. For the game's first release on the Sega Saturn
Sega Saturn
The is a 32-bit fifth-generation video game console that was first released by Sega on November 22, 1994 in Japan, May 11, 1995 in North America, and July 8, 1995 in Europe...
in October 1996, in-game movies could only display in quarter-screen and low fidelity due to the system's video limitations. This was corrected for the game's second release in June 1997 with the introduction of the Saturn's MPEG
Moving Picture Experts Group
The Moving Picture Experts Group is a working group of experts that was formed by ISO and IEC to set standards for audio and video compression and transmission. It was established in 1988 by the initiative of Hiroshi Yasuda and Leonardo Chiariglione, who has been from the beginning the Chairman...
card adapter, which allowed for full-screen playback at better quality. Both Saturn versions would be published by Kadokawa Shoten
Kadokawa Shoten
is a well-known Japanese publishing company based in Tokyo, Japan. Kadokawa has published both manga novels and magazines, such as Newtype magazine...
. In May 1998, Silver Star Story was ported to the PlayStation system in Japan, this time published by Entertainment Software Publishing
Entertainment Software Publishing
Entertainment Software Publishing , or ESP, is a computer game publisher. It was created in 1997, primarily as a support company for the developer studios that made up GD-NET...
. This version, while retaining all the extra features of the second Saturn release, including full-screen movies, was unable to produce the same high-fidelity playback as its video card-enhanced predecessor.
English version
Working Designs
Working Designs was an American video game publisher that specialized in the localization of Japanese console role-playing games, strategy video games and top-down shooters for various video game platforms. Though the company had published many 'cult hits', it was known best to fans as the...
, who had previously provided the translation for the original Silver Star, signed on to produce the English-language version. The company originally expressed interest in localizing the Saturn version under the name Lunar: Silver Star Story Director's Cut to be released in Fall 1996. The initial project was dropped due to internal conflicts between Working Designs and Sega of America
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
, and work began on the PlayStation version in 1998. Silver Star Story Complete was headed by company president Victor Ireland, who also served as head translator and localizer. Like the original game, the English version features a lighthearted, non-literal interpretation of the original Japanese script while retaining the same basic story, which now includes American pop culture
Popular culture
Popular culture is the totality of ideas, perspectives, attitudes, memes, images and other phenomena that are deemed preferred per an informal consensus within the mainstream of a given culture, especially Western culture of the early to mid 20th century and the emerging global mainstream of the...
references, breaking the fourth wall
Fourth wall
The fourth wall is the imaginary "wall" at the front of the stage in a traditional three-walled box set in a proscenium theatre, through which the audience sees the action in the world of the play...
, and slapstick humor. Working Designs kept in close contact with the original Japanese team, adding several new features to the North American version including DualShock
DualShock
The DualShock is a line of vibration-feedback gamepads by Sony for the PlayStation, PlayStation 2, and PlayStation 3 video game consoles. The DualShock was introduced in Japan in late 1997, and launched in the North American market in May 1998...
controller support, the ability to switch between memory card
Memory card
A memory card or flash card is an electronic flash memory data storage device used for storing digital information. They are commonly used in many electronic devices, including digital cameras, mobile phones, laptop computers, MP3 players, and video game consoles...
slots on the save screen, and the ability to create up to fifteen save files instead of three. Programming and production difficulties stifled progress, resulting in numerous delays and changing release dates until the game's eventual release in May 1999. A stand-alone demo version of the game was distributed to several game stores across the United States which preceded the final version, as well as a Ghaleon punching puppet
Puppet
A puppet is an inanimate object or representational figure animated or manipulated by an entertainer, who is called a puppeteer. It is used in puppetry, a play or a presentation that is a very ancient form of theatre....
available with pre-order of Lunar 2 Eternal Blue
Silver Star Story Complete was initially released in North America as a limited collector's edition which included two game discs, a hardbound instruction manual, a soundtrack CD, a "Making of Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete" special disc, and a cloth map of the Lunar world. The package retailed for $60.00 to cover the cost of the elaborate extras. Working Designs would also publish their own strategy guide for the game, also billed as a collector's item. Ireland's team would add an easter egg
Easter egg (media)
Image:Carl Oswald Rostosky - Zwei Kaninchen und ein Igel 1861.jpg|250px|thumb|right|Example of Easter egg hidden within imagerect 467 383 539 434 desc none...
to the "Making of" video disc in the form of a minigame based on Atari
Atari
Atari is a corporate and brand name owned by several entities since its inception in 1972. It is currently owned by Atari Interactive, a wholly owned subsidiary of the French publisher Atari, SA . The original Atari, Inc. was founded in 1972 by Nolan Bushnell and Ted Dabney. It was a pioneer in...
's arcade game Warlords called Lords of Lunar accessed by using a code found in-game. In February 2002, a special "Fan-Art Edition" of the game was released featuring disc artwork by contributors to the Working Designs website, which lacked the extras of the collector's edition. A Windows
Microsoft Windows
Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
-based PC version of Silver Star Story was released in Japan in December 1999 by DigiCube
DigiCube
DigiCube Co., Ltd. was a Japanese company established as a subsidiary of software developer Square on February 6, 1996 and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. The primary purpose of DigiCube was to market and distribute Square products, most notably video games and related merchandise, including toys,...
featuring higher resolution graphics and video playback. Working Designs had expressed interest in bringing this version to North America in 2002, but claimed that the English version was too buggy and unstable to be released.
Audio
The music for Silver Star Story Complete consists of entirely new background themes by Noriyuki IwadareNoriyuki Iwadare
is a Japanese video game composer.-Biography:He was born in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture, Japan. He began to compose video game music after years of being involved with university bands. The first award he won the Best Game Music award, the Mega Drive/Genesis category for Lunar: The Silver...
. While Hiroshi Fujioka
Hiroshi Fujioka
, better known by his stage name , is a Japanese actor known for playing the hero Takeshi Hongo in the tokusatsu superhero series Kamen Rider, and later the Sega Saturn mascot Segata Sanshiro. Fujioka is a cultural icon in Japan, even having the minor planet 12408 Fujioka, discovered by Akimasa...
, Isao Mizoguchi, and Yoshiaki Kubodera collaborated with Iwadare on the Sega-CD version, only Iwadare would return for the remake, composing nearly one hundred new songs. When creating the music for Silver Star Story Complete, Iwadare drew from his own experiences, admitting that he was trying to put a personal touch on his work and "express [myself] through [my] honest emotions". Music director Isao Mizoguchi claims that the music process was "a little different" than the companies' previous works, with the game's main themes being composed before they viewed the scenes that required them, making adjustments as they went along. Each song was divided into four categories: town or village, dungeon, battle, or field; each with their own pacing and emotional direction. Iwadare described the game's music as "very well received" according to fan feedback. The Japanese version features a new opening theme, Tsu·Ba·Sa (Tsubasa, lit. Wings) performed by Kyōko Hikami
Kyoko Hikami
is a Japanese voice actress who was born in Kobe. She is part of the voice actress trio Furil which also consists of Wedding Peach voice castmates Yūko Miyamura and Yukana Nogami.-Notable voice roles:*Sudou in Atashinchi...
. An intermediary song, , also called "The Boat Song", was added to the game to heighten the emotion of Alex and Luna's departure into the world, which was kept at Mizoguchi's insistence even as material was being cut for time.
For the North American release, Victor Ireland had expressed interest in replacing many of the new themes with ones from the Sega-CD version, including the original opening theme Fighting Through the Darkness. After translating the game, however, Working Designs
Working Designs
Working Designs was an American video game publisher that specialized in the localization of Japanese console role-playing games, strategy video games and top-down shooters for various video game platforms. Though the company had published many 'cult hits', it was known best to fans as the...
was left with very little extra space on each game disc, and the idea was abandoned. Many of the arranged songs meant for the English release were included on a special soundtrack packaged with the collector's edition. The English version features the opening theme, Wings, performed by Jennifer Stigile
Jennifer Stigile
Jennifer Stigile is an actress and singer who is mostly known for voicing over Japanese video-games.She also performed the title song in a few of these games, e.g...
, who also performs Wind's Nocturne. Additionally, Working Designs' arrangements of classic Lunar: The Silver Star pieces were used to replace the new music in two animation sequences, A Trinity of Terror and The Green Earth.
Voice
| Voice actors | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Character | Japanese | English (Silver Star Complete) | English (Silver Star Harmony) |
| Alex | Akira Ishida Akira Ishida Akira Ishida is a prolific male seiyū born in Nisshin, Aichi, Japan.He was a part of Mausu Promotion from 1988 until March 2009... |
Ashley Angel Ashley Parker Angel Ashley Parker is an American singer and actor also known as Ashley Parker Angel.-Early years:Ashley Parker was born Ashley Ward Parker, the child of Darren and Paula Parker, and raised in the town of Redding, California. His grandparents are of German and Irish descent... |
Yuri Lowenthal Yuri Lowenthal Yuri Lowenthal is a voice actor that has voiced several anime and video game characters. He also voiced Kamal for the alternate reality game I Love Bees.... |
| Luna | Kyōko Hikami Kyoko Hikami is a Japanese voice actress who was born in Kobe. She is part of the voice actress trio Furil which also consists of Wedding Peach voice castmates Yūko Miyamura and Yukana Nogami.-Notable voice roles:*Sudou in Atashinchi... |
Rhonda Gibson | Danielle Judovits Danielle Judovits Danielle Judovits is an American voice actress, who has also been credited as Danielle Judovitz and Danielle Judouits.-Career:... |
| Nall | Junko Hagimori Junko Hagimori is a Japanese voice actress who works for Aoni Production.-Anime:*Lu and Su in Blue Gender*Higuma-san in Bonobono*Nene-chan's Mom in Crayon Shin-chan*Misaki Sakura in Hanasaka Tenshi Ten-Ten-kun*Cookie in Kishin Corps*VesVes in Sailor Moon Supers... |
Jackie Powers | Spike Spencer Spike Spencer Charles Forrest "Spike" Spencer is an American actor best known for dubbing Japanese anime films. He is best known for roles in ADV Films dubs of Neon Genesis Evangelion , Martian Successor Nadesico , and Excel Saga . He has also performed voice acting for radio, especially commercials... |
| Ramus | Yasuhiro Takato Yasuhiro Takato is a Japanese voice actor who works for Aoni Production.-Film and television:*Saruo in Dōbutsu no Mori , the film adaptation of the Animal Crossing video game series.*Mesopotamion Guy and Haou in Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo*Jean in Captain Tsubasa... |
Nancy Davis | unknown |
| Nash | Daisuke Sakaguchi Daisuke Sakaguchi is a Japanese voice actor affiliated with Aoni Production.-Television animation:*Atashin'chi *Baccano! *Bamboo Blade *Black Jack *Bleach *Bobobo-bo Bo-bobo... |
Leif Huckman | Sam Riegel Sam Riegel Samuel Brent Oscar "Sam" Riegel is a voice actor, writer and director who appears in many television cartoons, anime, and video games. He began as a child actor in theater in Virginia, and moved to New York City to perform in Broadway and off-Broadway shows... |
| Mia Ausa | Yōko Asada Yoko Asada is a female Japanese voice actress from Hyōgo Prefecture. She is affiliated with the talent management firm 81 Produce.- Anime :* Golden Boy , Ayuko * Wedding Peach , Girl... |
Jackie Powers | Heather Hogan Heather Hogan Heather Hogan is an American actress best known for the second voice of Ducky in The Land Before Time 2, 3 and 4. She took this role after the death of Judith Barsi and did the voice of baby Nala in the Lion King merchandise.-Filmography:-External links:... |
| Jessica D'Alkirk | Haruna Ikezawa Haruna Ikezawa is a voice actress born in Athens, Greece, but raised in Kanagawa Prefecture. She was formerly affiliated with 81 Produce, but as of 2002, she is affiliated with Oscar Promotion... |
Melissa Gulden | Michelle Ruff Michelle Ruff Michelle Suzanne Ruff is an American voice actress known for her work in anime and video games.-Anime roles:* Angel Tales - Akane the fox* Ai Yori Aoshi - Aoi Sakuraba* Arc the Lad - Meril... |
| Kyle | Tomokazu Seki Tomokazu Seki is a Japanese voice actor. He formerly worked for Haikyou and is now the head of Atomic Monkey.-About:Some of his most notable roles include Shinichi Chiaki from Nodame Cantabile, Gilgamesh from Fate/stay night, Rob Lucci from One Piece, Gundam characters Domon Kasshu and Yzak Joule, from G Gundam... |
John Haas | Kyle Herbert |
| Quark | Yūsaku Yara Yusaku Yara is a Japanese actor and voice actor from Tokyo. He is currently affiliated with Vi-Vo. His real name is ', and his former stage name was .He is best known for his roles in Chibi Maruko-chan as Hiroshi Sakura, Kiteretsu Daihyakka as Kiteretsu's Papa, the 1989 version of Sally, the Witch as Sally's... |
Hal Delahousse | unknown |
| Laike / Dyne | Akio Ōtsuka | Blake Dorsey | Joe J. Thomas |
| Mel D'Alkirk | Yūsaku Yara | Keith Lack | unknown |
| Lemia Ausa | Aya Hara Aya Hara is a Japanese voice actress from Ōita Prefecture affiliated with Aoni Production.- Anime :* Case Closed * Galaxy Fraulein Yuna * Galaxy Fraulein Yuna Returns... |
Dixie Garret | Kate Higgins Kate Higgins Catherine Davis "Kate" Higgins is an American voice actress, singer, and jazz pianist. She was born in Charlottesville, Virginia grew up in Auburn, Alabama, and currently lives in Los Angeles. She is best known as the English voice of Sakura Haruno on the hit anime series Naruto, Talho Yūki from... |
| Ghaleon | Kiyoyuki Yanada Kiyoyuki Yanada Kiyoyuki Yanada is a seiyū who was born in Tokyo. He was a member of 81 Produce.-Notable voice roles:*After School in the Teacher's Lounge *Baten Kaitos... |
John Truitt | Troy Baker Troy Baker Troy Baker is an American actor and voice actor who works with anime films, television series, as well as video games.... |
| Royce | Machiko Toyoshima | Jennifer Stigile | |
| Phacia | Sakura Tange Sakura Tange Sakura Tange is an idol, seiyū and singer who was born in Ichinomiya, Aichi, Japan. She is best known for providing the voice of Sakura Kinomoto in the anime series Cardcaptor Sakura.... |
Paula Angel | Michelle Ruff Michelle Ruff Michelle Suzanne Ruff is an American voice actress known for her work in anime and video games.-Anime roles:* Angel Tales - Akane the fox* Ai Yori Aoshi - Aoi Sakuraba* Arc the Lad - Meril... |
| Xenobia | Aya Hara | Katheryn Kirk | |
| Tempest | Yasunori Masutani Yasunori Masutani Yasunori Masutani is a seiyū, or voice actor, born at Sapporo, Hokkaidō, Japan on July 5, 1961. He is affiliated with Aoni Production.-Selected Voice Roles:* Gazelleman in Kinnikuman Nisei* Raphael Sorel in Soulcalibur II... |
Chad Letts | |
| Fresca | Sakura Tange Sakura Tange Sakura Tange is an idol, seiyū and singer who was born in Ichinomiya, Aichi, Japan. She is best known for providing the voice of Sakura Kinomoto in the anime series Cardcaptor Sakura.... |
Melissa Gulden | |
| Myght | Yūsaku Yara | Dean Williams | |
| Althena | Ai Maeda | N/A | unknown |
| Eiphel | Mitsuaki Madono Mitsuaki Madono is a voice actor who was born in Osaka, Japan. He has a penchant for voicing characters who are supposedly jokers, but sometimes hide a more insidious nature is a voice actor (seiyū) who was born in Osaka, Japan. He has a penchant for voicing characters who are supposedly jokers, but sometimes... |
N/A | Spike Spencer Spike Spencer Charles Forrest "Spike" Spencer is an American actor best known for dubbing Japanese anime films. He is best known for roles in ADV Films dubs of Neon Genesis Evangelion , Martian Successor Nadesico , and Excel Saga . He has also performed voice acting for radio, especially commercials... |
| Five Princes of the Black Star: Fubau | Hiroshi Miyazaki Hiroshi Miyazaki is a Japanese video game music composer, sound designer and musician. Sometimes he was referred to as , , or simply MIYA.He is best known for his work on Tecmo video games such as the Captain Tsubasa series for the Super Famicom, but has also composed music for the Monster Rancher series and... |
N/A | unknown |
| Five Princes of the Black Star: Ratone | Tomonori Sayama | N/A | unknown |
| Five Princes of the Black Star: Igarune | Keita Toide | N/A | unknown |
| Five Princes of the Black Star: Serrona Mashune | Natsuki Dai | N/A | unknown |
| Five Princes of the Black Star: Cicero | Yukihiro Matsumura | N/A | unknown |
Silver Star Story Complete features twenty voiced characters, four times the original version. The characters' voices are used in pre-designated cut scenes, animated interludes and when using special attacks in battle. The English cast was composed of family and friends of the Working Designs staff, as well as local talent from the area. Ashley Angel
Ashley Parker Angel
Ashley Parker is an American singer and actor also known as Ashley Parker Angel.-Early years:Ashley Parker was born Ashley Ward Parker, the child of Darren and Paula Parker, and raised in the town of Redding, California. His grandparents are of German and Irish descent...
, Jenny Stigile (Magallanes), Rhonda Gibson, Jackie Powers, Hal Delahousse, and John Truitt reprise their roles, and were joined by a number of talents to fill out the game's expanded speaking roles. Working Designs had considered replacing Angel, as Victor Ireland felt he may have aged too much to convincingly play a young boy, but reconsidered after his rehearsal, commenting that "the players have all aged a bit since the original, so Alex could have aged a bit, too". Jenny Stigile (Magallanes) sings the intro song as well as the "Boat Song" in the English version. While the English cast returned, the Japanese version was completely re-cast from the Sega-CD original, bringing in several established anime
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
and game voice actors, including pop idol
Japanese idol
In Japanese culture, are media personalities in their teens and early twenties who are considered particularly attractive or cute and who will, for a period ranging from several months to a few years, regularly appear in the mass media, e.g...
Sakura Tange
Sakura Tange
Sakura Tange is an idol, seiyū and singer who was born in Ichinomiya, Aichi, Japan. She is best known for providing the voice of Sakura Kinomoto in the anime series Cardcaptor Sakura....
. A four-volume sound drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
album series, Lunatic Festa, was released in Japan between August and November 1996 featuring the Japanese voice actors performing skits and songs in-character, as well as arranged music tracks from the game.
Lunar Legend
Lunar Legend is a re-made version of Silver Star Story Complete for the Game Boy AdvanceGame Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
and was developed by Media Rings Corporation
Media Rings
was a Japanese music, video game, and software publishing company located in Akasaka, Tokyo. Founded in October 1989 as a music and video packaging firm, it since became a distributor and producer of electronic entertainment...
after acquiring the rights to produce a handheld adaptation of Game Arts
Game Arts
is a Japanese video game software developer located in Tokyo, Japan. Originally established in 1985 as a computer software company, they have since expanded their enterprise to produce for a number of game console and handheld systems...
' role-playing game. The game was announced in a November 2001 issue of Japanese Weekly Famitsu
Famitsu
is a line of Japanese video game magazines published by Enterbrain, Inc. and Tokuma. Currently, there are five Famitsū magazines: Shūkan Famitsū, Famitsū PS3 + PSP, Famitsū Xbox 360, Famitsū Wii+DS, and Famitsū Wave DVD...
magazine as a "powered up" version of the original Sega-CD and the 32-bit versions, with changes that would benefit players on the go and provide new story materials for veteran fans. Because of the game's limited 8-megabyte
Megabyte
The megabyte is a multiple of the unit byte for digital information storage or transmission with two different values depending on context: bytes generally for computer memory; and one million bytes generally for computer storage. The IEEE Standards Board has decided that "Mega will mean 1 000...
cart size, many features standard to the Lunar series such as voice acting and video sequences were omitted, with Media Rings instead utilizing real-time cutscenes using larger, more detailed character sprites to tell the story. Still images taken directly from Silver Star Story Completes animated videos would appear at certain points during the game to give it a more cinematic feel. Game Arts' primary goal in co-developing the new version was to provide the previous game's music, art, and script for Media Ring's use. Series producer Yoichi Miyaji joined the development team as a consultant, along with several other members of the Game Arts staff, in assisting project director Hisashi Sugawara in crafting a new vision of the game that would retain the same feel as previous adaptations. The game was originally scheduled for an March 2002 release, but was pushed back to the following April for last-minute changes.
The North American version became the first English Lunar title to not be produced by Working Designs
Working Designs
Working Designs was an American video game publisher that specialized in the localization of Japanese console role-playing games, strategy video games and top-down shooters for various video game platforms. Though the company had published many 'cult hits', it was known best to fans as the...
, with company president Victor Ireland passing on the project for undisclosed reasons. During the 2002 IEMA
Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association
The Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association was a United States-based non-profit organization dedicated to serving the business interests of leading retailers that sell Interactive entertainment software...
Executive Summit, Ubisoft Entertainment
Ubisoft
Ubisoft Entertainment S.A. is a major French video game publisher and developer, with headquarters in Montreuil, France. The company has a worldwide presence with 25 studios in 17 countries and subsidiaries in 26 countries....
announced they had acquired the publishing rights to Lunar Legend, with an initial release date of November 2002. Ubisoft's script remained closer to the original Japanese version than previous English endeavors, but retained Working Designs' character names and overall light-hearted tone. Rather than develop their own official Lunar Legend website, Ubisoft approached Mickey Shannon, webmaster of Lunar series fansite LunarNET, to create and host the game's official English page on his server.
Lunar: Silver Star Harmony
Lunar: Silver Star Harmony is a remake for the PSP, which has been released in Japan and North America. The game was featured in the Japanese game magazine Famitsu, with a two-page spread highlighting some of the game's upgrades over past releases. Along with a new isometric view, the game also features a hand-drawn style for the characters and backgrounds, a talking lead character (Alex), as well as new music and an expanded story. On May 29, 2009, Xseed GamesXSEED Games
XSEED redirects here. For the proposed supertall structure see X-Seed 4000.Xseed Games is a video game publisher and distributor founded by former members of Square Enix USA. Their goal is to bring high-quality interactive entertainment to the North American market...
announced Lunar: Silver Star Harmony for North America; originally set to be released on February 12, 2010, the game was later delayed until Feb. 23, then March 2. At release, a limited edition of the game was also available, which includes a soundtrack CD and full set of bromides
Bromide (Japanese culture)
In Japan, bromide , or promide refers to a category of commercial photographic portraits of celebrities including geisha, singers, actors and actresses of both stage and film, and sports stars...
featuring the female characters. The game mostly reused Working Designs' scripts and XSeed also recruited Jennifer Stigile (who performed the English versions of the songs for Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete) to re-record the songs for Lunar: Silver Star Harmony.
Reception
The Saturn version of Silver Star Story was well received in Japan, with Weekly Sega Saturn Magazine recognizing it as one of the most memorable gaming experiences of 1997. The PlayStation version received a 7 out of 10 score from Hyper PlayStation magazine, remarking that although it contained lower quality visual effects and movie playback than the previous Saturn releases, it still remained a solid role-playing game. It sold enough to qualify for SonySony Computer Entertainment
Sony Computer Entertainment, Inc. is a major video game company specializing in a variety of areas in the video game industry, and is a wholly owned subsidiary and part of the Consumer Products & Services Group of Sony...
's PlayStation the Best distinction, and was subsequently re-released in Japan in April 1999 at a budget price.
Silver Star Story Complete sold over 223,000 units within its first year in North America, including the entire production run of the four-disc collector's edition. The game became the highest-selling Working Designs title to date, and the second highest-selling role-playing game of 1999 behind Final Fantasy VIII
Final Fantasy VIII
is a role-playing video game released for the PlayStation in 1999 and for Windows-based personal computers in 2000. It was developed and published by Square as the Final Fantasy series' eighth title, removing magic point-based spell-casting and the first title to consistently use realistically...
. A heavy media push in magazines and websites brought recognition to the game, and alerted customers that Working Designs planned to cease production of the title starting December 31, 1999. English reviews of the game were typically favorable, with critics such as Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly
Electronic Gaming Monthly is a bimonthly American video game magazine. It has been published by EGM Media, LLC. since relaunching in April of 2010. Its previous run, which ended in January 2009, was published by Ziff Davis...
remarking that Lunars "plot, writing and voice acting are about the best you'll find", awarding the game a 9 out of 10 and an editor's choice gold award. The game's translation was equally applauded by PlayStation: The Official Magazine
PlayStation: The Official Magazine
PlayStation: The Official Magazine is a magazine originally known as PlayStation Magazine . After Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine was canceled, Sony Computer Entertainment announced on October 1, 2007 that PSM would become "PlayStation: The Official Magazine"...
, calling it "spotless", and remarking that Working Designs' unique humor was applied to every bit of text in the game, including weapon descriptions. Official PlayStation Magazine remarked that "what little [Lunar] lacks in visual punch, it more than makes up for in style, story and wholly engrossing gameplay" calling attention to the game's programming and extra packaging.
The game's two-dimensional graphics were among its most panned feature, with GamePro
GamePro
GamePro Media was a United States gaming media company publishing online and print content on the video game industry, video game hardware, and video game software developed for a video game console , a computer, and/or a mobile device . GamePro Media properties include GamePro magazine and...
commenting that the "flat battle areas, wimpy spells, and itty-bitty enemies will assault your eyes", citing the in-game animated cut scenes as the only saving grace. Game Informer
Game Informer
Game Informer is an American-based monthly magazine featuring articles, news, strategy, and reviews of popular video games and associated consoles. It was formed in August 1991, when FuncoLand started publishing a six-page magazine, free in all its retail locations...
conversely declared that the animated interludes were grainy and often would not display in true fullscreen, but remarked that it was "really a small gripe because Lunar has an entertaining story filled with enjoyable quips". Gamers' Republic recognized the inferiority of Lunars graphics to current role-playing games, but nonetheless found them "charming". GameSpot
GameSpot
GameSpot is a video gaming website that provides news, reviews, previews, downloads, and other information. The site was launched in May 1, 1996 by Pete Deemer, Vince Broady and Jon Epstein. It was purchased by ZDNet, a brand which was later purchased by CNET Networks. CBS Interactive, which...
simply described the graphics as "truly dated", adding that many of Lunars aesthetic qualities could be re-created on a Super Nintendo
Super Nintendo Entertainment System
The Super Nintendo Entertainment System is a 16-bit video game console that was released by Nintendo in North America, Europe, Australasia , and South America between 1990 and 1993. In Japan and Southeast Asia, the system is called the , or SFC for short...
. Technology magazine Silicon Mag called the game a "masterpiece", awarding it a 95% rating and declared it an asset to the game industry, calling it "a game that will sell systems, with gamers actually buying PlayStations just to play it". In 2000, Silver Star Story Complete ranked 22nd in IGN
IGN
IGN is an entertainment website that focuses on video games, films, music and other media. IGN's main website comprises several specialty sites or "channels", each occupying a subdomain and covering a specific area of entertainment...
's Top 25 PlayStation Games of All Time list, while in 2001 Electronic Gaming Monthly ranked it 75th on its list of the top 100 games of all time.
Legacy
Silver Star Story Complete would be the first of three major revamps of previous Lunar series games. The game's engine and several design concepts, such as fully animated video interludes and collectible bromides, would later be used in the development of Magic School Lunar!Magic School Lunar!
is a Japanese console role-playing game developed by Studio Alex in association with Game Arts and published by ESP Software and Kadokawa Shoten for the Sega Saturn in 1997...
in 1997 and Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete
Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete
Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete is a retitled version of , a Japanese role-playing video game. It is the sequel to Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete. Originally released in 1998 for the Sega Saturn console in Japan, it was ported to the PlayStation in 1999 and translated for the North American...
in 1998. Working Designs used the game's strong sales as justification to produce the English version of Eternal Blue Complete in North America, which also featured an elaborate collector's edition. A four-part Japanese novelization of Silver Star Story's events would later be written by Kei Shigema and published in 2001.
External links
- Official Silver Star Story website at Working DesignsWorking DesignsWorking Designs was an American video game publisher that specialized in the localization of Japanese console role-playing games, strategy video games and top-down shooters for various video game platforms. Though the company had published many 'cult hits', it was known best to fans as the...
(archivedInternet ArchiveThe Internet Archive is a non-profit digital library with the stated mission of "universal access to all knowledge". It offers permanent storage and access to collections of digitized materials, including websites, music, moving images, and nearly 3 million public domain books. The Internet Archive...
) - Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete at LunarNET
- Lunar Legend at LunarNET