Lunar: Walking School
Encyclopedia
Lunar: Walking School is a console role-playing game in the Lunar series
released for the Sega
Game Gear in Japan in 1995. Since then, no international versions or translations have officially been released, though an unofficial English translation was released in 2009.http://agtp.romhack.net/project.php?id=lunar It was developed and produced by the Japanese software company Game Arts
and Studio Alex
, their in-house development team responsible for other Lunar titles.
Even though the game was released after Lunar: The Silver Star
, it is set hundreds of years before it. Several creatures and places from the game also make an appearance. The game was remade two years later for the Sega Saturn
as Magic School Lunar!
.
school located on an island called Ien. There, along with several other youths, the girls find the school and the area around it completely deserted, and try to establish order by getting all the students together within the surrounding town. During their stay, they encounter several magical creatures and monsters who also call the island home, all while they continue to search for their instructors.
The game itself is divided into 12 chapters, each one presented with a curtain closing and opening.
perspective, with menus appearing along the left edge of the screen.
The character menu can be accessed at any time and allow the use of items, magic, or other gameplay settings. A player's progress is saved on one of three possible slots using the Game Gear's battery back-up.
. She is selected along with her best friend Lena to attend the floating magic school. Somewhat quiet and reserved, she is very loyal to her friends and has a naturally curious personality.
Lena: Ellie's best friend since childhood. Unlike Ellie, she is very talkative and often sticks up for herself when bullied about her height. She likes to wear fancy clothing and is quite self-confident.
Senia: A young Beastwoman who attends the magic school with Ellie and Lena. Though she is very strong and athletic, she can command some powerful magic as well. Almost as vocal as Lena, and the two of them became fast friends.
Wing: A mysterious and quiet boy who is a later addition to the school's roster. Naturally gifted at using magic, Wing makes a name for himself early, and is actually enrolled on a scholarship
.
Barua: Second-in-command of the Vile Tribe who has an interest in Wing. Commands a wide assortment of dark magic.
Memphis: Power-hungry leader of the Vile Tribe who worships an entity known as "D".
Lunar series
The Lunar games, made by Game Arts and published in the United States by Working Designs, and later, Ubisoft and Xseed Games, are a series of console RPGs...
released for the Sega
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...
Game Gear in Japan in 1995. Since then, no international versions or translations have officially been released, though an unofficial English translation was released in 2009.http://agtp.romhack.net/project.php?id=lunar It was developed and produced by the Japanese software company 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...
and Studio Alex
Studio Alex
Studio Alex was a Japanese video game development firm. It was founded by respected programmer Kazunari Tomi, a former employee of Nihon Falcom whose credits include Sorcerian, Star Trader, and Dinosaur...
, their in-house development team responsible for other Lunar titles.
Even though the game was released after 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...
, it is set hundreds of years before it. Several creatures and places from the game also make an appearance. The game was remade two years later for 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...
as 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...
.
Story
Walking School tells the tale of a young girl named Ellie and her best friend, Lena, as they leave their quiet lives as field workers in the town of Burg to enroll in a newly established magicMagic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
school located on an island called Ien. There, along with several other youths, the girls find the school and the area around it completely deserted, and try to establish order by getting all the students together within the surrounding town. During their stay, they encounter several magical creatures and monsters who also call the island home, all while they continue to search for their instructors.
The game itself is divided into 12 chapters, each one presented with a curtain closing and opening.
Gameplay
The game has several elements common to CRPGs, with 2D character sprites and environments. During the game, the player will encounter monsters that are fought randomly within dungeons, and gain experience from winning battles. Magic and additional skills are unlocked through leveling up, as well as allowing the characters to grow stronger. The battles take place from a first-personFirst person (video games)
In video games, first person refers to a graphical perspective rendered from the viewpoint of the player character. In many cases, this may be the viewpoint from the cockpit of a vehicle. Many different genres have made use of first-person perspectives, ranging from adventure games to flight...
perspective, with menus appearing along the left edge of the screen.
The character menu can be accessed at any time and allow the use of items, magic, or other gameplay settings. A player's progress is saved on one of three possible slots using the Game Gear's battery back-up.
Playable characters
Ellie: The main character of the story who grew up in a small town working on her father's farmFarm
A farm is an area of land, or, for aquaculture, lake, river or sea, including various structures, devoted primarily to the practice of producing and managing food , fibres and, increasingly, fuel. It is the basic production facility in food production. Farms may be owned and operated by a single...
. She is selected along with her best friend Lena to attend the floating magic school. Somewhat quiet and reserved, she is very loyal to her friends and has a naturally curious personality.
Lena: Ellie's best friend since childhood. Unlike Ellie, she is very talkative and often sticks up for herself when bullied about her height. She likes to wear fancy clothing and is quite self-confident.
Senia: A young Beastwoman who attends the magic school with Ellie and Lena. Though she is very strong and athletic, she can command some powerful magic as well. Almost as vocal as Lena, and the two of them became fast friends.
Wing: A mysterious and quiet boy who is a later addition to the school's roster. Naturally gifted at using magic, Wing makes a name for himself early, and is actually enrolled on a scholarship
Scholarship
A scholarship is an award of financial aid for a student to further education. Scholarships are awarded on various criteria usually reflecting the values and purposes of the donor or founder of the award.-Types:...
.
Other characters
Ant, Kule, and Rick: Three boys accepted into the magic school who make it their business to tease and otherwise make life difficult for Ellie and Lena. Eventually, they warm up to each other, but only after a lengthy exchange of insults.Barua: Second-in-command of the Vile Tribe who has an interest in Wing. Commands a wide assortment of dark magic.
Memphis: Power-hungry leader of the Vile Tribe who worships an entity known as "D".