Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete
Encyclopedia
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 America
n market in 2000
by the US publisher Working Designs
. Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete is a remake of Lunar: Eternal Blue
, originally released for the Sega CD platform. This game is part of the Lunar series.
Similar to the critical reaction of the first game, praises were given to Lunar 2 for featuring an enormous amount of material appealing to players on a personal level, particularly likable characters with quests helped with their growth to maturity; in the case of two main characters, they develop a powerful romance. The dialogue
is also well-received as even minor characters have rich amount of dialogues. There are several hand-animated
full-motion video cutscene
s, as well as a notable soundtrack, and after coming to the end of the initial game, an optional second adventure may serve as an epilogue
.
. Once again, Lunar (an inhabited moon that circles a planet called The Blue Star) is endangered, this time by the return of Zophar, the God of Evil responsible for the destruction of life on the Blue Star millennia before. This causes Lucia, a being assigned the task of eventually reviving life on the Blue Star, to awaken before her time and set forth on a mission to once again eliminate Zophar's influence.
The story then unfolds from the perspective of Hiro, a teenaged archaeologist
who resides in the Salyan Desert
with his grandparent
and adolescent dragon companion Ruby (who, like Nall in the previous game, resembles a talking, winged cat). The game begins with Hiro and Ruby pilfering a Dragon's Eye jewel from one of the several ancient ruins
in their region. The escapade ends with Hiro inadvertently setting off a trap that forces them to flee from the ruins and ultimately prevents their return.
On the way back to the research outpost, Hiro and Ruby are stopped by a principle member of Althena's Guards, the arrogant and boisterous White Knight Leo, who informs them that a 'Destroyer' is to appear at the ruins to the Northwest and that they should return to their homes immediately. Upon arriving at their home, the two find Leo attempting to extract information about the nearby ruins (referred to as 'The Blue Spire') from their grandfather Gwyn, an elderly archaeologist, in the hope of achieving access to the ruins' impenetrable interior. Finding Gwyn of little use, Leo departs, leaving the three of them to ponder the arrival of the so-called 'Destroyer'. When Hiro climbs to the roof to survey the status of their surroundings, he witnesses a mysterious light emanating from the Blue Spire. He informs his grandfather of the strange phenomenon, and the three of them decide to investigate the ruins for themselves.
is dramatically different from the game it was based upon, Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete follows its original, Lunar: Eternal Blue
, closely. This discrepancy has had an unintended effect of opening plot hole
s in Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete, due to the fact that the remake follows the original continuity of the Sega CD games in several places, rather than the altered continuity established in Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete.
as Althena, remaining as Luna out of love for Alex. However, that claim contradicts Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete, in which Althena gave up her immortality before she ever met Alex. The explanation for this is that the dialogue is essentially unchanged from the Sega CD version of Lunar 2, and in the original continuity, Luna was merely one of Althena's many routine incarnations, and after Luna's life had ended, Althena was to return to her tower. Meanwhile, in Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete, Luna is the last human incarnation of Althena, and fully mortal from the start.
Taben's Peak is named after the Vile Tribe inventor, Taben, and is the ruined Grindery.
Nall speaks several times about his friends from the first game, and at one point names them all. He also gives Hiro the sword Alex used.
Ramus is the descendant of Alex's friend Ramus hundreds of years earlier. He has similar physical characteristics and the same eye for business.
Luna, Mia, and Jessica all have Bromides, two in the main game and the other in the epilogue.
Despite being an overall flunk in US sales the game has grown a reputation as an underground cult-classic and is regularly held as a must-own RPG Playstation classic amongst the fans.
on Sega CD are numerous. The Lunar 2 remake implements many of the same gameplay revisions as are found in Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete
; there are no battles on the overworld
and no random encounter
s. Also like Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete, the size of most of Lunar 2s many dungeons decreased substantially from the original game. Four dungeons were cut from the remake, and several new ones were added (the exact number varies from Saturn
to PlayStation). The Magic Experience system from the original game does not appear in the remake. The graphics are more detailed than in the original release, due to the higher resolution
and broader color palette of 32-bit platforms, compared with the Sega CD. While many monsters from the Sega CD version recur, they are all redrawn, and a number of bosses look quite different. The overall number of full-motion video (FMV) cutscene
s in Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete is about 35, significantly reduced from the original MegaCD/SegaCD version's 61. A number of short, scene-setting cutscenes and minor character introductions were cut from the remake. Despite this, the total amount of FMV time is longer in the remake because many scenes were extended.
versions are as follows. The Saturn version has better quality music thanks to PCM
encoding. On the other hand, the PlayStation versions use sequenced audio similar to the MIDI
format. All sprite
transparencies in the Saturn version, including the dialogue and menu boxes, are replaced with either solid colors or dither
ing effects. The full-motion video cutscene
s in the Saturn version use the Saturn's standard Cinepak
software compression method, which, in spite of unusually clean encoding in this case, still tends to display more compression artifact
s than seen in the PlayStation versions. As the PlayStation versions use a higher-fidelity M-JPEG compression for the cutscenes, the game was extended onto a third disc for the Japanese and English PlayStation releases.
The PlayStation versions include a variety of features that were added after the Saturn version was released. The PlayStation versions feature one more cutscene than the Saturn version does. In the Saturn version, the first ending was simply still screens, while it is fully animated on the PlayStation versions. A number of bromides were added, and all bromides display at a higher resolution
than in the Saturn version. The Saturn version contains two new dungeons, while the PlayStation version adds an additional two, with a host of extra monsters and items to attend them.
The packaging for the Playstation game contained poster of the cover art on one side, and a map on the other, along with a hardcover instruction booklet, paper standee's of the characters, and a large replica of Lucia's pendant. Many game-stores had promotional Ghaleon punching puppets for pre-orders. There was also to be an Alex punching puppet for the pre-order for the computer game, but was never made, therefore, the Alex punching puppet has never been made available.
Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete
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...
. Originally released in 1998
1998 in video gaming
-Events:*Academy of Interactive Arts & Sciences hosts 1st Annual Interactive Achievement Awards; inducts Shigeru Miyamoto of Nintendo to the AIAS Hall of Fame*British Academy of Film and Television Arts hosts the 1st annual BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards...
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...
console in Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, it was ported to the PlayStation in 1999
1999 in video gaming
-Events:*British Academy of Film and Television Arts hosts the 2nd annual BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Awards*March – Game Over republished as “Game Over: Press Start to Continue”...
and translated for the North America
North America
North America is a continent wholly within the Northern Hemisphere and almost wholly within the Western Hemisphere. It is also considered a northern subcontinent of the Americas...
n market in 2000
2000 in video gaming
-Events:* May 11–13 — 6th annual Electronic Entertainment Expo ; the 3rd annual Game Critics Awards for the Best of E³* June 26 — International Game Developers Association renamed from Computer Game Developers Association...
by the US publisher 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...
. Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete is a remake of 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...
, originally released for the Sega CD platform. This game is part of the Lunar series.
Similar to the critical reaction of the first game, praises were given to Lunar 2 for featuring an enormous amount of material appealing to players on a personal level, particularly likable characters with quests helped with their growth to maturity; in the case of two main characters, they develop a powerful romance. The dialogue
Dialogue
Dialogue is a literary and theatrical form consisting of a written or spoken conversational exchange between two or more people....
is also well-received as even minor characters have rich amount of dialogues. There are several hand-animated
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....
full-motion video cutscene
Cutscene
A cutscene is a sequence in a video game over which the player has no or only limited control, breaking up the gameplay and used to advance the plot, strengthen the main character's development, introduces enemy characters, and provide background information, atmosphere, dialogue, and clues...
s, as well as a notable soundtrack, and after coming to the end of the initial game, an optional second adventure may serve as an epilogue
Epilogue
An epilogue, epilog or afterword is a piece of writing at the end of a work of literature or drama, usually used to bring closure to the work...
.
Storyline
The story takes place approximately one thousand years after the events of Lunar: Silver Star Story CompleteLunar: Silver Star Story Complete
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...
. Once again, Lunar (an inhabited moon that circles a planet called The Blue Star) is endangered, this time by the return of Zophar, the God of Evil responsible for the destruction of life on the Blue Star millennia before. This causes Lucia, a being assigned the task of eventually reviving life on the Blue Star, to awaken before her time and set forth on a mission to once again eliminate Zophar's influence.
The story then unfolds from the perspective of Hiro, a teenaged archaeologist
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
who resides in the Salyan Desert
Desert
A desert is a landscape or region that receives an extremely low amount of precipitation, less than enough to support growth of most plants. Most deserts have an average annual precipitation of less than...
with his grandparent
Grandparent
Grandparents are the parents of a person's own parent, whether that be a father or a mother. Every sexually-reproducing creature who is not a genetic chimera has a maximum of four genetic grandparents, eight genetic great-grandparents, sixteen genetic great-great-grandparents, etc...
and adolescent dragon companion Ruby (who, like Nall in the previous game, resembles a talking, winged cat). The game begins with Hiro and Ruby pilfering a Dragon's Eye jewel from one of the several ancient ruins
Ruins
Ruins are the remains of human-made architecture: structures that were once complete, as time went by, have fallen into a state of partial or complete disrepair, due to lack of maintenance or deliberate acts of destruction...
in their region. The escapade ends with Hiro inadvertently setting off a trap that forces them to flee from the ruins and ultimately prevents their return.
On the way back to the research outpost, Hiro and Ruby are stopped by a principle member of Althena's Guards, the arrogant and boisterous White Knight Leo, who informs them that a 'Destroyer' is to appear at the ruins to the Northwest and that they should return to their homes immediately. Upon arriving at their home, the two find Leo attempting to extract information about the nearby ruins (referred to as 'The Blue Spire') from their grandfather Gwyn, an elderly archaeologist, in the hope of achieving access to the ruins' impenetrable interior. Finding Gwyn of little use, Leo departs, leaving the three of them to ponder the arrival of the so-called 'Destroyer'. When Hiro climbs to the roof to survey the status of their surroundings, he witnesses a mysterious light emanating from the Blue Spire. He informs his grandfather of the strange phenomenon, and the three of them decide to investigate the ruins for themselves.
Heroes
-
- Game Arts official name: Hiero
- Origin: Salyan Desert
- Age: 16
- Interests: Treasure-hunting, adventuring
- Voice: / Chad Letts
- The male lead of the game, Hiro is a daring young adventurer who lives with Ruby and his grandfather Gwyn. Due to Gwyn being an archaeologistArchaeologyArchaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
, Hiro has an admiration of the history of Lunar. When he and Ruby gain access to the Blue Spire with a crystal they found in an ancient dungeon, they meet Lucia and are thrust into the events surrounding her that will decide the fate of Lunar. Hiro's love for Lucia develops gradually over the game, and he is heartbroken when she returns to the Blue Star after Zophar is defeated. He then sets off on a new quest to find a way to get to the Blue Star so that he can be with her again (the Epilogue). With the help of the Star Dragon, Hiro is able to reach the Blue Star and is reunited with Lucia. His role is similar to that of Alex from Lunar 1, serving as primary damage dealer in battle, but Hiro exhibits his personality more openly by speaking much more often than Alex had (another notable difference being that Hiro never becomes the Dragonmaster like Alex had).
-
- Game Arts official name: Ruby
- Origin: Salyan Desert(?)
- Age: Unknown
- Interests: Being with Hiro
- Voice: / Jennifer StigileJennifer StigileJennifer 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...
- Ruby is Hiro's partner in crime at the beginning of the game. She resembles Nall from Lunar: Silver Star Story CompleteLunar: Silver Star Story CompleteLunar: 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...
in appearance, and like Nall, she has a high-pitched voice and serves both as comic relief and as a mentor for the main protagonistProtagonistA protagonist is the main character of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical narrative, around whom the events of the narrative's plot revolve and with whom the audience is intended to most identify...
. She is often sarcasticSarcasmSarcasm is “a sharp, bitter, or cutting expression or remark; a bitter jibe or taunt.” Though irony and understatement is usually the immediate context, most authorities distinguish sarcasm from irony; however, others argue that sarcasm may or often does involve irony or employs...
, and while she is very practical and acts as a voice of reason for Hiro in some things, in others ways she is naïve and reactionary. Ruby and Hiro have been together since childhood. Ruby has a childish crush on Hiro and initially becomes jealous of the ease with which Lucia dominates Hiro's attention. She ultimately joins Nall in the ranks of the Four Dragons, as the Red Dragon. Romance between her and the now much-older Nall is implied at the end, though not stated outright.
-
- Game Arts official name: Guen
-
- Voice: / (Uncredited)
- Gwyn is an elderly, somewhat eccentric beastman, and Hiro's adoptive grandfather. Though very old, he is a competent archaeologist and skilled with healing magic. He accompanies Hiro, Ruby, and Lucia in the Blue Spire, but he permanently leaves the party after Lucia is cursed, due to his age.
-
- Game Arts official name: Lucier
- Origin: The Blue Star
- Age: Unknown
- Interests: Singing
- Voice: / Kelly Weaver
- The female lead of the game, Lucia is the guardian of the Blue Star. She has existed for thousands of years, watching over the Blue Star until it is capable of being inhabited again. At her introduction, she is solely concerned with locating Althena, being as Zophar is manifesting himself on Lunar and Althena has apparently not taken any preventive action. To this end, she has no concept of human society, and a very limited understanding of human emotion, along with her own feelings. She also has tendency to take figurative language very literally. Over the course of the game, Lucia slowly develops a personality of her own, falling in love with Hiro and fighting with him against the revival of Zophar. When Zophar is defeated, she returns to the Blue Star so that she can concentrate on its restoration once again, but she is ultimately awakened by Hiro, who has found his way there with the help of the Star Dragon. In battle she can't be controlled by the player and will simply use magic to do damage or heal the party depending on the situation. Unlike other characters, Lucia does not have a counterpart from Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete.
-
- Game Arts official name: Rong-fa
- Origin: Raculi Village
- Age: 19
- Interests: Gambling, drinking
- Voice: / Ned Schuft
- First mentioned as a powerful priest and healer, when Hiro, Ruby, and Lucia meet Ronfar, they find that he is nothing more than an alcoholicAlcoholismAlcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, womanizing, compulsive gamblerGamblingGambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
. He denies that he was ever a priest, but when he realizes that Hiro and Lucia may be the key to confronting his past and his lost love Mauri, he agrees to give up his self-indulgent lifestyle in order to assist them in their quest. Ronfar takes the role that Jessica did in Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete, serving as the party's main healer, though his actual personality is more similar to Kyle's than anyone else's (the main difference being that while Kyle indulged in his roguish acts for his own enjoyment, Ronfar did so partly to forget his feelings of guilt over Mauri).-
- Game Arts official name: Jean
- Origin: Unknown
- Age: 18
- Interests: Dancing
- Voice: / Jennifer Stigile
-
- Jean is introduced as the star dancer in a traveling caravan. She presents herself in a friendly, sisterly way, but she also seems to be running from a dark secret in her past. It is later discovered that she is a former member of the Shadow Dragon Cult, and that she was trained at a young age to be a human killing machine with no thoughts or emotions. She rejected that lifestyle and suppressed the memories associated with it, ultimately retraining (under Lunn, though she was not aware it was the same person that led the Shadow Dragon Cult) in the Blue Dragon Fist martial artsMartial artsMartial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
style. She is forced to confront her past when Lunn reveals himself to be the master of the Shadow Dragon Cult. After the battle with Zophar, she returns to the life of a dancer in a traveling carnival. For most of the game, Jean fulfills a role similar to Kyle's in Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete, that of a second fighter who (at least in the beginning) is stronger than the main character. She may also be compared to Nash in that her magic attacks cause status effects, and Jessica in terms of personality.
-
- Game Arts official name: Remiena
- Origin: Vane
- Age: 16
- Interests: Making money
- Voice: / Kathy Ostrander
- A descendant of Mia Ausa and Nash from Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete and junior Premier of the Magic Guild of Vane. Lemina is a dead-ringer for her illustrious ancestor Mia and is equally talented in magic, but for all of her apparent sweetness, Lemina has none of Mia's mild manners or delicacy. She is pushy, conceited, hyperactive, and naively believes that Vane's ultimate restoration may occur in her lifetime. She is the party's black mage and gold-digger, always trying (and failing) to sell the party things that either they don't want or she doesn't have anyway. She often expresses herself by attaching the adverb "mega" to whatever she feels at the time, such as saying "mega-hurry" whenever she feels impatient.
-
- Game Arts official name: Nall
- Origin: Unknown
- Age: 1500-1600 (estimated)
-
- Interests: KaraokeKaraokeis a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
- Voice: / Matt Atwood
- Interests: Karaoke
- Nall is the now venerable White Dragon. He demonstrates the ability to take three forms, his original 'flying cat' form, his Dragon form, and his new favorite, the form of a delinquent-ish kid with a bad attitude. He is met by the other protagonists at Taben's Peak, where he is the caretaker to a large group of orphans. His powers, however, were sealed by Ghaleon, rendering Nall unable to assist the heroes in any way until the seal is broken. After the seal is broken, Nall and the other dragons cooperatively destroy false Althena's capital, Pentagulia.
Villains
-
- Game Arts official name: Zone Pharaoh
- Age: Immortal
- Voice: / T. Owen Smith
- Zophar is the primary villainVillainA villain is an "evil" character in a story, whether a historical narrative or, especially, a work of fiction. The villain usually is the antagonist, the character who tends to have a negative effect on other characters...
of the game. A god of Darkness, Destruction, and EvilEvilEvil is the violation of, or intent to violate, some moral code. Evil is usually seen as the dualistic opposite of good. Definitions of evil vary along with analysis of its root motive causes, however general actions commonly considered evil include: conscious and deliberate wrongdoing,...
, he arrived on the Blue Star thousands of years ago while it was still populated by humans. His evil permeated every corner of the Blue Star, and while Althena was able to seal him away, the war left the Blue Star utterly uninhabitable. Recently, Zophar has begun his revival, now on Lunar, by means of starting a new cult worshiping the false Althena. He is eventually defeated and banished back to the netherworld by Hiro, Lucia, and the other heroes.
-
- Game Arts official name: Althena
- Origin: Unknown
- Age: Unknown
- Interests: Admiring herself(?)
- Voice: / Katie Staeck
- The person Zophar assigned to impersonate Althena in order to control her followers is known only by this name. Her real name is never actually stated, though it is understood that she is indeed an ordinary human with no powers of her own, and that she is simply a figurehead in Zophar's service. False Althena obeys Zophar in hopes that the evil god will grant her eternal beauty and youth. When Hiro and Lucia arrive at the Goddess Tower after Pentagulia is destroyed, Zophar transforms her into a hideous monster with the intent not of stopping them but of slowing them down. The heroes quickly defeat her and proceed up the Goddess Tower unabated.
The Four Heroes and the Dragonmaster
The Four Heroes and the Dragonmaster serve the false Althena at the highest level, and they constitute the few humans who are allowed into the false Althena's immediate presence with any degree of regularity.-
- Game Arts official name: Ghaleon
- Origin: Vane (hundreds of years prior)
- Age: N/A (he is actually dead)
- Interests: Collecting antique books
- Voice: / John Truitt
- One of the few returning characters from Lunar 1, Ghaleon is the leader of the Four Heroes and is Zophar's right hand. He is introduced relatively early, and he states that Zophar resurrected him so that he might take revenge on the world that destroyed him (in Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete). Ghaleon confuses the heroes by saving them from Leo shortly after their initial meeting; at the entrance to Pentagulia, however, it is revealed that he is the Dragonmaster in the direct service of (the false) Althena. A notable difference from the original Eternal Blue is that Ghaleon bickers with the false Althena whenever he meets her. After Zophar has revived and consumed the Fortress of Althena, Ghaleon arrives, claiming to have come to Vane in order to execute Hiro and the party. When the heroes defeat Ghaleon, it's revealed that he was really working against Zophar the whole time (his reason for saving the heroes early in the game). He gives his sword to Hiro and encourages the party to trust each other and use all of their strength to vanquish Zophar. Zophar, realizing that Ghaleon was deceiving him all along, banishes Ghaleon back to the netherworld. Unlike his magic-based character in Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete, Ghaleon is much more of a knight and swordsman in Lunar 2. Ghaleon has an affinity for fairies and is known to have been protecting a group of them from the dangers taking place on Lunar.
-
- Game Arts official name: Leo
- Origin: Raculi Village
- Age: 19
- Interests: Swordsmanship
- Voice: / Ty Webb
- Leo is one of the Four Heroes, the leader of Althena's Guard, and the commander of the Dragonship Destiny. He is searching for the Destroyer, a foretold demon from the skies who intends to destroy Lunar, and he is led to believe that the Destroyer is Lucia. He mercilessly pursues the heroes aboard the Dragonship Destiny until he begins to question his faith, at which time he brings them to Pentagulia so that (the false) Althena may decide what to do with them. When Leo realizes that he may be being deceived by the false Althena, he dons a mask and takes the name Mystere in order to assist the heroes without arousing suspicion. When he realizes that his entire life is a sham for Zophar, he duels with Hiro, and when Hiro wins, Leo gives Hiro the Dragonship Destiny and leaves to search for the meaning of his life. He joins the party a few times in the game, in which he serves as another physical damage dealer, and he permanently joins the party for the Epilogue.
-
- Game Arts official name: Rainus
- Origin: Horam
- Age: Unknown
- Interests: Physical training
- Voice: / Blake Dorsey
- Lunn is one of the Four Heroes, and the governor of Meribia. He is also the secret leader of the Shadow Dragon Cult, a martial artsMartial artsMartial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
organization that trains assassins by using the Blue Dragon Fist's noble techniques for the purposes of evil. He took Jean under his wing in the Shadow Dragon Cult when she was very young and trained her to be an efficient and emotionless killing machine, but she rejected this and suppressed her memories. When the Shadow Dragon Cult (with Lunn at its head) goes public, Jean is forced to confront Lunn, a battle in which she is ultimately victorious. Lunn abandons the Cult and returns to the side of good after realizing his error.
-
- Game Arts official name: Bawgan
- Origin: Vane
- Age: Unknown
- Interests: Stamp collecting
- Voice: / Dean Williams
- One of the Four Heroes and the master of Neo Vane and it's Magic Guild, Borgan appears fairly early in the game to spirit Lemina's mother away. Though he poses as a powerful wizard, he actually has little magic power of his own; his apparent power is merely borrowed from the Black Dragon. Borgan has enslaved people to fulfill his dream of the creation of Neo Vane, an elite, "utopiaUtopiaUtopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
n" magic city meant to replace Vane. He also hopes to use Neo Vane to fulfill his petty romantic designs on Lemina's mother, and to give himself a false sense of superiority. Borgan is ultimately defeated by the heroes and thereafter realizes the error of his way, though he (to Lemina's chagrin) still has feelings for Lemina's mother.
-
- Game Arts official name: Mauli
- Origin: Raculi Village
- Age: 16
- Interests: Cooking
- Voice: / Emmunah Hauser
- One of the Four Heroes, Mauri is Leo's sister. Long ago, she was engaged to Ronfar, but they broke up, leading to Ronfar's fall into decadence, gamblingGamblingGambling is the wagering of money or something of material value on an event with an uncertain outcome with the primary intent of winning additional money and/or material goods...
, and alcoholismAlcoholismAlcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
. She eventually attained the rank of Red Priestess among the Four Heroes after she was possessed by a demon in the service of Zophar (the demon turning her evil was the reason Ronfar broke up with her). Later, it was discovered that a potion used to cure her of a disease was actually the Blood of Zophar, a draught that enslaved its imbibers to Zophar's service. When the demon possessing Mauri is defeated by Ronfar, Mauri returns to her normal self, and she and Ronfar restore their relationship.
Continuity gaps
While Lunar: Silver Star Story CompleteLunar: Silver Star Story Complete
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...
is dramatically different from the game it was based upon, Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete follows its original, 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...
, closely. This discrepancy has had an unintended effect of opening plot hole
Plot hole
A plot hole, or plothole, is a gap or inconsistency in a storyline that goes against the flow of logic established by the story's plot, or constitutes a blatant omission of relevant information regarding the plot...
s in Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete, due to the fact that the remake follows the original continuity of the Sega CD games in several places, rather than the altered continuity established in Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete.
Taben's Peak, the moving mountain
Players who are only familiar with the PlayStation remakes are often puzzled by the placement of Taben's Peak, the mountainous ruins of a huge mobile fortress which appeared in Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete. It appears on the outskirts of the city of Meribia in Eternal Blue Complete, but in the Lunar 1 remake, the fortress stopped far to the south of Meribia, resulting in a discrepancy of a greater distance than can be attributed to normal geographic changes over time. This inconsistency occurs because Taben's Peak is left in the same location it occupied in the Sega CD original, Lunar: The Silver Star, since moving it would negatively affect the Lunar 2 scenario. In the Sega CD continuity, the fortress was looming over on Meribia before it was stopped by the Lunar 1 heroes.Althena - reborn for love?
In Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete, Luna had created a magical hologram several hundred years before her death, which she entrusted to Nall, who would be alive for several thousand years after Luna herself had passed. The document was in preparation of Lucia's inevitable arrival on Lunar, in which Luna explains that she had given up her immortalityImmortality
Immortality is the ability to live forever. It is unknown whether human physical immortality is an achievable condition. Biological forms have inherent limitations which may or may not be able to be overcome through medical interventions or engineering...
as Althena, remaining as Luna out of love for Alex. However, that claim contradicts Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete, in which Althena gave up her immortality before she ever met Alex. The explanation for this is that the dialogue is essentially unchanged from the Sega CD version of Lunar 2, and in the original continuity, Luna was merely one of Althena's many routine incarnations, and after Luna's life had ended, Althena was to return to her tower. Meanwhile, in Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete, Luna is the last human incarnation of Althena, and fully mortal from the start.
Connections to Lunar 1
A book in Vane mentions that the Vile Tribe died off, but there is a handwritten note saying it is wrong and they still exist. The note is signed "Phacia".Taben's Peak is named after the Vile Tribe inventor, Taben, and is the ruined Grindery.
Nall speaks several times about his friends from the first game, and at one point names them all. He also gives Hiro the sword Alex used.
Ramus is the descendant of Alex's friend Ramus hundreds of years earlier. He has similar physical characteristics and the same eye for business.
Luna, Mia, and Jessica all have Bromides, two in the main game and the other in the epilogue.
Reception
Upon its release on November 30, 2000, the game was released with the same positive reviews that its predecessor received. IGN.com gave the game a rating of 8/10, criticizing the graphics but praising the games fun and simplicity. They stated, "This is exactly what the PlayStation needs... Lunar 2 has a reversed mentality... Instead of hiding behind a cloak of seriousness, it extracts qualities from simple themes that redeem it as a charming, fun game." The game also currently holds an 82.79% on Gamerankings.com Overall, the game received very favorable reviews from critics, and even greater reviews from fans. The fans have given the game a current rating of 8.9 on Gamefaqs.com, making it one of the highest rated RPG's on the original Playstation. Despite it's praise the game was not a success in US sales; and the lack of success in the US caused Working Designs to lose a substantial amount of money.Despite being an overall flunk in US sales the game has grown a reputation as an underground cult-classic and is regularly held as a must-own RPG Playstation classic amongst the fans.
Original to remake
The differences between this title and Lunar: Eternal BlueLunar: 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...
on Sega CD are numerous. The Lunar 2 remake implements many of the same gameplay revisions as are found in Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete
Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete
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...
; there are no battles on the overworld
Overworld
An overworld is, in a broad sense, an area within a video game that interconnects all its levels or locations. They are mostly common in role-playing games, though this does not exclude other video game genres....
and no random encounter
Random encounter
A random encounter is a feature commonly used in various role-playing games whereby encounters with non-player character enemies or other dangers occur sporadically and at random...
s. Also like Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete, the size of most of Lunar 2s many dungeons decreased substantially from the original game. Four dungeons were cut from the remake, and several new ones were added (the exact number varies from 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...
to PlayStation). The Magic Experience system from the original game does not appear in the remake. The graphics are more detailed than in the original release, due to the higher resolution
Display resolution
The display resolution of a digital television or display device is the number of distinct pixels in each dimension that can be displayed. It can be an ambiguous term especially as the displayed resolution is controlled by all different factors in cathode ray tube , flat panel or projection...
and broader color palette of 32-bit platforms, compared with the Sega CD. While many monsters from the Sega CD version recur, they are all redrawn, and a number of bosses look quite different. The overall number of full-motion video (FMV) cutscene
Cutscene
A cutscene is a sequence in a video game over which the player has no or only limited control, breaking up the gameplay and used to advance the plot, strengthen the main character's development, introduces enemy characters, and provide background information, atmosphere, dialogue, and clues...
s in Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete is about 35, significantly reduced from the original MegaCD/SegaCD version's 61. A number of short, scene-setting cutscenes and minor character introductions were cut from the remake. Despite this, the total amount of FMV time is longer in the remake because many scenes were extended.
Saturn to PlayStation
In technical categories, the differences between the PlayStation and Sega SaturnSega 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...
versions are as follows. The Saturn version has better quality music thanks to PCM
Pulse-code modulation
Pulse-code modulation is a method used to digitally represent sampled analog signals. It is the standard form for digital audio in computers and various Blu-ray, Compact Disc and DVD formats, as well as other uses such as digital telephone systems...
encoding. On the other hand, the PlayStation versions use sequenced audio similar to the MIDI
Musical Instrument Digital Interface
MIDI is an industry-standard protocol, first defined in 1982 by Gordon Hall, that enables electronic musical instruments , computers and other electronic equipment to communicate and synchronize with each other...
format. All sprite
Sprite (computer graphics)
In computer graphics, a sprite is a two-dimensional image or animation that is integrated into a larger scene...
transparencies in the Saturn version, including the dialogue and menu boxes, are replaced with either solid colors or dither
Dither
Dither is an intentionally applied form of noise used to randomize quantization error, preventing large-scale patterns such as color banding in images...
ing effects. The full-motion video cutscene
Cutscene
A cutscene is a sequence in a video game over which the player has no or only limited control, breaking up the gameplay and used to advance the plot, strengthen the main character's development, introduces enemy characters, and provide background information, atmosphere, dialogue, and clues...
s in the Saturn version use the Saturn's standard Cinepak
Cinepak
Cinepak is a video codec developed by Peter Barrett at SuperMac Technologies, and released in 1991 with the Video Spigot, and then in 1992 as part of Apple Computer's QuickTime video suite. It was designed to encode 320x240 resolution video at 1x CD-ROM transfer rates. The codec was ported to the...
software compression method, which, in spite of unusually clean encoding in this case, still tends to display more compression artifact
Compression artifact
A compression artifact is a noticeable distortion of media caused by the application of lossy data compression....
s than seen in the PlayStation versions. As the PlayStation versions use a higher-fidelity M-JPEG compression for the cutscenes, the game was extended onto a third disc for the Japanese and English PlayStation releases.
The PlayStation versions include a variety of features that were added after the Saturn version was released. The PlayStation versions feature one more cutscene than the Saturn version does. In the Saturn version, the first ending was simply still screens, while it is fully animated on the PlayStation versions. A number of bromides were added, and all bromides display at a higher resolution
Display resolution
The display resolution of a digital television or display device is the number of distinct pixels in each dimension that can be displayed. It can be an ambiguous term especially as the displayed resolution is controlled by all different factors in cathode ray tube , flat panel or projection...
than in the Saturn version. The Saturn version contains two new dungeons, while the PlayStation version adds an additional two, with a host of extra monsters and items to attend them.
The packaging for the Playstation game contained poster of the cover art on one side, and a map on the other, along with a hardcover instruction booklet, paper standee's of the characters, and a large replica of Lucia's pendant. Many game-stores had promotional Ghaleon punching puppets for pre-orders. There was also to be an Alex punching puppet for the pre-order for the computer game, but was never made, therefore, the Alex punching puppet has never been made available.
External links
- Home of Lunar Silver Star Information not only about the Lunar series