Retro Rewind - Lunar: Silver Star Story
While Lunar: Silver Star Story was released in 1996 on the Sega Saturn, most gamers remember this outstanding game from its 1998 Playstation release. While cut scenes were present on earlier versions, updated scenes were added for the Playstation version while the story and characters remained largely unchanged. Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete defined what it meant to take in a classic and memorable role playing game. The four disc set was not the only thing the people received when buying the game. In addition, gamers received a hard cover, beautiful instruction manual, the game's soundtrack and a "making of" CD as well as an art book.
Lunar's Reception
Lunar had been an immediate cult hit when it was released in Japan. Until its complete release in the United States, the game enjoyed only limited popularity. Lunar proved one thing to the video game market, however. Graphics weren't everything. To the gamers of the time, the graphics in Lunar: Silver Star Story were already beginning to look a little dated with the rise of 3D gaming on the N64 and Playstation. The engaging story and interesting characters are what drove most people to Lunar. When you walked away after beating the game, you actually felt like you had gone on a long adventure, the overall point of an RPG.
What Made Lunar Truly Great?
Of course, many argued that, even in 1999, the story in Lunar: Silver Star Story was a little cliché on the surface. A young boy, Alex, has always dreamed of becoming a Dragonmaster. His chunky pal Ramus convinces Alex that he should embark on a quest to capture a dragon diamond from a nearby cave. Of course, Alex's potential love mate decides to tag along to keep Alex out of any trouble he is sure to get himself into. Yes, the beginning of the game tends to drag along. However, once you obtain the first diamond, the story became more and more interesting with exciting plot twists and the addition of a variety of helpful characters.
One of the major reasons that many players enjoyed Lunar: Silver Star Story was the combat system. Unlike many RPGs of the time, every enemy was visible on the screen. You could see where an enemy was patrolling and avoid them or use them to smash into and clear obstacles. The boss fights (with absolutely incredible music) were second to none with puzzling combat orders and gorgeous spells that made you hope they destroyed your party with an all encompassing instant death (well' depending on when you last saved the game).
Lunar: Silver Star Harmony
Recently, another update of this now classic game was released with even further updates in an attempt to rework the game's graphics and update the combat system and game flow. For those that have been holding off on this great game due to the dated graphics, now is the time to experience the game as a work of creative art. Exclusively on PSP, you won't get the fantastic package that Working Designs provided in 1999. In fact, you will have to part with upwards of $200.00 to get your hands on the original package. However, for around $30.00, you can experience the power of a classic RPG from a time when story was still the primary consideration in video games.
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