Lunar: The Silver Star is a classic Japanese RPG originally released for the Sega CD system and later remade for the Sony PlayStation. It was scaled down for a GameBoy Advance release in 2002, and has now seen a release for the PSP both on UMD and via the PlayStation Network store. The story tells the tale of young Alex, who idolizes the legendary Dragon Master Dyne and longs to become just like his hero, and suddenly finds himself thrust into a great adventure that might just force him into filling the shoes of that legendary figure.
For this review, Matt played the UMD version while I had the digital download for my PSPgo.
Mike: As is fairly typical for console games, I never played any of the Lunar games – in fact, my only other experience with the franchise was the dreadful 2005 DS game Lunar: Dragon Song. I also had no specific knowledge of Lunar: The Silver Star, nor that this PSP game was a remake. So starting up I was fairly clueless about everything – and my only thoughts were somewhat cringing and hoping this was better than the DS game. As always, Matt, I’ll be interested to hear how your history and experience with this franchise differs from mine.
I was clued into the fact that this was a port pretty quickly when the opening cutscenes were in 4:3 aspect ratio, and then the game itself filled the entire screen. But from the very start I felt immersed in a very traditional JRPG – there were interesting and quirky characters and an involved story where I knew I’d play a key role, and all of the characters were kids who would naturally end up as the only ones able to save the world.
Depending on how such a tidal wave of tropes and clichés are delivered, they can feel tired or inspired – and I found the story in Lunar: Silver Star Harmony to be fun and light and well presented. There are plenty of twists and turns throughout, and though none are very surprising, it is a fun ride. For me the best part was the characters – the developers did a great job of creating interesting characters to carry the story along.
The combat is a fairly typical menu-driven turn-based system similar to those found in most JRPG games of the era. You set up your party, choose options, or just define their behavior and have the AI carry out the battle round after round for you. I found myself doing that quite a bit, and it took the sameness out of the game for me.
So Matt – are you a veteran of this series, or are you a newbie like me? What are your thoughts?
Matt: For once, I think we’ve found a JRPG series you actually are more familiar with than I am. I’m somewhat ashamed to admit that I’ve never played a single game in the Lunar franchise before – not even Lunar: Dragon Song on the DS. I grew up on console JRPGs, but I never owned the consoles the Lunar games originally released on (Sega CD and Saturn), and when Lunar: Silver Star Complete came to the PS1 it just never appealed to me for some reason, which was weird given my fondness for the genre.
So pretty much like you, I went into Silver Star Harmony as a Lunar virgin (though I had known all along that it was a remake), and after playing it I feel even more guilty about having ignored the series for so long.
As you say, it is a very traditional JRPG, but it is a remake of an old classic so there was no reason to expect otherwise. And as a traditional JRPG, I think Silver Star Story is a wonderful game. The story is predictable at this point, but I enjoyed the more lighthearted approach compared to the angsty, pop-influenced vibe that has taken over the JRPG genre of late. Between its likable characters, colorfully remade graphics and strong musical presence, it sorta has the whimsical spirit of a Disney production. I also like how the game introduces you to new main characters with quick anime cutscenes. These scenes do a great job of providing immediate insight into a character’s personality and instantly cluing you in on what their role will be as the plot progresses.
Combat, again, is mostly typical JRPG fare, but there are a few subtleties that distinguish the game from others. Like always, battles start with your party on one side and the enemy party on the other, and from there you enact your turn-based battle plan from the usual choices of attacking, defending, casting spells, using items or fleeing. However, the battlefield is actually treated as a 3D space, so when you attack or perform another action your characters don’t just leap forward at the enemy and then bounce back into place, they move in to strike and stay put.
Characters can only move a certain distance as well, so if you choose to melee attack a creature on the other side of the screen, your character probably won’t make it close enough and your turn will be wasted. The only thing I don’t like about this is that you are never given any indication of your party’s reach. Early on I didn’t know about the movement restrictions and it was a little frustrating until I learned to gauge whether a creature was close enough to reach for a successful attack.
Another important thing to note is the game’s lack of random encounters. Instead, you can see your enemies roaming around the environment. There are times when pathways are so narrow that you are forced into combat no matter what, but most of the time you can evade encounters with quick fingers and a little patience to wait for a break in an enemy’s movement pattern. I never felt like the game was a grind like many other old-school JRPGs tend to be. What do you think?
Mike: I’m glad you mention the lighthearted vs. angsty difference. I have always had an issue with the way many JRPGs have done things since Final Fantasy VII with all of the teen angst … which is why my favorites in that franchise are the earlier games. So I share your enthusiasm for the lighthearted feel, and too really enjoyed the silly vignettes for the characters.
I had also noticed the 3D battlefield, which is still fairly rare in current JRPGs, but as more games such as the Legend of Heroes series actually deal with distance and space effectively it made me not even notice it here. That is a good thing – it means that Silver Star Harmony had a combat system that was well thought out and innovative, so that it remains feeling modern more than 15 years later.
The problem I had was that the game is generally very easy. Coupled with the fact that while encounters were avoidable – which was a good thing as you said – there are so many potential encounters I found myself using the ‘auto-battle’ quite a bit. Generally there is a price to pay for automation, so you use it sparingly. But I found that if I controlled one battle in ten, I would be happy and never have any problems.
My main complaint is loading … good lord is there a lot of loading. It felt like no matter what action you wanted to take there was some loading to be done. I was just glad I didn’t have to listen to the UMD spinning! I imagine that you found it annoying as well, since you had to wait for slower UMD loads.
Strangely enough, I don’t have much more to say about the game so I am going to summarize. I found Silver Star Harmony to be a thoroughly enjoyable game from start to the finish a few dozen hours later. The characters and story and combat system are all from another time, but they remain engaging today and the reworking of visuals makes this a thoroughly modern feeling experience. I felt that the game was too easy – probably much easier than the original – and also found the load-times annoying.
I’ll hand it back to Matt – and if he has anything else for me to ponder I’ll chime back in, but otherwise I highly recommend this game!
Matt: Interestingly, I didn’t think the game was too easy, nor do I recall having any troubles with load times. But as we’ve talked about before, load times don’t bother me unless they are truly egregious (like in Dead or Alive Paradise), and Lunar’s didn’t cross that point of obnoxiousness for me.
As for the difficulty, the game isn’t punishing in any way, but I thought it was mid-range on the challenge meter. I died on many occasions from trapped chests and enemies who’d stun or put my entire party to sleep and completely wipe me out, which I thought was kind of cheap and frustrating at times. Thankfully the game has a “save anywhere” feature, so you can save before every single battle if you so desire.
I didn’t use the “auto-battle” option all that much either, mainly because I didn’t approve of the decisions the AI was making for me, such as wasting spells and special attacks on weak enemies and that sort of thing.
Frankly, I can’t put my finger on anything I would consider a significant flaw. There are a couple little quirks, but overall Lunar: Silver Star Harmony stands tall as both a phenomenal remake of an old classic and an excellent RPG, even by modern standards.
Pros:
+ No random encounters
+ Graphics overhaul makes game feel modern
+ Engaging characters
+ Beautiful music
+ Fun, well-designed combat system
Cons:
– Long and frequent load times
– Too easy
Game Info:
Platform: PSP
Publisher: XSEED Games
Developer: Game Arts
Release Date: 3/2/2010
Genre: RPG
ESRB Rating: Teen
Players: 1
Source: Review copies provided by publisher
[nggallery id=”1124″]
]]>In total there are 17 galleries covering 15 different games. So dig in!
Majin and the Forsaken Kingdom (PS3, Xbox 360):
Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light (PC, PSN, XBLA):
Divinity II: Flames of Vengeance (PC, Xbox 360):
Sin & Punishment: Star Successor (Wii):
Lunar: Silver Star Harmony (PSP):
Final Fantasy XIII (Xbox 360):
After Burner Climax (PSN, XBLA):
Lunar: Silver Star Story PSP remake Lunar: Silver Star Harmony has officially gone gold, with XSEED Games settling on a March 2nd North American retail launch. Two SKUs will be available at retail: a $30 standard edition and a $40 limited edition packed with a soundtrack CD and a set of 13 exclusive “bromide” collector cards. A digital download version will also be released on the PSN store at the standard edition price of $30 on March 4th.
If you’d like to get a taste of the game before release, log onto the PSN store now and download the playable demo. By completing the demo you can unlock bonus starting equipment to get you off and running if you then decide to pick up the full version.
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Lunar fans and RPG connoisseurs in general should be very happy right about now, as XSEED Games, seeming to channel the giving spirit of fellow niche publisher Atlus USA, has announced a special Limited Edition bundle for its upcoming Lunar: Silver Star Story PSP remake, Lunar: Silver Star Harmony.
Pictured above, the Limited Edition version will come with the game, soundtrack CD, 13 “bromide” collector cards celebrating “the girls of Lunar,” and a nice over-sized box to stuff it all in (like Prinny PSP). Very classy, though you might look like a bit of a perv with a collection of anime girlie cards…
Lunar: Silver Star Harmony is due for release in Q1 2010. The standard edition will cost $30, the Limited Edition $40 — pre-orders are available now at participating retailers like Amazon.com, EB Games, GameStop, and Game Crazy.
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The ’09 PSP lineup gets two RPGs deeper today with XSEED Games announcing Lunar: Silver Star Harmony and Half-Minute Hero for fall releases exclusively on Sony’s portable.
Lunar: Silver Star Harmony is a remake of the classic Sega Saturn/PS1 RPG Lunar: Silver Star Story with remastered graphics, music and gameplay. Half-Minute Hero, on the other hand, is an original title that flips traditional RPG gaming on its ear with 120 30-second quests spread out across four different game modes.
Look after the break for complete descriptions of both titles and watch for additional updates during E3 next week.
Lunar: Silver Star Harmony PSP
While everything is calm on the surface, the world of Lunar is slowly devolving into chaos. The legendary Dragonmaster Dyne and his faithful companions have faded into obscurity only to have a shadowy figure known as the Magic Emperor begin to wreak havoc on the world created by the Goddess Althena. Meanwhile, in a small, humble village far removed from the turmoil in Lunar, lives a young man named Alex. As one who idolizes the legendary Dyne, Alex dreams of one day becoming the next Dragonmaster and matching the accomplishments of his life-long hero. Egged on by his childhood friend Ramus and with his adopted sister Luna in tow, Alex heads off on what seems to be a meaningless adventure, unaware that it would be the first step in an epic journey with the fate of the entire world at stake.
Since it debuted over a decade ago, Lunar: Silver Star Story has continuously captivated fans with its timeless tale of love, betrayal and redemption, expertly woven into its involving gameplay and cinematic presentation. The classic masterpiece has now been reborn on the PSP as Lunar: Silver Star Harmony with all new graphics, added gameplay features, and a re-mastered soundtrack so a whole new generation of fans can experience this legendary first entry of the Lunar universe, while added story elements are sure to intrigue returning fans alike. This title is being developed by Game Arts and is scheduled to be released Fall 2009 exclusively for the PSP.
Half-Minute Hero PSP
For centuries, an epic battle between humans and evil lords has been raging and destroying everything in its path. The civilized world is under attack by the relentless evil lord and all that remains are ruins of castles and the bodies of faithful knights who once proudly protected them. Throughout time, heroes and legends have risen above the chaos, only to eventually disappear into the ashes. As the last wandering sage and final hope for humanity, it is up to the protagonist to somehow transcend time and death to unite these legends and their unique powers in one last battle against the Ultimate Evil Lord.
An unorthodox approach to traditional RPGs, Half-Minute Hero combines adventure, an epic storyline, legendary characters and a punishing countdown clock to destruction, to create an adrenaline pumping experience that will blow past conventional fantasy games. Choose between four modes of accelerated gameplay, each complete with original quests, enemies and attacks. Hero Mode consists of random battles with classic RPG leveling-up elements, Evil Lord Mode involves a high degree of strategy to summon the appropriate monsters against the varying oncoming enemies, Princess Mode involves fast-paced shooting action as you guide the princess safely to and from her castle, and Knight Mode challenges the player to protect the sage in any way possible, including carrying the sage away from danger, clinging to monsters to halt their movement, or even throwing yourself at enemies to cause physical damage. Each of the gameplay modes contains 30 stages in which players have 30 seconds, or a half-minute, to complete their tasks. Retaining the charm inherent in classic RPGs, Half-Minute Hero is a breakneck foray into an ancient land of monsters and magic, 30 seconds at a time. XSEED Games partnered with Marvelous Entertainment USA to secure the North American rights to publish and distribute Half-Minute Hero. This title is being developed by Opus Studio and is scheduled to be released Fall 2009 exclusively for the PSP.
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