Original Game: Lunar: The Silver Star (1993, Sega CD)
Developer: Game Arts
This game has not one, but THREE remakes! While considering which one to focus on, I thought it would be cool to look at all of them. But first we have to talk about the original game. Lunar: The Silver Star was released for Sega CD in 1993. Due to the CD capabilities, there is anime cutscenes, voice acting, and advanced music. It follows closely in the vein of the SNES Final Fantasy games. In the story, Alex and Luna set out to become the next dragon masters, and along the way they team up with all kinds of characters. These characters are cute and the story is engaging. While it didn't break any boundaries, it obviously had a cult following, which is why so many remakes were made over the next decade and a half.
First Remake: Lunar: Silver Star Story (1998, PS1)
Developer: Game Arts
This first remake is pretty amazing. The cutscenes are way better, and the game looks and runs more smoothly. The localization of this one is also fantastic, making dialogue between characters very entertaining at times. The battle system was also improved, where you must plan distances and movement while fighting. The cast is excellent, having character arcs and progression for many of the characters throughout the game. Overall a solid remake.
Second Remake: Lunar Legend (2002, GBA)
Developer: Japan Art Media
This remake really down-graded the game in order to fit on the hardware. The cutscenes are gone, the overworld map is now just a "pick your place" style instead of exploratory, and the battle system has been simplified. The only thing still intact is the excellent story and characters. In addition to the game, you can view the Lunar gallery which shows images from the cutscenes from the first remake. This is certainly not the remake you will want to play of this great game.
Third Remake: Lunar: Silver Star Harmony (2009, PSP)
Developer: Game Arts
The final remake completely redid everything, from the way the cutscenes play out to how the visuals look. The most notable addition is the playable prologue which lets you play as Dragon Master Dyne and the other heroes as they fight off an evil force. The characters are more realistically proportioned and the surrounding graphics are very nice. The original battle system stays intact in this one. The entire presentation is wonderful, making this the definitive version of the game. The game also looks great on Playstation TV. This is the most advanced version of the game and would be the best remake to play, but you really can't go wrong with any of them.
the PSP remake is pretty sweet, EXCEPT the music fades in and out when you enter buildings, or go from room to room. It's kind a annoying. However, the graphics and music otherwise are great!
Yeah, the PSP remake definitely seems like the one to play.
My students are taking a writing lab while I read this, so I can't play audio, but as far as looks go I honestly prefer the big sprites of the GBA version.
*Looking again* OK, I take that back, the PSP looks best and there's a cool sense of darkness to the Sega CD version, but I think GBA and PSX are on-par as far as in-game presentation.
Well, the sprites are big on the GBA version but the entire presentation is lacking (like cutscenes).
I reviewed the PSP version. I probably would've been REALLY into this game if I had played the original when it came out, as I was big into 16-bit RPGs back then. But I didn't have the system to play it on.
Yeah, I feel like you can really appreciate the remakes if you grew up on the original. That's true for any remake.
I played Silver Star Harmony on a rental years ago. I finished it and really liked it but it seemed almost too easy. There were probably skill levels to choose from though and maybe I put it in some easy mode. I forget.
I wouldn't know, but hopefully you enjoyed the game anyway.
I loved it. Want to play it again sometime.
I've always meant to get the PSP version of this game but have never gotten around to it. Of course, I already have a backlog of RPGs on that system. The PSP was flush with great RPGs. Still, I'd like to have it.
The PSP DOES have a lot of RPGs, so I guess you have to figure out which ones you want the most.
I own the PS1 and PSP versions and finished them both. It's a great game.