First Lunar: Legend details

[11.09.01] » GBA RPG heavily reworked port of Lunar: Silver Star Story

   The latest issue of Weekly Famitsu has extensive details and screenshots of Game Arts forthcoming Game Boy Advance RPG, Lunar: Legend. A extensively reworked port of the Sega CD classic, Lunar: Silver Star Story, Lunar: Legend offers several changes to the Lunar formula, changing and adding as much as its new portable confines inevitably take away.

   The most immediate change is the introduction of new story elements. The Sega Saturn and Sony PlayStation versions famously "remixed" the original's story, adding new characters and story elements while removing others. Lunar: Legend continues the tradition, further modifying the story from any of its previous incarnations.

   Graphically, the game is not just a simple port of the enhanced PlayStation. The FMV sequences have been replaced with stills of anime artwork, more akin to the original Sega CD version. Battles have been completely redrawn; characters and enemies are both nearly twice the pixel-size of the PlayStation remake, and appear to have many more frames of animation. Towns, dungeons, and field maps appear to be from the same top-down perspective. Interestingly, Lunar: Legend introduces a horizontal view with panoramic, detailed backgrounds for key story sequences. Luna singing at the lake and Alex visiting Dyne's gravestone are two sequences presented from this new "side" perspective. No information on sound was presented, but the limitations of the cartridge format make the game is unlikely to include voice acting.

   The narrative is presented in large, clear text windows with a large number of kanji; not interesting in and of itself, but legibility concerns have made most previous portable RPGs shy away from Japan's complex set of Chinese characters. Various character portraits for each character are also present. Characters confirmed to be returning for this version include Alex, Luna, Nall, Nash, Mia, Ramus, Kyle, Jessica, Mel, Ghaleon, Laike, and Lemia. Phacia and Royce, two characters added for the Saturn and PlayStation, are also making the portable plunge.

   Does the world really need another version of Lunar: Silver Star Story? Game Arts seems to think so, and the care and changes to the portable version make it more than just a direct port. Lunar: Legend hits Japanese shelves February, 2002. Currently, no U.S. release of Lunar: Legend has been announced.