Lunar and Shadow Madness demos soon available

[03.17.99] » For reserving either game at EB, Babbage's or Software Etc., you'll receive a sample of your impending purchase.

   This week, eager gamers will finally get a chance to play two of the more anticipated PlayStation RPGs when demos of Shadow Madness and Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete are released. These demos will be given to all Babbage's, Software Etc., and Electronics Boutique customers when they reserve the corresponding title. These offers are set run for the next two to three weeks, although your local store may differ in availability.

   Both Babbage's Gamelord.com and EB World list each title for an April 13/14th release, which creates an interesting head-to-head competition between two very different kinds of RPGs. Courtesy of the famed localizers at Working Designs, Lunar: Silver Star Story is a long-awaited remake of the Sega CD classic, featuring old-school SD characters and 45 minutes of vaunted anime sequences. Shadow Madness, however, is the first in-house project from Craveyard, which boasts a healthy number of ex-Square staffers and the hopes of everyone looking for quality domestic RPGs.

   Although information on the demos first appeared at Babbage's, EB won't exactly be cut out of the deal. When asked about wider availability for the Lunar demo, Working Designs boss Vic Ireland curtly stated that "EB will have it", while Crave also confirmed that the Shadow Madness demo will be available at EB.

   In the same vein as the thorough remake and extensive packaging, Working Designs has decided to go far beyond releasing any ordinary demo. Ireland said that "the demo CD will let you play about the first 1/10th of the game, complete with animations, and the save will be cross-compatible with the final release." The full US version will also include a "making of" disc and a soundtrack, which Ireland described as having "swelled to 23 tracks and almost 60 minutes".

   Also included in the Lunar demo are samples of the animated sequences, which are more extensive that those found in virtually any US title to date. "The animations really draw the player in, and the voice acting has turned out to be amongst our best work", added Ireland, "lots of people should be mighty delighted." Considering all the working and waiting that this title has inspired, RPG fans everywhere are crossing their fingers for that to be true.

   For more on the Shadow Madness demo, consult our previous story on the offer.