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Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete

From Alfawiki
Kadokawa Shoten
IndustryPublishing, video games
Headquarters
Tokyo
,
Japan
ProductsVideo game publishing (including Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete)

Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete, initially launched in Japan under the title , is a role-playing video game created by Game Arts and Japan Art Media, with publishing handled by Kadokawa Shoten. This title serves as a remake of the 1992 original Lunar: The Silver Star, featuring an expanded storyline enriched with additional characters and new narrative elements.

The game debuted on the Sega Saturn in 1996, with subsequent improvements including support for MPEG video introduced in 1997. A port for the PlayStation, developed by Alfa System, was released in 1998. The North American PlayStation edition was published by Working Designs in May 1999. A further enhanced version was included in the Lunar Remastered Collection, which became available in April 2025 for platforms such as Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One.

The plot follows Alex, a youthful hero chosen as the "Dragonmaster," who must safeguard the world alongside an expanding group of companions. The storyline focuses on conquering ancient dragon trials and preventing a sorcerer’s scheme to seize global control.

Upon its English launch, the game was praised for its seamless full-motion animations, deluxe packaging, and expertly localized script. It was succeeded by Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete in 1998. Additional remakes—namely Lunar Legend (2002) and Lunar: Silver Star Harmony (2009)—were developed by Media Rings/Ubisoft and GungHo Online Entertainment/Xseed Games, respectively.

Gameplay

Silver Star Story Complete presents a classic top-down role-playing video game experience with two-dimensional visuals. Utilizing the advanced capabilities of the Sega Saturn and PlayStation, this remake improved upon the original Lunar: The Silver Star by offering a broader color spectrum, enhanced visual effects, and elevated audio quality. The story unfolds through fully animated cut scenes.[1] Players advance by fulfilling story-driven goals and engaging with various non-player characters. Unlike its predecessor’s random enemy encounters, foes are now visible within the environment and initiate battles only when contacted.[2] Unlike the original, no monsters appear on the overworld map.[1]

Combat mechanics from Lunar: Eternal Blue were integrated, including an auto-battle feature that allows players to predefine actions.[2] Battle choices encompass attacking, moving, casting spells or using items, defending, or escaping. Characters must be positioned within range to strike enemies. Success grants experience points that contribute to leveling up, unlocking enhanced abilities and superior gear. Boss difficulty scales dynamically with the party’s level without limitation.[2]

Characters

The remake preserves the original ensemble from The Silver Star, maintaining character designs crafted by anime and manga artist Toshiyuki Kubooka.[3] Players take control of Alex, supported by a diverse cast of playable and non-playable characters:

  • Alex – a young adventurer driven to follow in his hero Dyne’s footsteps
  • Luna – Alex's childhood companion and romantic interest
  • Nall – a winged white feline creature later unveiled as an infant dragon
  • Ramus – son of the town mayor with ambitions of wealth
  • Nash – spirited magician apprentice from a renowned academy
  • Mia – reserved daughter of the magic guild leader
  • Jessica – tomboyish cleric
  • Kyle – self-centered wanderer and Jessica’s troubled boyfriend[4]

Character personalities were further developed to deepen player connection and narrative depth.[5] Luna’s role was expanded through added background details and dream sequences that amplify her importance.[6]

The chief antagonist Ghaleon, a dark sorcerer seeking divinity, initially presents himself as an ally. His characterization was softened to evoke sympathy, shifting his motives from vengeance to a misguided belief that humanity requires strong leadership.[5] Nevertheless, he retains his ruthless nature. New antagonists were introduced to enrich the opposition’s presence, including Royce and Phacia—sorceress sisters allied with Xenobia, Ghaleon’s chief general who now harbors romantic feelings toward him.[7]

Story

The narrative of Silver Star Story Complete closely follows the original Sega CD version created by Kei Shigema, with novelist Keisuke Shigematsu expanding the storyline for the remake. Players assume the role of Alex, a young boy determined to become a hero like the renowned Dragonmaster Dyne. Alongside his friend Ramus, companion Nall, and love interest Luna, Alex embarks on a quest to find a valuable gem within the Dragon's Cave. There, they encounter Quark, an ancient dragon who recognizes Alex's potential and encourages him to take up the mantle of the new Dragonmaster. The group then sets out toward the port town of Saith to advance their adventure.

Within the Weird Woods, Luna uses a magical melody to dissipate fog, and they receive assistance from Laike, a wandering warrior who offers well-wishes despite teasing Alex’s mission. Upon arriving at Saith, they befriend Nash, a magician in training who joins their voyage aboard a ship heading to the eastern continent. Differing from the original plot, Luna stays with Alex to play a more prominent role. In Meribia, Ramus parts ways to establish his own business, while the rest travel to Vane to meet Ghaleon, a former adventurer and ally of Dyne. Ghaleon dispatches Alex and Luna to confront an impostor Dragonmaster troubling a village, where Alex encounters Jessica, the daughter of hero "Hell" Mel.

After returning to Vane, Ghaleon arranges a meeting with Quark concerning Alex’s destiny. On their way back to the dragon cave, Ghaleon reveals his true identity as The Magic Emperor, transforms Quark into pure energy, and abducts Luna to exploit her in his scheme for global domination.

The conclusion of the game diverges from the original: instead of a rampaging Black Dragon causing chaos, it is the instability of the Goddess Althena that triggers events. Fifteen years earlier, Althena chose mortality to inspire human development. Despite Ghaleon's objections, Dyne and Althena distributed her life essence worldwide and transformed her into an infant form. Ghaleon severed ties with Dyne and sought divinity himself—not for vengeance but to supplant Althena and seize control. Believing humanity capable of independence, Dyne entrusted Luna to Alex’s parents before assuming the identity of Laike.

With knowledge of Luna’s origins, Alex and his companions journey to the Goddess tower to rescue her and thwart Ghaleon’s plans. After overcoming his generals, they face Ghaleon during his ritual intended to absorb Luna’s power. Reflecting Dyne’s confidence in mankind, Alex’s team defeats Ghaleon as his fortress collapses around them. With Luna trapped in a trance-like state, Alex revives her memories using his ocarina, and they reunite with their allies as the tower crumbles.

Development

The remake originated as Lunar: Silver Star Story, developed through a partnership between Game Arts and Japan Art Media. Following completion of Lunar: Eternal Blue for the Sega CD in 1994, many members of the original team aimed to recreate the first Lunar title on more advanced hardware.[8] Dissatisfied with the initial design, Game Arts pursued enhancements including improved animation quality, superior CD audio tracks, and a more compelling narrative.[9] Producer Youichi Miyaji—who contributed to earlier Sega CD projects—led development and engaged Japan Art Media for support during this costly endeavor.[8] The remake significantly expanded animated sequences from ten minutes created internally to fifty minutes of fully animated cutscenes produced by Studio Gonzo.[10]

Initially released on the Sega Saturn in October 1996, in-game cinematics were restricted to quarter-screen size with limited resolution due to hardware limitations. This was addressed in a July 1997 re-release utilizing the Saturn's MPEG card adapter, which allowed full-screen video playback at enhanced quality.[11][12] Both editions were published by Kadokawa Shoten. In May 1998, Silver Star Story was ported to the PlayStation in Japan by Alfa System.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name This version preserved all features from the improved Saturn release—including full-screen movies—but lacked equivalent high-fidelity playback without additional video hardware.[13]

English version

Toward the end of 1995, the California-based software developer Working Designs, known for their work on the original Silver Star translation, took on the task of creating the English adaptation.[14] Their initial plan was to localize the Saturn edition under the title Lunar: Silver Star Story Director's Cut and release it in Fall 1996,[15] but early development hurdles postponed the launch until late 1997.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name Despite disagreements with Sega of America, Working Designs remained dedicated to completing their four Saturn projects, although Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete eventually shifted its focus to a PlayStation release scheduled for 1998.[16] The project was spearheaded by company president Victor Ireland, who also took on the roles of lead translator and localizer.[6] The English script preserved the original narrative while adopting a playful, non-literal tone that incorporated American pop culture references, frequent fourth-wall breaks, and slapstick comedy.[6]

Working Designs maintained close cooperation with the Japanese development team, introducing enhancements tailored for the North American audience such as DualShock compatibility, increased save file capacity (up to fifteen slots), and support for switching memory card slots.[17] The PlayStation version encountered programming difficulties that caused several delays, pushing back its initial August 1998 release date to May 1999.[1] A standalone demo and a promotional Ghaleon punching puppet were offered as pre-order bonuses alongside Lunar 2 Eternal Blue.[18]

The North American debut included a limited collector's edition package featuring two discs, a hardcover manual, a soundtrack CD, a "Making of" special disc, and a fabric world map. Priced at $60, this edition aimed to offset production expenses.[18][9] Working Designs also produced an exclusive collector’s strategy guide. Hidden within the "Making of" disc was an easter egg minigame titled Lords of Lunar, inspired by Atari’s Warlords.Cite error: The opening <ref> tag is malformed or has a bad name In February 2002, a "Fan-Art Edition" was released featuring disc artwork contributed by fans but without additional extras.[19]

A higher-resolution Windows PC version was launched in Japan by DigiCube in December 1999,[20] but Working Designs opted not to publish this edition in North America due to concerns about stability.[21]

Audio

The soundtrack for Silver Star Story Complete comprises nearly 100 newly composed background tracks created exclusively by Noriyuki Iwadare. While the original Sega CD version featured contributions from Hiroshi Fujioka, Isao Mizoguchi, and Yoshiaki Kubodera, only Iwadare returned for this remake. Drawing on his own experiences, Iwadare sought to convey genuine emotions through his compositions.[22] Music director Isao Mizoguchi explained that unlike earlier projects, main themes were composed prior to viewing their corresponding scenes and later refined.[23] The musical pieces were classified into categories such as town, dungeon, battle, or field themes, each designed with unique tempo and emotional qualities. The soundtrack received positive acclaim from fans.[22] The Japanese edition also introduced a new opening theme entitled "Tsu·Ba·Sa" (Wings), performed by Kyōko Hikami, along with an additional track called "Kaze no Nocturne" ("The Boat Song"), included at Mizoguchi’s request to heighten key emotional sequences.[6]

For the North American version, Victor Ireland initially planned to replace many of the new tracks with those from the Sega CD original, including its opening theme "Fighting Through the Darkness."[14] However, due to limited disc space after translation efforts, this idea was abandoned.[16] Several arranged compositions intended for the English release were instead included on a special soundtrack bundled with the collector’s edition. The English version retained "Wings" and "Wind's Nocturne," performed by Jennifer Stigile, who also substituted new music in two animated sequences with arrangements of classic pieces from Lunar: The Silver Star. These arrangements later appeared in Korean and remastered editions. The iOS and Android versions incorporated "Wings 2009" and "Nocturne of Wind 2009" from Lunar: Silver Star Harmony, featuring performances by Hikami (Japanese) and Stigile (English); however, only the English tracks are used due to absence of Japanese voice acting or text.

Voice

Silver Star Story Complete includes voice acting for twenty characters, quadrupling the number featured in the original release. These voices appear during animated sequences, story cut scenes, and special attack animations. The English voice cast features a mix of Working Designs staff relatives and local talent, with veterans such as Ashley Parker Angel, Jennifer Stigile, Rhonda Gibson, Jackie Powers, Hal Delahousse, and John Truitt returning to their roles alongside newcomers. Initially, there were concerns about Angel's suitability for Alex due to his age; however, he was retained after audition rehearsals. Jennifer Stigile performs both the English opening theme and the "Boat Song." The Japanese voice cast was completely recast with experienced anime and game voice actors, including popular idol Sakura Tange. Additionally, a four-part drama album series titled Lunatic Festa was released in Japan, featuring the Japanese cast performing game-related skits and songs.

Reception

In Japan, the Saturn edition of Silver Star Story garnered positive acclaim, earning recognition from Weekly Sega Saturn Magazine as one of the standout gaming experiences of 1997. By the close of 1996, it had sold 200,035 copies domestically, with an additional 8,346 units sold in 1997 for the MPEG full-motion video version. The PlayStation port received a 7 out of 10 rating from Hyper PlayStation magazine; while graphics quality was noted as inferior to the Saturn version, the RPG mechanics remained solid. It sold 44,802 copies in Japan and was later included in Sony's budget re-release line PlayStation the Best in April 1999.

In North America, Silver Star Story Complete achieved over 223,000 sales within its first year, including all units of the four-disc collector’s edition. This made it Working Designs’ best-selling title and the second top-selling PlayStation RPG in 1999 after Final Fantasy VIII. Critical reception in English-speaking markets was largely positive; Electronic Gaming Monthly commended the narrative, dialogue quality, and voice performances, awarding it an Editor’s Choice gold accolade. The translation attracted praise from PlayStation: The Official Magazine for its wit and accuracy. Meanwhile, Official PlayStation Magazine highlighted its engaging storyline and gameplay despite modest visual presentation.

The game's two-dimensional visuals drew some criticism: GamePro pointed out flat battlefields and lackluster spell effects but acknowledged the animated cut scenes as a strong point. Game Informer described these sequences as somewhat grainy but felt that the compelling story compensated for graphical shortcomings. Gamers' Republic considered the graphics charming despite their dated nature. GameSpot described them as "truly outdated," comparable to Super Nintendo-era visuals. On the other hand, technology publication Silicon Mag awarded it a 95% score and labeled it a "masterpiece," forecasting that it would boost PlayStation hardware sales.

In rankings compiled by gaming media, Silver Star Story Complete was ranked 22nd among IGN’s top PlayStation games in 2000 and placed 75th on Electronic Gaming Monthly’s list of the top 100 games of all time in 2001.

The PlayStation version also received positive remarks from Next Generation, which recommended it to dedicated fans and likened it to an enhanced classic cartoon experience featuring Dolby Surround sound.

Legacy

The game’s engine and design features, such as fully animated video sequences and collectible bromides, were subsequently employed in Magic School Lunar! (1997) and Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete (1998). Capitalizing on robust sales, Working Designs secured approval to produce the English adaptation of Eternal Blue Complete for the North American market, which included a detailed collector’s edition. Additionally, a four-volume Japanese novelization of Silver Star Story was released in 2001 by Kei Shigema.

Silver Star Story Complete represents the initial entry in a series of three significant remakes of the original Lunar title. In 2002, Media Rings created a fresh version for the Game Boy Advance, marking the franchise’s first English release published by Ubisoft rather than Working Designs. The final major remake, Lunar: Silver Star Harmony, debuted on the PlayStation Portable platform in 2010.

On September 24, 2024, GungHo Online Entertainment revealed the Lunar Remastered Collection, which includes upgraded editions of this title and its sequel, Eternal Blue Complete. These versions, based on their PlayStation counterparts, feature new English voice acting, enhanced graphics, and expanded gameplay options. The collection was made available across Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Windows, and Xbox One on April 18, 2025.

External links

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named EGM105
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named instruction50-53
  3. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named instruction75
  4. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named strat23
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Newtype
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Making
  7. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named strat45
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named strat045
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named GameInformer
  10. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named strat154
  11. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named 3rd party titles - Sega JP
  12. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named NCSMPEG
  13. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Hyper
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Ireland1
  15. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named DirectorsCut
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Ireland2
  17. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named Translation
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named IGN
  19. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named PlayStation
  20. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named IGNPC
  21. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named PC
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named instruction59
  23. ↑ Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named instruction55
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