Yep. Lunar: Silver Star on Sega CD was (and still is) one of my prized possessions - alongside Eternal Blue, Dark Wizard, and Shining Force CD. I remember finding it in Blockbuster, renting it, playing it almost nonstop over a weekend, and then the next time I was able to get a new game, I specifically hunted Lunar down. One of my favorite memories of that era of video games, and of the Sega CD in general.
I remember getting Lunar: The Silver Star Story Complete and Star Ocean 2 for my birthday. I was really really looking forward to Star Ocean 2, having seen its high scores in gaming magazines. I popped it in, and really liked it. About 5 hours into the game, I decided to give Lunar a shot. I couldn't put it down. I played it nonstop and beat it in 3 days, and it was my favorite game of all time for a long time. It took me years before I finally completed Star Ocean 2. Which, don't get me wrong, is a good game, and I'm happy the latest remake is successful. But for me at least, it didn't hold a candle to Lunar. :)
I own both Lunar 1 and 2 for PS1 and it’s beautiful. The first game came with a cloth map, hardcover instruction manual, soundtrack CD and some additional trinkets. It’s the pinnacle of physical releases. The games are also both stellar.
Even the strategy guides were amazing. They were filled with extra tidbits of information about the game's creation and some of the differences between the original version.
2:00 Hal's history with pinball goes back even further! They were the developers on the *original* NES black-box Pinball game, although Nintendo published it themselves.
It's interesting how Treasure was one of a very few developers that Sega gave time to. These days, every developer under them is forced to rush their game to release. Sonic Superstars, anyone?
I think that "Wait, this is actually really good!" is the standard mantra of any game Treasure developed. Even with a McDonald's license, they pumped out a banger of a game with a great soundtrack that bangs even harder. Seriously, you'd never guess that the final boss theme came from a McDonald's game
Shame that the most recent non-mobile McDonald's game was that Japanese training game on the DS... and thus the Burger King saw opportunity on the XBox 360...
I remember renting the McD Adventure game and loving it. I was expecting a piece of trash, but I had played Gunstar Heroes, so when I saw Treasure's logo, I knew I had nothing to worry about.
AHHHH YES LUNAR!!! Seriously one of the most slept-on RPG series EVER. I love it so much! I remember vaguely playing the original game for the SCD, but I remember the sequel on PSX a WHOLE lot more. Our family had a JVC X-Eye growing up and even though it's out of commission now, one of my friends is currently repairing it so hopefully it will live on! Also, I wasted SO many hours on Kirby's Pinball Land, too. Can't believe we've already hit December, by the way.
The PS1 version was the best. They re-released the first one on PSP but it wasn’t as good. The visuals were better but the song lyrics were changed and wasn’t as good.
Definitely go with PSone Lunar. Lunar Harmony while showing more backstory of the villain is mission a lot of the heart Working Designs put in despite the weird Wheaties references. It's almost time for Phantasy Star The End of the Millenium... in Japan. Still have over a year until it releases in the US.
One of my favorite RPGs period. The fact that it's almost one of the best selling games on the Sega CD is well-earned. I used to have a physical copy of this but both it and our Sega CD have been lost to time.
Man, get all the nostalgia chills talking about Lunar. It is such a great game/series! The PS1 version is my personal favorite, but can’t go wrong with the SegaCD game either. Working Designs brought over some excellent titles.
Keep in mind that these come out every week and is a load of work from research, recording and editing. I'm actually impressed they can keep up this well. But it's gonna get much harder, considering the increasing quantity-ratio of games that came out over time.
Now in the 90s is a blast from the past in more ways than one. The whole weekly 15-minute vídeos remind me of early to mid 2010s RU-vid, and I think that''s what is they're trying to emulate.
@FlameJackstar oh yeah, during this time it's not too bad because they maybe have like 4 or so different consoles of games to worry about between SNES, Sega, gameboy, and Sega CD I think. Wait until they hit like 1998 or so when they have PSX, N64, Gameboy, Gameboy color, Sega Saturn, and then GBA.
@@likky1 I mean, I like them both, they have a good back in forth and personalities. but yeah being an editor def doesnt not make you the main attraction you need to be entertaining.
@@acedianihil8208 thats not what i said, but i assume he got some experience plus its not hard to crack jokes in a segment like his, not that i can crack the same jokes myself
@likky1 I'd give him more credit, the man is quite skilled at writing and delivering these segments and does them every week consistently well. He only makes it look easy.
Dude I remember playing this one, as well as the sequel "Lunar II: Eternal Blue" back in the day, alongside Grandia, Valkyrie Profile, and other great RPG's. Man what a fantastic era that was in gaming.
McDonald's Treasure Land Adventure was one of my favorite Genesis games growing up, and only later in life did I find out it was made by Treasure. Once I did, everything made sense, as they made my favorite N64 game Sin & Punishment as well as the obscure Stretch Panic on PS2.
I had Lunar: SSSC on the PS1 back in the day, you should absolutely play that. It has a great balance between QOL updates from the Sega CD (I think that much of the PSP version is based heavily off of it), while still maintaining just the right amount of camp and corniness. The cutscene where the Magic Emperor reveals his true identity is one of the greatest cutscenes in video game history. DO NOT look it up, you have to experience that moment.
My Grandmother kept a Genesis at her place since she babysat other kids besides me. One of them brought over a mixed bag of games including Beauty and the Beast Belle's Quest. I didn't really have the patience to read through the dialogue to figure out where to go but I do remember spending a lot of time hiding Belle in the background shop entrances to avoid Gaston. Turns out I needed him to help move a boulder to get to the next level. Also Dylan's right, it sucks.
The Lunar series made their debut on a obscure system which is the Sega Cd but it also end up making the sega cd become well known and remembered for having these two games on it. Working Design later went on to made a full lush remake of these two games on the PS1 and Saturn a few years later and let the lunar series become a part of the jrpg golden era on the 32bit systems.
That Kirby’s Pinball ad made me want the game. But my mom got Kirby’s Dreamland by accident which was actually the best mistake possible because I became a huge Kirby fan from then on.
It is really such a great story. Treasure's first game was suppose to be a safe, no fail corporate shill, and it was so good they were given free range and made gem after gem ever since.
I LOVE Lunar! I only played it when it was re-released for the PS1, but sadly I don't have a copy of it anymore 😭. I do have it on emulation, but it's kinda finicky. *EDIT* I would watch the HELL out of you playing Lunar. Please give me that nostalgia Jared!
I just finished a replay of Lunar Silver Star Harmony on the PSP. Definitely a well loved classic story that deserves to keep getting remade. Now, if only Lunar 2 could get the same treatment...
Funny enough, the Sega CD version of Lunar was the first one I was introduced to, and it quickly became one of my favorite RPGs on the platform. Which meant of course, I was thrown for a loop when checking out the subsequent ports when they introduced a lot of new characters (Royce, Phabia, etc.) and story elements I hadn't anticipated!
13:01 They went with that shot of a terrified Belle to reinforce that it wasn't some SISSY game about Belle choosing dialog options. No, this was a MAN game where even Belle is in awe of your man-beast POWER. She many not be down to help relieve your pre-teen sexual frustration initially, so just keep her locked up in your house until the Stockholm Syndrome kicks in.14:01 Clearly Belle has gotten herself stuck in a tree like a cat and needs your AWESOME MUSCLES to claw your way up there and save her.
I loved Kirby's Pinball when I was a kid. I never thought about how simple it was. it was just the first pinball game I played with actual progression.
The voice acting in Lunar was amazing - Ghaleon is one of the best villains of all time! Also, I hope AI box art becomes a recurring part of the show - those are great!
The Kirby in the commercial was absolutely horrifying. I think that was some claymation? It will definitely haunt my nightmares for the weekend now. Thanks so much for that Dylan :| hahahaha great video as always, thank you all so much!
Treasure (back then) were made of ex Konami devs, the same ones who made Super Castlevania IV and Contra III: Alien Wars. They are responsible for some of my favorite games!
I think they could see just how money hungry Konami was. If it wasn't sequels of Castlevania, Contra, or TMNT, then they didn't want it. Now it's all sexy pachinko and yugi oh.
@@GabePuratekutaEhh, Konami was always Konami at heart. Always a greedy company, just they put out good games at one point. Looking back at their history they treated their employees pretty shitty. Look what happened to the original creator of Castlevania.
I almost spat my drink out when you referenced the O-Town song Liquid Dreams, lol. Lunar is actually the only reason I bought their CD since I saw the behind the scenes fun stuff with Ashley Angel in the Playstation release and had a big crush on him as a kid.
Scene: Alex Faces off against the Magic Emperor in a sword duel. ME: Tell me Alex, did old Victory Ireland tell you what happened to your voice actor? Alex: He told me enough! He told me you killed him ME: No Alex, *I* am your voice actor! Alex: That's not true! That's impossible The Magic Emperor rips off his helmet to reveal it's Ashley Parker AWP: Come with me Alex, join O-Town Alex: NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
I would suggest the PS1 Lunar games. both of them are in my top 5 Non Final Fantasy JRPGs the battle system is great and the sprinkling of comedy here and there really makes it relatable. Also the 90's anime art style is *chef's kiss*
I never played the Sega CD Lunar game, but "Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete" _(the PS1 remake with full FMV cutscenes)_ is perhaps one of my favorite games of that era, so I have no doubts that the original Lunar rises to the same level of quality and care. *Random aside:* two of my favorite games both have some of my favorite and most emotionally stirring songs, each of which has "Wind" in the title-Lunar: SSSC has "Wind's Nocturne" _(known by many as just "Luna's Boat Song"),_ and Link's Awakening has the "Ballad of the Wind Fish" which itself only improved with the 2019 remake. Funny, that.
Team Playstation Lunar, here -- I loved that game so much. A friend in college broke the punching Ghaleon puppet I got as a preorder bonus with one of the games and I am still sad about it.
The first two Lunar games *_desperately_* need a remaster/remake for PC and consoles. They're fantastic games and it sucks that they don't get much attention these days.
The fact that Sega considered them for the Genesis Mini 2 as games to include, but couldn't due to Victor Ireland wanting more money for the license to the English translation to put it on there. We could've also had Popful Mail on the Genesis Mini 2 as well, but couldn't for the same reason. I don't get why he is just sitting on them, as he is literally making nothing off of the games at the moment. Kinda shitty, tbh.
Hell ya, but wish it had the old voice cast n translation. And fix the music, when you move from screen to screen the music fades out then restarts. So frustrating on towns.
It's always fun to watch these every week to see games that I've never really heard of, and to see what Dylan comes up with in his segment. I almost rolled off my couch laughing at the Beauty, and the beast part. 😂
To all my true 90s brethren: Did anyone notice Renoly Santiago (aka "Phreak/Phantom Phreak/King of NYNEX" from Hackers (1995) in the Kirby's Pinball Land commercial!?
Finally I know that Dragon's Revenge is the sequel to Dragon's Fury: for what I remember, the title screens were almost the same so I thought it was simply a name change.
As someone who owns Silver Star Story Complete, Legend, and Silver Star Harmony, I'd say the PS1 version is the way to go, especially if you like a bit more challenge; the GBA and PSP games add an "Arts Meter" (basically a gauge that charges every time you take an action, when it's full you can unleash a super attack) that makes the games ridiculously easy. Legend isn't bad but since it's GBA it's obviously going to be technologically inferior to the PS1 version (though it does have cute character sprites) Silver Star Harmony is basically the same game as SSSC but it adds a cutscene to the beginning that pretty much spoils what was already a fairly obvious plot twist; more importantly, it has TERRIBLE lag issues to the point where I don't think I even finished it.
Looking forward to the game series on Lunar. Its also one I have for PS1 and have never gotten around to playing. I should look into that after I finish Wrestlequest and Crystal Project
Jim Power uses a documented visual phenomenon called the Pulfrich effect to generate a 3D effect: objects have to be in constant lateral motion (ie. moving left or right) and you have to wear a darkened filter over one eye (hence the included glasses) for it to work. It was also used for Children in Need in 1993, famously including a short Doctor Who story called Dimensions in Time, which has gone down in history as one of the worst, most utterly incomprehensible episodes of the series. The Pulfrich effect is highly impractical to use and it's little wonder nobody has tried it ever again: the almost constant movement of the screen gets extremely nauseating after a while and the direction an object is travelling will actively determine whether it seems further back or closer towards you, making it extremely difficult to control effectively in an interactive environment.
I really hope you keep showing the UK ads for Gameboy games, they feature Rik Mayall who was a national treasure I grew up watching and was a huge loss when he passed.
Dylan should have mentioned that F1 Pole Position was developed by Human Entertainment, who started making mostly licensed titles like this, but went on to make the influencial horror series Twilight Syndrome and Clock Tower.
Something weird to me about Ashley being brought up in this video is that he appeared in the last episode of The Masked Singer as the S'more. There were even gaming consoles in his clue packages, likely referring to his role as Alex Noa. And if you haven't seen the show yet, you probably should. At least, if you like surreal singing competitions between celebrities.
Jared, you're NOT going to regret playing Complete on the PS1. It's a truly phenomenal JRPG experience. Knowing your tastes, I'd suspect you'll love it. Then again, I played it in 2002, and I've aged and changed a lot, so YMMV.
Its my Birthday and Lunar was my first psx RPG I felll in love with... that version... and that versions song I still preffer.... in your dreams....ugh thank you for making my birthday more Awesome Jared
I still own Lunar the Silver Star for the Sega CD and absolutely love it. When the word came out on the release of the PS1 version came out while I was now working in my first job I preordered it(even got the punching doll for doing so) and it was also amazing. To your question on which one to play between the two, I will say the PS1 version hits you in the feels(the boat song for example) much better and the ending is a lot more rewarding. The Sega CD version's ending almost felt like they didn't have enough space(or budget/time) to do it. Both are still awesome though.
Lunar is probably my favorite RPG of all time! The game blew my mind when I played it for the first time at my uncles. The music, the cutscenes and the gameplay are all perfect! I can still sing the theme song!!!
I got the PS1 version of Lunar Silver Star Story Complete on a whim. I had just come back from an optometrist appointment, and my mom took me to Media Play. Despite the fact that my eyes were dilated and it was hard to see, I knew I had to have it after squinting at the back cover of the game. Lunar was the second game I had gotten that was localized by Working Designs (the first being Dragon Force on the Saturn), and it quickly made me a fan of their work.
Hey! I'm one of the people behind LunarNET - been waiting for you to get to this date! Some other interesting things about Lunar TSS... Working Designs actually hired some local theater actors in Redding for various voice acting roles, so the acting was a bit better than average for the time -- though the Japanese version had major star power like Kikuko Inoue. The outlier was Ashley Angel (as he was credited in Lunar and later when in O-Town). Also weirdly the different Sega CD covers have different rarity, but that level of detail doesn't affect the price as you noted. As for which you should play first... Since you're pretty comfortable with retro games, I recommend going with the original Sega CD first. That gives more appreciation for the expanded story in the Playstation version (even though personally I like the Sega CD one more). You can pass on the GBA and PSP versions for now, though they're good in their own right.
Oh! The screenshot you showed of the "tootsie roll pop" line was from the Playstation version. That reference was so (in)famous in the Sega CD one that they kept it for the remake. ...AOL message boards and IRC chats got into heavy debates back then over whether the pop culture references were funny or detracted from the game...
I had Lunar when it was ported to the Playstation. I remember being pissed because the box art didnt show the gameplay, just the anime artwork, so I was surprised that it was a traditional top-down older RPG. I got into it and loved it but for the price, size of the box and book, I figured it would have been something with modern graphics. Back then I never saw much about it, other than the anime cut-screens so I went into it blind. Couldnt return opened video games so I got stuck with it.
I forgot I had it on 1.25 speed so when Dylan played the hidden jam alert and I just got insanely fast GB chip tune in like wow this DOES rock out. Now I gotta go catch a real glimpse.
Lunar on the PS1 is the game that got me into JRPGs and that's my favorite genre to this day. Lunar will always be my most treasured game and I have such great memories of playing it during the summer of 99. I've also played the Sega CD version and while it was interesting seeing how different they were I would ultimately recommend the PS1 version.
HOLY CRAP I rented Time Slip one time 20 something years ago once and still remember to this day that one game that was sort of like Contra I played. I haven't seen it since then and always wondered what game that was... Time Slip... I must have been7 or 8 years old.
