I was always a Jessica man, I even posted the bromides on Page 1. But I loved Mia, too. And Luna.
I'm a video game character womanizer.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
LTTP: Lunar Silver Star Story Complete
- Thread starter 1stStrike
- Start date
I'm a video game character womanizer.
Lucent
Member
Oh yeah. Guess I got my facts wrong. lol. >_<
Phew. Beat the game today! Nice happy ending that concluded the story well. I really loved the touch after the final battle of going back to the city and having a chance to wrap things up with the characters. So many RPG's miss out on giving the players closure!
I actually did really well in the final dungeon and I beat the two sisters and Ghaleon on the first try each time! They were certainly difficult battles, and Ghaleon almost wiped me a couple times, but I pulled through. I'm glad I saved after the Ghaleon battle, though, cause I totally didn't know about using
and kept dying lol.
Oh and after the credits, the
were hilarious and really funny to listen to.
Anyway, I've updated the OP with all the links to the VOD's detailing my journey through Lunar Silver Star Story Complete. Tomorrow, I begin a new LTTP for Lunar II: Eternal Blue Complete.
I actually did really well in the final dungeon and I beat the two sisters and Ghaleon on the first try each time! They were certainly difficult battles, and Ghaleon almost wiped me a couple times, but I pulled through. I'm glad I saved after the Ghaleon battle, though, cause I totally didn't know about using
Alex's flute
Oh and after the credits, the
VO bloopers
Anyway, I've updated the OP with all the links to the VOD's detailing my journey through Lunar Silver Star Story Complete. Tomorrow, I begin a new LTTP for Lunar II: Eternal Blue Complete.
Vincent Alexander
Member
You're in for a treat. Silver Star is amazing, but Eternal Blue easily tops it in every regard.
On a side note....I wish the composer got more work. I wonder what happened to him? Silver Star and Eternal Blue had amazing soundtracks.
Lucent
Member
Same. I hate it when you get to the end of a game or anime after so much build up and the ending is a huge letdown. Being able to walk around feeling like a boss after putting Ghaleon in his place
for now
The woman that voiced Jessica for our version was really great for the character. In the scene near the end
where Jessica cries as everyone thinks Alex and Luna are dead, she really worked herself into actual crying. Took her a bit to recover after it.
She also did a great job in Popful Mail. Great energy.
If you're talking about Noriyuki Iwadare, he's still doing game stuff, but he also does MUCH bigger things. He's actually kind of a big deal in Japan. Did/does a ton of work for Disneyland Tokyo, amongst others.
That's pretty awesome. I gotta say, it's really pretty amazing to sit here after finishing this game and being able to chat on a forum with someone that worked on this back in the day. Thanks for your added feedback and info in this thread. It's been really appreciated and I hope you'll contribute in my new one once it's up too. I really enjoy these tidbits.
I loved this game. I was working for Gaming Age as a reviewer at the time it came out, so I was blessed with a free copy of this, Lunar 2, and the Arc the Lad Collection. Really warm and fuzzy memories are associated with that time. I also got to put together some questions for Vic Ireland at that time. Those were the days.
That's pretty awesome. I gotta say, it's really pretty amazing to sit here after finishing this game and being able to chat on a forum with someone that worked on this back in the day. Thanks for your added feedback and info in this thread. It's been really appreciated and I hope you'll contribute in my new one once it's up too. I really enjoy these tidbits.
It's no problem. This is a nice break from Class of Heroes 2 testing. I get to a new area, stop, check the board here.
There's a million little things like this in the games I did with Working Designs, but I have to get talking to realize which ones people find interesting. To me, they're just a memory, but I forget that most people don't even know about them and therefore often find them interesting.
KolosLazar16
Member
Vic - you're the man.
SSSC holds a special place in my heart. Pre-teen chaoticprout woke up an hour before school for 2 weeks trying to beat Ghaleon. So good.
SSSC holds a special place in my heart. Pre-teen chaoticprout woke up an hour before school for 2 weeks trying to beat Ghaleon. So good.
Those are the kinds of personal stories I never get tired of hearing.
BobbyRobby
Member
It sucks that Working Designs didn't localize Grandia. seems like it would have been a perfect fit.
Would have been substantially better than what we actually got in the US. Grandia is notable for having some of the worst voice acting in all of the PS1.
People criticize the voice actors of Lunar for "trying too hard", but I always thought it was good.
Sony saw our success with LUNAR and WAY outbid us on the "next gen" RPG with Game Arts. It was hilarious when Game Arts asked for our help to give Sony assistance selling the game after it launched and seriously undeperformed expectations. I was like...uh, it's a little late for that.
Harmony is the very definition of anime-dub trying-too-hard performances. Passable in certain areas, but completely ruined the scene where
Alex saves Luna
PS1 (jump to 5 minutes):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sVp_TY0CdGc
PSP (jump to 4 minutes):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gfvnDBbi6rA
Alex's "I won't give you up. You musn't give up either, regardless of how hopeless things may seem." was cringe-worthy, but overall there is real emotion in the PS1 scene.
PSP? It speaks for itself. There really is just no, absolutely NO emotion whatsoever in the delivery from Luna/Althena. I actually think Alex's VO is better in the PSP version, but having Luna be so flat just kills the whole thing.
In the pantheon of my gaming nostalgia, Lunar: SSSC ranks so very highly, I'm glad for Vic to be in this thread. 13 year old me's mind would be blown at the ease of access of 27 year old me to discuss one of my favorite games with the man partially responsible.
I kind of want to go back and watch that Making Of CD that I still have in my closet.
outunderthestars
Banned
Oh god I would love to see both lunar games make it to PSN. I would buy them both in an instant.
Is there anything that fans can do to help the process?
Is there anything that fans can do to help the process?
outunderthestars
Banned
One day I'd really like to be able to read a detail account of what all goes into a negotiation like that one.
Too much of the localization/ re-releasing process is a mystery to me. I recently read and enjoyed Kotaku's piece on XSEED, but it didn't really get into the details.
Lucent
Member
Free for PS+ members or no sale!
=P
I would buy these in a heartbeat.
And despite the possibility of Grandia being better if handled by Working Designs, I still loved it. I didn't think the voice work was too bad. Though it is funny how Sue sounded like she was a lot older than she was the way she said some things like when she was telling Justin she didn't want to marry "that awful GANTZ!" or w/e his name was. lol. The fighting system made that fun. And I felt like that game was a different adventure from the Lunar games. Both started out as innocent little adventures and ended up being serious while having lots of humor throughout. Grandia just seemed more like a couple of kids that were really just doing whatever and they end up getting caught up in something crazy.
Christopher
Member
I hope theirs some WD style pre order bonus or something for getting the PSN versions. I'm 26 now and still have my two lunar boxes the packing will never be outclassed, ever. I think that's what makes them feel special too
Sony saw our success with LUNAR and WAY outbid us on the "next gen" RPG with Game Arts. It was hilarious when Game Arts asked for our help to give Sony assistance selling the game after it launched and seriously undeperformed expectations. I was like...uh, it's a little late for that.
It probably didn't help that Sony saw fit to give Grandia the some of the worst voice acting of all time in that localization.
It's actually too bad that the Saturn tanked in North America because a WD version of Grandia for Saturn would have been awesome. I loved the stuff that working Designs put out for the Saturn. I'm still sort of sad that I sold my copy of Iron Storm before going to college 12 years ago.
Duane Cunningham
Member
As a teenager (and now), I sure loved all the stuff you all did back then, Vic. Mainly both versions of both Lunars and Popful Mail. And Elemental Gearbolt. And Vay, and everything on Saturn.
I always wished Popful Mail could have been a series. So much potential. How cool would it be if Falcom made a new Vita game in the spirit of the original, or something like that. Mail always kind of reminded me of Lina Inverse.
Anyway, the day the PSN versions of the PSX games comes out, I'll be playing them.
I always wished Popful Mail could have been a series. So much potential. How cool would it be if Falcom made a new Vita game in the spirit of the original, or something like that. Mail always kind of reminded me of Lina Inverse.
Anyway, the day the PSN versions of the PSX games comes out, I'll be playing them.
Big Papa Husker
Member
I think I might finally get around to playing this once I finish Suikoden II.
Oh, man, Suikoden II is SOOOOOOOO good.
tiggerkiddo
Member
Here's my little story, several of the characters from this game (Jessica and Nash for starters) have helped me develop characters of my own from the stories I write (From time to time) so I owe this game quite a bit.
I may not like it as much but Lunar 2 was more hilarious than this one by far.
I may not like it as much but Lunar 2 was more hilarious than this one by far.
Omegasquash
Member
Damn fine game, and I still kick myself for being such a dumbass about money a decade ago that I had to sell some games....Lunar 1 & 2 complete were amongst them.
Guess I should go ahead and nab Harmony, provided it's similar. The GBA version was...a GBA version. Not tough AT ALL.
Guess I should go ahead and nab Harmony, provided it's similar. The GBA version was...a GBA version. Not tough AT ALL.
If both Lunar games comes out on PSN I'm so buying them. Love both games, SSSC is a bit more special to me. Sine it made me love jrpg. And I played it when things where really bad in my life, trouble with family and school and fighting severe depressions. This game more or less saved me, took me away from all the bad stuff. It helped me get the strenght I needed to fight my depressions and live.
Even if I was in a similar situation with EBC, the first game meant so much more. Still without playing the Lunar games at that point in my life I'm certain I wouldn't be here today. So thank you Vic and all others who worked on those games and gave me strength. And energy to move forward, I can never fully express my gratitude.
Even if I was in a similar situation with EBC, the first game meant so much more. Still without playing the Lunar games at that point in my life I'm certain I wouldn't be here today. So thank you Vic and all others who worked on those games and gave me strength. And energy to move forward, I can never fully express my gratitude.
Prince of Space
Banned
Ugh, this kinda stuff bugs me to no end. The PSP version's actors sound so completely disconnected from one another, they're almost robotic -- especially Luna. I've always wondered if one of the main reasons for voice performances as stilted as these comes from the fact that actors are recorded individually, instead of being all together.
I mean, I figure it makes sense to record actors separately when they have as much dialog to get through as your typical jRPG script will provide, but for a scene like this -- which carries quite a bit of emotional weight -- I'd think it'd make sense to have the two actors in the same room to at least play off each other and establish -some- semblance of chemistry.
I dunno, maybe it's just bad direction. WD's dub is above and beyond what's typical of the market -- even lines that are awkward as all hell at least sound better than the average line-reading of your typical dub. It -- along with the excellent script -- is what really brought these characters to life moreso than any other video game cast for me.
Nope, that's the way it's almost always done. None of the actors I've used have ever been in the same room when recording. In fact, there's almost never 2 actors on-site at the same time. It's my job as a director to get the performances to "match" and to convey the right emotion (ie, to "direct" or guide the actor in the scene). If that doesn't happen, it falls squarely on the director as a failure since they didn't direct properly, or they hired bad actors and didn't have the sense to recast, or are working from an awful script and didn't demand/facilitate a rewrite that's more appropriate to the scene when played out.
WickedLaharl
Member
Fantastic game and I'm glad you're not playing the shitacular PSP version that is absolute garbage that should not exist.
I've heard too many of these stories to count about LUNAR as well. It makes me glad that the game had that effect, but it's so depressing that these conditions exist in real life to begin with.
Host Samurai
Member
Going to wait till this hits the PSN via PS1 classics. Its bound to happen sometime and I will be there day 1 on that Tuesday.
Prince of Space
Banned
Yeah, kinda figured as much. I'm guessing the major reasons for this are the sheer amount of dialog that needs to be recorded and coordinating schedules for the different actors?
And the cost. Actors are on the clock whether they're in the booth, in the lounge, or in the control room. You schedule them to be there. And having both or all of them at the same time doesn't mean you'll "get" the scene any faster. It can actually complicate things.
cj_iwakura
Member
Why does Japan do it as group sessions, then? Always found that interesting.
Probably because they generally use seiyuu that are used to performing Japanese radio/live plays and the like where this group acting around a microphone is the norm. Since they're used to that environment, they can knock it out easier that way, I guess, but it's not the norm here, and it doesn't necessarily result in better voice acting. There's a mountain of crap Japanese voice work out there where it sounds like they invited their friends over to drink a lot and table read a play.
Perhaps that's why Japanese voice actors always sound more authentic to me. When I watch anime 100% of the time I watch it in Japanese with English subtitles, because the voice acting is just leagues above what the North American studios put out (in most cases)
Pretty much the reason crap USA movies can still do well overseas. Freed from realizing the acting is atrocious/corny/hammy to native speakers, foreign audiences can just enjoy the exotic English Hollywood action and story with rough subtitles.
Big Papa Husker
Member
I think I might start a play through of this tonight. I started playing it a few years ago, after beating Lunar 2, but for some reason I just stopped. I'm assuming another game came out or something. I had contemplated buying the Sega CD version, but decided on the PS1 version since I already owned it.
I think I might start a play through of this tonight. I started playing it a few years ago, after beating Lunar 2, but for some reason I just stopped. I'm assuming another game came out or something. I had contemplated buying the Sega CD version, but decided on the PS1 version since I already owned it.
Enjoy the trip. Having played both Lunar 1 and Lunar 2 now (on PS1) the first one is by far the best. There's no bullshit or crazy long dungeons - it's just about 20 - 25 hours of delicious story with some overall fantastic voice overs (especially considering the time) and a great villain. The anime cut scenes are really awesome too. Plus, Luna is leagues above Lucia in both character and voice over. I think you'll really like her more.
Just save often, as the first dungeon is quite hard. After that the difficulty normalizes a bit, but I died at least 6 or 7 times in that first dungeon
Big Papa Husker
Member
I found this on Youtube - a "HD version" of the Silver Star Story intro. Apparently the original source was the PC version and they put it through some filters. Nevertheless, it looks pretty damn good. I guess I'm not shocked the PC version's video quality was that much better than the console versions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6wm03WiP6g
Wind Nocturne as well..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0J5QUCUzmbA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6wm03WiP6g
Wind Nocturne as well..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0J5QUCUzmbA
The Japanese comment on his video roughly translates to: "Noise filter and upconverted to 1280 * 960 video MPEG PC version of Lunar: Silver Star Story"
So yeah, that's why it looks as good as it does.
Big Papa Husker
Member
Damn, you were right. Those Synapse Guards are ANNOYING. They can kill any of my party in 2 hits. >:| I've been grinding in here - just got my guys to LVL 6.Enjoy the trip. Having played both Lunar 1 and Lunar 2 now (on PS1) the first one is by far the best. There's no bullshit or crazy long dungeons - it's just about 20 - 25 hours of delicious story with some overall fantastic voice overs (especially considering the time) and a great villain. The anime cut scenes are really awesome too. Plus, Luna is leagues above Lucia in both character and voice over. I think you'll really like her more.
Just save often, as the first dungeon is quite hard. After that the difficulty normalizes a bit, but I died at least 6 or 7 times in that first dungeon
Yeah, it's no joke
By the way, just watched the Japanese version of Wind Nocturne that you posted - and I do say, I much prefer the English version. Much more emotion in it and a better voice imo, which is pretty interesting because usually in that department Japan wins
Big Papa Husker
Member
I was on Twitch looking to see if anyone had streamed Lunar and I found your videos. It looks like my level is in line with where you were. Did the Lunar 2 videos ever get posted? All I see is the Epilogue...