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Today, you’ll learn about Moon: Remix RPG Adventure, the greatest game yet made.

Doytch

Member
Never heard of this, mainly due to my PC background. It sounds incredible, and I wish I could play it in English somehow, but that'll never happen it seems. Still, just the commentary on games being something that you should be able to apply to your life is extremely powerful. Firstly, because it's true, and I can only imagine how much richer the landscape would be if even a handful of games (hell, just one) did that each year. And secondly, because it actually had a meaning and that is extremely rare.

I really feel like I'm missing out on something profound, I'll watch the playthroughs soon, but I feel it'll pale in comparison to experiencing it myself in my native tongue.
 

GhaleonQ

Member
Doytch said:
Never heard of this, mainly due to my PC background. It sounds incredible, and I wish I could play it in English somehow, but that'll never happen it seems. Still, just the commentary on games being something that you should be able to apply to your life is extremely powerful. Firstly, because it's true, and I can only imagine how much richer the landscape would be if even a handful of games (hell, just one) did that each year. And secondly, because it actually had a meaning and that is extremely rare.

I really feel like I'm missing out on something profound, I'll watch the playthroughs soon, but I feel it'll pale in comparison to experiencing it myself in my native tongue.

I'm definitely reading all of the comments, but I'll thank people individually as the posts slow (Giving people the weekend to set aside 30 minutes is reasonable, I think.). I do want to address this: I played it both times with Japanese-speaking friends, because I'm nowhere near fluent enough to understand this. I had to ask Revenant and Wyrdwad (my relatively new Internet friend, who wrote the RPGFan review and soundtrack review) to help me write this, and then used Google translate for various websites to check what I didn't recall. Basically, my girlfriend and another friend read it to me each time. If you use the new Wikipedia entry, Parrotshake's GameFAQs walkthrough, and Google Translate those 2 Japanese websites at the bottom of the linkdump, you should only have a slightly lesser experience.
 

GhaleonQ

Member
Warren Ellis said:
i think that the same director of this game made chulip for the ps2, another truly original game.

Yup, the mustachioed gentleman at the bottom was 1 of the big 3 for this one. That game was directly based on this one.
 

Gameboy415

Member
GhaleonQ said:
I just paid $150.00 for a perfect, non-PS1 Books crappy case version for a good (VERY good) friend. Yeah. People should try to play or watch it however they can. I posted the playthroughs in case people have no other option.

God DAMN that's expensive!

I usually see it go for about 5000円 over here (Japan), but I miraculously found a copy for about 2200円 (about $25). No spine card but I didn't really care.

I wasn't aware that there was a PS1 Books version.....I know there's one for UFO though. Are you sure you're not confusing the two?

Also, I know of a store that has a copy of the official guidebook for about $12.
I've been debating buying it for a while now....do you think it's worth it?

Ah who am I kidding? I'll go buy it after work. :lol
 

GhaleonQ

Member
Gameboy415 said:
God DAMN that's expensive!

I usually see it go for about 5000円 over here (Japan), but I miraculously found a copy for about 2200円 (about $25). No spine card but I didn't really care.

I wasn't aware that there was a PS1 Books version.....I know there's one for UFO though. Are you sure you're not confusing the two?

Also, I know of a store that has a copy of the official guidebook for about $12.
I've been debating buying it for a while now....do you think it's worth it?

Ah who am I kidding? I'll go buy it after work. :lol

*laughs* It lists a ton of alternate storylines, too. Some of them were rightfully removed.

Sorry. "The Best," I meant. http://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00005OV8J/ To be fair, it was absolutely flawless. Stickers and everything!
 
GhaleonQ said:
*laughs* It lists a ton of alternate storylines, too. Some of them were rightfully removed.

can you talk a little more about this ? i'm really curious.. these alternate storylines remained on paper or there are some screenshots with scenarios later removed from the game ?
 

CamHostage

Member
I'm like 10% of the way through this thread, but I admire your passion, so I'll be back.

GhaleonQ, just a quick, dickish request: can you break up the Moon-00007.jpg image (the comic panel of Youshamen) to show vertical or without the backgrounds? (Or are these images from another site and you can't edit?) The picture is stretching the page and I can't follow post #2 with all the scrolling. I could just read it in text format but the pictures obviously are a big part of your article.
 
It sounds interesting and all, but not nearly as fun or as purely enjoyable as something like Mother 3 which I did go through the hoops of creating a cartridge of a patched english version and buying the japanese version for.

This looks like something that's a lot more of a chore to play, even if the full experience is a very worthwhile one.
 

GhaleonQ

Member
CamHostage said:
I'm like 10% of the way through this thread, but I admire your passion, so I'll be back.

GhaleonQ, just a quick, dickish request: can you break up the Moon-00007.jpg image (the comic panel of Youshamen) to show vertical or without the backgrounds? (Or are these images from another site and you can't edit?) The picture is stretching the page and I can't follow post #2 with all the scrolling. I could just read it in text format but the pictures obviously are a big part of your article.

Better? Thanks!

SonOfABeep said:
It sounds interesting and all, but not nearly as fun or as purely enjoyable as something like Mother 3 which I did go through the hoops of creating a cartridge of a patched english version and buying the japanese version for.

This looks like something that's a lot more of a chore to play, even if the full experience is a very worthwhile one.

It's definitely way slower, but it would be too hard and use critical writing skills I don't possess to describe how it gets you in the mood. I tried to make parts 2 and 4 convey that. It's not...Ingmar Bergman, but it's probably Kurosawa's "Ikiru." Slow base, fast bits. Insert a movie that matches that, if you haven't seen the other. It's like a good, complex novel. You just need to prepare for it. I definitely admit that it isn't meant to be a pick-up-and-play game, but the barrier to entry is psychological, not because the game punishes you with boredom. Thanks for giving it a read, though.

And then you get into "fun" versus "enjoyable"...
 

GhaleonQ

Member
Anyway, I linked a whole bunch of people (Shawn Elliott, Leigh Alexander, Christian Nutt, among others) to this topic, so I hope they contribute. I sincerely appreciate the compliments from those who liked it and appreciate something other than the typical message board post.

I'll be heading to bed soon. Again, thanks.
 

Jonnyram

Member
Excellent write-up. I haven't read it all because I want to avoid spoilers for the day I eventually play it. I adore all things Love-de-lic, Skip, etc. Even bought ArchimeDS (yeah). My favourite l-d-l game was Lack Of Love, mainly because of the Sakamoto soundtrack, but also because of the lack of language - it was one of the first games I bought when I came to Japan, so the language barrier was still pretty high at that point. I cried like a baby at the end too.

I didn't realise any of the guys were involved in Little King's Story, but I picked the game up a week ago. I will hopefully be able to start playing it soon.
 

GhaleonQ

Member
Jonnyram said:
I didn't realise any of the guys were involved in Little King's Story, but I picked the game up a week ago. I will hopefully be able to start playing it soon.

Yep! Taro Kudou's team did the sound work as a favor to Yoshiro Kimura's mix-and-matched team, too.

I bet most people would prefer L.O.L.: Lack Of Love, too, so you're in good company. And, like I said, I'll always be prepared to talk about it the day you get through it. Thank you!
 

Dineren

Banned
Fantastic thread, really makes it tempting to pick it up. Unfortunately even if I spent the money to get it, I don't think I'd be able to enjoy it following along with a translation faq. I think I'll try to watch the walkthrough sometime soon though.
 
I was wondering if the Japanese PSN store was missing a single JP PS1 game that I wanted.

Finally, that search is over.

:`(
 

HK-47

Oh, bitch bitch bitch.
Wow this could take some time to get through. Major props for putting together the massive OP.
 

koma

Member
Why isnt there already a translation project for all the Lovedelic / Skip / Punchline / Vanpool games that are still in Japanese-only? We need a Lovedelic-translation-team in a glorious Mother-3 style. Anyone interested?

Those few "Lovedelic Games" that were released in english are some of my favourite games ever. Chibi Robo, Chulip, Tingle RPG. Why cant we have more of this quirky awesomeness?

Great topic GhaleonQ!
 

commissar

Member
Wow, I've only read halfway so far, just wanted to say thanks for the time and thought you've put into this, it's very interesting and much appreciated!
 
Damn, great thread. Too bad these kind of games (original, weird ones) usually didn't get out of Japan :|

Which ones are in English? (Didn't read all the thread sorry) That UFO one sounds pretty nifty lol
 

BluWacky

Member
koma said:
Why isnt there already a translation project for all the Lovedelic / Skip / Punchline / Vanpool games that are still in Japanese-only? We need a Lovedelic-translation-team in a glorious Mother-3 style. Anyone interested?

By my estimation there are only about 13 PS1 and PS2 games in total that have had proper fan translations done, and only two of those are PS2 games. The rom hacking community has been very slow to even move onto GBA games; the DS is popular because a lot of tasks are made easier by the DS file structures etc., but disc-based games have never really been attempted.

Wyrdwad, who GhaleonQ references earlier, has done (or at least started) a lot of script translations and walkthroughs for some of the more obscure stuff out there (I bought Popolocrois Monogatari 2 on his recommendation - shame I ended up hating it!).

Also, HOLY CRAP SOMEONE WHO HAS PLAYED ENDONESIA. They DO exist!
 

McBacon

SHOOTY McRAD DICK
I wanted to watch it at the cinema but no one wanted to go with me because they thought they'd get swine flu. Now I'm waiting for the Blu-Ray.
 

Gameboy415

Member
GhaleonQ said:
*laughs* It lists a ton of alternate storylines, too. Some of them were rightfully removed.

Argh! I finally decide to buy the guide and it's gone! :(

They still have a guide for UFO: A Day in the Life, but it's about $22 and I don't have the game yet...hmmm

Maybe I'll grab it if I have some extra money at the end of the month.
 

koma

Member
BluWacky said:
[...] the DS is popular because a lot of tasks are made easier by the DS file structures etc., [...]

sounds good to me!

4a6832982895f.jpg


chibi-robo.png


We all known that these two will never be officially translated.. and they look even better than the first 2 games :(

The Mother 3 translation project was a success because there were many hardcore-fans of the series that dedicated their time for it. Probably there are not enough Lovedelic-fans with the right hacking / translation knowledges to create a similar project. :(
 
Ghaleon, I was going to write this in a PM, but I fear that I wouldn't be 'getting it'. I am unlikely to ever play this game, but I've spent an hour and half reading your essay here and watching videos, lining up music to have in the background as I keep going.

Its games like this, and people like you, that mean I will never lose faith in videogames. Moon appears like a creative critique of its form, heavily emotional, but redolent with respect for the means by which the craft comes to be. In film terms, people might be tempted to compare it to Bresson or Chris Marker's La Jetee, but this essay was the only way to make clear that it is so much more than that.

The core of altruism which the game displays (and you display to us in your generosity) is more than just a neat curl that tries to reverse game dynamics, or a philosophical finger-point.. its a voice coming out of the history of games, all games, where those who don't enjoy play are given games in which to dominate - the dopamine treadmill you talk about. Its so frightening to see even the very best game designers today, and the very best games, (I use best loosely, but its clear that flower and thatgamecompany generally are amongst the best, for example) are not building on work like LOL or Moon, but attempting to build something good from nothing in the face of a truly degenerate computer game culture. My fear is that the great artistic thinkers of games these days could end up learning the wrong lesson from game history, and just make those some loot drops, overdrives and brutal kills with a different setting because that is instrumental game design - good in the same way that shot/reverse shot is good, not good as in Max Von Sydow in The Magician (1964) is good.

I want to give something back, if I can - that you should never give up, and always press on with essays like this. I would consider approaching somewhere visible to promote interest in the game, perhaps with this essay. I say this not because I think oh you have to promote the game, no you don't, of course. But this essay does what so much 'games journalism' could have once. I want to slap people who diss Tim Rogers, because in the words of Minor Threat, "at least he's fucking tryiiiiing, what the fuck have you dooooone". No, you should consider this because this essay is in itself, a quality object with a history and a heart and its got a core of altruism that can transport people. If you don't feel like this is something you can do, then ask one of the many published game journalists / writers here for help - anybody who isn't shit will want to help.

But regardless of that I also wanted to say that a new day is coming. The industry is going to get more and more commercial, for sure, and the parade of stupidity across its genres is going to get worse. But games culture isn't just fandom, auction blocks, industry and cosplay. On the periphery, you are beginning to see institutions look to videogames for museum artifacting, for cultural history. When these places really move off the blocks, they will begin to do things like translate games from Japan and clear soundtrack rights for re-release - working with the people who'll make a bit of coin in the process - because its what those institutions have always done. This is the sort of videogames work that interests me the most, and I think about what else might be possible along these lines rather than letting happy memories be locked in a cabinet.

Finally I found the most touching part of the essay to be about the durational quality of games these days; perpetual labour camps for the autist masses, or blipvert handjobs by 'game entrepreneurs'. To get to a point where honest, kind-hearted people with histories of gameplaying tout Bioshock as anything more than the demented rant of a undergraduate right-winger produces more sadness in me than the latest adventure of Gears of War starring Tom O' Finland or the indifference paid to exceptional games on the fringes of contemporary production.

So thanks for a great post. I will now go but Little King's Story.
 

GhaleonQ

Member
I'm off to class, but thanks for the especially kind words from (I assume) J-GAF.

archnemesis said:
Is there a better translation than the one over at GameFAQs? I can borrow the game from a friend, but I don't know if it's worth the hassle if I can't find a translation with pictures.

Unfortunately, no. That, the Nifty link, and the Gamejikan are the best ones. I spent a bit searching, but you may be able to find something better. Quite a few Japanese people seem to like it a bit, so you may find something with lots of pictures (though it's a nonlinear game). Nothing exists in English, unfortunately.

And Consolevania, Hardcore Gaming 101, and that RPGFan review were the 1st 3 things I saw a long time ago. Little King's Story's announcement a while back made me a collector, and I went back to them.
 
GhaleonQ said:
Playstation 1, Japan-only, with English and easily-Google-Translatable Japanese walkthroughs available. Himeyashop.com will special order things for you. Also, there are illegal ways if all else fails (and it may). Amazon.co.jp has copies, but I've forgotten if they do international shipping. A playthrough's right above you if you just want to watch a perfect run.

It sounds SO interesting......I just don't know about it being in Japanese. I'm limited in that area
 

Ledsen

Member
This is an amazing thread, and you've made me want to play all of the games you recommend in the OP. Luckily I'm studying japanese and currently living in Tokyo :D I'll probably go hunting for Moon in Akihabara this weekend.
 

GhaleonQ

Member
Ledsen said:
I'll probably go hunting for Moon in Akihabara this weekend.

*drops in for a second* Look, ALL I'm saying is that NeoGAF's buy/sell/trade thread is active, some people here don't mind the Japanese, and you could make a pretty sweet buck... *laughs*

I'm glad you're taking advantage of it, nonetheless.
 

djtiesto

is beloved, despite what anyone might say
Well, I got through everything but the final paragraph, the one which contains spoilers of the game - I am hoping to one day experience this game, holding out for a fanslation or something.. I am a definite fan of Skip/Lovedelic and own LOL, Chibi Robo and Little King's Story, and Moon had always been in the back of my mind ever since an old PS1 website previewed it in their RPG coverage.

I think you did a really great job in showing what the game is like, and elaborating on some of the potential quests, although at times the text was a bit hard to follow.. but it might be because youtube and the pictures were blocked at work.

Plus I am interested in any game that features microhouse on the soundtrack :D
 

GhaleonQ

Member
djtiesto said:
but it might be because youtube and the pictures were blocked at work.

Oh, good Lord. I'm not saying the writing isn't dense and, at times, messy/convoluted, but that's definitely the issue. Thanks!
 

GhaleonQ

Member
BluWacky said:
Wyrdwad, who GhaleonQ references earlier, has done (or at least started) a lot of script translations and walkthroughs for some of the more obscure stuff out there (I bought Popolocrois Monogatari 2 on his recommendation - shame I ended up hating it!).

Also, HOLY CRAP SOMEONE WHO HAS PLAYED ENDONESIA. They DO exist!

Yeah, he's on his Falcom kick now, and doesn't have much time for much else. I put in a request at Romhacking, but I doubt they'll pick it up.

And anyone with a Prince Alexander avatar must play every quality adventure game there is. It's by far the most traditional, and I adored it.
 
Interesting, interesting.

Haven't finished reading all the material and the subsequent offshoots that the reading belies but I must say, what a fascinating piece of work.

If I had...well, more money, I would demand someone remake this game.
 

The Hermit

Member
The only game I played in all those listed was Little King´s Story, my GOTY, so I endorse this thread.

I will try to buy LOL right now... My DC still works!
 

7Th

Member
For some reason, the first thing I thought of while reading this thread was Linda Cubed. Man, I really, really need to play that game.
 

Ledsen

Member
GhaleonQ said:
*drops in for a second* Look, ALL I'm saying is that NeoGAF's buy/sell/trade thread is active, some people here don't mind the Japanese, and you could make a pretty sweet buck... *laughs*

I'm glad you're taking advantage of it, nonetheless.

Well sadly I won't be going this weekend since the exchange rate is shit right now and I don't want to withdraw unnecessary money, but when I do go I try to check if there are more copies, and sell them to GAFers for a fair price.
 
Man, I read about this about a month ago for the first time. I didn't even know it, but Love de Lic spawned some of my favorite developers and games.

I want to play this game so badly.
 

Gameboy415

Member
koma said:
4a6832982895f.jpg


chibi-robo.png


We all known that these two will never be officially translated.. and they look even better than the first 2 games :(

I agree about Tingle never coming out in the US but how do you know Chibi Robo won't??

I definitely want to get it but I was assuming there would be an English version like the first game...
 
GhaleonQ said:
I just paid $150.00 for a perfect, non-PS1 Books crappy case version for a good (VERY good) friend. Yeah. People should try to play or watch it however they can. I posted the playthroughs in case people have no other option.
What the hell? I sold my copy for like $10 years ago. Figured I could always rebuy it if I ever learned the damn language. When did the price go crazy!
 

GhaleonQ

Member
Gameboy415 said:
I definitely want to get it but I was assuming there would be an English version like the first game...

Nintendo Of Europe said that they have no plans for Tingle (so that's for sure) or Chibi-Robo (and they didn't get the last one, anyway). I said it was NEARLY a lost cause, considering the last barely made it here and the original with New Play Control is the only one that hasn't been released outside of Japan (it's the most recent one, to be fair, but...).

Rummy Bunnz said:
What the hell? I sold my copy for like $10 years ago. Figured I could always rebuy it if I ever learned the damn language. When did the price go crazy!

I'm sure copies in real used game stores are easy to find and cheaper, but I couldn't find any perfect copies in online stores for the importer. They had to physically go find one, hence the cost. That included shipping, too.
 

batbeg

Member
Just here to throw in some support and anger against the powers that be.

Also, the guy talking throughout the UFO game is disconcerting.
 
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