Lunar: The Silver Star (1992-)

Lunar: The Silver Star was developed by Game Arts and first released in 1992 for the Sega CD. It was published in Japan by Game Arts and in North America by Working Designs, a company well-known for localizing Japanese role-playing games with distinctive flair. At its core, the game was designed to showcase the storytelling potential of CD-ROM technology, making extensive use of animated cutscenes and voiced dialogue that were unusual for its time. This helped it stand out from other RPGs released in the early 1990s, which were generally more limited by cartridge storage.

The story of Lunar: The Silver Star follows Alex, a young boy inspired by the legendary Dragonmaster Dyne, as he embarks on a journey with his friends to protect the world and ultimately take on the mantle of Dragonmaster himself. The game combined traditional turn-based RPG mechanics with strong character-driven storytelling, cutscenes, and a musical score that took advantage of the CD medium’s higher fidelity. These elements created a more cinematic role-playing experience compared to its contemporaries, making it a milestone in RPG presentation.

Lunar: The Silver Star was later ported and remade for several platforms. A notable version was Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete, released for the Sega Saturn in 1996 and later for the PlayStation in 1999, which featured redrawn animations, remixed music, and an expanded script. Subsequent remakes appeared on handheld systems such as the Game Boy Advance, under the title Lunar Legend, and the PlayStation Portable as Lunar: Silver Star Harmony. Each release sought to refine and modernize the experience while retaining the core narrative and emotional weight that made the original so popular.

There were no direct prequels to The Silver Star, but the game did inspire a sequel, Lunar: Eternal Blue, released in 1994, which built upon its world and mechanics. Eternal Blue was itself widely acclaimed and cemented Lunar as one of the standout RPG franchises of the 1990s. The Silver Star, however, remained the entry that introduced players to the world of Lunar, setting the stage for its expanded lore and character relationships that would continue in later titles.

Promotion for Lunar: The Silver Star emphasized its innovative use of the Sega CD’s technology, particularly its animated sequences, voice acting, and orchestral-style soundtrack. Working Designs also played a major role in its Western success, marketing the game as a premium RPG experience and bundling special packaging, maps, and manuals that became collector’s items in their own right. This strategy helped the title gain visibility despite the relatively small user base of the Sega CD in North America.

Reception for the game was very positive, with critics and players praising its engaging narrative, presentation, and characters. While some reviewers noted that its gameplay was relatively standard compared to other RPGs of the era, the cinematic feel and emotional weight of the story set it apart. Over time, Lunar: The Silver Star has become regarded as a cult classic and one of the defining examples of how CD-based media transformed the RPG genre in the early 1990s. Its legacy endures through its remakes and through fans who continue to cite it as one of the most memorable role-playing games of its era.

Images from MobyGames