Ryan Malesevich

amateur runner, technology enthusiast, and friend to all dogs

Magazine Coverage

Sega Visions - Issue 17 - Pages 49-50 - Review

Lunar the Silver Star (Sega CD)

Feature

Magazine Text:

OVERVIEW

Monster slayers, magic users, warriors and guardians - warm up your Sega CD and get ready for the first big-time adventure role-play game to hit the Sega discs. One of the best-selling titles ever in Japan, Lunar: The Silver Star by Working Designs is a huge game that takes you above and below ground, through the skies, across a planet and into other dimensions in a magical question to become a Dragon Master. Using all the Sega CD’s capabilities, Lunar features comic book-style stills, digitized voice and music, super sharp graphics and an AI feature that automatically selects the best combat attack.

The real merit of Lunar is the game play. There is a lot to do. Plan on spending 60 hours or more mastering the sometimes complicated twists and turns of the plot. That’s if you’re good. You begin the game as Alex, a young man destined to become a Dragon Master. Your constant companion is a white cat-sized flying creature with a sharp tongue and sense of humor named Nall. Interaction with good and evil characters, beasts and battles…many battles…build you into a character with abilities of heroic proportions. Other characters in the game will ally themselves with you from time to time, in parties large and small, trusting their fortunes to your quest. Others will leave you to join forces with your enemies. Some will even work both sides of the fence. Lunar’s AI feature gives the characters the ability to act on their own, as the situation merits. You’ll find that Nall is often ready with a smart-alek reply, and that Kyle, a warrior, has an eye for the ladies. There are opportunities for you to get into some trouble as well!

AI has another meaning in combat. Select this optio and your character will automatically attack the nearest enemy with the weapon they have in hand. Using advanced attack skills for non-magic users and spells for those so suited calls for direct guidance on your part.

Completing the game calls for solving a big series of adventures while you seek out the magical Dragon Armor, other Dragon items and your destiny. Each adventure usually takes you into a dungeon/tower for combat and a twisting, maze-running search for an important item. The game offers good clues for advancing. If you reach an area and nothing happens, go out and fight for a while, bumping yourself up a level or two and increasing the skill of your weaponry. Or review the clues people have given you in the various towns and zones. You either are not strong enough or are missing a character. Put it all together and the next adventure is revealed, ending you to another zone and a new series of mysteries.

Rated MA-13

HOT HINTS

  • Save regularly and often to avoid replaying sections of the game. Good places to save are after gaining a level, before entering towns, cities and dungeons, and before entering rooms.
  • Use spells which inflict damage on multiple enemies when fighting the weaker packs of beasts. You’ll take much less damage and will spend less time fighting these annoying pests.
  • Spells fall into four basic categories - Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. Hand in hand are Hot and Cold spells. Try to match them against enemies. And remember that sometimes cold steel is best.
  • Turn off the AI feature if you want total control over your characters.
  • When powerful characters join your party, take them out on a romp through dangerous territory so you can use their stronger attack skills to help you build levels and cash.
  • Watch doorways in caves, towers and dungeons. You will be able to tell whether the stairs go up or down.
  • Don’t rely too heavily on the Dragon Wing for transportation. You’ll miss the opportunity to battle, earn and increase your levels.
  • Keep weaker characters to the back of the party so they stronger ones can take the damage of combat.

IMAGE CAPTIONS (blue background)

  • Tempest and Fresca are two of the Prairie Folk. If you find yourself in a dungeon with Tempest, Equip him with the Pixie Whip, if you can find it.
  • The White Dragon will start you on your quest. You will need his diamond. Don’t forget the way to his lair.
  • Ghaleon is one of the original four heroes. His magical skills are awesome.

IMAGE CAPTIONS

  • As Alex, your destiny is to become the last of the Dragon Masters.
  • Kyle is Guardian of the Nanza Barrier. He is a powerful warrior with some very fancy moves up his sleeve.
  • Nall or other characters will often let you know when you’ve entered an area before you have enough experience points or the right items to make it happen.
  • The Inferno spell is a powerful fire spell.
  • Peter Laike is an important character whom you’ll meet from time to time. He is a very strong fighter. Use him to build cash and hit points.
  • Touch pillars like this to restore your hit points. Some will restore your magic points, allowing you to stay in the countryside longer.
  • The Dragon Bolt is one of the more powerful spells of the game. You earn Dragon Spells as you find pieces of the Dragon Armo.
  • You won’t get to Damon’s Spire without this little device. You can find it in Iluk. But you have to do a little favor first.
  • You’ll meet travelers and other folks in many of the caves. The game mimics reality in many ways.
  • The Eastern Desert is a good place to earn cash and level increases. Fight the man-eating plants in “Attack” mode and leave the desert to recharge hit points at the pillar next door.
  • Myght’s Castle is a maze of pipes and catwalks. Be wary of holes in the flooring. Some will bring you back to the first floor. Others you’ll need to reach higher places. Trial and error…unless you watch the various heights of the pipes.
  • Try to find Dragonmasters Vol. 13 in Damon’s Spire. It is refreshing in more ways that one.
  • The books in Damon’s Tower are filled with interesting…and sometimes hokey…information.

Commentary:

Wow! The coverage in this two-page spread in Sega Visions is the most comprehensive review of Lunar that I’ve found. It’s clear that the reviewer played the game. If I were to read this back in 1994, I’d be very excited.

Many of the hot hints and captions to the screenshots were very interesting. I don’t recall Laike ever being referred to as “Peter Laike” in the game so either the magazine took some liberty or it was something that was given by the press kit.

Posted on: 07 October 2024