No game that I've tinkered with has filled me with such trepidation as Lunar has. Not only is this a big game for my company, but it's also a game with some seriously dedicated...passionate...extremely particular fans. I heard about what happened to the editor that worked on the ill-received DS version of the series. I heard and boy do I not want to end up...wherever it is that they stashed the body.
As most of you know, Lunar is an RPG about the heartwarming story of a flying-cat...thing and its adventures in pursuit of fish. Many, if not most of you (hello you newcomers to the series as well) are already very familiar with the trials and tribulations of this potty-mouthed feline and his companions so I'm going to skip the overview and dive straight into where things have deviated from '90s version of the game and some other random fun stuff that amuses me.
The graphics:
In the ultimate show of technical advancements in graphics since the PS1 version of the game we now have...a chubby Ramus.
...and there was much rejoicing.
The names:
As some fans have noticed there have been a few minor name changes in the game. Most of the changes were made to edit some things from the PS1 version and also to add a bit more of the history to the game. For example...
I. In the PS1 version Alex's dad is named "Noah," but in the PSP version his name has (mysteriously to many) changed to "Ohro." Why?
Well, our translator, who dwarfs even the most dedicated fans in his passion/knowledge of this game, knew that the "Noah" part of the name was actually the last name of Alex's family (from the novels, I believe) and as a result Noah became "Noa" (the "h" was dropped because Noah is most commonly known as a first name here, not a last name). He also went above and beyond and actually contacted Mr. Shigematsu, the scenario writer of the game, and got the official names of all the family members.
Father: Ohro Noa
Mother: Saria Noa
Alex Noa
Luna Noa
II. Some sharp-eyed fans may have noticed on the site that Jessica's name had a slight change from "Jessica de Alkirk" to "Jessica Alkirk." The change might seem trivial but it's actually a part of her family history. This came to light during a talk with Mr. Shigematsu who specifically mentioned that the PS1 version was not entirely correct, and that though this had not been officially mentioned in the novels, games or other publications before, the reason Mel is called "Mel de Alkirk" is because he married into an aristocratic family through his marriage to "Lirhina de Alkirk." Before that Mel was simply called Mel and he obtained the name "de Alkirk" from his late wife. And since Jessica is not an adult she is called "Jessica Alkirk." Thus, we updated the text to reflect that small (but kind of cool) detail.
Something else interesting of note is that after (if?) Jessica and Kyle marry, Jessica will become "Jessica de Alkirk" and Kyle will become "Kyle de Alkirk." That sounds very like Jessica to make Kyle take on her name. ^_-
Fun with Forums
I check the forums occasionally and here are some things I noted that fans were curious/dubious about.
1) Why the heck does it talk about the size of Mia's chest on the website?
-Funny enough that's actually directly from the Japanese website description for her. No, seriously.
2) What are the lyrics to the new opening song?
-I'll post the official lyrics on our lunar facebook page for your dissection pleasure.
3) Why does Kyle's voice sound like someone who's had too many head injuries as a child?
-This is my fault entirely. I chose a voice clip that I thought was funny, but I just happen to find him being drunk hilarious. That clip also doesn't come across right because viewers can't see the animation that goes with it, leading to Kyle sounding like we drugged him with Quaaludes during his recording session. Allow me to rectify that with a clip of him in his normal voice which I will throw up on facebook shortly.
4) Do we still need soap?
-Yes, yes indeed. Buy LOTS of soap. Rope not included.
5) What the heck is a "Fornacheron"???
-In the 4 heroes scenario Eiphel tells Althena that she will "...fade to nothing in the flames of the Fornacheron!" 'Fornacheron' is a hybrid made-up word created by our translator to best reflect the Japanese meaning of the kanji.
In his own words,
"The Japanese was written as "魔法炉" in the game and scenario text and also "魔道炉" once in the scenario text so I used the word "fornac-" from Latin which literally means "furnace" to match up with the final kanji which means furnace and combined it with the poetic Latin word "acheron" which was taken from Greek and means "hell" in a mythical sense. I felt this combination of old Latin-based words was the best way to bring the meaning of the Japanese into English without sacrificing the name or sound of the name for something cheesy like "magic furnace."
And, finally, here are some things to check out: (mind you this is pre-game launch so I can't give too much away)
1) Alex's first and probably last piece of artwork (check the basement)
2) Item descriptions. Some have changed and some have not. Can you spot the differences?
3) I hinted at it on the website but the bookshelves in Mel's mansion hold some interesting books.
That's probably enough for now. I fear I may have lost some people at "Quaaludes" anyway...
So, please comment, ask questions and in the next Lunar blog I'll be posting some media, like outtakes... :)
-Jess
