Zoelius
Wilewarer
IF you play Blazblue on PS3 add me.
Posts: 441
|
Post by Zoelius on Sept 17, 2009 21:51:08 GMT -5
Tia? Which Tia there's like a crap of Tia with a Blue Hair look (Looking at Lufia 2)
Must resist preorder.......
|
|
|
Post by Justin on Sept 17, 2009 22:57:44 GMT -5
Do it, you know you want it muahahahah.
Seriously, when it comes in the mail, I'm totally going to listen to the whole CD, while looking over all my other Lunar games. Then, after cleansing the pallet, I'm totally going to spend the entire weekend just delving into the game. I haven't been this excited for a PSP release since the console even came out.
|
|
|
Post by Red Hairdo on Sept 18, 2009 9:15:52 GMT -5
Tia? Which Tia there's like a crap of Tia with a Blue Hair look (Looking at Lufia 2) Must resist preorder....... xDDD Yeah. Well, I meant Ys SEVEN's in this case. xD
|
|
|
Post by Justin on Sept 23, 2009 18:20:01 GMT -5
Oh me too bud, that would be such a great game to have on the PSP. Still, I hope they don't make Zophar as hard as he was in the PS/SAT versions.
|
|
Zoelius
Wilewarer
IF you play Blazblue on PS3 add me.
Posts: 441
|
Post by Zoelius on Sept 25, 2009 20:11:17 GMT -5
Well he's probably the hardest boss in Lunar , but the battle took forever. I was like literally this guy refuse to die.
And I gave in, I preorder the game.
|
|
|
Post by Justin on Sept 26, 2009 11:24:26 GMT -5
Sweet, were probably the only 2 guys in Calgary that ordered it
|
|
Zoelius
Wilewarer
IF you play Blazblue on PS3 add me.
Posts: 441
|
Post by Zoelius on Sept 27, 2009 14:01:39 GMT -5
Yeah probably, my friends that like Lunar are either ; A = Don't play games anymore or B = addicted to WOW.
|
|
|
Post by Justin on Sept 28, 2009 15:11:23 GMT -5
Ha ha, that sucks. Oh well, at least you know they won't want to borrow the game from you then.
|
|
|
Post by Justin on Oct 21, 2009 22:48:44 GMT -5
Hey guys! Just a heads up, there is a demo for this game available on Japanese PSN. If you need any help setting up an account, you only need to ask
|
|
|
Post by Justin on Oct 23, 2009 8:39:22 GMT -5
Ok guys, I spent a good hour on the demo yesterday, and I'll make this short but sweet.
The game uses all the same animation from the PS/Sat/PC remakes, which is displayed in 4:3. The video looks really crisp, yet there was one part that bothered me. The opening animation has a part where select characters scroll across the screen. This was really, really choppy for some reason. At first I thought it was my eyes, but my fiancee was able to reaffirm my fears. Not sure why it does it there, but from what I've seen, its the only part that it happens.
The game starts off exactly as you would expect it too, and Nall enters exactly the same way you would expect him too. The new locals look fantastic though, and still look very recognizable. There is a bit more loading between each area, which seems to be divided up a bit more than in the PS versions. While its not so bad for outer areas, its annoying when in a house, and each room needs to be loaded. Its worth it though, as the detail of each local is really crisp and well drawn. Oddly, when text is displayed on screen there are 2 small black bars that appear. It doesn't squish or change the resolution at all, and I'm hoping its left out of the release version. The sprites that pop up during conversations with major members are great. You get waist up body shots of each character, each displaying a wide array of emotions and body language positions. It really adds to the story and feeling in the game. The on screen sprites are 2 times taller than they were on the PS versions, and move around quite smoothly. You can run by holding the R trigger, and movement is done using the D Pad or the Analog Nub. Instead of the action displaying in a birds eye view, its all done in a semi isometric style. You cannot rotate the camera, but its not really needed as the area's are wide open, and easy to traverse.
There are still red and blue treasures, and in some cases they are in the same places as in the last versions. The music has changed, taking advantage of current technology to an extent. Its far more orchestral, something current JRPG's are known for, but the remixed tracks are very welcomed. Its really going to speak volumes to Lunar fans, while remaining attractive to new players.
Sadly there is no overworld map to traverse. Its even worse off than what we got in the PS versions, as you can only select predetermined locations on a giant map. The world map music is still there though, so enjoy the jingle at least. I was able to get to the first dungeon to check out some battles. The first thing I noticed was the speed the battles were completed. Its generally the same pacing as in the other versions, yet there are some big plus'. Firstly, its far easier than I remember it being, and Luna is almost as strong as Alex when attacking certain monsters. Alex doesn't get multiple strikes yet (I'm at level 6), but there is a stat for it, so fear not. The game still throws 6-7 monsters at you each battle, but like I said, its much easier to dispatch them. The coolest thing I noticed is the spells, which are quick to cast, but really neat to watch. The screen darkens around the character, weird blue auras are created, and then "la la la laaaaaaa" you are healed. The same goes for attack spells/skills, which adds a bit of drama to the battle scenes. Lastly, the biggest improvement in the battle engine is the AI. Before pressing the AI spelled certain doom for your characters, or at least it was a great way to burn MP. Characters would use high power attacks on crappy monsters, valuable items would be used in fickle situations, and almost always you died if you were low on HP. Now the AI is super smart, using only simple attacks, healing when needed, and never using items.
I guess the only other thing to bring up would be the menu screen, which is now its own section rather than appearing over the action. From what little Japanese I can read, I can say its pretty much the same options as last time. I didn't really spend too much time here, but I can say there was a Save and Load feature available, which means we'll probably get to save anywhere.
So, to the old ass Lunar fan, is this a title worth getting excited over? Big time!
Even though the look is different, it was like being back in an old neighborhood, or hang out from back in the day. Everything was changed but still recognizable. The music, characters, battles, locations, and even the general fairy tale feel of the game remain intact, but it is a different game. I honestly think its going to be a welcome breath of fresh air for any Lunar fan, as the old games have aged to a certain degree, and this new release feels and plays with current standards. My biggest hope is for slight changes to the story once again, but I can't tell if this has happened. There was far less chatting involved before you leave Burg this time, and there were fewer NPC characters to chat with.
Is this a game for someone interested in Lunar, but they have never played a game in the series? Again, Big Time!
Its very easy to get into, very colorful and easy to look at, very nice to listen too, and not overly complex. It is in essence a fantastic game for Portable Gaming, and from what I've played, the difficulty is extremely welcoming to the newcomer.
Final words on the demo, I loved it! There were somethings that needed work, but I'm hoping those will be fixed for the release version. Still, even with those negative points, the game is very playable. I recommend this to PSP fans, Lunar fans, and someone who is looking for a casual, smooth, enjoyable RPG title.
|
|
|
Post by AllenSmithee on Oct 23, 2009 11:03:27 GMT -5
Dude, triple post, xD
As I said on HG101 very good write up. Makes me wanna play play play, play all day.
|
|
|
Post by liquidpolicenaut on Oct 25, 2009 19:54:19 GMT -5
I dont post here for awhile and Zeta Justin beats me to the punch on the Lunar demo! grrr lol I was gonna post my own impressions but I think Zeta Justin said pretty much everything thats needs to be said and I agree almost 100%. The only thing is the map. While I DO miss the TSS /EB exploarion maps, I HATED the map in SSSC so this is at least a step up in my eyes lol...
|
|
|
Post by Ascended Mermaid on Oct 25, 2009 22:11:20 GMT -5
I just hope they find a good way to fix that contradiction about... ummm... shoot, I don't have a shortcut to spoiler tags... but this is a classic sooo... try not to read ahead if you haven't played this!
The Vile Tribe kidnapping singers *after* Luna has already been kidnapped.
End of Spoiler
|
|
|
Post by Justin on Oct 25, 2009 23:14:08 GMT -5
I don't post here for awhile and Zeta Justin beats me to the punch on the Lunar demo! grrr lol I was gonna post my own impressions but I think Zeta Justin said pretty much everything thats needs to be said and I agree almost 100%. The only thing is the map. While I DO miss the TSS /EB exploarion maps, I HATED the map in SSSC so this is at least a step up in my eyes lol... Seems we are akin with our love of Lunar What did you think of the much smaller White Dragon cave? Personally, I'm really liking the new scale they have going, and it really reminded me of Lunar DS. While it was very hard to play, Lunar DS did look nice while in motion, which is something this new Lunar pulls of on PSP quite well.
|
|
|
Post by Ascended Mermaid on Oct 26, 2009 1:48:00 GMT -5
Really? I had no idea that was because of Working Designs... I wonder what the true context was for said instance.
|
|
|
Post by Ascended Mermaid on Oct 26, 2009 2:53:33 GMT -5
Wow. I know wikipedia has a lot of these inconsistencies mentioned, but I had no idea that it was at the fault of Working Designs. Maybe I wasn't paying that much attention, lol.
Between the Sega CD and PSX versions though, I prefer the PSX version. I can't wait until the PSP version comes out, and I know I want to check out that demo as soon as I know where to get it. I remember someone here (nunuu?) giving me a link to a site that I can get them without an account, but I lost it. I think it was in one of the Yuusha 30 topics. @_@
// On second thought, that might take forever on dialup. XD
|
|
|
Post by Yakra on Oct 26, 2009 7:56:26 GMT -5
I don't post here for awhile and Zeta Justin beats me to the punch on the Lunar demo! grrr lol I was gonna post my own impressions but I think Zeta Justin said pretty much everything thats needs to be said and I agree almost 100%. The only thing is the map. While I DO miss the TSS /EB exploarion maps, I HATED the map in SSSC so this is at least a step up in my eyes lol... Actually the only thing in all of Justin's rave review that bothered me was the talk of no explorable worldmap. The only versions of the two Lunars I've played are the Complete ones and.... I kind of really loved the world map. :'D Nice. Huge. With amazing music. And no enemies! <3 It was lovely! So hearing that it's been reduced to a point and click map.... hrm. I'm getting visions of Suikoden III in me mind? Ah well. Minor gripe. I'm sure when I see the real thing all me worries shall be for naught! :'D
|
|
|
Post by Justin on Oct 26, 2009 8:36:33 GMT -5
Really? I had no idea that was because of Working Designs... I wonder what the true context was for said instance. Dude, give this site a read. It should answer all of your questions, plus its really neat to see some of the choices they made with the conversion. www.lunar-net.com/sssc/sss_diff.php
|
|
|
Post by liquidpolicenaut on Oct 26, 2009 10:38:01 GMT -5
I don't post here for awhile and Zeta Justin beats me to the punch on the Lunar demo! grrr lol I was gonna post my own impressions but I think Zeta Justin said pretty much everything thats needs to be said and I agree almost 100%. The only thing is the map. While I DO miss the TSS /EB exploarion maps, I HATED the map in SSSC so this is at least a step up in my eyes lol... Actually the only thing in all of Justin's rave review that bothered me was the talk of no explorable worldmap. The only versions of the two Lunars I've played are the Complete ones and.... I kind of really loved the world map. :'D Nice. Huge. With amazing music. And no enemies! <3 It was lovely! So hearing that it's been reduced to a point and click map.... hrm. I'm getting visions of Suikoden III in me mind? You actually LIKED the map in SSSC? Hmmm... I agree that I love an explorable map but I see you never got a chance to play the Sega CD versions of TSS and EB. Now THOSE are beautifully large overworld maps, explorable, monsters actually attack you while you are walking through it and the music was oustanding! Since this was the map I was used to and loved, when I played SSS, my heart cried a little at the new map. Characters....*takes out magnifying glass* so...small. No monsters anywhere. It kind of defeated the purpose of the map in the first place for me. As for the music, it was ok for me. Again, I came from TSS which had incredible CD-quality overworld themes (and all the rest of the soundtrack as well) whereas SSSC has MIDI-ish quality tunes... In regards to HSS, yes, the map is even smaller now, BUT I can understand the map not being huge and explorable as it is on a handheld. At least it is just a selectable map which is, as odd as it sounds, better imo in relation to the SSSC map... The 2 nicest things about the demo for me are the music and graphics. I think the graphics are nicer than SSSC. I never thought the did as much as they could with the graphics in SSSC and I kind of like this new take on it. As for the music, I have already too many times how I disliked the music in SSSC but, with this demo, my frown turned upside down The music sounds so much more beautiful now. Still not as good as TSS but MUCH better than SSSC... Zeta Justin: Indeed we do share our love of Lunar. Remember a few weeks ago on the marketplace here I wanted that PC version of Lunar someone was selling and I stated that was the last version I needed? Well...I still need it but that was where we shared our love for Lunar. *sniff sniff* You forgot so quickly........j/k I was very surprised at how small the White Dragon cave was in the demo actually. It WAS nice, however, to finally see the enemies different colors now Another small thing I didn't like was that they didn't show an icon/pic of what you get when you open a chest... EDIT: I just double-checked and the demo is actually 215MB large...
|
|
|
Post by liquidpolicenaut on Oct 26, 2009 12:43:20 GMT -5
ARGH, that's a pet peeve of mine... why does being on a handheld mean less content is understandable?! That totally doesn't follow at all! Being able to save anywhere because a game is on a handheld, now THAT'S reasonable. But expecting less of a game because it's on a handheld? I'm sorry, but NO. That's the kind of thinking that leads to travesties like the PSP version of PopoloCrois, where over 50% of the two PS1 games it's based off of were cut entirely, all in the name of making it more "handheld-friendly". I don't buy it for a second! Give me long, explorable, deep games on my handhelds, like Ys Seven. Don't skimp just because of the platform. Sorry, but it needed to be said. -Tom P.S. 215 MiB is still pretty reasonable for dialup. You should be fine, Unsavory. No, no I fully agree with you. I would have loved it if they would have included a fully explorable map with monsters to encounter (basically the overworld map from TSS but with the new graphic engine in here) but my fear is that, given a HUGE, fully explorable map, the load times would become atrocious. The load times so far arent bad in the game but I already see some unnecessary loading between screens in the same town. I love RPGs but will admit to not playing that many on the PSP. Are there some with huge explorable maps with good detail and not super-long load times? If there are, then I can see that they SHOULD have included a full map dammit! However, for me, since I come from hating the SSSC map, even this non explorable one is better in my eyes than SSSC. The map in SSSC was barely a step above the clickable map in HSS..but at least here i KNOW i cant go explore EDIT - Wait, I havent played Ys 7 yet. Does it contain an explorable overworld map?
|
|