I can't think of very many things that suit my list of favorite forms of entertainment as well as good anime and good RPG games. So, it is without argument that the LUNAR series instantly became part of my "journey to the 'good old days of RPG gaming' collection". The re-relase of Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete: Fan Edition, is a blessing to those of us who welcome a return to old-school console RPGs - and it's all been made possible thanks to Working Designs, the publisher who was the very first third-party CD-ROM publisher in the U.S. Their dedication to bringing some of the best of what the East has to offer, as well as treating their fans with the utmost and most amicable respect, makes them one of those publishers that reminds you that there really are people in the business who are REALLY into what they do, enjoy doing it, and really enjoy hearing what their fans have to say.

The LUNAR: Silver Star Story Complete: Fan Edition for Sony Playstation is the Playstation-RPG enthusiast's second chance to get their hands on a great classic RPG title packed with nearly an hour of anime cut scenes. The game, known then as Lunar: The Silver Star, was first released on Sega CD in 1993, after Working Designs gained licensing rights from Game Arts to release the game in the U.S. Five years later saw a new enhanced version, named Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete, released on the Playstation, and this release not only added exclusive features, but it also continued to garner praise from RPGer's everywhere.

This latest edition, Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete: Fan Edition,  re-releases the original gameplay of the first Playstation version, and the CD's feature the fan art of one of their most prominent and prolific contributors, Armen Mardirossian. The manual is a reproduction of the original manual, complete with game features, commands, extensive character bios, and even such goodies as comparisons between the Japanese and English song lyrics, an interview, and translation notes which contain a sincere tribute to the fans. The Working Designs web site also displays this commitment to fans.

The gameplay itself is described best by the publisher as "strategic menu-driven combat." Think RPGs like Grandia and earlier Final Fantasy. At the beginning of the game you are introduced to the game's lead character, Alex, resident of a small provincial town, whose dreams are much bigger than his home can hold. The townspeople always know where to find our to-be adventurer; musing at the memorial of the Dragonmaster Dyne. You also meet Nall, a cute, but razor witted flying cat-like animal who is Alex's constant companion. Your first core party will congeal within the first few minutes of the game as you are introduced to Luna, a high spirited songstress, and Ramus - whose idea it ultimately is to set out on the first of the huge journey to come. There are quite a few characters involved in your journeys, and the good thing is they never come across as bland archetypes of character classes.

Once you leave town, you will move to an overview map. You won't get into any battles on this screen, not even random ones. Once you enter the dungeons/area, however, you will have the chance to do battle. Groups of monsters will be represented by a symbol of the primary monster in the group, and they will generally hang around in their own area until you get close enough and then the group will dart towards you. If it catches you, then the screen breaks to the battle screen.

Once on the battle screen, you will have a number of choices to make. First - you can choose to let the game's AI control your entire party's moves. As you might expect, the computer picks the most power attack available right away and uses a very cautious approach to health. The good thing is, if you don't like the way the computer is handling it, you can break in and take over. This can be good for repetitive battles. If you prefer to handle the controls completely, you can also handle each character's moves manually. An interesting choice lets you set AI for some characters, and keep manual controls for others. This is really helpful for characters whom have special moves you'd like to conserve for tougher enemies. There is also a "behavior" setting which will allow you to establish the character's general tactics - meaning healing, attacking, defending, etc. After you have all that figured out, you can finagle with your party formations, and, as seasoned RPGers know, this is where you'll want to make sure they people who take the hits are up front at the brunt of the assault. 

Leveling is accomplished through battles. Actual points will automatically be distributed to qualifying characters - which works just fine since your character classes are pretty much established for each character. In pure RPG fashion, you can buy items such as weapons, armor, and potions. Money is collected from either winning battles or selling equipment or items. Not everyone can wear the same items, and you'll be able to tell when you are on the buy screen. If the character you have in the buy screen (you have to choose a character first in these transactions) cannot equip or use a particular item, the game will tell you: "Can't Equip." 

The menu system itself is also pretty clearly organized. Most characters will have choices such as equipping items, using items, and giving items to other party members. An interesting facet of Lunar is the role of Nall in the menu system. Nall becomes your "game" menu access - allowing you to save games, set options, choose tactics for your party, and other stuff you're probably used to doing from a "select" menu. Nall will also take a very minor part in your battles, performing things like reviving characters whom has run out of hit points, or have "fainted," according to Lunar lingo.

As you can see, in terms of choices and depth, Lunar has a lot to offer the old school console RPG fan. Along with this, is the bonus of the anime cut scenes to the flow of the game. This aspect of Lunar really shines in the way it kind of makes you feel like you're taking part in sort of a "choose your own adventure" anime. The graphics and backgrounds were really top of the line for their time, and I didn't encounter any problems in gameplay or cut scenes. Voice acting, which is cycled in and out throughout the game, is also of an anime feature quality (as is the scripting) - helping to blur the line between the two. 

As stated in the beginning of the review, this version of Lunar: Silver Star Story is an exact replica of the first Playstation release, with the exception of the fine fan art which graces these limited edition CD's. If you're burned out on your PS2/Xbox/GC graphics, or maybe dissatisfied with the current depth or direction of games on the market now, or maybe you'd just like to take a trip down memory lane to those nostalgic days when RPGs were practically the standard for all of console gaming - then Lunar: Silver Star Story is a must have!

Graphics: 8 
Being as that this is a re-release, it's important to mention that you're not going to want to make this a gift to those gamers who just can't get past the latest and greatest eye-candy. HOWEVER, it remains to be said that these graphics were setting standards at the time of their original release (Sega CD), and the anime sections are everything you'd want from your very own anime collection.

Sound: 8
A great deal of consideration went into the sound and voice casting when Lunar was released, AND when it was translated. This is apparent from the careful fashion in which translations were done. I've played my fair share of poorly translated games - and believe me, when someone does it right, you really appreciate it! The opening song is very mood setting, giving the game an immediately fantasy feel. The music is also crystal clear, including Luna's singing. 

Concept: 8
Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete Fan Edition is a great chance to introduce yourself to one of the best classic-RPGs you may have never played. Or maybe you did get to play someone else's copy and you've been waiting to get your own (and not have to pay a ton on eBay!). While the only real change since the last release is the CD art, sometimes it's just good to have a chance at a classic favorite. 

Overall: 8
Just take a look at the devoted following for Lunar, and you'll know that there's a reason this series has earned such high praise as one of the best RPGs of all time. It is a really pleasurable blend of classic RPG and anime - two things that really do what games do best: Wrap you up in a new world and help you forget the real one for a few hours. It's got plenty of depth and it built on a sold frame with some great animation. What more can us lucky little gamers ask for? This game is worth adding to your collection, and can be found for under $35 at fine video game retailers.