Manual Stimulation: Lunar Samposuru Gakuen (Game Gear)

I'm just going to say this right off the bat: the instruction manual produced for Lunar: Samposuru Gakuen (aka Lunar: Walking School--and by the way, I know the title in the header above is missing the colon; the fact is, I just couldn't handle two colons pressing against each other like that) is one of the most impressive I've come across so far, especially in terms of manuals produced for portable games.



After all, more than half of its many pages are filled with beautiful, full-color illustrations (like the ones below).



I believe this is the island on which the game takes place, by the way, although don't quote me on that.



Likewise, I'm pretty sure the folks featured on the following pages are Lunar: Samposuru Gakuen's main characters.







Are the gal and guy below the game's antagonists? Again, I don't know, but I'd be willing to bet that's just who they are. They certainly look ... villainous enough, don't they?

Five favorites: Sega Mega-CD box art

True story: I've always felt an odd affinity for Sega's Mega-CD (Sega CD in the West), the bulky add-on device that was released for the Mega Drive (Genesis) in the early 1990s.

In fact, I was so attracted to the system and its rather tiny catalog of games that I regularly rented a CD-X--the surprisingly small all-in-one system, released in 1994, that combined the Genesis and Sega CD--along with copies of Lunar: The Silver Star or Lunar: Eternal Blue (usually) from the local grocery store as a teen.

I've long considered buying a CD-X system and a bunch of the system's games as a result of those experiences, but the former still commands such high prices on eBay that I've yet to bite the bullet.

That supposed resolve is routinely tested by beautiful Mega-CD box art like that which is showcased below, I have to say. I mean, who wouldn't want to own a copy of Keio Yuugekitai just so they could pull it from the shelf and stare at its cover imagery now and then?

Aisle Lord--I know next to nothing about this particular game--I think it's an RPG?--but at the moment I'm perfectly fine with that, as all I care about is its cover art. Sure, the basis of it is that same, clichéd, "let's jumble all of the game's characters together in the center of the illustration" design that's been a staple of Japanese gaming since the beginning of time (or so it sometimes seems), but at least this time around the artist in charge utilized a slightly different style.

Keio Yuugekitai--According to the word on the street, this game is as worth owning for its gameplay as it is for its box art--which kind of shocks me, as its box art is the definition of beautiful.

Lunar: The Silver Star--I'm sure some folks would include the cover art of this game's sequel, Eternal Blue, here instead, and I can't argue with them to an extent, but I've always been so attracted to this particular creation--and the game it represents--that I couldn't help but include it here.

Time Gal--I know the gameplay of this one isn't all that appealing, but you've got to love it box art anyway--or at least I do. I mean, come on--not only does it feature a green-haired lass with ample thighs (and, no, I'm also not sure why I zeroed in on that fact), but it features a giant woolly mammoth, too. In other words, it's close to perfection. The only way it could be better, in my opinion: if it showcased a bare-chested stud with pecs and abs to spare instead of a chick.

Waraou Salesman--OK, so some of you are likely to consider this piece of cover art to be the stuff of nightmares. I can't fault you for that, but I personally love it--mainly because it seems like a Japanese take on the creepy propaganda posters you could have seen in other areas of the world (if not in Japan, too) in the early part of the last century.

Note: all of the box art included in this post was pulled from the always fabulous segagagadomain.com.

It was worth every penny (or, I heart my copy of Lunar: Samposuru Gakuen for the Game Gear)

Actually, I don't know why I decided to imply in the header above that I spent a pretty penny on this particular pick-up, as in reality it only set me back a few bucks (about 30 of them, if memory serves).

Even if I had dropped a boatload on the copy of Lunar: Samposuru Gakuen seen in the photos below, though, it would've been well worth it.

Why? For starters, there's its deliciously colorful cover art (above).



That's not the only reason I consider this Game Gear title to be well worth the 30 or so smackeroonies I spent on it, though. Another: its completely brilliant instruction manual, which not only is surprisingly thick (especially for a portable game) but is filled with fabulous illustrations like the ones seen above and below.

In case you've never heard of it, by the way, Lunar: Samposuru Gakuen (aka Lunar: Walking School) is a Japan-only spin-off of Game Arts' well-regarded RPG series, Lunar. (Here's a video of the game's English fan-translation in action, in case any of you are curious.)

I've had this game on my "to buy" list for some time now, but I'd basically given up on ever acquiring it due to the fact that it tends to fetch high prices on eBay.

So, when I came across this particular copy and saw it was being sold for a virtual steal, I couldn't help but pick it up. The question is: when I finally get around to playing it, will I be able to understand any of it?

Goodbye, UnchainBlades ReXX; hello, Unchained Blades

How's this for a pleasantly surprising piece of news: The folks at XSEED Games announced yesterday that they will be bringing both the PSP and 3DS versions of FuRyu's dungeon-crawling RPG, UnchainBlades ReXX, to the US later this year as Unchained Blades. (Here is an article about the differences between the two versions, in case any of you are interested.)

In case you've never heard of UnchainBlades ReXX, which hit store shelves in Japan last summer, here's all you really need to know: It's a Wizardry-esque dungeon-crawler that was directed by Lunar's Toshio Akashi and penned by Grandia's Takashi Hino.

Should that not mean much to you, you may want to check out the following, action-packed trailer (of the PSP version, I believe), which preceded the game's Japanese release:



Personally, I've been interested in this game ever since I first laid eyes on the video above. I'm especially intrigued by how colorful the battle scenes seem to be. I'm also rather fond of the pyrotechnic special attacks that quite literally litter this particular trailer.

Another compelling aspect of Unchained Blades: Although parties are limited to just four human-ish characters (from a cast of 13), players can attempt to convince the monsters they encounter in the field to follow them. In fact, each character can be aligned with up to four “unchained” (as they are called in the game) creatures at any one time, with each monster assisting said party members by blocking attacks or supplying them with special offensive abilities.

One final, curious fact about this delicious-looking (to yours truly, at least) dungeon-crawler: Both the 3DS and PSP versions will be released as digital downloads.

The best 16-bit RPG you've never played, eh?

That's what one person over on neogaf.com is calling Pier Solar, a Genesis/Mega Drive RPG (recently) created by a team of coders that go by the name of WaterMelon Development.

According to the game's official website, it began life (in 2004) as a homebrew mini-game. Eventually, its developers decided to turn it into a full-fledged RPG in the vein of Chrono Trigger, Final Fantasy VI and Phantasy Star IV.

Another likely source of inspiration: Game Arts' Lunar series, as evidenced in the following video (especially the battle scene, which begins around the 4:45 mark):



Copies of Pier Solar can be pre-ordered here for $45. (Check out this discussion thread at neogaf.com for more information on this intriguing game.)