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Posted by: jkdmedia

Like a dog who’s perennially chasing his tail, remakes of classic games tend to leave fans tired, nauseous, and without much to show for their efforts. Too many changes to the original can send loyalists into a blind rage, where genuine improvements will be ignored in favor of complaining about the hero's cape being a lighter shade of green than it was before. Too few changes can cause fans to kvetch about whether the remake should exist at all, leading to an almost Kobayashi Maru-like no-win situation.

Lunar: The Silver Star was the one that defied the odds, as its incredibly successful PlayStation remake blew everyone away, including hardcore fans of the original Sega CD release. Now, an all new remake of the classic turn-based RPG - dubbed Lunar: Silver Star Harmony - has hit the PSP like a splash of rainbow paint on a plain grey wall, bringing with it a colorful array of improvements that no right-minded fan would dare complain about.

These improvements are immediately noticeable in the visuals, which are eye-widening enough to make you believe that Silver Star Harmony is an entirely new game. The pint-sized character sprites of the original have been blissfully redrawn into larger, more detailed avatars, and the lush, beautiful world of Lunar has also been given the HD upgrade. From the epic majesty of the floating city of Vane to the simplistic, natural charm of Burg, each location is truly a sight to behold. The audio has also been completely redone, as exclusive orchestrations of the original’s stellar, upbeat soundtrack continues to amaze. Unfortunately, this impressive presentation results in some exceptionally long load times, with transitions between certain areas taking upwards of 10 seconds. While not game-killing, these load times do slow the pacing down quite a bit, and will make exploring each building of every town a somewhat arduous task.

Despite all of these changes, the developers at Game Arts were wise enough to leave the story be. Players still control a young stud named Alex, who leaves his tiny, hometown village with aspirations of becoming a Dragonmaster like his childhood hero. Yes, I realize that my description pretty much fits every J-RPG ever made, but Alex’s journey from childhood to adulthood as he and his friends develop their abilities, combat power-hungry magicians, explore the vast, open world, and grow into planet-saving legends is one that will stick with you for quite some time. It also helps that Lunar's cast of characters is exceptionally entertaining across the board. Each has their own personal journey within the game, and it's a genuine pleasure to see all of them blossom as things begin to grow dour. The PSP version adds a few cut scenes and dialogue sequences that end up being welcomed new additions, filling in backstory without feeling like tacked-on fluff.

The humor of Silver Star Harmony also necessitates a mention, as Lunar’s dialogue is as sharp as barbed-wire thumb tack. Most of the cast is made up of no nonsense sasstalkers, with a pitch-perfect translation that breathes some modern attitude into the traditional character archetypes. An early example of this occurs in the game's first real quest, where you are tasked with recovering a dragon's crystal. After encountering the majestic beast, his response to your mission is one of befuddlement. “Don't you know where that comes from,” he remarks. “I'll never understand why you people want to collect my sh...ehr, it's over there.” The witty banter between characters is also a delight, as each builds up an engaging rapport with one another that guarantees a few chuckles during the fairly longwinded interplays.

Lunar’s combat is also somewhat longwinded, with a turn-based, menu-driven system that requires a lot of grinding. One of my biggest J-RPG pet peeves has always been random encounters, where your party is suddenly attacked without warning while you're trying to get from one place to another. In Lunar, enemies are always visible in the overworld, so you might be able to run by random encounters without getting your rumble on. Of course, since enemies stay tough throughout and don’t seem to adapt to your current experience level, you’ll be forced to keep fighting if you hope to get through some of the tougher boss battles. This is where Lunar’s age begins to work against it, as it sometimes feels like you have to do a little too much work to reap the next reward.

The game’s lack of customization can also be attributed to its age, as you can't focus your character’s experience points at all. Level advancements are automatically applied for you, so gamers that are used to having total control over their characters might feel a bit restricted. Guidance is also a problem, as it’s sometimes difficult to figure out what your next objective is or where you’re supposed to go. Since the aforementioned load times slow down each movement, finding the right path can be a frustrating endeavor.

So is the fresher, prettier Lunar worth checking out for RPG-hungry PSP owners? Well, the rough load times and antiquated combat system might keep newer, less patient gamers from discovering the true joy that exists within, but those who value a game that can masterfully mix off-the-wall humor and heart-wrenching need not look any further. Lunar: Silver Star Harmony will make you understand why the original has become such a treasured classic, offering dozens of hours of role-playing glee for those who can look past its faults.

Gameplay: 6
Enjoyable exploration is ruined by not-so-enjoyable load times. Turn-based RPG combat feels a bit antiquated.

Graphics: 8 
Colorful, detailed background art and character sprites are a massive improvement over the decades-old original

Sound: 9
Catchy battle tunes and some beautifully sung ballads highlight a tremendous audio package.

Difficulty: Medium
The boss battles and random conflicts aren’t too difficult…if you are willing to grind up your characters’ levels. If not, save often.

Concept: 8 
The Lunar story is timeless, and all of the updates really accentuate the great qualities that the original presented.

Overall: 8
Lunar: Silver Star Harmony’s engrossing story, lovable characters, and newly redrawn visuals make it a great on-the-go RPG for fans and newcomers alike, but the long load times and grind-heavy combat system keep it from being unbeatable.