Why I Will Always Love Lunar

Ahh, Lunar.  What more is there to say, really? For the people who have never heard of it, allow me to give you a brief, but magical, history of what's to come.Lunar: Silver Star Story, and Lunar: Eternal Blue are JRPGs (Japanese Role-Playing Games, that is to say, made in Japan) that first came out long ago for the ill-fated Sega CD console.   They were, perhaps, the only games that could have made the system worth buying.  And that's not just one person's opinion. 
They both recieved a makeover, story and graphics-wise, for an eventual rerelease on the original Playstion, adding "Complete" to the end of the title (ie. Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete).   We Lunarians also consider these remakes to be the definitive versions. Sadly, their parent company, Working Designs, went bankrupt in 2005.  Leaving behind some very sad fans. 


It wasn't my first RPG.  That honor goes to Dragon Warrior on my Nintendo.  But Lunar was the first time I felt passion for a game.  I wanted to play through the story, and not just skip through all the text and run from most battles just to get to the next boss fight, as I would in other RPGs that came before. 


I grinded on that game, you guys.  I fought slimes, goblins, and cave dwelling whatchamacallems until my thumbs hurt!  I wasn't gonna face the next boss with anything less than my best.  And I'd be lying  if I told you I didn't die and have to reload my save more times than any normal person would have the patience for. I was gonna get that diamond.  I was gonna go to Meribia.  I was gonna pass the trials of Vane.  I was gonna rescue Luna from Ghaleon, Vile Tribe be damned!


I loved Lunar then.  And I still loved it, possibly even more, when I played the remake on PS1.  It took me on a great adventure, with magic, and dragons, and a group of friends with their own struggles and dreams who I wouldn't replace for the world. (Well, except for maybe Ramus.)  


I miss the feeling of playing this game for the first time.  I hate the idea of never seeing anymore stories from that world. But I cherish every moment spent replaying it for the four thousandth time, and for the warm fuzzies I get just by looking at the box as it still sits on my shelf. 


There are so many new games coming out, each has a story of their own to tell.  A lady named after a weather occurence, a guy wearing white who likes to stab people, and a land infected by mushroom zombies.  Great.  I'll play them all, help the heroes out, and gab with you about how the ending betrayed everything you believe in.


But it won't be as meaningful as the Lunar games.  Not to me.  They are my special treasures, the games of my childhood and teen years.  And that's why I'm gonna play them again, for the four thousandth and one time.


"Alex, we'd better get moving... Luna's patience with us will only stretch so far. We'd better not test the limit."


You got it Nall.  Let's go.