Top 20 Best RPG Series of All Time

#8. – Lunar

# of Good Games in the Franchise: 3

Active: No

The Lunar series was created to take advantage of the Sega CD hardware. The first two were released for the platform and featured voice overs, animated sequences, and redbook audio. From here GameArts developed a spin-off for the Sega Game Gear entitled Lunar: Walking School. All three titles were remade for the Sega Saturn in Japan, and the original two of these were ported to the PS1 in North America. Lunar: The Silver Star (the first game in the series) has been remade for both the Game Boy Advance and Sony PSP. The latest release, Lunar: Dragon Song, served as a prequel and to this day is still a Nintendo DS exclusive.

Yes, there are only three good installments (two of which are remakes, for your information). Lunar: The Silver Star on the Sega CD is wildly different from the complete iteration that most played on the PS1. Both are good, but they have enough differences that they can easily be considered different games. Lunar 2 is a different story. Working Designs botched the localization by messing with the balancing and adding unwelcome features. The story and scenarios are mostly the same, but because of the changes the 32-bit version is clearly superior. The Game Boy Advance remake of the Silver Star is pretty bad, and the PSP one is okay. Lunar: Magic School is okay but nothing great. Dragon Song was the first original title in the series in quite some time but was absolutely terrible.

The Best Way to Play:

As far as the original title goes it’s significantly better on the Sega CD. The PS1 remake changed the story, gameplay, and scenarios but not for the better. It’s still a very competent RPG and worth playing, but doesn’t quite measure up. This one was released for iPhone and it’s actually a great way to play it. The GBA and PSP remakes are worse, but they’re okay. Lunar: Eternal Blue however is best on the PS1. The balancing issues on the Sega CD version makes for a less than optimal experience. Lunar: Magic School is best on the Sega Saturn but no fan translation exists so you’ll need to follow a guide. I would recommend passing on Lunar: Dragon Song, but if you must experience it then it’s only available on the original Nintendo DS.