Originally, Lunar: The Silver Star was published by Game Arts for the Sega CD (Mega CD) in Japan in 1992, and the US in 1993 by Working Designs -developed Game Arts, Studio Alex.
In 1996, Game Arts completely reworked, and retold the story of Lunar by releasing Lunar: The Silver Star Story for the Sega Saturn exclusively in Japan. Later on, the remake made it’s worldwide release debuting on the Sony PlayStation in 1998, then in the US in 1999, titled Lunar: The Silver Star Story Complete.
Lunar touched many gamer’s hearts as it told the story of a young boy whose dreams of becoming a Dragonmaster begin to unfold. The game has remarkable storytelling (wether you love or hate the translation) mixed with adventure, love, and friendship that’s a must-play for any RPG fan. But the key to any good RPG is the music. Noriyuki Iwadare‘s (岩垂徳行) composition brings out the emotional quality that can emphasize the excitement or tear your heart out with despair. And without him, this would have been a very different game. Join us as we discuss the music of Lunar: The Silver Star and the remakes as well as an interview with composer, Noriyuki Iwadare.
Lunar: The Silver Star
Game Arts, Studio Alex, Working Designs – Sega CD/Mega CD – 1992
Composed by: Noriyuki Iwadare, Hiroshi Fujioka, Isao Mizoguchi, Yoshiaki Kubotera
Lunar: The Silver Star Story (Complete)
Game Arts – Sega Saturn, Sony PlayStation 1996~1999
Composed by: Noriyuki Iwadare
Lunar: The Silver Star Harmony
XSEED – Sony PlayStation Portable – 2009
Composed by: Noriyuki Iwadare
Noriyuki Iwadare (VGMPF | Wikipedia)
The Making of Lunar: The Silver Star Story Complete (YouTube)
Track List:
- 0:00:08 Now the Story Begins (PlayStation)
- 0:17:06 Toward the Horizon (PlayStation)
- 0:22:29 Burg (PlayStation)
- 0:25:58 Burg (Sega CD)
- 0:38:31 Fun Traveling (PlayStation)
- 0:45:33 Town by the Sea (Sega CD)
- 0:52:04 Have a Big Dream (Sega Saturn)
- 0:58:45 Traffic (PSP)
- 1:04:15 Mysterious Cave (PSP)
- 1:07:32 Go Go Go! (PlayStation)
- 1:10:43 Fighting Spirits (PlayStation)
- 1:18:45 Battle (Sega CD)
- 1:24:18 Fighters (PSP)
- 1:27:23 Four Heroes (PSP)
- 1:34:57 Recollection (PlayStation)
- 1:37:29 Sad Events (Sega CD)
- 1:41:58 Thieve’s Bazaar (PlayStation)
- 1:52:47 Solitary Wolf (PSP)
- 2:12:23 Hero In Town (Sega CD)
- 2:18:41 Meribia (PSP)
- 2:31:32 Determination (PSP)
- 2:37:02 The Tower (Sega CD)
- 2:39:33 Final Conflict (Sega CD)
- 2:44:00 Lunar Theme Arranged (Ending Credits) (PlayStation)
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 2:48:13 — 294.4MB)
Best interview ever. During the interview, when Iwadare offered to get his tromone and you turned him down, I was saying to myself, “How could he pass on an offer to hear Iwadare goof around on a brass instrument?!” Thankfully, I stuck around for the outtakes. :) Seriously, this whole episode was so good…..it can’t be my favorite(we both know which one that is), but it’s certainly one of my favorite 3 or 4 episodes of all time.
haha, thanks Nathan! Oh man, we had to fight the urge to have him bust out the trombone. We didn’t want to trouble him but in hindsight I’m glad he grabbed it for the end ;)
This was an excellent episode. It never ceases to amaze me to hear directly from the composers.
Lunar played a significant part in my years of gaming. The battle system for the Sega CD, in particular, was completely different than anything I had seen before. Then, I had my mind blown by the production value of the PS version and all of the goodies they provided for the deluxe set. Lastly, the story and friendship of the main characters was always so charming and fun that it invited players into a journey where it felt as if they were part of the cast as well.
I tend to favor the Sega CD soundtrack a little more because it’s a bit more intense, but the PS and remake versions have some memorable songs as well.
Iwadare’s passion for music is inspiring and it’s nice to see what he intended on having the players experience through his soundscape.
Thank you! we can relate.. and we might have said this in the show (i forget) but the story in either way you play it truly captivates and the system no longer matters at that point. The Battle music is hands down Sega CD all the way tho but both soundtracks have their moments and do the game justice. :)
This episode is legendary, absolutely loved it.
Wow thanks!! We’re glad it turned out good :)