Lunar: Dragon Song official site goes live.

[YoungDyne]

I agree with Jian 100% Everything is well organized, congratulations on becoming the official site for Dragon Song!

This update has certainly made things look much better for Lunar DS. I've even gotten used to the name "Rufus"...who knows, he may even end up my favorite character of the game I think I can live with "Dragon Song" for a title, too. As long as it has something to do with the story. G1, please tell me it's story related?

I have a couple questions, though.

1) Where are Jian's boots? Look at the character design, then look at his sprite...and I was really digging those furry foot warmers, too.

2) Have you received word on bromides? I hope they keep this tradition.

3) There's a lot of stuff here...is this the information they gave to you, or do you have a beta version of the game you got to play?

Now, I hope that the next lunar game is the four heroes story. Because more Dyne is just awesome no matter how you look at it. I know this is off topic, but I wonder who you'd control as the main hero...Ghaleon or Dyne? While you'd figure it would be Dyne, story-wise it might be more interesting if you played as Ghaleon(and if parts were based off of the story of inheritance manga).

[GhaleonOne]

1) Not sure.
2) Again, honestly, not sure. T'would be cool though.
3) I actually can't say on a majority of it, but no, I haven't played the game yet. This information specifically they gave to us though, and actually, it needs to be said that the frontpage, storyline and character descriptions were all written by Kiz. I did the gameplay section, "The World of DS" page, and the little blurbs on the other lesser pages.

I will say this though. The story for this game is very good, and people shouldn't write it off due to lack of full blown anime or the changed battle systems, etc. I agree about the changing of the classic Lunar battle system. I love that system, but if the story is top-notch Lunar story-telling, I can overlook it. Plus, it's kinda hard to pull off the original Lunar battle system on a portable. I would imagine if we got a console game, they'd go back to something similiar.

[Aaron]

great site...

but alas the more I learn about Lunar Dragon Song the more I'm dissapointed...

gah...I'm all for change but a lot of these changes are steering lunar down a road that places it's similarity with other RPGS =(

I guess I'm just gonna have to wait and see how it plays...I hope it plays much better then how it seems...

[YoungDyne]

Aaron, what about it disappoints you? In light of what GhaleonOne just said, I think it became apparent that some changes needed to be made after L:L was released...especially now that it's for another type of handheld system that can offer a handful of new features to the game. As long as Lunar has a Lunar feel to it (and by that I mean as long as the original creators are involved) I'll ultimately welcome any changes. One of my favorite changes now is the battle system, I've never played a game with that kind of battle angle(Vay sort of had the same thing going on, but I don't remember it all that well)...it looks interesting.

I hope Jian becomes a Dragonmaster. I hope the Dragonmaster armor still looks the same, assuming he would still get it. I vaguely remember there being some kind of difference in how they said "dragonmaster" this time in one of the japanese articles?

[MiaOne]

great site...

but alas the more I learn about Lunar Dragon Song the more I'm dissapointed...

gah...I'm all for change but a lot of these changes are steering lunar down a road that places it's similarity with other RPGS =(

I guess I'm just gonna have to wait and see how it plays...I hope it plays much better then how it seems...

Are you kidding me?!?! I'm assuming everything you're "disappointed" about is all technical...like battle systems, etc. But, honestly, Lunar isn't about a battle system or a huge animation movie sequence, it's about the story and characters and I think Lunar: Dragon Song is looking A+ in those departments.

[Kizyr]

1) Where are Jian's boots? Look at the character design, then look at his sprite...and I was really digging those furry foot warmers, too.

2) Have you received word on bromides? I hope they keep this tradition.

3) There's a lot of stuff here...is this the information they gave to you, or do you have a beta version of the game you got to play?

1) Again, like G1, no clue, though I wouldn't pay it much mind. Ramus's sprite in TSS had brown hair, and his character icon had blue hair.

2) No idea, but I don't see where they'd fit it in. They might do something similar with a more elaborate card system, however. Cards are supposed to be more interesting and less of a measly little collectible like they were in Lunar: Legend.

3) The information wasn't given directly, but it's compiled and summarized from what we've received. We could spoil the entire game, but there wouldn't be any fun in that. Personally, I want this to ease folks into the spirit of the game, and rather than give away the story it's better to hint at what people can expect. And honestly, based on story alone, it's very consistent with the Lunar universe, no matter how much the graphics change.

And I wish we had a beta version to play... {^^}. KF

[Silver Phoenix]

As with any of us that have been Lunar fanatics since The Silver Star, I am extremely excited about a new game in the series. Leave it to Lunar to make me buy a Nintendo DS just to be able to play it. I am so not a fan of small handheld systems and their small screens and limited ability.
It's so unfortunate that there is no DS Player for the GameCube, because I love being able to play a game full screen. Please let the Revolution have a built in player! .....Yeah right.

I'm weary of the isometric view presented in the game, as it's something I've never liked. Yeah splitting images between the screens is cool, but more static anime isn't. One thing I sorely missed in Lunar Legend was some sort of voice acting. It just didn't feel like a wholesome Lunar without voice. I don't know why there hasn't been another Lunar game that featured fully orchestrated music like Lunar: The Silver Star did, but goddamn that is one of the best game soundtracks in the world. It's part of what made the game so special, it was an epic soundtrack.

It looks like the sequel to Lunar: Dragon Song will be another DS creation, but I would be so happy if it were developed on a console. I just pray that any Lunar game that follows the succession of The Silver Star, or Eternal Blue is made on a console so we can have it full screen, fantastic musical score, and truly animated video..... and of course voice!
I anticipate Dragon Song, as does any Lunar fan, but we all know we don't want the series to survive solely on a handheld system.

[Katze]

Wow...the more I hear about this game, the more I want it!

Although it may take some time to get used to some of the changes (i.e. the battle system and the dash feature), I'm not too worried. And it's great that Vane is in the game, but I'm a little disappointed that you won't be able to have an Ausa in the party. =/

But I do have one question. Why isn't Rufus' age shown? Is it supposed to be a mystery to us or do you just not know it?

[Deltath]

I anticipate Dragon Song, as does any Lunar fan, but we all know we don't want the series to survive solely on a handheld system.

Though I truly don't mind it being on a handheld in the sense that I don't find small, portable systems bothersome, I greatly mind if elements of the game, quality and such, end up compromised because of this.

To be forthright, I think Lunar: Dragon Song will be a fantastic game. It has all the markings of an intriguing RPG experience. That said, I believe I will still be disappointed. ---- Why, you say? ---- From my vantage point, it doesn't have the LUNAR feel. I do not presume to be all-knowing, so I very well could be mistaken, but my belief, at the present, stands. Aside from several small plot elements(near as I can tell) that share a similarity with the previous LUNAR titles, there is virtually nothing Lunar about it.

First off, I would easily say that one of the most moving and important aspects to me in previous Lunar titles is the soundtrack. Takahashi Mitsuru already announced in the interview with Nintendo Power that "...we are using a different sound company this time." This alone is disheartening, though I do not suggest that the music will lack quality.. it will just lack that familiar feel.

Secondly, I would easily wager that the majority of Lunar fans(or RPG fans in general) hold the story as, hands down, the most important element of the game. There is more to story than just the plot, though. Delivery. The way in which said plot is presented. Throughout the Lunar series, conveyance of the story is realized through not just the onscreen text, but the visually stunning cutscenes, the voice acting(at least in SSSC and EBC) and, again, the music. For Dragon Song, it's another matter.

Finally, though much less important, the style of gameplay. As with any RPG, this is not the core of the experience, though the lack of familiarity will surely cause one to feel less at home with Dragon Song than with previous Lunar titles.

All together, these are the elements that comprise(at least for me) the Lunar experience. Through these means, an end is achieved by Lunar that is foreign to other series. An atmosphere is created that allows the world of Lunar to flow realistically beyond the boundaries of standard RPG gaming. A fully immersive and wonderous happening. As I see it, this is something that Lunar: Dragon Song cannot embody.

Great game? Perhaps. Lunar? I think not.

In the end, I only hope that I am mistaken.

[GhaleonOne]

I anticipate Dragon Song, as does any Lunar fan, but we all know we don't want the series to survive solely on a handheld system.

That's what I'm thinking. I honestly feel they're doing this game just to test the waters with the Lunar fans to see if there's still enough fanbase and support before continuing the series much further. I think we'll see the Four Heroes game regardless, but between those two games, time will tell if we'll see Lunar 3 on a console or not. I really hope so. We've waited over 10 years.

BTW, good to see you SP. ^_^

[WD RPG WD]

I thought SilverPheonix looked fimilar.. Where do I know that name from?

Anyway, the only thing I don't like so far is the lack of movement around towns and the overworld. everything else is pretty good.

[GhaleonOne]

Assuming it's the same Silver Phoenix, he's from the original Lunar Threads on sega-saturn.com.

[Greensky]

Great new site. I'm so happy that we are getting a new Lunar game, and the site just made it feel like it's actually happening now... it's coming, woohoo!

[Lunar Eclipse]

All together, these are the elements that comprise(at least for me) the Lunar experience. Through these means, an end is achieved by Lunar that is foreign to other series. An atmosphere is created that allows the world of Lunar to flow realistically beyond the boundaries of standard RPG gaming. A fully immersive and wonderous happening. As I see it, this is something that Lunar: Dragon Song cannot embody.

Great game? Perhaps. Lunar? I think not.

Um, to be fair, you've read about the new gameplay elements, but you haven't even heard the music or seen the way the cutscenes work. Don't label it as "un-Lunar" so early.

[Aaron]

Aaron, what about it disappoints you?

Well let me comment on your uh...other comment about other games not having that kind of battle view...its not true...I've played Breath of Fire and Phantasy Star all have similar views for battle.

What disappoints me so much about this game is that is so different from the other games. Lunar was unique...and I'm getting a very bland taste from what I see. Yes, Lunar is a story driven game. But what also made Lunar great was all the small things adding up to something great and special. You get rid of enough of those small things and you no longer have Lunar. You have something completely different which is why I'm getting disappointed and I'll really just have to wait and see how it plays.

[Kizyr]

Great game? Perhaps. Lunar? I think not.

In the end, I only hope that I am mistaken.

You probably are mistaken. Everything on the site is only an introduction to the game. The full story, I can assure you, is very much in the same vein as Lunar. There will be new, unique things about it, of course. But the same elements that are characteristic of the Lunar universe will be present in the plotline.

Only two things are a possible loss: 1) the exploration element from the inability to walk around town, and 2) a different soundtrack from previous titles.

I'd wait and see before judging anything, particularly the story. I mean, Magic School had a pretty decent and enjoyable storyline behind it, but folks will still down it without knowing a thing about the game. KF

[Greensky]

I never played Magic School, but I never hear about anyone talking about any story elements from it... That's not to say that it doesn't have some awesome Lunar info in it, I really wouldn't know.

[ilovemyguitar]

Here's a question for those who might know. I realize that a new sound company is being used for this game, but does that mean this game won't have Althena's main theme? You know, the "la, la, la" song Luna sang several times, and that krept up very subtlely several times in the soundtrack for Lunar 2. Do you guys know whether or not that theme will be used in this game? I realize that's fairly minor in the grand scheme of things, but I know that hearing that theme at some point in this game would make me a very, very happy boy.

[Alunissage]

You have it backwards. The melody was originally in the SegaCD EB and then was put into SSSC. It's basically a substitute for the song she sang in TSS (which I still like better, myself).

Don't have time to find the exact messages, but my comment regarding concerns that the music won't match the other Lunars is that SSSC's music is pretty darn different from TSS's. In fact, I listened to the soundtrack for SSSC before playing the game, and I was appalled, because it didn't sound anything at all like the music which first made me love Lunar. I'm used to it now, of course, but I just want to make the point that having the same composer didn't make the soundtracks all that connected.

[NallOne]

Short and Sweet: Great job on the site to all those involved. I actually read through everything earlier multiple times, and was just too worn out to work my way over here and comment. I will say that what I have seen really has changed my view of the game. I went from thinking much of what I have read mentioned in this thread (This game not feeling like Lunar), to being The Night Before Christmas giddy over this game. The more I learn, the more it seems to feel like Lunar to me. I'm surprised at how fresh this feeling is. I was expecting to have lost some of my love for Lunar over the years, but I feel like I just finished TSS all over again. I am on a Lunar high right now. It has been a long time coming - Finally a new Lunar!

Keep up the good work, guys.

- Mike