Kizyr -
I read the 3 interviews : Nintendo Dream part 2 didn't really mention anything of importance but I did notice THIS from the Famitsu interview:
"After 11 years, the newest addition to the Lunar series is on the Nintendo DS!"
I said I trusted your translations, so..
I'm assuming they're talking about the Japanese release of Lunar EB (Sega CD) there, however, that is wrong. You may or may not consider Lunar MS / Lunar Walking School a Side story, but certainly you consider it an "the newest addition to the Lunar series", right? (BEFORE Dragon Song /Genesis came out obviously
If they had included Lunar MS in that it would have been 8 years (if talking about Lunar MS) , and 10 years (if talking about Lunar WS - GG) not 11. (MS came out in 1997and WS in 1995, yes?) That was the main part of the articel that has anything to do with Lunar MS..
Next we go to Nintendo Dream part 1 interview, which says:
"After thirteen years, the newest part of the series is now here!"
Not sure how they got 13 years ^_^ but see my comments for the Famitsu quote. Same thing here. The only part again that hasanything ot do with Lunar MS possibly being a side-story and they get it wrong
(unless I'm missing something here)
Already replied to that in my last post (the quote about Lunar III)
dhowerter:
"See? Shigema not acknowledging Lunar MS as "Lunar 3" is fine with me (or him NUMBERING "Lunar 3" with a THREE is also fine with me), because you can have a NON side-story Lunar RPG with no number in the title (example: Lunar: Dragon Song)." (as you kizyr just pointed out, that Lunar DS is in the main series)"
Kizyr:
That doesn't change the fact that you ignored my point about DS being included in the main line of games, while MS is not. What Shigema said is relevant because of the fact that he doesn't bring up MS when discussing the main line of Lunar games, not because he doesn't label it as Lunar 3. That the magazines do the same reconciles their stance with that of the storyboard writer for all Lunar games.
I didn't ignore you saying Lunar DS was in the main series. I agreed on that
However, having no number, but a subtitle in the title did not RULE OUT MS as a main game in the series (**by itself**) because we already have one Lunar rpg like that you have said is in the main series (Lunar Dragon Song).
Well, I think at this point that a "proof" of omission (Lunar MS was NOT mentioned but it suposedly proves something" will not satisfy me. Sorry.
It would be nice if the URL/Link/web page (japanese translated by anybody here or English) actaully mentions Lunar MS..-_-
BTW tho, I don't think Lunar WALKING School (Game Gear) was OUT in Japan when that artbook whose quote we are talking about was released.
From Alunissage, this thread:
"Oh, and I have a date of 1/6/95 for when the artbook was published, courtesy the Lunar Goods Archive. I believe Walking School came out that same year."
Me: (also in this thread)
"Hmm actually Gamefaqs has Lunar Walking School (GG) coming out in Japan on 1/12/96 a YEAR after the interview"
So if Lunar Walking School (the first "Magic School" game) had not come OUT yet until a YEAR **AFTER** the artbook came out, maybe that's why he did not mention it in the interview, because it didn't exist yet
I get your point about how a number is irrelevant, and it is. The point is whether or not the games are brought up in discussing the main line of Lunar games (TSS, EB, and now DS). That they're not means the games fit the definition of a side-story.
Good, glad we agree on something ^_^
As I mentioned above, at this point, a proof of omission (where Lunar MS is not mentioned at all) will really not satisfy my desire for proof. Sorry but its just too inconclusive... Really looking for ironclad proof here..
dhowerter:
"It's nice to see you have that attitude tho not all share it unfortunately..many (not necessarily here) treat MS as a inferior game simply because they know it is a side-story.. "
Kizyr:
"I didn't say it's not an inferior game. I said it's not "unofficial"--it's hard to deny that considering it was Game Arts and Studio Alex behind it. There's a difference. And if that's your problem, you're wasting your time looking for any of the staff on WS/MS telling you in English that it's a side-story. You're trying to just prove that the game is good. KF"
Game Arts and Studio Alex were behind it?? Cool, didn't know that Hmm I thought Kadokawa Shoten did it.. (forgive my spelling if I spelled that wrong lol)
Would you mind providing a link/url for that? (that Gamearts/Studio ALex made MS) - you said it's hard to deny.. hopefully that means a link would be easy to provide
er BTW, as I said in my last post (more than once I think) I WILL now take a Japanese web page URLs/links as long as whoever finds the page (and presumably can read Japanese) translates it for me (and provides the link).
SO yes English links = fine and Japanese links with someone here translating it = fine
[/quote]
GhaleonOne -
Just a side note, other than Vic dropping hints of Lunar III for years, ALL related interviews, magazine comments, comments from developers, etc. have been from Japan. Vic is the only "official" source in the US over the years that has made comments regarding new Lunar games and series. And yes, he has been the source of many Lunar III rumors (which privately I can say he was on target with, as Lunar III HAS been in development in more than one occassion). Just to break everything down:
I see
Japanese URLs/web sites with someone here translating will be just fine then.
1) Lunar: Magic School is generally regarded as a side story to the series. It took place a few hundred years prior to Lunar 1. I do not have a link for an official quote on that, but I believe it was just implied in the text of the game for those that understood the Japanese.
Heh. Interesting on its date there..obviously I can't read the text of the game tho.
2) Lunar 1 and 2 are as official as they come, noone argues that.
3) Lunar: WS, MS Lunar, and Lunar: DS are all official games as well.
4) Lunar: DS is a prequel. It did not get titled "Lunar III" and in fact was titled "Lunar: Genesis", which suggests a Lunar 0 type game. It is a third game in the main series, according to Japanese sources (mainly magazines, but also mentioned by Mitsuru Takahashi in Nintendo Power and Play Magazines - July and September issues respectively).
I agree with all that
5) In the NP interview, Takahashi stated that a Four Heroes game is likely, and Lunar III itself (called "a sequel to Eternal Blue") is fully possible as well. You can find alluding to that on Takahashi's blog.
http://lunardragonsong.1up.com
Heh. I'm a longtime subscriber to Nintendo Power, so which NP interview are we talking about here? ( I probably have the issue)
- Which Month /year (and page number too if you can)?
ZP -
Dhowerter, the World Wide Web can not be expected to work as a complete encyclopedia of everything, ever! Back in the mid-90s when the two versions of Magical School were made, gaming news websites were far smaller, less commercial, and less numerous. The printed word (that is to say, magazines) was still where the majority of video game news could be found, and this chapter of Lunar would only have been covered by the Japanese mags.
Heh I often forget the internet is finite. It just SEEMS endless
Ok then, anyone here can provide a proof of inclusion (Lunar MS is actually mentioned) about it being a side-story or not from the developers
on a English web site, a Japanese web site with someone here translating, OR a scan of a Japanese magazine / other printed source (again, with someone here translating - not the whole page, just the important part ^_^)
Game Arts' own website has been rebuilt from scratch several times in the years that have gone by. So have the pages of Working Designs and UbiSoft. Many news sites have vanished. Any direct, unaltered developer quotes about Lunar from the era of the Game Gear and Saturn releases of Magical School are unlikely to exist at all, and if they do they'll be harder to find than a needle in an entire field of haystacks because of the rate at which the WWW has grown.
I see -_- Very unfortunate.. Does this mean none of you are actually wiling to go and look for the URLs in the first place or a scan from a Japanese mag of the time?
(unless of course you happen to have the actual Japanese mag yourself..and can read it
)
Instead, just look at it this way. MS Lunar has a simpler battle system than Lunar 1 and 2. The story is restricted to one island, rather than the whole world. All the main playable characters are children. All events are inconsequential. There are no Dragonmasters. No real inventory. No anime cut-scenes. No speech. The titles 'Magical School' or 'Strolling School' aren't dramatic at all, and weren't written in English. Most telling of all - it was something of a tradition to put side-stories onto the Game Gear! It happened with Shining Force and Phantasy Star also. Nobody really expects handheld games to be full sequels to titles originally on much more powerful hardware. For this reason alone I doubt that the question 'is Strolling School the same as Lunar 3?' really needed to be asked, either at the time or now.
Simpler battle system - true well kinda.. MS doesnt have normal items or weapons/armor. it DOES have something tho the other Lunar games don't have tho.. Combination Spells.
Actually, several of the Chapters in Lunar MS take place OFF the Magic School Island i.e. other parts of the world.
A lot the main characters (esepcially in Silver Star, but also in EB ) were children as well... (children = 17 or under)
There ARE about 20-30 minutes of anime cutscenes in MS (with voice acting)
lol Who says you needa dramatic title to be a main part of the series? ^_^
(The Silver Star isn't exactly dramatic either, it simply refers to a specific place, just like Magical School does)
I know Lunar 3 is NOT MS
As for none of the main series of Lunar games being on a handheld, multiple people in this thread have said that Lunar: Dragon Song (on DS which is a handheld) is a part of the main series and NOT a side story.