Article by: Polo
Pictured from: Lunar: Silver Star Story
Created by: Game Arts / Studio Alex
First appearance: 1992
Bio
When the Mega CD hit American shores under the name Sega CD, sales looked initially grim. The disc-based addendum to the Sega Genesis offered few capabilities, and indeed few memorable titles, for its high price, until U.S. publisher Working Designs spun its reputation around with the release of Lunar: The Silver Star. Showcasing anime-style cut scenes, a rich soundtrack, and a plethora of new gameplay elements, Lunar wowed RPG aficionados so much that later years saw incrementally enhanced re-releases to perfect the classic down to every detail.
The story revolves around a boy named Alex who aspires to become a Dragonmaster like his hero, Dyne. One of his adventure companions is Nall, a catlike, winged dragon who has grown up with Alex since the day a stranger gave Nall to Alex's father. At that time Alex was a small child, and so the boy-dragon pair have developed a brotherly bond over the years. Nall isn't afraid to speak his mind, laden with sarcastic gibes, American cultural quips, cat-in-a-wet-sack mood swings, and other nonsense. But for all the trouble he causes Alex (and the other heroes), he offers practical information and valuable insight along the way.
Nall comments on what the player finds in a treasure chest, on a shelf, in the middle of the path, or anywhere worth checking. In addition to the RPG-bound ATTACK and RUN commands in battle, the NALL command lets the player know what enemies are attacking and what your chances for success are. While the dragon himself doesn't fight, he can revive a fallen party member with an urgent "Get back on your feet!" And to further add to his role of mentor / overseer, Nall SAVEs and LOADs the game, checks the ORDER (formation) of the party, and can DROP any unwanted items from the inventory.
Quote
"People always say I look like a cat. Not true! Cats look like me."
Selected game appearances
Sega CD
- Lunar: The Silver Star (1992)
Sega Saturn
- Lunar: Silver Star Story (1996)
PlayStation
- Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete (1998)
Game Boy Advance
- Lunar Legend (2001)
References
- Wikipedia - "Lunar: The Silver Star"
- RPGClassics - "Lunar: The Silver Star"
- Lunar: The Silver Star instruction manual
