Famitsu Time – Lunar: Silver Star Story Remake Coming to PSP

As a veteran of the PS1 era, there were several RPG franchises I followed religiously.  Aside from Final Fantasy, there was Suikoden, there was Wild ARMs, there was Breath of Fire, and then there was Lunar.  Developed by Game Arts, the Lunar franchise was one of the cornerstones of the Working Designs movement of the Playstation era; these games sported more contemporary localizations and wildly popular special edition packaging that made each iteration of the series a collector’s item the day it was released.  However, the franchise never managed to truly survive past the PS1 era; after a half-assed, farmed-out port to the Game Boy Advance and a DS sequel that most fans pretend never existed, the Lunar series faded into obscurity, never to return.

Until today.  In the pages of this week’s Famitsu magazine, a revival of the Lunar franchise was finally confirmed.  Titled Lunar: Harmony of Silver Star, it’s a full-on re-imagining of the classic Sega CD/PS1 RPG, sporting fully re-drawn 2D visuals, a revamped battle system, and the same story that PS1 fans knew and loved.  While it’s no substitute for a full-on sequel to the beloved series, this remake seems to be Game Arts’ attempt to test the waters and see if the franchise is still viable today.  The game is slated for a 2009 release in Japan, and while no US version has been confirmed as of yet, it seems likely that we’ll be seeing Lunar on Western shores as part of the PSP’s 2009 renaissance.  Stay tuned.