Lunar Threads

Thanks for the confirmation, Temzin. I've been looking every week or so to see if the game selection updated. Ugh, no Lunar in English. What a missed opportunity for the Sega Genesis version of the system.

I just pre-ordered the Mega Drive version. The ability to switch languages for some of the games (esp. Shining Force CD) is crucial. I can muddle through Lunar or Phantasy Star II in Japanese, but I probably can't do that so well for the games I've never played. I'm also looking forward to trying the games I've never heard of.

Bash such a shame…I was really hoping. Ah well still getting the Genesis version. I can at least play Lunar 1 and 2 on my Sega CD.

According to this twitter thread Sega reached out to Victor Ireland and he said no because he wanted more money.

https://twitter.com/cj_iwakura/status/1 ... 2509116416

I rather doubt it was as simple as that. Even that Twitter thread says as much: they offered a flat fee instead of royalties. We don't know if it was for one, two, or all three games (Popful Mail being the third); we don't know if it was only the translation or the various gameplay changes that were made; we don't know if the vocals were part of it; we don't know if the music was part of it...we don't know how much this was Vic's own call or whether any of the rights were owned jointly (he owned Working Designs with a business partner, the original venture capitalist who formed WD when it was an accounting software company). Things won't have gotten less complex in the decades since then.

Eh.... disappointing yes but not unexpected. Honestly though that lineup looks worth it -- I have several games already on that list, but a few more (notably Shining Force, Three Kingdoms, Shin Megami Tensei) I don't have and this seems like a convenient way to try them. And not having to set up my entire Sega CD when I want to replay Sonic CD or the Lunars.

I picked this up for myself for Christmas this year.

While you change the general settings for the system to English the games all play in the original Japanese format. I assumed was going to be the case anyways. Especially when the us version removed the games from the game line up.

It's nice to finally be able to play the Japanese version of the mega cd's. I have the physicals in my collection, but didnt own the Japanese system to ever play them. If you are a fan of lunar and have to have them it is a cute little system to have. They even include the cover art for lunar the silver star on the back box. <3