Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete

Overview

Working Designs approached the American release of Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete in 1999 with unusual commitment. The retail package included the game disc, a Luna figure (a small metal statue of the female protagonist), a making-of booklet, a map of the Lunar world, and a cloth bag to hold all of it. For $60 in 1999, players received something that felt like a collector’s edition before collector’s editions were standard.

This production philosophy reflected Working Designs’ approach to their entire catalog: these games mattered, and the act of releasing them deserved ceremony.

Alex and Luna

The story begins simply. Alex is a village boy in Burg, a small coastal community on the world of Lunar. He dreams of becoming a Dragonmaster — a legendary hero who seeks the blessings of the Four Dragons. His childhood friend Luna has a singing voice of supernatural beauty. They’ve grown up together, and what they feel for each other is the kind of attachment that doesn’t require naming yet.

The adventure takes them across the world of Lunar — through bustling cities, ancient temples, the Frontier occupied by the Magic Emperor’s forces, and eventually to a confrontation with a threat larger than either of them initially understood. Along the way, Alex gathers companions: Ramus the would-be businessman, Nash the arrogant mage, Mia the sorceress heiress, Kyle the flamboyant brawler, and Jessica the cleric with more opinions than tact.

What makes Lunar SSSC work emotionally is that the story takes the relationship between Alex and Luna seriously. Their separation — which happens partway through the story — has genuine weight because the game has spent time making their bond feel real before testing it. Alex’s determination to find Luna despite extraordinary odds is the emotional engine of the second half, and it delivers.

Working Designs’ Localization

Working Designs was known — and occasionally criticized — for creative localizations that departed from literal translation in favor of character voice and comedic timing. Lunar SSSC was their finest hour in this style. Kyle the brawler has the specific energy of a charming rogue. Jessica’s sharp tongue is matched by her loyalty. Nash’s pomposity is carefully calibrated to be amusing rather than grating.

The vocal performances by the English cast matched this tone, giving characters warmth and specificity that straight dramatic reading wouldn’t have provided. The result was a JRPG that felt inhabited — where supporting characters had personalities rather than roles.

Studio Gonzo’s Anime

The anime FMV sequences — produced by Studio Gonzo, who would later produce Full Metal Alchemist and Last Exile — represent a production investment in the Lunar property that the Sega CD original couldn’t have afforded. Key story moments are dramatized in fully animated sequences with a character design style appropriate to the game’s artistic aesthetic.

These sequences were a selling point of the PS1 version and remain the most visually impressive element of the release for players encountering it today.

Legacy

Lunar Silver Star Story Complete is one of the last major releases from the golden age of niche JRPG localization — Working Designs went out of business in 2005, and the specific combination of lavish retail production and creative localization they represented hasn’t been replicated. The game exists as an artifact of what a small passionate company could do for games they loved.

For players who encountered it in 1999, it left the specific kind of impression that comes from a game that cares about its characters and trusts the player to care too.