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Review: Lunar Remaster – A Welcome Return, With a Few Echoes of the Past
Score: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
As someone who has played and owned every version of Lunar—Japanese and English, Sega CD and PlayStation, pixel and port—trust me when I say... this is another one.
You might think I’m about to declare it the definitive version. I’m not. It’s just another version. But it’s a good one.
🌕 The Good: Nostalgia with Modern Shine
This remaster lovingly preserves what made Lunar so beloved while polishing the experience for modern displays. If your idea of “definitive” means clean visuals, modern conveniences, and accessible gameplay, then this might be your go-to.
And yes, if you’ve got a RetroTINK and an OLED, the originals still look amazing—so I wouldn’t say this completely replaces them. But visually, this version is the strongest yet, and the inclusion of a classic mode is a nice gesture for the pixel-curious. (Though honestly, if you’re on a modern screen, I’m not sure why you’d switch to it.)
🎙️ The Voice Acting: Familiar Yet Recast
The redub is a bit of a mixed bag. Alex and Hiro sound solid. Null and Ruby are okay. But Luna? I wasn’t feeling Jackie Lastra’s performance—not because she’s untalented (she’s great in other roles), but here she comes off a bit too cutesy for Luna’s character.
Of course, I’m probably biased. I grew up with Rhonda Gibson (Sega CD) and Jennifer Stigile (PSX), both of whom brought a very different energy to the role.
Likewise, I have to admit I’m not really a fan of Ronfar's new voice either. The original actor just nailed the role in a way that was way ahead of its time—especially for a 1990s localization, when voice acting in Japanese-to-English dubs was still finding its footing. The new Ronfar doesn’t quite seem into it, or at least not in the same way.
I won’t go into everyone else—this is all highly subjective—but those two stood out the most.
That said, I understand why the redubbing was necessary. The original audio files were too compressed to reuse, and the cast likely long since retired. I just hope the musical performances carry the same weight the classics did.
⚔️ Gameplay: Better Balance, Fewer Groans
One of the most welcome changes? Working Designs' sadistic difficulty scaling is gone.
No more randomly punishing bosses or needlessly brutal grind spots. It feels much more in line with the original Japanese intent—challenging, but fair.
They also scrubbed out a lot of the dated '90s humor and pop culture gags. While some of that had its charm, I’ll admit it wasn’t exactly timeless. I’ve also heard they removed a few “offensive” lines—though, for the life of me, I don’t remember anything too wild in the original.
⚙️ Quality of Life: Smooth as Lunar Honey
This remaster includes combat speed-up options, allowing you to crank battles up to 3x faster. This is huge. It’s a blessing for anyone revisiting the game, especially if you’ve played it half a dozen times like I have. Grinding—if you even need it—is far less tedious.
And that’s the thing: you probably won’t need to grind, thanks to the revised difficulty. But being able to speed through encounters you’ve memorized by heart? That’s a thoughtful, modern addition that respects your time.
🏫 The Verdict: A Loving Tribute with Room to Grow
This isn’t a reinvention of Lunar. It’s not some bold new direction. It’s a faithful, polished version of a classic—warts slightly retouched, edges smoothed, heart intact.
If any of the changes bug you, the originals are still there, still worth playing. But this remaster shows respect for the source material, and hopefully sends a message to Game Arts that people still want Lunar games.
Just… not Dragon Song.
Now, if someone could finally give Magic School Lunar the proper English release it deserves—we’d be talking.
🔚 Final Recommendation
If you’re a longtime fan or a curious newcomer, this remaster is absolutely worth picking up. It’s accessible, visually polished, and packed with just enough new features to breathe fresh life into one of the most charming JRPG duologies ever made.