Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Manual Stimulation: Lunar Samposuru Gakuen (Game Gear)

I'm just going to say this right off the bat: the instruction manual produced for Lunar: Samposuru Gakuen (aka Lunar: Walking School--and by the way, I know the title in the header above is missing the colon; the fact is, I just couldn't handle two colons pressing against each other like that) is one of the most impressive I've come across so far, especially in terms of manuals produced for portable games.



After all, more than half of its many pages are filled with beautiful, full-color illustrations (like the ones below).



I believe this is the island on which the game takes place, by the way, although don't quote me on that.



Likewise, I'm pretty sure the folks featured on the following pages are Lunar: Samposuru Gakuen's main characters.







Are the gal and guy below the game's antagonists? Again, I don't know, but I'd be willing to bet that's just who they are. They certainly look ... villainous enough, don't they?



Here we get to the nuts and bolts of Lunar: Samposuru Gakuen. That's not anywhere near as thrilling as what has been seen so far, I know, but don't fret, as those lovely illustrations will return soon enough.







I don't know about you, but I really like the look of this game's battle interface, which can be seen in the screenshots included below.







And now we're back to the illustrations. I like everything about all of them. No lie.







I think I can say with complete certainty that if Lunar: Samposuru Gakuen is anything like Lunar: Samposuru Gakuen the instruction manual, I'm going to love every blasted second of it.





See also: 'It was worth every penny (or, I heart my copy of Lunar: Samposuru Gakuen for the Game Gear)' and previous 'Manual Stimulation' posts

6 comments:

michaelstearns said...

Wow, that booklet is jam-packed! Seems like usually the "how to play" stuff would be stretched out or excessively detailed just to fill space, in this case it looks like they kept it to a minimum just to make room for more art. I wonder if the other import Lunar manuals are similar?

thegaygamer.com said...

Hey there, Michael! Yeah, I'd like to know that as well--if other import Lunar manuals are as packed full of illustrations as this one. Maybe someone here or on Twitter will let us know either way?

Zaphod65 said...

Very pretty. I love the Lunar games, and the artwork is always so good.

thegaygamer.com said...

Ah, I didn't even realize the PS1 version of the first Lunar came with a hardcover manual, Terry. Interesting! Someday I'll have to pick up a Mega/Sega CD and copies of the original Lunar games and see what those manuals are like...

Zaphod65 said...

I'm pretty sure the Sega CD manual was similarly art-filled, but I'd have to dig in the closet for that one. The PS1 version was on the shelf in my bedroom. lol

thegaygamer.com said...

That's great, Terry :) I'd especially like to know about the manuals for the Japanese Mega CD versions of Lunar and Lunar: Eternal Blue, but I can't imagine I'll buy them anytime soon--if ever :|