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The MegaCD Demo is Worth a Look

Posted: Sat Oct 24, 2009 7:45 pm
by Shiva Indis
Mention of various Lunar demos across the years came up in the thread for the HoSS demo, and as it turns out I've been doing some investigating into the non-playable MegaCD Lunar 2 demo lately. I watched a video of it online and asked myself, 'are those text portraits different'? I found an ISO to get a closer look, and discovered that yes, those text portraits are different. They all use a lighter palette first of all, and some of them were even redrawn completely in the final version.

Image What Hiro would look like as the protagonist of a Shonen Jump comic...? And for once, Hiro has the green eyes! ^_^ The prerelease one matches his sprite better too.

Image De-fanged! Re-mouthed! Re-eared too! Looks like in the final the space between her forelegs didn't get recolored, was that an accident?

Image Same basic idea but completely redrawn. This is the earliest green-eyed Lucia in-game I've seen. Seems too zoomed-in, though I like the gentle expression. Maybe too nice for Lucia...?

Image Subtle. Different cheekbones, looks less care-worn than the final version.

Image Every change in the final version is for the better, except for the eye color. What's with the chubby cheeks, what's wrong with her smile? And that nose is too small. For the record, Jean has green eyes in cutscenes on M/SegaCD.

Image Like Lucia, the same basic idea but completely redrawn. That doesn't look like a very comfortable way to hold your head. Eye-color goes from green to blue, even though her eyes are usually green.

That's what I singled out, but I'm curious if someone more knowledgeable about programming (DevNall?) can find more. The demo isn't playable but it does seem to run the game engine to function, so I'd like to think there's interesting stuff hidden away in there.

Re: The MegaCD Demo is Worth a Look

Posted: Sat Oct 24, 2009 8:53 pm
by Alunissage
Hm, I'm sure I wrote up some comments when I first got the demo a couple years back, but I have no idea where, now. But I'm sure I completely overlooked the character portraits; I probably hadn't played the original game in a while. The main thing I remember from the demo is that the party formation was more or less a wedge, which you can still see in some of the sprite cutscenes. I'll have to do some digging to find my other notes.

I think most of the character portrait changes were for the best. Hiro looks kind of terrifying with his mouth open. As far as subtle character is concerned, Lucia's is probably the most important change. In the demo one she looks too calm and self-confident -- really, the portrait looks like it's of Althena (not Luna). Her final portrait is apprehensive and serious, matching her character better.

Lemina's demo portrait also looks nicer and more like Mia, perhaps at odds with her brash personality. It's possible I would like her better as a character if she'd kept the demo portrait.

Re: The MegaCD Demo is Worth a Look

Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 3:08 pm
by liquidpolicenaut
I noticed these slight changes too when I posted my video of the demo on YouTube. For the most part, it's simple little color changes that i see are different. The only major changes where Lucia's neck seems to be smaller, Lemina's head is less tilted and Jean's skin color changed. I still think all the little changes they did made the characters look more "finalized" but the changes themselves are not really that major...

Re: The MegaCD Demo is Worth a Look

Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:55 pm
by Alunissage
Okay, all I'm getting from your comment is that you're saying that since you, the self-appointed purveyor of Lunar videos, deemed the changes you saw to be too unimportant to mention, that they're too minor to be discussing here. And I know that can't possibly be what you meant to say, on this board, where talking about these things is what we do. So I'm not getting what the point of your post is.

Re: The MegaCD Demo is Worth a Look

Posted: Sun Oct 25, 2009 11:43 pm
by Sonix
Well, I'm glad they didn't keep those portraits :P

Re: The MegaCD Demo is Worth a Look

Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 12:12 am
by liquidpolicenaut
Alunissage wrote:Okay, all I'm getting from your comment is that you're saying that since you, the self-appointed purveyor of Lunar videos, deemed the changes you saw to be too unimportant to mention, that they're too minor to be discussing here. And I know that can't possibly be what you meant to say, on this board, where talking about these things is what we do. So I'm not getting what the point of your post is.
Ok, ok, calm down there! I was only stating my opinion on the changes, I didnt in any way say it wasn't worth noting or discussing about them. All I said was that I didn't think the changes were a huge difference. That's all...

Re: The MegaCD Demo is Worth a Look

Posted: Mon Oct 26, 2009 1:18 am
by Kizyr
liquidpolicenaut wrote:
Alunissage wrote:Okay, all I'm getting from your comment is that you're saying that since you, the self-appointed purveyor of Lunar videos, deemed the changes you saw to be too unimportant to mention, that they're too minor to be discussing here. And I know that can't possibly be what you meant to say, on this board, where talking about these things is what we do. So I'm not getting what the point of your post is.
Ok, ok, calm down there! I was only stating my opinion on the changes, I didnt in any way say it wasn't worth noting or discussing about them. All I said was that I didn't think the changes were a huge difference. That's all...
What I got from liquidpolicenaut's comment was a set of his own opinions on the magnitude/significance of the changes. The point was really just to elaborate on his own views, kinda like what everyone else does around here.

I do like the changes, of course. Ruby's is okay either way, but the others' (especially Jean's) are a great improvement from demo -> real game. KF

Re: The MegaCD Demo is Worth a Look

Posted: Wed Oct 28, 2009 3:56 pm
by Justinzero
I'm glad they put Ruby's teeth back in. Those differences are pretty neat, and I agree, most of the changes were for the better. I wonder why the previous portraits were so bright?

Re: The MegaCD Demo is Worth a Look

Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 11:06 am
by Gegi
I wouldn't of noticed either of them except for maybe Ruby's. I for one like some of the brighter ones well mostly Luna's and Jeans. It just seems more suitable for their character.

Re: The MegaCD Demo is Worth a Look

Posted: Fri Oct 30, 2009 6:34 pm
by Alunissage
I would guess that the brightness of the earlier versions may have seemed too bright in contrast with the rest of the screen. Need to re-watch the demo to see them in context.