Line #1 VideoGame/LunarDragonSong


1	[[quoteright:256:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/lunardragonsongbox.jpg]]
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3	''Lunar: Dragon Song'' (known as ''Lunar Genesis'' in Europe and Japan) is an isometric EasternRPG released in 2005 for the UsefulNotes/NintendoDS, and represents the first original installment (excluding remakes) since 1996 in Creator/GameArts' ''VideoGame/{{Lunar}}'' series. It was developed by Japan Art Media, who also developed the remakes of ''VideoGame/LunarTheSilverStar''.
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5	The story takes place one thousand years prior to the events of ''VideoGame/LunarTheSilverStar'', in a world divided between two races: the strong-bodied Beastmen, who have built magnificent cities, and the weaker but more ingenious humans, who dwell in quieter locales. The main character is Jian Campbell, an acrobatic human who loves to stand on his head. He and his partner, Lucia Collins, work together as couriers for Gad's Express to deliver packages to customers and fight off troublesome monsters. Being an intrepid pair of kids, they end up attracting the attention of the ruling beastmen and thereby get caught up in their war against the [[AlwaysChaoticEvil malevolent Vile Tribe]].
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7	This game is the OddballInTheSeries; it introduced a number gameplay mechanics not found in the games that precede or follow it, mainly because they're all [[FakeLongevity designed to make the game seem longer than it is]]. For example, the combat system toggles between two modes -- Normal Mode for collecting items and Virtue Mode for gaining experience, no doing both at once like in any other RPG. This, combined with the game's scanty plot, lead to poor responses from fans and critics alike.
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10	!!Tropes in this game:
11	* AudienceParticipation: ''Lunar: Dragon Song'' is a North America-exclusive MarketBasedTitle which was chosen through a contest. Fans picked from possible titles such like ''Ashen Dawn'' and ''Dark Skies'', but they evidently thought ''Dragon Song'' fit the atmosphere of the series best.
12	* ArtificialStupidity: Player characters choose their targets automatically, and they tend to focus on the strongest target. This sort of tactic seldom pays off and usually only lengthens fights, increasing opportunities for your heroes to take damage.
13	* BigBad: The leader of the Vile Tribe, [[spoiler: Dragonmaster Ignatius.]]
14	* BlackAndWhiteMagic: In this game, humans are only shown using white magic, or "Althena Magic." Jian eventually learns some black magic [[spoiler:while qualifying to be a Dragonmaster]].
15	** While the game was in development, the lack of black magic among humans was a plot point, but it is all but unmentioned in the final version.
16	* BreakableWeapons: Certain monsters have attacks that may break or steal a character's weapon or armor. It can effect any one piece of equipment a given character is using. There's no way to repair any of them either.
17	* CallAHitPointASmeerp: Experience points are called "Althena's Conduct."
18	* {{Courier}}: Jian and Lucia support themselves by delivering items to people.
19	* {{Curse}}: Jian gets hit with the curse of Unstable Equilibrium, which prevents him...from standing on his head. Yes, that's all it does. It turns his attack into a one hit combo instead of a three hit combo as a result, since his third attack has him do just that. Why the second one is gone is a mystery.
20	* TheDragon: Gideon -- the big, dumb right-hand monster to Ignatius. Gideon inflicts [[spoiler:Rufus' MentorOccupationalHazard]] as a demonstration of his threat level, and in design drafts he was even supposed to [[LiteralDisarming literally disarm]] the poor guy.
21	* FantasticRacism: Between the humans and the beastpeople.
22	* FightLikeACardPlayer: Monsters randomly drop collectible cards that have special effects when used in battle. Some of them counter equipment-breaking moves, making them pretty much essential.
23	* FirstTown: Port Searis, Jian and Lucia's home base.
24	* GoodMorningCrono: Jian is getting up after oversleeping as the game opens.
25	* GuideDangIt: In order to get to [[spoiler:the Chamber of Rebirth]], you must acquire a Levitation Stone from Negri Ocean Lab. The game ''does not tell you'' where Negri Ocean Lab is. You have to stumble through half the world map with no idea where you're going until you find it (on the same map menu as Port Olbeage).
26	** Numerous quest flags are triggered by speaking to people in the right order. It is very, very rare that the game ever points you at the first person in that chain, meaning things like the Insulation Crust (which protects you from HP drain in the Red Dragon Cave) can easily slip by most players because they didn't trip the proper conversation flags.
27	* HeroesPreferSwords: Inverted; ''this'' hero does not, though his [[TheRival rival]] Rufus does.
28	* ImplacableMan: Gideon, to the point that he [[spoiler: usurps the position of final boss from Ignatius, who is never fought properly at all.]]
29	* ImprobableWeaponUser: Jian and Lucia use shoes and [[ParasolOfPain umbrellas]], respectively. Justified in Jian's case, [[ExtremityExtremist since his fighting style is purely kick-based.]]
30	* InevitableTournament: Eager to prove himself and demonstrate the power of humans, Jian enters a tournament which involves a series of [[DuelBoss gladiator-style solo fights]], which culminates in taking on Beast King Zethos alone.
31	* IWorkAlone: Jian is ''constantly'' ordering his (female) party members to leave. [[DoubleStandard He never says anything of the sort to Rufus, though.]]
32	* LevelScaling: Like ''Silver Star Story/Harmony'', foes get stronger as the player characters gain levels, but this game expands the effect from just bosses to ''all'' enemies.
33	* {{Mordor}}: The Frontier, home turf of the Vile Tribe, is a lifeless wasteland.
34	* MoneySpider: In a departure from the rest of the series, this is averted. Money is not earned directly through battle. Instead, monsters drop Sundries -- low-value junk like whiskers, rusty kettles, and whatnot. Individual Sundries are worth next to nothing; the real money comes from filling a customer's order for a bunch of items.
35	* MusicalPastiche: Unlike all the other games in the series, the ''Dragon Song'' soundtrack has no input from composer Noriyuki Iwadare. However, many of the songs are basically well-executed variations on songs Iwadare wrote for prior ''Lunar'' games.
36	* MusicalThemeNaming: Characters Flora Banks, Lucia Collins, and Gabryel Ryan share components of their names with Tony Banks, Phil Collins, and Peter Gabriel...members of the band Genesis.
37	* OddballInTheSeries: ''Dragon Song'' attempted to update the series gameplay, but its storyline and characterization are rather sparse. This seems an odd path to take with a series that's known for old-school gameplay and well developed stories and characters.
38	* OverlyLongFightingAnimation: Battle animations, particularly for monsters, are quite intricate. Lovingly intricate, even. Individually they aren't gratuitously long, but in aggregate (and in combination with fight-lengthening ArtificialStupidity) it can get boring. It was enough of a problem that the developers added a speed-up button to the English-language releases.
39	* PaletteSwap: All of [[spoiler:Jian's Dragon Magics]] use the same animation, just differently-colored.
40	* PurposelyOverpowered: Near the end of the game, Jian single-handedly holds up the party's offense. His damage output is greater than all the other characters combined.
41	* TheReveal: [[spoiler: Ignatius, ruler of the Vile Tribe, is the Dragonmaster. He's supposed to be Althena's protector but clearly something has gone wrong]].
42	** Also, [[spoiler: Lucia is actually the goddess Althena in human form. Turns out she periodically turns mortal to live among mortals and avoid having to rule over them, preferring instead to let them rule themselves (however she has no idea she's a goddess whenever she's mortal).]]
43	* SaveTheVillain: Jian attempts this [[spoiler: unsuccessfully]] with [[spoiler: Ignatius when the floor collapses beneath his feet.]]
44	* SpellMyNameWithAnS: If you decide to do the courier jobs (as in, ''your actual day job''), you'll run into this a lot. It's common for the names on the package to be misspelled, likely due to sloppy translation.
45	* SprintMeter: Identical with the Life Meter -- because running ''depletes your health''. Characters start panting at about 2/3 HP, and your party can no longer run if a member hits 1/3 HP.
46	* TakingTheBullet: [[spoiler: Althena runs in front of Jian to protect him from a fatal magic blast from Ignatius. She appears to die, but ends up reappearing in the ending as Lucia again.]]
47	* SuperTitle64Advance: Ubisoft got folks to change the game's subtitle to '''D'''ragon '''S'''ong.
48	* TheUnfought: [[spoiler: Subverted with Ignatius. Although technically you do get to fight him, it's an [[HopelessBossFight unwinnable fight.]] When you think you're confronting him for real at the end of the game, he's defeated in a cutscene instead, via the [[DisneyVillainDeath floor crumbling beneath him]]. Possibly justified in that Ignatius appears to easily handle Jian again in said cutscene, despite having just become a Dragonmaster himself.]]
49	* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: {{Continuity Nod}}s that fans were hoping to see never show up. The Magic City of Vane appeared in early design docs for the game, but was evidently cut get the game out the door sooner. The game features [[spoiler:''two'' Dragonmasters]] but Althena's Sword is nowhere to be found.

Context VideoGame / LunarDragonSong