When Lunar Remastered Collection was announced a short while ago, it was met with an overwhelmingly positive reaction online. Lunar is one of the best JRPG series of the ’90s, having started life on the Sega CD before being ported to the Saturn and PS1.
One of the big questions surrounding the release was its English localisation. Working Designs famously localised the games for Sega CD and PS1, bringing in a host of voice talent to deliver the versions that most people are nostalgic about today.
Despite speculation that this new remaster package would include Working Designs’ localisation, it would seem that isn’t the case – and Working Designs founder, Victor Ireland, is keen to stress that the blame for that doesn’t sit with him, as some have suggested.
Speaking on the Retro Hangover podcast, Ireland explains that he has offered the Working Designs localisation to GungHo, the company behind the remasters, but at the time of writing, they haven’t taken him up on the offer:
It is available, it is inexpensive. I’m willing to work with them. I’m willing to make sure the best version happens. And if they don’t do it at that point, then great, that’s their choice, but I wanted it to be understood by the fanbase that that decision was made.
Ireland says that he’s had nothing but “radio silence” on the matter, despite reaching out. He says he’s mentioning this now so fans are aware that the offer is at least there.
Ireland also mentions that he was also contacted by Sega prior to the Genesis Mini 2 being released, and despite being keen (and willing to charge a small royalty per unit sold), nothing ever happened. He said he was even prepared to “fix” the text for those versions.
He was offered an “insulting small one-time fee” for the inclusion of the games, which he refused – even though it was roughly comparable to his royalty offer (which would have protected him had Sega produced more units later down the line). This is “very common” behaviour when it comes to repackaging retro games, he adds.
It’s a shame, because Ireland says he has a lot of stuff he could offer for these projects, including uncensored outtakes, audience tapes and other cool extras. He feels that, without the Working Designs content, fans are being short-changed with these remastered versions. “This is a ‘check the box’ remaster. They don’t really care, I don’t think, about making the best version that the fans deserve and expect,” he says.
While many people have had issues with Working Designs localisations in the past, some fans see the voice work in the PS1 versions as definitive, and they simply cannot imagine the characters being voiced by other actors.
Go on.... treat yourself to a new game.
