The release of the Lunar Remastered Collection has gamers buzzing as it is now available on Xbox One, and it’s fully compatible with the more advanced Xbox Series X|S. To delve into the intricate design of this game, I had a chat with Amy Nguyen, the Senior Graphic Designer at GungHo America, who gave a fascinating insight into how the iconic Lunar logo was refreshed for this release.
I began my interview with Amy by asking about her artistic background and past projects at GungHo. She shared, “Hello! I’ve had an amazing journey working on diverse projects, ranging from creating assets for national tournaments to collaborating with renowned intellectual properties. My big break as a creative lead was the console port of Grandia in 2024.”
Moving on to her involvement with the Lunar logo, I was curious about her gut reaction to the task. Amy recounted, “Tackling the Lunar logo was both thrilling and a bit daunting. It’s such a vital part of the game’s identity. Initially, I drafted several versions and refined them through feedback until we hit the sweet spot with the final design.”
Inspiration from the original game was key in the remastering process. Amy explained, “Research is always my starting point. For the remaster, I wanted the logo to evoke nostalgia for long-time fans of Lunar. I experimented with various concepts, from subtle adjustments to major overhauls. We eventually chose a design that retained the iconic red and shine of Lunar, adding gold touches to acknowledge the remastered experience.”
When asked about the various drafts she had gone through, Amy detailed, “Each iteration was about retaining nostalgia while highlighting the remastered qualities. We played with colors, pulling from earlier Lunar games, and explored different accent elements like the dragon sword. Ultimately, elements from versions one and five merged into the final logo we settled on.”
We also discussed the final logo’s standout features. Amy pointed out, “I love the extended tail of the ‘R’ in ‘Remastered.’ It’s a throwback to the original Lunar’s logo. I tweaked the serifs on some letters, especially the R, E, and N in ‘Remastered Collection,’ to add an intriguing flair.”
Toshiyuki Kubooka, the original Lunar artist, also contributed key visuals that influenced the packaging. Amy was quite impressed, sharing, “The detail in Mr. Kubooka’s visuals was stunning. His darker backgrounds and layered compositions offered a new take on Lunar art. For the package cover, his art fit almost perfectly, with just a few adjustments needed.”
The back cover design was where Amy could exercise more creative freedom. “I wanted to include pixel sprites for their nostalgic appeal and to express the characters’ personalities. Screenshots were also added to give a glimpse of the game experience. The remastered logo’s gold color and font tied everything together, with a gradient to distinguish the games while keeping them as a cohesive collection,” Amy explained.
On her favorite part of the project, Amy proudly stated, “Collaborating with Mr. Kubooka and the teams at GungHo and Game Arts was a highlight. Bringing together everyone’s hard work into this package is something I’m incredibly proud of, and I hope players love it.”
For anyone curious to experience the rich world of Lunar themselves, the remastered collection is readily available on Xbox. Dive into the enchanting stories of Lunar: Silver Star Story Complete and Lunar 2: Eternal Blue Complete, both classics in the JRPG genre. This remastered edition promises upgraded graphics, sound, and enhancements that offer the nostalgically engaging experience you’ve been waiting for, complete with updated language options.
