Lunar: Eternal Blue

Lunar: Eternal Blue
Developers: Game Arts, Studio Alex Publishers: Game Arts (JP), Working Designs (US) Platform: Sega CD Released in JP: December 22, 1994 Released in US: September 15, 1995 This game has unused items. This game has unused text. This game has debugging material. This game has regional differences. This game has revisional differences. This game has a prototype article

Lunar: Eternal Blue, the sequel to Lunar: The Silver Star is one of the last, and arguably one of the best, Sega CD RPGs ever made. Like its predecessor, Wrecking Working Designs handled the North American localization, serving as the final game they ever released for the platform and having many of their usual trademark changes. Unsurprisingly, this version is rare and highly sought after by collectors, even more so than its predecessor.

Sub-Pages

Prototype Info

Regional Differences The Working Designs guide to localization.

Unused Graphics

This portrait of Zophar's "Althena" form isn't used; during his few lines of non-voiced dialogue before the final battle, no portrait is displayed.

Additionally, the game has a duplicate of Hiro's portrait that isn't used anywhere. It may have been a placeholder for some character who wound up portraitless.

Unused Items

A good few of the game's items, mostly weapons, are impossible to obtain in normal gameplay.

ID	Icon	Name	Description	Users	Sell Price	Comments
0x16		NEEDLES		An unusable, unsellable item. Internally, this is positioned between the last "key" item (the Red Dragon Crest) and the start of the "regular" items (Vitality Vial, Herb, etc.). The key items aren't really ordered as they appear in-game, so this could have been used anywhere. The icon shown here is actually from the demo version of the game; it was blanked in the final. Note that the 竜竜 part of the Japanese name is probably caused by a formatting error rather than being an intentional part of the name; it doesn't make sense in this context, and causes the text to appear off-center in the inventory window.
		ハリセン竜竜 Harisen
0x43		BATTLE SHADOW	ATK POWER +80 +1 ATTACKS	Hiro	4999
		斬影丸 Shadow Slicer	攻撃力+80　　攻撃回数+1
0x46		GRIM SABER	ATK POWER +190 ★KILL ATTACK	Hiro	32767
		デスセイバー Death Saber	攻撃力+190　敵に死を与える
0x49		DARK SCIMITAR	ATK POWER +140 ★KILL ATTACK	Hiro	32767	Also gives +10 Agility. The "KILL ATTACK" descriptor is inaccurate; this instead makes every attack a critical hit, but drains 26 MP each round an attack is used.
		斬時丸 Time Slicer	攻撃力+140　必殺の一撃を出す
0x4A		WIND SWORD	ATK POWER +150 +1 ATTACKS	Hiro	32767
		風神の剣 Sword of Fuujin	攻撃力+150　攻撃回数+1
0x50		GRIM RAPIER	ATK POWER +180 ★DRAGON DAMAG	Leo	32767	Lightning-type weapon with a freeze attack; also gives +10 Agility. The "Dragon Damage" ability instantly kills non-bosses.
		ブラックライオット Black Riot	攻撃力+180　四竜に大ダメージ
0x56		GODDESS FAN	ATK POWER +99 +1 ATTACKS	Jean (dancer)	20000	Deals a constant amount of bonus damage and causes confusion.
		チャイナファン China Fan	攻撃力+99　　攻撃回数+1
0x6D		PICK AXE	ATK POWER +150 +1 ATTACKS	Ronfar	22500	Prevents enemies from dodging, and does bonus damage to Zaback and Neo-Vane enemies.
		ツルハシ Pickaxe	攻撃力+150　攻撃回数+1
0x85		GODDESS DRESS	DEF POWER +45 ★COUNTER ATK	Jean (dancer), Jean (karate)	22500	Also gives +10 Agility.
		チャイナドレス China Dress	防御力+45　　カウンター攻撃

These items can be obtained either by modifying the save file or by using the "Lemina glitch". To modify Hiro's items, alter any value in a Kega Fusion BRM from 00000AF2-00000AFD in a hex editor while the emulator is closed (there must be a single save slot in use; otherwise, the addresses to change will be different).

Alternately, download the pre-hacked BRM below, which contains a save file for the beginning of the game with Hiro carrying everything on this list.

Download Unused Items Kega Fusion BRM File: LUNAR -ETERNAL BLUE- BRM.7z (info)

Debug Features

Download Debug-Enabled Kega Fusion BRM File: LUNAR -ETERNAL BLUE- Debug BRM.7z (info)

The game hosted substantial debugging features earlier in development, some of them still functional and some seemingly not. This Kega Fusion BRM contains a save file with known features enabled.

Debug Menu

Several debug features are connected to flags stored in the save data. When bit 3 of byte 0x253 of a save file is set, pressing B and C simultaneously on the overworld brings up a primitive but functional debug menu. (Note that A should be pressed instead of C if the A/C Button Change option is enabled, which is the default in the US version; this applies to all uses of these buttons below unless otherwise noted.)

The menu is operated entirely by entering in hexadecimal codes. Left and Right selects a digit, while Up and Down increment and decrement the selected digit. C confirms the current selection, and B closes the menu. Available options are:

• 0000, and 0009 or higher: Flag editor. Allows bits from 0x0000 to 0x07FF to be modified. Left and Right flip through pages, Up and Down select an entry, and C toggles the selected flag.

• 0001: Cinematic viewer. Takes a second number identifying the scene to play.

• 0002: Sound effects player. Takes a second number identifying the sound effect.
• 0003: Music player. Takes a second number identifying the track.
• 0004: Initiates a battle. Takes three additional numbers identifying the battle type. The actual set of battles available varies depending on which map the party is on, and the selection process is rather cumbersome:
  • Line 1: Controls the battle background. The number and types of backgrounds are determined by the current map.
  • Line 2, first digit: If nonzero, the low byte of line 3 appears to select from boss formations instead of regular encounters.
  • Line 2, last 3 digits: Selects which set of enemy initialization scripts (?) to run. This affects things like the enemies' stats and which graphics are initially loaded for them.
  • Line 3, first 2 digits: Unknown.
  • Line 3, last 2 digits: Selects the enemy formation. This affects which enemies actually appear and how they behave. If this isn't compatible with the settings chosen in line 2, glitches (incorrect graphics, erratic behavior, crashes) will occur.
• 0005: Map warp. Takes a second number identifying the map. This uses the primary/sub map format described below.
• 0006: Warps to a predefined point on the current map? This takes a second number, which seems to be ignored.

• 0007: Character stats editor. Takes a second number identifying one of the current party members, e.g. 0x0001 for Hiro if he's leading the party. Up and Down selects a stat, A chooses it for editing, and B and C cancel editing. The stats are listed in the order they appear on the Status screen, plus current level at the top.

• 0008: Sets current Magic EXP. Takes a second number giving the amount.

The four numbers listed at the bottom of the menu are as follows:

• Upper-left: Lead party member's x-coordinate.
• Upper-right: Lead party member's y-coordinate.
• Lower-left: Primary map number (first two digits), submap number (last two digits).
• Lower-right: Always zero?

(Source: lunarninja)

Walk Through Walls

When bit 2 of byte 0x253 of a save file is set, holding B on the overworld suppresses random encounters and allows the party to pass through walls.

(Source: lunarninja)

Enemy Stats Editor

When bit 2 of byte 0x24E of a save file is set, an extra menu appears before each battle listing the enemies' stats and allowing them to be modified. Up and Down chooses a stat, Left and Right changes it, and C confirms the entry (regardless of A/C swap settings). If there are multiple types of enemies in a single encounter, each type's stats will be displayed in turn.

(Source: lunarninja)

Config Mode

This needs some investigation. Discuss ideas and findings on the talk page. Specifically: The routine at 0xBAA in BSTART.BIN (the code for the main CPU) reads, formats and prints a specified string from this table, but nothing appears to reference it. The listed features may or may not still exist -- I haven't checked yet.

ERROR
LOOP
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
DS
KETCHUP DATA LOAD MODE
BREAK
TYPE
ID
OBJECT WORK DUMP LIST          
OBJECT ----/    
-----------------------------
  --- LUNAR CONFIG MODE ---  
START --- KETCHUP DATA LOAD
A ------- BREAK
ZOC DUMP MODE                   
KANJI BUFFER DISPLAY MODE       
SPRITE     /    





NOW LOADING

JUST A MOMENT
VDP CHR DUMP MODE               
                                
B ------- SAVE
C ------- LOAD

At 0x383A in BSTART.BIN is this indexed table of strings for a "LUNAR CONFIG MODE". This also seems to include text for an error handler offering useful infodumps, as well as ... "KETCHUP DATA LOAD MODE"?

DEBUG.BIN

This needs some investigation. Discuss ideas and findings on the talk page. Specifically: If any 68000 wizards happen to wander by, this could use some analysis by someone who actually knows what they're doing.

There's a conspicuous DEBUG.BIN file on the disc in both the US and Japanese releases, with slightly different contents in each version. It's not referenced by any of the other files, and it contains code for the sub CPU that appears to attempt to transfer a large amount of data to the main CPU over communication RAM ... for some reason.

Error Codes

This needs some investigation. Discuss ideas and findings on the talk page. Specifically: Not sure where or how in the code these get triggered, but they occur too consistently to be random glitches.

The game seems to be equipped with an error handler that prints out codes in the upper-right corner of the screen when something goes wrong. The code 0, for example, appears when the walk-through-walls debug mode is used to walk into the sky above the observation deck at Hiro's house. Other numbers can appear in esoteric scenarios caused by hacking, often but not always after a crash.

Unused Text

Dialogue

	Dialogue	Translation
	いちいち戦っていたら きりがないわね‥‥ 青き塔を守りし怪物たちよ 我が名はルーシア！ 私のために道を開きなさい‼	Their numbers are endless ... We don't have time to fight each and every one of them. Monsters who would defend the Blue Tower! I am Lucia! In my name, I command you to clear a path for us!!
	‥‥さあ　行きましょう これで　もう 怪物にじゃまされないわ	... All right, let's go. The monsters won't bother us anymore.

This isn't actually unused, though no one will ever see it in anything resembling normal gameplay. At the start of the game, if the player abuses Lucia's overpowered magic to grind to level 7 on the enemies in the Blue Spire, the game will display this message and shut off random encounters.

(Source: https://lparchive.org/Lunar-Eternal-Blue/Update%2004/ (via vivify93))

The game stores a separate copy of this message for each floor of the Spire, and in a typical display of misplaced enthusiasm, the US version actually rewrites each duplicate differently, with varying degrees of removal from the original text:

1F	2F	3F
IF WE HAVE TO FIGHT OUR WAY THROUGH THE SPIRE, WE'LL WASTE TOO MUCH TIME. DEFENDERS FROM AGES PAST, HEAR MY WORDS. I AM LUCIA! DO NOT CROSS THE PATH OF ONE SO TRUE, UNTIL THE FACE OF THE STAR IS NEW. THAT SHOULD DO IT. LET'S GO, HIRO. NO MONSTER WILL CROSS OUR PATH NOW.	IF WE HAVE TO FIGHT OUR WAY IN, IT WILL TAKE US TOO LONG. CREATURES OF THE BLUE SPIRE, HEAR MY VOICE. I, LUCIA, COMMAND YOU TO SCATTER! COME...WE MUST HURRY. THE WAY IS NOW OPEN TO US...	WE CAN'T CONTINUE ON LIKE THIS. THESE MONSTERS ARE SLOWING OUR ADVANCE. GUARDIANS OF THE BLUE SPIRE, HEAR MY VOICE. I, LUCIA, COMMAND YOU TO REST! COME, THAT SHOULD BUY US ENOUGH TIME TO GET WHERE WE NEED TO GO...
4F	5F	6F
WE'LL NEVER MAKE IT IN TIME AT THIS RATE! THE SPIRE GUARDIANS ARE EVERYWHERE! SPIRE GUARDIANS, HEAR MY VOICE. I, LUCIA, COMMAND YOU TO CEASE ATTACKING! THERE. THAT SHOULD GIVE US ENOUGH TIME TO GET THROUGH HERE. LET'S GO...	THE SPIRE GUARDIAN ATTACKS ARE SLOWING US DOWN TOO MUCH. I HAVE TO STOP THEM. GUARDIANS IN THE SPIRE OF BLUE, HEAR MY COMMAND AND CEASE YOUR ATTACKS! QUICKLY...LET'S CONTINUE BEFORE THEY RESUME. THE COMMAND IS NOT PERMANENT!	WE CAN'T CONTINUE LIKE THIS. LET ME CALL OFF THE SPIRE GUARDIANS. GUARDIANS OF THE BLUE SPIRE, HEAR MY VOICE. I, LUCIA, COMMAND YOU TO SCATTER! COME NOW, WE MUST MOVE QUICKLY. THE EFFECT OF MY SPELL IS ONLY TEMPORARY.

Miscellaneous

Text	Translation
マウリの精神世界	Mauri's Spirit World

This is the save/load description string for the mini-dungeon Ronfar goes through while cleansing Mauri. It's impossible to save there, so this is never normally seen.

Text	Translation
モンスター	Monster

Entry 0 in the "monster" string table, which contains the names of monsters and their attacks, is a generic placeholder. It's located in IDATA.BIN, at 0x1E03A in the Japanese version. This can occasionally show up in-game if an invalid battle is triggered, such as by using the debug menu to warp to map 0x15 in the US version.

-2 : Area1 channel number
  bit  4-6 : Area2 channel number
  bit 8-10 : Area3 channel number
  bit12-14 : Area4 channel number

The file M62C.COM, which is responsible for the YM2612-based sound effects, contains these strings – only in the US version, oddly. Judging by the cut-off first line, these snuck in accidentally during assembly.

Revisional Differences

There are two known versions of the Japanese game. The earlier is dated November 12th, 1994, while the later is dated December 16th of the same year. The later revision is mostly the same, but contains a few extra tweaks and bugfixes.

The US release appears to be based on the December revision.

Graphics

Early	Later

The November version's title screen bears a 1994 copyright; the December version changes it to a 1994-95 copyright.

Text

Early	Later
LUNAR -ETERNAL BLUE- (C) 1994 GAME ARTS/STUDIO ALEX	LUNAR -ETERNAL BLUE- (C) 1994-1995 GAME ARTS/STUDIO ALEX

The CPY.TXT copyright file was updated in the same way as the title screen.

Early	Later
攻撃力+210　道具効果あり	道具効果あり
Attack +210; can be used as an item	Can be used as an item

In the earlier revision, the description for the Flame Fist incorrectly claims that it increases Attack by 210. The Flame Fist is not actually equippable in either revision (instead, it can be used in battle to cast Plasma Shock), so the later version removes this from the description.

Dialogue

The later revision makes a bare handful of changes to the script, mostly typo corrections.

Dialogue	Translation
か〜〜 どないしたらええんや！	Kaaaah! I don't know what to doooo!

Dialogue	Translation
あ〜〜〜〜！ いそがしい　いそがしい‼	Aaaaahh! Busy, busy!!

These two lines of dialogue, the first for the merchant in East Nota who initiates the wine-buying sidequest and the second for his counterpart in West Nota, were added in the second revision. During the brief segment of the game where Lucia leads the party, these show up in place of those characters' regular dialogue, preventing the sidequest from being advanced. Presumably, some bug cropped up that made this change necessary.

To do: Check what happens in the earlier revision.

Early	Later
あんたちがゾファーを たおしたんだって⁉	あんたたちがゾファーを たおしたんだって⁉

A typo was fixed in some NPC dialogue in Horam.

	Early	Later
	部下などではく ともに正義を信じる 仲間となろう　少年よ！	部下などではなく ともに正義を信じる 仲間となろう　少年よ！

Another typo fix, this time in Azado.

Early	Later
あ〜あ‥‥ みんな　春が来るって いそしそうにしてるんだもん	あ〜あ‥‥ みんな　春が来るって いそがしそうにしてるんだもん

Typo fix in Zulan NPC dialogue.

	Early	Later
	あんたねぇ そんことしてるから バカに　されんのよ	あんたねぇ そんなことしてるから バカに　されんのよ

One last typo fix, this time in Neo-Vane.

Miscellaneous

• The December revision fixes an extremely obscure bug in the code that displays the time elapsed for save files. In the old version, if:
  • (a) there are two save files in adjacent slots in the menu, and
  • (b) one save file has an elapsed time of over an hour, and
  • (c) the other save file has an elapsed time of under an hour, and
  • (d) the files display exactly the same number of minutes elapsed (disregarding hours elapsed), and
  • (e) the player moves the file selection cursor directly from the "more than an hour" file to the "less than an hour" file

... then the game will display a blank space in place of the number of minutes elapsed, and will continue to do so until the player selects a file whose number of minutes elapsed does not match the previously selected file's. (QA apparently did its job, just a little late.) This bug and its fix in the newer version affect both the save and load menus, on both the in-game and title screen versions of the menus.

To do: More: The PCM driver (PCMDRV.BIN) was reassembled. All the battle data files (CMB**.DAT) were rebuilt. It looks like the scripting for some animations (Comet Tail?) was given minor changes. Bugfixes? The title screen data/code file (C00A.BIN) was rebuilt (probably just for the copyright update). IDATA.BIN (interface/general data) contains more changes. All the map data files (M**.GRP) were rebuilt, and appear to contain more than just text changes. Everything else appears to be the same.