There were a few headlines for modern games this week that Saturn fans might be interested in, so let’s take a look at them.
Croc HD set for April 2 release
The developer of Croc nailed down a release date of April 2 for the 3D platformer’s HD remaster. Argonaut Games made the announcement Tuesday in a new trailer on YouTube:
Croc HD is planned to cost US$29.99 when it launches digitally on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series, and PC via GOG. The game has a page on GOG but other storefronts are forthcoming.
Collector’s editions were available for preorder from Rock It Games but they’re sold out now. Priced at $129.99, they’re set to include a code for the digital edition on PlayStation, Xbox or GOG — buyer’s choice — as well as a resin statue of Croc, a double-sided poster, a four-disc soundtrack, a sticker sheet, a keychain and a manual.
Argonaut dropped a couple other details on social media in response to fan questions:
- “If Croc is successful our intention is to remaster Croc 2,” Argonaut said. “Separately, we will explore developing Croc 3 at some point if it makes sense to do so.”
- The http://GOG.com version of the remaster comes with a free copy of Croc Classic, which is the original version (with minimal required changes) of the PC game but it runs on Windows 10 and 11.
Argonaut announced their intention to remaster Croc in August last year. Croc: Legend of the Gobbos hit the Saturn fairly late in the console’s life, releasing in October 1997 in Europe, November 1997 in North America and March 1998 in Japan. It originally came out on the PlayStation in September 1997 and also got a PC port in November that year.
Argonaut acknowledged the Saturn version in October when it published an interview with the programmer of that version of the game, Matt Porter.
Lunar Remasters get new dub
Meanwhile, another forthcoming remaster project of games that appeared on the Saturn got new details — the Lunar Collection, which is apparently using a new cast of English voice actors for the remasters rather than reusing Working Designs’ dubs in the Sega CD versions.
The information was revealed Tuesday on PlayStation’s blog, where Heidi Kemps interviewed Matthias Pergams, a producer at GungHo Online Entertainment America, which is set to publish the Lunar Remastered Collection on April 18.
“Our priority when recording was making sure that we preserved the identity of each character through their new voice actors,” Pergams said. “We considered how we wanted each character to sound. Once we locked that down, we started looking at voice actors who were close to that, and then selected them based on how well they captured what we were envisioning. The end product is something we’re proud of.”
The blog also reconfirmed that the remasters will be based on the PlayStation ports, not the Saturn ports or Sega CD originals.
“Each version is different and possesses unique merits, so we actually struggled quite a bit with this question,” Pergams said. “Ultimately, the choice came down to which version we felt represented the series best. For us, it was the PlayStation version.”
The remasters will feature graphical updates, including to in-game effects, user interface, animated cutscenes and bromides. Players will have the option to switch to “Classic Mode,” which uses the graphics of the PlayStation ports.
They also will feature quality-of-life features “to make gameplay smoother, such as an adjustable Battle Speed-Up option in both games, a toggleable option for a unified inventory system in Lunar 1 designed to simplify the item management process, and also the ability to customize the behavior of individual character AI during Lunar 1’s battles,” Pergams said.
“Throughout development we frequently consulted GAME ARTS, the original development studio, and incorporated their feedback,” Pergams said. “We also consulted other development staff, including the original composer, scenario writer, and character designer. Their input has been invaluable in maintaining the spirit of the original games during the remastering process.”
The remasters were announced in September last year.
Lunar: The Silver Star and Lunar 2: Eternal Blue originally were made for the Sega CD in 1992 and 1994, respectively, and were translated into English and published in North America by Working Designs. The developer, Game Arts, then remade them for the Saturn in Japan and released them together in a set called Lunar: Silver Star Story in October 1996. Working Designs had been set to translate and release that set in North America but canceled their plans after a falling out with Sega of America in 1997.
Then in May 1998, Game Arts ported Lunar: Silver Star Story to the PlayStation, and a year later Working Designs released a localization of that version in North America. That release is apparently being used as a base for the new collection.
Assault Suit Leynos 2 is out now on Western Switches, PlayStations
Assault Suit Leynos 2 Saturn Tribute is available digitally in the West on the Switch as well as the PlayStation 4 and 5, its publisher announced today. They cost US$24.99, although right now the Switch version has a launch discount bringing it down to $19.99.
Clear River Games uploaded a trailer alongside the announcement:
A representative on Clear River’s Discord server said last month that physical copies will go on sale May 22. There’s no word yet whether there will be a collector’s edition offered.
Leynos 2 Saturn Tribute has been available worldwide on PC via Steam and Xbox’s digital storefront, as well as on PS4, PS5 and Switch in Japan, since April last year. The original developer, City Connection, published those, but it announced a month before their launch that the PS4 and Switch versions would be delayed in the West for an indeterminate amount of time in favor of Clear River handling them.
Clear River Games is a Swedish video game publisher established in 2020 and owned by Embracer Group. The distributor it lists on its website is Game Outlet Europe but it’s worked with City Connection and Limited Run Games as well.
Assault Suit Leynos 2 is a 2D mecha run-n-gun was originally developed by NCS and published by Masaya on the Saturn in February 1997 exclusively in Japan. It’s a sequel to Genesis game Assault Suit Leynos, aka Target Earth in North America, and Super Nintendo game Assault Suit Valken, aka Cybernator in North America and Europe.
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