Creating the Stellar Logo and Packaging for the Lunar Remastered Collection

The Lunar Remastered Collection has hit the shelves for Xbox One, easily accessible through Xbox Series X|S, bringing a fresh wave of nostalgia and excitement. I recently had a lively conversation with Amy Nguyen, the Senior Graphic Designer at GungHo America. We delved into her creative journey in revamping the logo for this beloved series. She offered fascinating insights into what inspired her and how she approached this intricate design task.

Jumping straight into the conversation, I greeted Amy, eager to uncover more about her artistic voyage and standout projects at GungHo. With enthusiasm, she recounted working on diverse projects, from national tournament designs to high-profile collaborations. A highlight of her career was spearheading the Grandia port for consoles, a feat that marked her first major role as creative lead.

When asked about her initial emotions upon tackling the Lunar logo, Amy admitted to feeling a mix of excitement and nerves. Acknowledging the weight carried by the logo in defining the brand’s identity, she embarked on the creative process with multiple drafts. Feedback played a crucial role as she refined the design to perfection.

Curiosity led me to ask if the original logos influenced her design choices. Amy explained her thorough research approach, aimed at capturing the essence of Lunar treasured by its longtime fans. Through this foundation, she sketched various ideas until they decided on a design capturing the iconic Lunar red with a modern twist—gold accents to signify the remastering.

Visual inspirations behind the multiple logo iterations were varied. Amy focused on retaining the nostalgic appeal of the original, considering elements like color blends and iconic imagery from the series such as the dragon sword and the ribbon. These designs experimented with different shapes and dynamics until eventually settling on a harmonious blend capturing the best elements of revisions one and five.

As our discussion continued, we explored delightful details like the extended ‘R’ tail in “Remastered,” designed to echo the original Lunar aesthetics. Amy gave a nod to the playful adjustments made to enhance the serif letters, injecting vibrancy into the visual language of the game’s title.

Toshiyuki Kubooka, the original Lunar artist, made noteworthy contributions to the remaster. Amy expressed profound appreciation for the vivid compositions he crafted, which informed the packaging design. The cover art almost seamlessly incorporated his work, requiring minimal adjustments to align everything perfectly.

Discussing the more liberally designed back cover, Amy revealed her intention to incorporate pixel sprites alongside screenshots that encapsulate the gaming experience. Design-wise, she harmonized elements from the logo with a gradient background to unify the two games as a single collection, achieving a layout that connects while distinguishing each game.

Reflecting on the package design experience, Amy highlighted the collaborative efforts with industry icons and peers at GungHo and Game Arts. The unified work culminated in creating a piece of art that she believes fans will thoroughly enjoy.

For those eager to dive back into the enchanting tales of LUNAR, both Lunar: Silver Star Story and Lunar 2: Eternal Blue await in this remastered collection. Packed with narrative depth, new graphics, and enhanced audio, these games promise to reignite that nostalgic flame for seasoned players and newcomers alike, now accessible on Xbox.