Lunar Sega CD vs. Lunar PSOne

[IMJ]

The Lunar RPG's have been some of my favorites since I played them on the PSOne. I know that the original Lunar games on Sega are more desirable from a collector's point of view, but the truth is that the PSOne games and package are superior in every way.

Removing the novelty from the Sega releases, I'd take the PSOne versions anyday. How about you guys?

-man, I miss Working Designs.-

[PapaStu]

This doesn't belong in What's it Worth.

**shimmy to classic gaming**

And I choose PS1 versions.... and yes I own all 5 sets of disc art, because I am a variant whore.

[LiquidPolicenaut]

I prefer the Sega CD version. However, the things I like in the remake are: nice new animated cutscenes, some expanded new characters and the expanded storyline. I really disliked all the new music (except for Wind's Nocturne aka Luna's Boat Song), the overhead map is atrocious, no battles at all on the overhead map, etc.

As an experience, I would say to still play the remake regardless. I just really miss some things from the Sega CD version...........

[Sudo]

Have both, but I prefer the Sega CD version.

[TonyTheTiger]

I think the remake of Silver Star is overall better. It fixes some weird things and definitely fleshed out the plot. But I think I prefer the Sega CD version of Eternal Blue. The remake added some scenes that kind of reveals things earlier than they should.

Though, this could all be because I played the remake of Silver Star before the original and the original Eternal Blue before the remake. One of those cases of "it was my first so it's my favorite" situations.

[Press_Start]

The PS1 remake is way better. Crisper and clear graphics. Better animations and cutscenes. Gameplay and battles are more fluid.

One thing I will give the Sega CD version is the intro's ROCKIN' KICK@SS SONG! :rocker:\\^_^/:rocker:\\^_^/:rocker:\\^_^/:rocker:

[Garry Silljo]

Another vote for the PS1 versions. I loved the story already, and fleshing it out only made it better.

[dreams]

I haven't played the SegaCD version, however I *LOVE* the PS1 version of Silver Star Story. I can't imagine anything in there not being there, so I'm guessing I probably wouldn't have enjoyed the SegaCD version as much.

[Aussie2B]

I haven't played the Sega CD version, but, yeah, they really did fail with the music in the remake. I mean, here they are trying to give the game a complete overhaul and make the game bigger and better in all regards, yet they DOWNGRADE the music from Redbook to MIDI. Not only that but they changed a lot of the compositions, and Iwadare just did a much better job with the original. It's almost as if Working Designs realized this and tried to compensate by including a soundtrack that actually had more Sega CD tracks than the PlayStation tunes.

[Overbite]

I have both Lunar games for both the Sega CD and PS1. The gameplay and stuff is better on the ps1 because they unfixed everything they "fixed" in the sega cd versions. Like how in the sega cd version of Lunar 2 it costs magic exp to save. That's gone in the PS1 version. The worst thing about the ps1 ports is that they made the enemies appear on the screen instead of random battles, which makes grinding really annoying. You have to leave the screen and come back to keep fighting.

I really hate how Working Designs felt like they had to fuck about with the games when they ported them. What's wrong with leaving it the way it was? Most of their changes were horrible, and they really didn't need to rewrite (and in doing so, severely date) the script. THE FLYING CAT MADE A FABIO JOKE, IT'S 2008 ITS STILL RELEVANT.

[SpaceHarrier]

I haven't played the SegaCD version, however I *LOVE* the PS1 version of Silver Star Story. I can't imagine anything in there not being there, so I'm guessing I probably wouldn't have enjoyed the SegaCD version as much.

Ditto.

Luna's song on the boat was the most epic moment to me. It truly sold me on that game for life. I love the care that went into crafting the box-o-goodies, updated art-style and cutscenes. I loved the touching opening sequence/song as well.

Maybe I missed out, maybe not. Either way:

A vote for PSX version

[Press_Start]

I really hate how Working Designs felt like they had to fuck about with the games when they ported them. What's wrong with leaving it the way it was? Most of their changes were horrible, and they really didn't need to rewrite (and in doing so, severely date) the script. THE FLYING CAT MADE A FABIO JOKE, IT'S 2008 ITS STILL RELEVANT.

It was the early 90's...way before the Poke-Digi-Naruto era, when anime and manga became US household items. Back then, Japanese animation and art were only appreciated within small circles for the general public could hardly grasp the concept and style. The only way these shows saw air time was by "reinventing" them to attract new audiences, i.e. Samurai Pizza Cats (Still love the show. ;) ).

Working Designs hardly took the "lazy" way out as other companies did with bare-bone translations and sub-par actors. I always felt WD always put the fans before bottom line as they demonstrated with their above-average soundtracks, dialogue, and bonuses for its time. To say the least, they were a beacon of light in the 90's frontier attracting new audiences to a genre labeled as "with no future" by certain higher-up individuals. *cough Bernie *cough Stolar *cough



The worst thing about the ps1 ports is that they made the enemies appear on the screen instead of random battles, which makes grinding really annoying. You have to leave the screen and come back to keep fighting.

Its a positive in my book. It makes it easier to avoid unnecessary battles. Besides, a unique aspect to lunar is that the Bosses stat level was equivalent to the member with the highest level. It going to require more than "grinding" to level 99 to reach the end of the game.

[Mianrtcv]

Strictly a nostalgia vote for Sega cd. I dig both though.

[Wraith Storm]

I haven't played the original on Playstation. I can say however that I like the Sega CD version of Lunar: Eternal Blue 100 times more than the Playstation remake, Lunar: Eternal Blue Complete. Some of the best things about the game they screwed up in the remake.

I hated that they replaced the random battles with enemies that you could see. The game wasen't originally made with this in mind and therefore didn't really work when they implemented it. It worked great for Grandia, but this is Lunar, not Grandia.

I LOVE the battle system for the Sega CD Eternal Blue. The battle system had some strategic elements that were dumbed down or removed from the Playstation remake. There was a “Run” and a “Flee” option. One of them would allow you to escape from battle like most RPGs. The other would have your character run to a different part of the battlefield. So if you had a character that was low on HP and you couldn't heal him, you could have him run to a different area and hope that the enemies couldn't reach him. It was a simple idea that added tons of strategy! This option was removed entirely from the Playstation version. I was like “WTF!?!?!?”

I also HATED the cutscenes. They went with the Grandia approach of hand drawn characters overlayed onto CG rendered scenes. While it looked great and worked for Grandia, it looked terrible, clashed and didn't fit the “feel of the game” in Lunar: Eternal Blue Complete. It had no life and looked generic like they went to Wal-Mart and bought a copy of “CGI Cutscene Animator 2000”, and used all the premade objects to vaguely recreate the scenes from the the Sega CD original. The Sega CD version had beautiful hand drawn cutscenes that really brought the characters and world to life.

I could go on and on about the differences and how mad I was that I spent like 70 bucks on the Playstation piece of crap.................. but I'm tired, so I won't.

[courtesi96]

I like the Sega CD version more.

One of the main things I didn't care for about the PS-One port is how much more the characters complain between themselves.

Also, two of my favorite songs were not carried over to the PS1 port as well.

[guitargary75]

Sega CD is the version I remember playing back in the day.

[InsaneDavid]

Its a positive in my book. It makes it easier to avoid unnecessary battles. Besides, a unique aspect to lunar is that the Bosses stat level was equivalent to the member with the highest level. It going to require more than "grinding" to level 99 to reach the end of the game.

I have to agree, random battles are the stupidest old moldy RPG element that was finally beginning to go away when the remakes were created. Being able to see a general idea of what enemies were around you allowed you to plan strategy. Think about it, if you're out on an adventure enemies won't always just - BAM - there they are. You can see, non-random battles make it like you can see. Imagine how slow and tedious games like Chrono Trigger would have been with random battles. Xenogears is a prime example, there are so many places in the game where you can count "6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.. battle" in an entire area. Seeing what was up ahead gave me time to explore and enjoy the design of the world.

For me it's all about the remake. SSS Complete was released just as I was graduating high school, and it seemed as if the game had spent just about as long getting finished up. It was a big event for most of us to say the least. I enjoy the SCD game as well but the polish given to the PS1 remake pushes it over the top.

As for Eternal Blue - honestly... I never thought either were all that spectacular. Good games in their own right, yes, but nothing on the level of the original title and its remake.

[FrakAttack]

Sega CD for sentimental value.

[darkwingduck13]

Have both, love both, would have to choose the PSOne version.

And I'll go so far as to say I miss Working Designs as well. They were my favorite localization company bar none, and a huge reason why I gave a damn about the PSOne/PS2 at all. I preordered Lunar: SSSC for the PSOne without ever playing the Sega CD version (I acquired it later), and it was the first game I ever preordered. When I brought it home, it went into my PSOne and stayed there until I beat it some 28 hours later. I didn't play anything else until it was done, and what a sweet experience it was. I'd played Albert Odyssey, Dragon Force, and Magic Knight Rayearth on my Saturn before, so I knew more or less what to expect from the company in terms of the translation, and they never let me down. The only company who's ever come close is Atlus.

RIP, Working Designs. Some people loved to bitch about your sense of humor, but some of us miss it like crazy.

[Wraith Storm]

And I'll go so far as to say I miss Working Designs as well. They were my favorite localization company bar none, and a huge reason why I gave a damn about the PSOne/PS2 at all. The only company who's ever come close is Atlus.

RIP, Working Designs. Some people loved to bitch about your sense of humor, but some of us miss it like crazy.


Agreed! I still think the translation for Albert Odyssey is one of the best... But Atlus certainly does come close with games like Izuna on the DS. The game itself is just okay, but it's really elevated by the humorous and charming translation.

[Daria]

The only company who's ever come close is Atlus.

I'd rank NIS right up there with ATLUS in terms of funny translations. Neither of them match Working Designs' ...sincerity though. The people in that company loved every game they localized and it shows through in the final product. WD was all about the passion of gaming, never about the bottom line. Course it bit them in the ass in the end. But it's admirable. ATLUS juggles their priorities better.

[kainemaxwell]

I like both versions of Lunar 1, though drawn more to the PSX remakes of both games. Only one out of that 4 I haven't played really is the Sega cd of Lunar 2.

[RPG_Fanatic]

I like the PSone versions better than the Sega CD versions. Better graphics.

[Edmond Dantes]

I'd like to get replacement copies of the Sega CD versions some day, but:

I honestly prefer the PSOne version of The Silver Star. While the story was similar, the Sega CD version felt very much like a "first draft" to me--you knew what it was trying to convey but it just wasn't doing it very well and caused everything to be predictable and the characters kind of one-dimensional. And I liked the soundtrack... as a soundtrack. But in the game I felt like "it's just trying too hard." The PSOne's soundtrack felt more "balanced" to me.

I've never played Eternal Blue in either form.

[Colorado Rockies]

PS1 version because they removed the random battles. I just dont have the patience for random batles anymore. Nothing is more frustrating then trying to get out of a cave or something and fighting enemies every two steps.

Any classic rpg's that I play nowadays are ones where the enemies are clearly visible like Chrono Trigger, Earthbound, Super Mario RPG, Secret of Mana etc.

[mobiusclimber]

... You can see, non-random battles make it like you can see. Imagine how slow and tedious games like Chrono Trigger would have been with random battles....


Any classic rpg's that I play nowafays are ones where the enemies are clearly visible like Chrono Trigger...

The enemies in CT are only visible half the time (when they aren't hiding) and they're unavoidable about 80% of the time. Sorry for going off-topic, but this is a misconception that everyone seems to make about this game, and I just really don't get it. We all played the same game, didn't we? Why are CT's boring, worse-than-random battles being compared to Lunar's (or Earthbound's, or even Chrono Cross')? Sure, they aren't random, but they're worse than random. Not only are they usually unavoidable (b/c the enemy is hiding behind a bush or in the water and they jump out no matter where you walk) or they're hanging out and they act surprised and then attack you when you walk through the only path available (again, no way to walk around them). So it's the same enemies in the same place with no way to avoid them. To me, that's even worse than random battles, and I'm glad more games didn't adopt that approach.

Heh, sorry for the off-topic rant. XD

[Edmond Dantes]

I can sort-of agree with that.

But to be honest, non-random battles of any sort is valuable not so much for "being able to avoid battles" but more for the psychological effect. Yes, the enemies in CT are set, but at least there's a sort of predictability to them. It's nice to know in advance that a battle is coming, vs them just springing on you like in most RPGs. I can't count how many times I got irritated when I was just five steps away from an exit, or a treasure chest, and all the sudden the game cranked up the encounter rate on me.

[PresidentLeever]

MCD. I like the music better, and that's pretty much the main draw for me with these games since it's so good.

I also have a thing for games that push a system, which Lunar 2 does on MCD but not on PS1.

Edit: I'll admit I haven't really played the PS1 games though, only watched some videos. But from what I could tell the graphics, while more colorful seemed more sloppy to me. Didn't like the redone cutscenes as much either.

[Colorado Rockies]

I can sort-of agree with that.

But to be honest, non-random battles of any sort is valuable not so much for "being able to avoid battles" but more for the psychological effect. Yes, the enemies in CT are set, but at least there's a sort of predictability to them. It's nice to know in advance that a battle is coming, vs them just springing on you like in most RPGs. I can't count how many times I got irritated when I was just five steps away from an exit, or a treasure chest, and all the sudden the game cranked up the encounter rate on me.

Exactly what I was trying to say, this was just better written.

[xelement5x]

I love the Lunar games, probably more than is healthy. That said, there are some major story differences between the Sega CD and PS1 versions, but I'd have to say I like the SegaCD version better.

As others have stated the music is better for the most part, and the story is still very fun. Plus it was the first real RPG I ever played, and that sucked me into the whole genre. I bought the PS1 version when it came out as well, and I thought it improved on a lot of things, but there is still some definite charm in the SegaCD version that the PS1 version kind of looses in a couple bits. I've yet to play Lunar Harmony for the PSP, though I've got a copy I just haven't found the time to dig into it yet. It looks neat, but I doubt anything will ever live up to the original in my memory.

I personally love the WD games and have quite the massive collection of them, they were the original group of folks devoted to bringing over niche games, though they've pretty much been replaced by the likes of Atlus, XSeed, and NIS.

[mobiusclimber]

I can sort-of agree with that.

But to be honest, non-random battles of any sort is valuable not so much for "being able to avoid battles" but more for the psychological effect. Yes, the enemies in CT are set, but at least there's a sort of predictability to them. It's nice to know in advance that a battle is coming, vs them just springing on you like in most RPGs. I can't count how many times I got irritated when I was just five steps away from an exit, or a treasure chest, and all the sudden the game cranked up the encounter rate on me.

I can certainly understand that, tho for me I've always liked the tension of not knowing whether I was going to make it out of the dungeon intact or not, poisoned and down to the lower double digits in health. Will I get attacked? Will the game feel merciful and spare me? The problem w/ the way CT does it is you DO know, and if it was a tougher game, that would be a problem. Thankfully non-boss-battles are a cakewalk (usually), so it's never been a problem of "I'm down to the lower digits in health, no way to heal, and I know I'm going to get jumped by these tough enemies that I can't avoid." Seriously, how many tough non-bosses are there in the game?

Anyway... wish I could comment on Lunar, but I've only ever played Lunar 1 on PS1 and Lunar 2 on Sega CD. (Didn't even get very far in Lunar 2, gonna have to get back to it when I'm done with Pier Solar.)

[Edmond Dantes]

One day when I have money and I'm not on a quest to CIB my current game collection, I'll need to hunt down the two Lunars.

[OldSkoolBrian]

I prefer the Sega CD version of the game.

[betamax001]

What do you all of you think of the PSP remake of the first one? I only played that game and I really like it, shame there probably wont be an enhanced remake of the second one.

[TonyTheTiger]

What do you all of you think of the PSP remake of the first one? I only played that game and I really like it, shame there probably wont be an enhanced remake of the second one.

I think it's good but it also falls into that Maverick Hunter X and Symphony of the Night redub category. Aside from the obvious hurdles that come with simply being a PSP game, it pushes a reimagining onto a fanbase that is very devoted to the game as it was while at the same time being out of it's time enough to have difficulty earning new fans.

It's a good game. But like the the afforementioned games, it'll probably wind up as a mere footnote like Lunar Legend. Not beloved like the Sega CD and Playstation/Saturn games. Not reviled like Dragon Song. Not a quirky bit of trivia like Walking/Magic School.

It'll just be...there.

[old man]

I prefer the PS1 remakes for all the slick in-game artwork, and hand drawn backgrounds. Some of them are really beutifull.

[SpaceHarrier]

What do you all of you think of the PSP remake of the first one? I only played that game and I really like it, shame there probably wont be an enhanced remake of the second one.

Love the new graphical style. The remixed music is, IMO a mixed bag. I like some of it better, some of it not as much as the PSX version. PSP Nall's voice tends to inspire immediate, murderous rage.. I miss the old voices. They had that 90's anime charm. Most new voices are decent, however. The opening song.. it's funny that they redid the lyrics again and they still sound awkward and nonsensical. I prefer the PSX version here again, but that is probably nostalgia talking.

(For the record, I've not played the Sega CD original. But now I can see how fans of the original Sega CD might prefer it over the PSX remake. I prefer the PSX version over the PSP reremake.)

Other thoughts about Silver Star Harmony:

Slight screen-tearing when town maps scroll, bah.

While I like the ability to have unlimited items in my inventory now, it tends to make an already pretty-easy game even easier. Still, item management is much improved.

I kind of despise the new beginning 'training' segment. It just seems so unnecessary, out of place and cheesy. It's an easy RPG afterall. It doesn't need a tutorial. Perhaps the scene should have been a non-playable segment later on in the game, or an animated cutscene (doubt that would have happened). I just think the game is supposed to open up light-hearted, like, "Hey, let's go on an adventure!" the way it used to. The dark and foreboding junk right off the bat is just whacky.

Despite all that, I have enjoyed what I've played so far of the PSP version. The PSX version is definitely in my Top 5 favorite RPGs that I've played, so naturally I still like Harmony as well. Nostalgia tends to get the best of me, though.

Still, Harmony's graphics are really easy on the eyes!

[spongerob]

I can sort-of agree with that.

But to be honest, non-random battles of any sort is valuable not so much for "being able to avoid battles" but more for the psychological effect. Yes, the enemies in CT are set, but at least there's a sort of predictability to them. It's nice to know in advance that a battle is coming, vs them just springing on you like in most RPGs. I can't count how many times I got irritated when I was just five steps away from an exit, or a treasure chest, and all the sudden the game cranked up the encounter rate on me.

Agreed. You might not know when the enemies will appear, but most of the time you know where they won't. And there's a certain comfort in knowing your flow will not be interrupted.

To this day, random battles still bug me, even if just a tiny bit. It's like if you were on your way to get something you really, really wanted and every 15 seconds or so, you had to stop for 1-2 minutes and do your taxes/clean the house/watch the big bang theory. In FFIII, I felt they could've had a few less random battles. The flow of that game would've been perfectly spot on if I wasn't walking around like the magnet for everything evil. I guess it could've been worse, like a NES RPG.

[PresidentLeever]

Agreed. You might not know when the enemies will appear, but most of the time you know where they won't. And there's a certain comfort in knowing your flow will not be interrupted.

It's like if you were on your way to get something you really, really wanted and every 15 seconds or so, you had to stop for 1-2 minutes and do your taxes/clean the house/watch the big bang theory. In FFIII, I felt they could've had a few less random battles.

Sounds to me like a big part of the problem is that you're just not enjoying those battles, which is understandable for FF games.
I wouldn't want to get rid of random encounters/ambushes completely. I mean where would the excitement in exploring be if you could always control or predict what's going to happen?

[TonyTheTiger]

I wouldn't want to get rid of random encounters/ambushes completely. I mean where would the excitement in exploring be if you could always control or predict what's going to happen?

Funny you say that. I find it the complete opposite. When in a labyrinth in a game with random battles my initial instinct is to make a beeline for the exit since I know randomly wandering down tunnels looking for treasure will result in X number of hours spent fighting. This is especially annoying in games like Vay where dungeons are specifically designed to goad you down a path only to result in a dead end.

In order for me not to feel assaulted by wasted time the encounter rate needs to be extremely low like in Lost Odyssey.

I generally believe in the design philosophy "have respect for the player's time." And punishing somebody for wandering off path with 4 or 5 battles that effectively have no more relevance than a commercial break is not abiding by that.

I actually find FF the least bad offender since most FF fights can be won very quickly by mashing attack. Games with random battles just hard enough to require thought are much worse. Yes, individually they may be "more fun" or whatever, but we're not talking about individually. We're talking one after the other after the other while you're trying to find a door or treasure chest. It's the equivalent of somebody pausing your game of Battletoads and making you read passages from Dickens before letting you continue.

[Zigfried]

Whether you pick up Sega CD Lunar: Silver Star, or PS1 Lunar: Silver Star, you're getting a real RPG. The PS1 version cuts a lot of the fat, but it also weakens several key scenes (and Ghaleon isn't nearly as cool in the remake). I prefer the original, but both are respectable.

Lunar 2: Eternal Blue is a different story. The PS1 version is barely a real RPG, mostly because the dungeons are so linear... not just by comparison to the original version (which had some of the most amazingly complex dungeons in any JRPG) but by comparison to the first PS1 game. Also, the cinema scenes are better on Sega CD. They're essentially the same from a design standpoint, but the colors are brighter on Sega CD than on PS1, and the original lacks the remake's heavy artifacting.

Finally, the difficulty was screwed up. In the original, each character's "terror from the past" boss was insanely hard. In the remake, those guys are super-easy and the hardest bosses are a bunch of random dragons. Boo! Hard bosses should be meaningful characters. The Eternal Blue remake is an example of how to take one of the greatest RPGs and make it one of the lamest -- the story survived, but the game used to be so much more than a vehicle to tell a tale.

[spongerob]

Sounds to me like a big part of the problem is that you're just not enjoying those battles, which is understandable for FF games.
I wouldn't want to get rid of random encounters/ambushes completely. I mean where would the excitement in exploring be if you could always control or predict what's going to happen?

That's exactly the problem lol. I hate turn based battles. I've always been a ninja twitch gamer. Though even when I don't mind the battle system, like in VI or X, I just don't like being on a path somewhere and being stopped every 20 seconds. I'm riddled with ADD and impatience.

[courtesi1]

it's been a while but i prefer the sega cd port due to:
1) better music
2) call me nuts but i like the sega cd text font better
3) the ps1 port seemed to have a lot more "bitching" between the characters that started to grate on my nerves.

the random battles kind of sucked but I've beaten it in under 18 hours so they are not too bad.

i never played lunar 2: eb on sega cd. i played about 12 hours of it on the ps1 and shut it off. i was so bored! if its truly better on sega cd i might give it another shot.

[Zigfried]

It's truly better.

[j_factor]

Funny you say that. I find it the complete opposite. When in a labyrinth in a game with random battles my initial instinct is to make a beeline for the exit since I know randomly wandering down tunnels looking for treasure will result in X number of hours spent fighting.

I purposely wander, and fight, because if I don't, I'll be weaker and have a harder time with bosses. I would rather fight as I explore, than make a beeline to the exit and then have to do some power leveling. Random encounters as you wander a dungeon may be annoying, but having to pace back and forth to get in random battles on purpose so you can level up is much more annoying.

[TonyTheTiger]

Well that ties into a related aspect of classic RPGs I consider a design flaw. If you go from point A to point B without taking any unnecessary detours and don't mindlessly flee from the battles you do get into, you should never find yourself grossly underpowered. Because...you know...you just played by the rules and did what was asked of you. You should be at a respectable level if you gave it a respectable effort. I think that, too, relates to respecting the player's time.

One thing about the original Lunar that came across as amateurish was that certain bosses would go from "insanely impossible" to "a button mashing joke" based on the acquisition of a single spell.

You walk through a dungeon and get into a boss fight (with as little warning as a random battle, mind you) and find yourself up against a number of raging dog monsters. You have a flame spell that kills each dog in two hits but you get decimated while going through the process. You fight a couple more random battles and earn the upgraded version which is the same exact spell except now it hits all targets. Two turns and you win.

Lunar actually did it better than most in that it usually didn't take much to power up your guys. But such heavy reliance on the basis that "you fought only 10 random battles instead of 20" sets players up for annoyance one way or the other. Either you feel obligated to go looking for fights now or save it for later.

That's a big reason why I like RPGs that don't have random encounters. Yes, the main reason just has to do with the pacing aspect. But a meatier reason is that it seems like a lot of games use random encounters as a cure all for any balance problems the game may have. "The boss is too hard? Fight more." "You can't afford that new armor? Fight more." Your inactive party members annoyingly don't gain any experience and now you've hit a plot point where they must take part in a major boss battle? Fight more."

Without that crutch, with a finite number of enemies and a ballpark predictability of the approximate number of fights a player will have, it forces the designers to take a fine toothed comb to the spoils of each fight and what's actually required to win the big battles.

[Edmond Dantes]

To add on to what I said earlier, I find being able to see encounters adds two things:

A) the knowledge that if I need to see what's down a certain passage or am trying to find out how to get to a treasure chest, I'll have all the time in the world to do so once I clear out the local baddie population.

B) Even if I have to grind, being able to see enemies both allows me to see and be prepared for what's coming up next (so I don't end up fighting the Warmech) and gives me a feeling like I'm actually making progress when I see their sprites disappear. It may all be an illusion (Earthbound for example) but at least I get to believe for awhile that "I cleared this part of the dungeon"

To put it another way: Remember those totally annoying parts in certain NES RPGs (Final Fantasy and Dragon Warrior II in particular) where one set of passages would loop unless you walked through them the right way? Imagine how much less irritating they would be if you could see enemies.