In early ’98 japanese publisher Nihon Flex announced that it was funding the development of the third game in the Lufia series (known as Biography of Estpolis in Japan ). Lufia 3: Ruins Chaser took place 300 years after Lufia 1. Neverland Company intention was to conclude the popular SNES story line and at the same time begin a new one. There were six main characters and the graphics was said to be isometric 2D similar to past Neverland Company work, Energy Breaker.

At Spring Tokyo Game Show ’98 , held at Makuhari Messe in Tokyo from March 21 to 22, Flex unveiled Lufia 3 for the first time giving out a 12 pages booklet, and a video with it, with preliminary artworks and details. The title was reported to be 20% completed. Natsume , the american publisher, confirmed at E3 ’98 that the game was scheduled for the second quarter of 1999 for Playstation.

However in July ’98 Nihon Flex declared bankruptcy thus forcing the project to be put on hold. In mid 1999 the development was resumed but on the more modest Game Boy Color and completely changing the previous work, the game dropped the III and was subtitled “The Legend Returns”.

Below you can see the original Lufia 3 artworks, the video bundled with the booklet at Spring TGS ’98 and a music video with a song shared by composer Yukio Nakajima thanks to Forfeit Island and SinReVi. Also japanese site RPG Data Library was a good source of information.

In February 2016 the full design doc of Lufia 3 was offered on the Japanese Yahoo auction website, here’s a Google translation of the description (if you can make a better one, let us know!):

Released in 1998, it had been scheduled is planning specifications set of “Lufia III”. Released from Japan flex company had been planned, but now on sale canceled due to the company’s bankruptcy. This exhibit will be the complete set of game specifications at that stage.
※ total 320 sheets, it will print out basically A4.

Scenarios related (plot, dungeon maps) 109 sheets
– Battle screen specification layout 43 sheets
– Eight field map specification layout
– Five world map specification layout
Camp specification layout 30 sheets
· Balloon specification layout nine
Movie picture 27 sheets Conte
Capsule Monster rough design 13 sheets
Party character combat pattern, 40 sheets monster material
Image board 22 sheets
Image board 14 sheets (B4 size)
Not included in the material to a floppy disk of the scenario data is lost ※.

If you read this article, Lufia, or it was supposed III become what game is in response to the Lufia II. In addition, you can understand, but was scheduled to use how hard that PlayStation. To save the state was bad, torn envelopes you put a document, a stain, but there is a folding trace etc., There is no problem to read the article. In addition, there is a folding mark at the center in all of the image board of B4 size, There is a tear marks on the part of the character rough image.

Artworks:

Spring TGS ’98 Trailer:

Yukio Nakajima original song: