Binding: Video Game Brand: SQUARE EAN: 0094689131094 ESRB Age Rating: Everyone Label: Square Enix Manufacturer: Square Enix Platform: Nintendo Super NES Publisher: Square Enix Sales Rank: 1389 Studio: Square Enix
Features:
The Mana tree keeps good and evil in perfect balance
A magic sword has tricked a young warrior into upsetting the balance
Restore harmony by embarking on a dangerous journey to find the seeds of the Mara tree
Magic swords release and fight evil; treasure chests hold booby traps; monsters are friends and enemies
It's a world turned upside down that you must help the warrior make right
Rating: - Seiken Densetsu II
How many ways can I say that this game changed my life as a child? It's almost impossible to say how many ways. Most people fell in love with Squaresoft (now SquareEnix) because of Final Fantasy, but not me, this game was the catalyst for me. Don't get me wrong, I love Final Fantasy games, but Secret of Mana is my most favorite game of all time. The formula was perfect; it starts out kind of like something out of King Arthur. The boy finds a rusty sword that looks to have sat in a stone for years, and then suddenly a spirit appears in front of him. The spirit tells the boy to pull the sword, little does he know that this spirit is actually his father and that by pulling the sword he will start down a path that will change his and many others lives forever.
It was 1993 when this game came onto the American market as Secret of Mana, when in truth it was actually the second game in a series that would grow into a large franchise. The first Seiken Densetsu was on the Gameboy handheld, but in the states it was renamed Final Fantasy Adventure as a way to make it sell better, rather shrewd I'd say. Nowadays, they never would have done something like that, but back then Square was still something of a fledgling company that had to battle the likes of Enix (ironically it's future partner) and even Nintendo itself (due to the sales of Zelda games and the like) for shelf-space.
Unfortunately the franchise that this game created was a hit or miss kind of deal. Some of its sequels were great, like Seiken Densetsu III which to this day is the closest thing to it's predecessors greatness, it was for the Super Famicom (the Japanese SNES) and was never released here due to the fact that stupid decisions like that were the norm back then, they were afraid that it would be too difficult for American gamers...tsk. But there were also many awful Mana's like, Sword of Mana for the Gameboy Advance. It had so many quirky things about its gameplay plus the music was like regular Gameboy music which was vastly beneath the GBA's technological prowess, it was just lame, it could have been a sure winner had it followed the formula better and had a musical score that didn't insult the GBA's technology. People that have never played the older games might like Sword of Mana enough to give it a chance however.
Secret of Mana is a wonderful adventure that has great graphics for its time and an incredible musical score (I'm not kidding, I love it, Hiroki Kikuta is right up there with Motoi Sakuraba and Nobuo Uematsu!!), it can be played by just about anyone that understands RPG's and even by novice players because it starts out simple and builds up from there. The adventure is quite linear however, so some might be turned off by that, but that in no way takes away from its greatness. The gameplay mechanics of the game were amazing at the time with so many weapons to level up and strengthen with orbs, there was something for everyone to enjoy, plus you could charge up for a special attack and eventually you could do an ultimate attack later in the game after much experience is gained. The way the story went was very fairytail-esque with many comical moments and very funny animations to the sprites (no pun intended). You could even get some friends together and they could control the other characters for even more fun adventuring, I had a lot of great memories of playing this way with my Father and my brother, it was a blast!!! It changed the way that RPG's had to be and it did it better than The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past (people will hate me for saying that, I know), even though I love that game too.
I just wish they'd either re-release this or Seiken Densetsu III on GBA (or both), either that or remake them for the Wii or PS3. It can be done SquareEnix, you have more than enough money and more than enough influence to round up all the original creators rather than these new guys that make all the new Mana's that apart from Children of Mana (Nintendo DS, great music, great graphics, and a great story), simply pale by comparison.
Rating: - Fantastic!
I love this game so much, I've played it since I was a little kid and completed the game several times.
The fightingsystem is fun, the characters are loveable, the game is beautiful and there's a lot of weapons/magic to be found.
I highly recommend this game, I never got bored with it.
Rating: - The best RPG ever made; a truly magical and timeless game...
"Secret of Mana" is not only the best RPG ever made, in my opinion, but one of top ten video games of all time, period. Playing this game is simply a magical experience; it combines incredible gameplay with exceptional level design, strikingly beautiful music, and long length (70+ hrs). SNES was the greatest system ever made, and "Secret of Mana" is a must-have for any SNES owner. With any luck, it will be available via download on Wii in the near future...
Rating: - Secret of Mana Casts a Spell...
First things first, this game is one of my all-time favorites.
I've played and replayed this game so many times that I know every dungeon by heart, and the best part is that it never feels old.
Secret of Mana was able to wrap so many great aspects of gameplay around a charming story. Unlike the Final Fantasy games, which are all the same story just recycled and given a fresh coat of paint, Secret of Mana employs some subtle plot twists and suspense. Leaving the hero shrouded in mystery until close to the end of the story.
Secret of Mana also doesn't bother with the monotony of randomized battles. Like Zelda, it employs a visually aware combat system; you can see what's coming at you before you reach it. This helps you skip unnecessary battles without the tedium of having to select the 'run away' feature.
There are so many quirks about this game that make it special, from cannon travel to being able to play with up to 2 other people at the same time. No matter how many times I finish it I'll always want to go back and experience it again.
Secret of Mana is a unique RPG, which in and of itself is enough to make it a gem.
Rating: - Repetition KILLS!!!
My first impression of Secret of Mana was that it was a intriguing game. It was fun to switch between the three characters on the battle field to attack different enemies. I also found the idea of leveling up your weapon and magic skills a great way to spend my time. The game had a wide variety of bad guys with different kinds of short and long range attacks. I was very excited about what was going to run into next. And of course, the music was great even to the end.
Unfortunately, I kept running into the same things. The same enemies and bosses were used over and over again, but they were just a different color. The little bad guys had some extra moves which made it okay. The bosses, though, lacked any extra moves, but just had a higher defense and evade rate. I have to make a list of how many times I've seen major dungeon bosses be used over again:
bug boss - 2
manator boss - 3
two-headed dragon - 2
Amphibious boss - 3
Bike Rider boss - 3
Robot Boss - 2
Snake Boss - 3
Troll Boss - 3
Dragon Boss -3
These are the ones I can remember off the top of my head, but there are probably more.
Another problem with the game is leveling up your elemental magic does not give you any new spells. The power-up moves you get when leveling up your weapon skill become worthless as enemies become ridiculously evasive. The last third of the game, I was spending most of my time hacking away at a single little bad guys for minutes because they somehow avoided my attacks by standing still. To me, the game became irritating.
Do not let the first half of this game fool you. It is one of those type of games that you wouldn't want to play again since there are no new spells, bosses, hidden items or moves I haven't seen already.
But I'll end on a good note. The sequel to this game, which is called Seiken Densetsu III is one of my favorite games. It has great graphics, a good plot, and several problems from the prequel have been fixed. Power-up moves can be used anytime once the specialty bar is full. Your allies are actually intelligent this time around and can be left alone in a fight unless you need a special spell. Fighting is smoother since you don't have to wait for your weapon to charge up. The best thing about the game, though, is its replay value. There are a total of five different character stories you can play. I have played through them all over and over again. I highly suggest this game to everyone since I think it is better than the Legend of Zelda.
- Repetition KILLS!!!
