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For playabilty and plot, Square was unmatched with Secret of Mana. The Final Fantasy series is remarkable, and the Zelda series is always great (Ganondorf of the Ocarina of Time was sinister and suggestive at the same time), but the story of an orphan boy, a defiant girl in love with a soldier of destiny, and a lost, mouthy sprite in search of a way to save their world will always have a special place in my heart.
SoM did things on the Super Nintendo that had other game companies wetting their pants. I hope that Square will update SoM one day, just as they did for FFI & FFII in Final Fantasy: Origins...but that might spoil the beauty and simplicity of such a remarkable game.
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Secret of Mana, is in my opinion, one of the best games of all-time. Squaresoft really set it off with this game. I first got a chance to play SOM about 4 years ago, so I really missed out on it all that time.
The story follows a boy, a girl, and a sprite on a big adventure across fields, deserts, snowlands, and much more. After the boy pulls out the Mana Sword, he gets banned from his hometown by the Elder. The story really takes off from there, and it will keep you entertained throughout the whole game.
The music in SOM is my favorite of any SNES game. Each area has music that is amazing and will really take you into the game. I have the soundtrack and every song is great.
Graphics were really good for the time (1993). The animations and artwork used in SOM were very colorful and easy to look at, so it doesn't hurt your eyes.
Last but certainly not least, while the game is a lot of fun while playing it alone, it's even better when you have a few friends around. Being that this game is 3-players, you can go through it with 2 friends. It's like a multiplayer Zelda. SOM is also pretty challenging and has excellent replay value. I recommend it to anyone who likes the Zelda series or the FF series.
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Secret of Mana is one of the best RPG's on any system. The story might be your typical cliched RPG tale. But it takes so many twists you can't wait to get through the game and see the ending. The music really stands out too,( only Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy VI are better) as it's the best music ever on a cartidge game. The three player option was a blast too. It's too bad the sequel never came to the U.S. The PSX Legend of Mana just [wasn't good]. Forget that game and play this one.
Hint to Square: Please release a compilation of all the Mana games. Please, please, please. I don't care what system you put it on. Well don't put it on XBox.
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This is the game that put Square in such high esteem, in my books at least. Sure, I am indeed a Final Fantasy fan, but Secret of Mana is at the top of my list. I first rented this game back when I was in high school and when I played it with my two friends we did not put it down until we beat it. I can't say I've ever done that with any other game.
The plot is nothing new: ordinary kid discovers an ancient sword that calls out his name, but when he pulls it from the ground, monsters are awakened and attack his village. Naturally, the boy is shunned by the villagers, but eventually meets two friends who help him in a globe-spanning adventure to defeat the source of evil and discover his connection with the life-giving Mana Tree.
The graphics were standard for the SNES; nothing outstanding but enough to keep you interested. That was probably the worst thing about this game, but you can't help but love the reference to the dragon from "The Neverending Story" when you obtain Flammie.
The music was astounding; each song really set the theme for the area, really getting the player involved. Epic songs such as that which is playing during the rise of the Lost Continent (I think that's what it's called) are memorable even to this day.
Now to the best part: the gameplay. This is the first action/RPG I played with three characters playable at once; that alone made the game shine above all others. Even two players switching off control with the third character added some new and interesting strategy to the game. The weapon upgrade and charge system was also a welcome feature in the game, and made players want to take the extra time to find the upgrades for all weapons. Some weapons, like the javelin, weren't really helpful or useful, but fun to have nonetheless.
Finally, although the plot origins aren't anything new, there are enough twists and turns to keep players involved for long hours. I almost had a hard time keeping track of all the villains I was going after.
I was disappointed that Chrono Trigger was released with the other FF games for the Playstation before this title was (or hopefully will be); perhaps they could release this with new cinemas along with FF 1, 2, and/or 3. This still stands as the best gane Squaresoft ever created, let's hope that a sequel for the PS2 may be released (closer to Kingdom Hearts but with three players at once) since SOM2 was never released here in the States...
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OF COURSE I DUST MINE WEEKLY, BECAUSE I'M A VIDEO GAME ENTHUSIAST WITH SEVERAL UP AND RUNNING GAME CONSOLES. "SECRET OF MANA" IS WITHOUT A DOUBT ONE OF THE GREATEST GAMES IN HISTORY! ANYONE THAT GIVES THIS GAME ANYTHING LESS THAN THEIR HIGHEST RATING HAS NO BUSINESS RATING GAMES TO BEGIN WITH. THERE MAY BE GAMES OUT THERE THAT ARE EQUAL, BUT NONE SURPASS IT. I'VE BEEN PLAYING IT FOR A SOLID WEEK NOW. NOW YOU KNOW A GAME IS EXCELLENT WHEN IT'S 16-BIT AND YOUR IGNORING 128-BIT GAMES TO PLAY IT. HOWEVER LIKE MOVIES, THE CLASSICS ARE ALWAYS THE BEST. IN ADDITION TO THIS GAME I HIGHLY RECOMMEND.. LEGEND OF ZELDA: A LINK TO THE PAST, ILLUSION OF GAIA, AND YOSHI'S ISLAND. ALL FOR YOUR SUPER NES.
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