Secret of Mana

by SQUARE

Product 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

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B000035Y2Q
• Media: Video Game
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (45 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,819 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

There is one force in the universe that keeps good and evil in perfect balance. It is called the tree of Mana. But a magic sword has tricked a young warrior into upsetting the balance, spreading evil throughout the land.

Thus, the warrior must undertake a dangerous journey to find the seeds of the Mara tree which have been hidden for centuries. Only then can perfect harmony be restored.

In this incredible adventure, things are not as they seem. Magic swords release evil as well as fight it. Treasure chests hold booby traps. Monsters are friends and friends are enemies. Dragons fly, weapons change.

It's a world turned upside down that you must help the warrior make right. And the only way to succeed is to solve the Secret of Mana.

Product Description

There is one force in the universe that keeps good and evil in perfect balance. It is called the tree of Mana. But a magic sword has tricked a young warrior into upsetting the balance, spreading evil throughout the land. Thus, the warrior must undertake a dangerous journey to find the seeds of the Mara tree which have been hidden for centuries. Only then can perfect harmony be restored. In this incredible adventure, things are not as they seem. Magic swords release evil as well as fight it. Treasure chests hold booby traps. Monsters are friends and friends are enemies. Dragons fly, weapons change. It's a world turned upside down that you must help the warrior make right. And the only way to succeed is to solve the Secret of Mana

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Second best RPG ever made., July 4, 2001

By 

Ben (Smyrna, Tennessee United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Secret of Mana (Video Game)

This game is one of the best ever, on any platform, from NES all the way to PS2, surpassed only by Chrono Trigger. Unfortunately, the sequels to this game absolutely butchered it, removing all the features that made it great. However, despite what happened to future versions, gamers can still enjoy the original and best.

The graphics of this game are good, looking very colorful, stylized, and very rich, as if they were drawn and painted by hand, and your adventures take place in a wide, diverse range of environments, from caves to deserts to lush green wilderness and waterfalls. The music is wonderful, always inspiring and fitting the mood, from the eerie and strange song of Thanatos' castle, to the slow, wintry theme of the Ice Palace, to the heroic theme of the battle with the Mana Beast. The story is great with all of its plot twists, and it manages to be linear and coherent without dragging you along by the nose. The three characters are very likeable, especially that quirky little Sprite.

But, the gameplay! Despite all else, this is where the game really excels. Secret of Mana has been compared to Zelda because of its real-time battle system, but I believe it surpasses Zelda in all sorts of ways. Instead of one character, you now have three, and they can fight extremely well because of a wonderful feature known as the Action Grid. This allowed you to set all actions of a character, including whether they should fight aggressively, stand back and defend themselves, or use hit-and-run tactics (this works EXTREMELY well--watch your allies step in, whack the enemy, then deftly back-flip out of range before he can counterattack), and you can even set whether they will use their stronger special moves and what level of special move they should charge up to. This is the best idea for computer AI that I've ever seen in an RPG, and it was absolutely STUPID of Squaresoft to remove it from the later games. In Seiken Densetsu 3 (Secret of Mana 2, Japan only), your allies all mindlessly rush in and attack, even if the enemy is much stronger than they are, resulting in healers and mages in your party getting creamed in battles. In Legend of Mana, your allies are absolutely brainless, simply staggering around the battlefield like drunkards, only bothering to fight if the enemy happens cross paths with them. Another example of Squaresoft throwing away what was perfectly good in an attempt to be "new" and "original." The saying, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it," comes to mind when I think of Squaresoft's latest games.

You have 8 different weapons to choose from, so there is a weapon for everyone's taste. Weapons are upgraded, and as they are upgraded, new special attacks can be learned. For your allies, their mana powers can also be made more powerful by use.

Some complain about the time delay between attacks, having to wait for the meter to recharge, but I think this is a good feature. It adds some strategy to the game and maintains its status as an RPG and not a beat-'em-up. You can also use your quick, weak attacks to simply distract an enemy while your allies hit them with mana power.

And, by far, one of the best features of this game is the multiplayer aspect. Three players can get together and control the three characters, and the fun never ends.

Simply put, among action or adventure RPGs, this is the best, no contest. Among RPGs as a whole, this is second only to Chrono Trigger.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Secret of Mana Casts a Spell..., July 20, 2006

By 

Valyr (New Jersey) - See all my reviews

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Secret of Mana (Video Game)

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.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Golden Age of Video Gaming, October 31, 2005

By 

Jonathan C. Pike (Canton, MA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Secret of Mana (Video Game)

At the expense of sounding like an old man at the age of 25, I just have to say that they don't make games like this anymore. Not quite sure if this is my favorite game of all time, but it's definetly in the top three, and I've played quite a few games. The original Secret of Mana is just such an awesome game. It's a Zelda-style adventure, but with three different characters, a well-worked system of magic, great musical selection, a vast world to explore, and an engaging story line. A multi-player addition (where a pal can control one of your three characters) makes the game so much more enjoyable.

This is a game that proves that an older game with a great concept beats the hell out of a more modern game with the greatest graphics in the world. If I wanted characters that look as close to real people as possible I'd watch TV. Video games are all about the concept and creativity behind the game. Secret of Mana epitomizes that. Probably out of production by this point, but if you can get your hands on it, you'll definetly be pleased. Or at least download it and play with an emulator.