Customer Reviews

Secret of Mana

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I am an avid RPG player and I personally think that this is one of the best that I've played. I think that FFVI (FFIII) and the Secret of Mana are best SNES games out there. I have never had so much fun playing multiplayer than I have with this game. For once an RPG that you can actually play with a friend, and NOT only in the battles. The story line is a little corny, but then again, so are most. The graphics compared to now days are weak, but they are very well done for a SNES game. They make the game all the more enjoyable. The music is great as well! Very midi sounding of course, but adds to the character of the game none the less. I find that playing it alone can get rather boring, but it's the most fun I've had playing video games with friends. It provides hours of entertainment and it is one of my favorite games of all time. Five BIG stars for Secret of Mana!

It should be no secret that the SNES gave us some of the most elite classics that have stood the test of time. Why Secret of Mana hasn't gained the success of many of these classics is beyond me, because this is by far one of the classics when it comes to RPG gaming.

In this game, the hero of this game finds a sword and pulls it out, only to unleash a barrage of monsters and to be banned from Potos. With further accompaniment from a sprite and girl, the hero must find the Mana Seeds to power up the Mana Sword. I will just leave it at that to prevent any spoilers.

What makes Secret of Mana such a highlight is its gameplay system. Many RPGs developed by Square have been known for its turn-based battle system. Instead of utilizing this, the game uses a real time battle system akin to The Legend of Zelda series, with ring style menus for each character to use items and change character settings.

When it comes to unique skills by the characters mentioned above, the hero is a physical battle warrior. However, with the use of magic acquired eventually in the game, the sprite can use battle magic while the girl can use magic that powers up the skills in combat. More skills are obtained upon discovering Mana Seeds.

A final mention is to the game's soundtrack, composed by Hiroki Kikuta. The focus on woodwinds and percussion instruments drives throughout the whole game, provoking the appropriate mood for the setting. Don't get me wrong, a lot of Square titles have been well known for the soundtrack used, but Secret of Mana manages to excel beyond with these compositions.

If it wasn't for the fact that a game like Chrono Trigger was released, this could definitely be the greatest RPG to ever hit the market. But for what it is, Secret of Mana is an unsung RPG classic that is mandatory to play if you are a fan of this genre, a strong soundtrack, or just a classic, unique, soulful game.

Sorry, FFVI takes the cake for best looking. But when I played this game and saw the Mana Tree for the first time, I couldn't believe I was playing a SNES game. The graphics are some of the best on the system. And trust me, the graphics are not all this game has to offer. It features a very mystical well told story and it will grab your attention from the start. The multi player is also very fun. I think everyone with a Super Nintendo should play this game at least once.

Secret of Mana is and always will be one of my favorite RPGs of all time. SOM is the english version of Seiken Densetsu 2. The first SOM was for gameboy and released in the USA as Final Fantasy Adventure.
The main character of SOM is a boy named Randi who lives in the village of Potos. It all begins when he finds and obtains the Mana Sword, which had been protecting his village for years from monsters. After he fights a monster that appeared in his village, he is banished from the village because he removed the sword and thus; all monsters will come after him. This is the beginning of a journey which will evolve into the age old plot of saving the world.
The music in this game is simply beautiful and flows really well with the whole setting. It's one of my favorite game soundtracks.
SOM has a very active and fun fighting style. Instead of the usual random battles where you choose options to fight, you battle realtime. Meaning, you fight as you travel, the monsters are everywhere and you'd fight them sorta like a Zelda game. Except every time you attack, you must wait a about second or so for the gauge to go back to 100% so you can attack again at full power. You can also use spells as you aquire them, but they use MP.
There are two other playable characters, Purim and Popoie. The cool thing about SOM, is that if you have a special hookup, you and 3 others can play one of each of the 3 characters at the same time. Or even just 2 of them at the same time (2 doesn't require special hookup).
For a SNES game, this has very good graphics in my opinion. Although 2D, everything is appropriately colored so that it looks wonderful.
This is a wonderful game and is very addicting. I've replayed this game over and over, and still ain't tired of it. Highly recommended for people who love Square RPGS.

Well, I should tell you that I stoped playing video games years ago due to lack of time and money. But I used to be a video game junkie when I was younger, and Secret of Mana was my favorit RPG (with the possible exception of Final Fantasy 3 for the SNES.) I like Secret of Mana even better then Chrono Trigger which I thought was terribly over-rated, but still good.

This game has alot of heart in it. It's very rich and colorful, and the music fits the settings perfectly and takes the players into the game with the characters. The story is very good and the characters, (most of them) are very likable and are given just enough personality to spice up the game, but the scenarios arn't overly-dramatic, sappy, and drawn out like in the Final Fantasy games. The only character I hated was that little midget that followed you and the girl around throughout the game. I wanted that thing to die! I even re-named him "Stupid."

In this game you get to eat junk food (like candy and chocolate) to give you strengh and energy, (go figure) and a big cat follows you everywhere to sell you goods because he's obviously desperate for business. You also get to meed Santa Clause! Cute huh? Ya, all that plus good diologe and game control gave this game a certian charm that appealed to me. I wish they still made video games like this because most of the dumb RPGs they got out today (like Final Fantasy 10 and what have you) is about the same thing as watching a movie. I'm of the older, 8-bit Nintendo and Atari generation of video games and am probobly one of the few people left that things that graphics and sound have gotten to advanced. The fun factor for these newer videogames seems absent to me, (but then again I hardly play them anymore so what would I know right?) They need to start making games like Secret of Mana and Evermore again......those were the days baby! Also, the ending could have been better too.

This game is just awsome. I fell in love with it. No matter how many RPG's i've played Secret of Mana remains my all time favorite!

I would actually give Secret of Mana 4.5 stars if I could figure out how!

Secret of Mana is a very aesthetically pleasing, fun, nice game. While all the characters and scenery are done with bright, vibrant colors, and much of the music is cheery and uplifting, there is an underlying theme of sorrow that traces its way through the story in a very complimentary fashion. Personally I feel it is a great parallel to what is going on in the real world, in the sense that as beautiful and wonderful and mentally absorbing as nature is, there are villains behind the scenes who seek to destroy it by using up natural resources. The interactions and dialogue between the game's characters in general are somewhat limited for an RPG, but the combination of intense visuals and intuitive music, along with the heavy natural themes, seem to add a layer of depth and understanding that requires no verbal explanation. Most of the environments are wilderness areas of some sort, and many of the enemies resemble real animals, though I suppose they are supposed to be evil versions since you must kill them to earn points. The movements of the Mana Seeds affect the natural environment directly, and spirits representing elements such as Fire, Earth, Water, and Wind add an extra level of personification to mother earth. All of these things make you care very much about the outcome of this world's struggles, and about the survival of the Mana Tree. All in all, the atmosphere of this game is fantastic. The Pure Land, I might add, is on my top ten list of imaginary places I would love to go, and/or take up residence.

My only real problem with this game is the lack of complexity in the playable characters' stories. Their beginning and end stories are very interesting, but there isn't very much in between; they really sort of silently put their heads down and plow through with their duties. While this is an admirable character trait in anyone, real life or not, it makes the middle part of this game feel more like a single-player game than an RPG. I like all of the characters, but I wish they had more complicated stories. I also was somewhat baffled at the varied amounts of power orbs available for the different weapons; I found myself able to upgrade my Javelin higher than I thought possible, but my Gloves fell short one orb. However, I found out recently that the cause for this has to do with random treasure chests towards the end of the game, and is not a bug, as I had previously thought.

Secret of Mana is definitely worth a play if you can get your hands on it. It is a pleasantly long game with a variety of settings, tasks to accomplish, interesting NPCs, and real-time battles in which you can experiment with a variety of attacks.
The gameplay is easy, and the graphics are beautiful. Buy it if you can.