Darkness sweeps the
troubled land as, mana's
power fades...
People await a hero who
will wield the sword...
Excaliber, Herald, Gigas..
The blade has many
names, for it has been
celebrated in myths and
legends throughout time,
but all of these speak to
just one weapon:
the Mana Sword
| Developer | Square Co. |
|---|---|
| Publisher | Square Co. |
| Genre | Action RPG |
| Players | 1-3 |
| Platform | SNES |
| JP | 6 Aug 1993 |
| US | 3 Oct 1993 |
| EU | 24 Nov 1994 |
| Platform | Wii VC |
| JP | 9 Sep 2008 |
| US | 13 Oct 2008 |
| EU | 26 Dec 2008 |
| Platform | FOMA 903i / 703i |
| JP | 9 Sep 2009 |
| Platform | iPhone |
| 21 Dec 2010 | |
| Platform | 3D Remake (PS4/PC) |
| WW | 15 Feb 2018 |
| Platform | Collection of Mana (Switch) |
| WW | 11 Jun 2019 |
Seiken Densetsu 2: Secret of Mana is probably the best known installment of the Seiken Densetsu series, and got most of us outside the land of the rising sun hooked. The Action-RPG was released in Japan August 6th, 1993, and in the USA the October 3rd. It did not make it to Europe, however, for another whole year, being released November 24th, 1994.
The game was originally developed for the short-lived Sony CD addon for the Super Nintendo, however when Nintendo decided to scrap the Sony CD project, Squaresoft redesigned the game to be released on the standalone SNES, after receiving a considerable graphics downgrade and removing a large amount of content. Even then it stretched the console.
Sporting colourful graphics, upto 3 simultaneous players via Multitap, an engaging storyline and one of the most critically acclaimed videogame soundtracks composed by Hiroki Kikuta, the game has made it into several Top 100 game lists, and continues to hold a replay value that has fans constantly hoping for a new title in the series to live up to the grandieur of Secret of Mana.
The main characters comprise a Boy (often referred to as Randi) who removes the Mana Sword from its resting place and upsets the seal that keeps the monsters away from his village Potos, a Girl (Purim) in search of her fiancé that her father sent to defeat the witch Elinee, and a Sprite (Popoie) who is trying to return to his village in the Upperlands after losing his memory. Under the guidance of Jema and Sages Luka and Joch, and with the help of Flammie, a young white dragon, they will set out to foil the plans of Thanatos and Emperor Vandole to revive the Mana Fortress that long ago threatened to destroy Mana.
In 2018, a full 3D remake was released for PlayStation 4, PS Vita, and PC. This version featured revamped graphics, a newly arranged musical score by several artists, voiced characters, and new interlude episodes that expanded on the story. While faithful to the original's layout, it introduced modern convenience features like an area map and improved companion AI.
The fans' prayers were further answered in 2019 with the worldwide release of the "Collection of Mana" for the Nintendo Switch. This collection included the original SNES version of Secret of Mana in its classic form, allowing players to experience the game exactly as it was in 1993 on a modern console.
Earlier re-releases included the Wii Virtual Console (2008), the FOMA mobile version (2009), and an enhanced port for the iPhone (2010), which featured a graphical makeover and virtual joypad controls for mobile play.
But time flows like a river...
...and history repeats...