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Not a sequel to Secret of Mana -- disappointing

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 6 / 10
Date: June 29, 2000
Author: Amazon User

Ever since Ultima 3, I had been a fan of RPG. Personally, I think RPG is attractive because of 2 points. Storyline and magic. I have not finished the game yet but I'm already very disappointed with this. Especially when this is suppose to be a sequel to Secret of Mana.

Secret of Mana is a different breed of RPG. Different from the traditional RPG, but very nicely done.

Legend of Mana ... I couldn't see the storyline anywhere, and the magic component is quite "boring". The menu screens are also unnecessarilly complex and confusing visually.

The battle system is a mess. They should have stick to the "Secret of Mana style". The enermies are easily defeated and moving in the battle mode makes me feel like a limp.

One of the really annoying thing is moving within a World where you have to go from point to point on a "map" of the World. Why are they doing this? Makes even the unconnected quests even more "disconnected"!

I think they try too hard to make the game non-linear. They are very successful at that. In fact, there is not really a "main plot". You feel as if you are playing a game with many mini quests.

I am really disappointed, especially after craving for a sequel for a long time. If you are a beginner to RPG, or if you want to play a game which you can stop almost any time, this one is for you. If you are expecting a sequel to Secret of Mana, or a seasoned RPG player, save your money, this is not a "RPG".

Great Game, May Diappoint Some, But Not All Fans

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: June 14, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I really loved Secret of Mana and Legend of Mana was nothing in my opinon to be ashamed of. I know some people will give negetive comments on the cute backgrounds and the easyness of the game, but hey it's mana for cying out loud and it's squaresoft! I've never been diappointed by any game made by squaresoft and this one lives up to my standards. The fact that it's the most customizable rpg is one of the highest delights of this game for the playstation. Music, love it. ALthough I wish it had battle music different from the overal scene, and I love the boss music! Learning new techniques and fighting classic enemies from the SNES classic sure brought memories to my eye. Overall, there are some bad features of this. If you don't like watercolor hand drawn backgrounds, an easy game, or just the fact that it's just too cute, then don't get it. But for the rest of us who are looking for something a little bit different from squaresoft, get this game, I wasn't diappointed and neither will you. Happy gaming!

The Best RPG game I have ever played!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: February 07, 2001
Author: Amazon User

Legend of Mana has been my favorite game since I recieved it (just before Christmas). It has two main characters that you can choose from at the beginning, over ten different weapons to choose from (and switch later on as you figure out which weapon suits you), four different magical instruments with about ten elements to use, along with pet monsters and golems. I have played this game continueosly trying to raise the best pet, make the perfect golem, and create the strongest weapon (preferably a staff or spear). Legend of Mana can't be beaten by any of my other games (Playstation or not). It has over 50 missions, and I love solving each and every one of them! Note to Parents: My mom uses this game to get me to do my chores, homework, and anything else she needs me to do (because if she took it away, I would just be devastated!

Don't expect another "Secret of Mana" in this sequel...

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: April 27, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Another one of Square's "Sequel in spirit, not in story," fans of the old classic "Secret of Mana" shouldn't expect a true repeat preformance in "Legend."

The only things this game shares with SoM is the Mana Tree, the fighting system (Sort-of) and the little elemental people looking things. Other than that, only the name remains the same. The battle system, while seems the same, is much different really. Charging up attacks is not charging a button, but charging a meter that fills when you deliver hits, and pressing a button to unleash it. The magic system, which I'm not very particularly fond of, isn't selecting magic from menus using MP, but pressing a button and attacking who's in range. So basically there's nothing stopping you from using magic spell after magic spell, which takes something away from the game. And also, battles don't occur in true real-time. You engage in battle with bad guys, and fight them in a little area like you did in SoM, only with no option of just plain running from enemies. You're fighting an enemy, you're fighting him, no questions asked. Also, the story, while unique and innovative, isn't as gripping as most other Square efforts. This is because of the system put in. Instead of one central goal you seek to obtain, you go on seperate quests, doing what you see fit to do, until you're able to go to the Mana Tree and beat the game. This makes for a unique, more free-feeling system, but can also create confusion due to you going back and forth through different storylines and you'll probably forget what you're doing in one story while you're off in the middle of another one. And once you finish that, you can go back to the other and once you finish you can jump into a completely different one. It can get as confusing as following my description of it. But, if you can somehow work out the different stories (Which I did once) many of them are very good, and if drawn out more, could make for their own seperate game. The graphics are an excellent blend of 2D computer animation, anime, and at times a bit of a clay-mation look. The character movements could be a bit more polished, though, as they often times look more like they're gliding across the ground, as opposed to walking. One gripe I have is that some of the characters are extremely shallow, bland, and at times just plain boring. But I guess it can't be avoided, what with there being so many characters, there's bound to be some stinkers.

If you play your RPG's for very tight and in depth storylines, this might not be your game of choice. If you play mainly for the gameplay and action though, or if you make sence out of the multiple stories, this is one of the better RPG you'll find.

Best Game Ever!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: September 15, 2004
Author: Amazon User

This game is VERY fun and one of my favorite games. It isn't very hard until you beat the game, then you can replay the game again, but with your character at the same level, with same weapons, ect. Also, after you beat the game you can switch to a harder mode, making the game more challenging. My favorite part of the game is the multiplayer. Your friend can control the several NPCs you get to have with you during the game, or just transfer their character to your game, allowing them to level up their guy on your game. Another good feature is the pet raising. Your pet helps you out in battle and is like a 3rd party member(along with the main character and the NPC or player 2). If you don't like the idea of raising a pet, you can always make a golem. A golem is a machine that you make, you can't raise it to be stronger but it's stronger when you first make it than pets are when you first get them. However you can't have a pet and a golem. Also in this game u can make your own weapons, armor, and magic. You can also fight in an arena agaisnt the second player. The storyline is kind of scattered, but once you get going you'll find it hard to stop. I rented this game around 20 times before I actually bought it. They should really redo this game for PS2, but keep it similar to the original. I was very dissappointed at the one for GBA. Anyway this was a very good game and I hope whoever plays it will like it as much as I did.

Beautiful, but...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: November 25, 2001
Author: Amazon User

I've been a big fan of the Seiken Densetsu Series for a very long time (Final Fantasy Adventure, Secret of Mana, Seiken Densetsu 3 (which never made it to America, sadly...)), so when I heard that Seiken Densetsu 4 - Legend of Mana was actually being released in the US, I rushed out to buy it. I must admit, it was a lot of fun to play, and, even though the translation was terrible and the storylines confusing to follow, the game was fun. The Instrument, Golem, and Weapon/Armor creation systems were innovative, but EXTREMELY confusing--the weapon system is so extensive that there was no rhyme or reason, or explanation to the "powers" certain tempering items gave to weapons. Not that I wanted a system that was laid out nicely for me--that would have been boring--rather, I would have preferred to be able to figure it out at least. As for the Magic System, using different Instruments was innovative; however, being able to fire off a spell as often as you'd like kind of made the game super-easy.
As for the storylines, the three major plotlines can be followed in any order--so bosses and enemies were not as hard as they should have been (I think I actually died once through the whole game, and I was brought immediately back to the same battle upon continuing). NPC's were never with you long enough to build up sufficiently, and monsters or golems were all but useless--I found it was my hero who did all of the work. Despite the ease of the battles, the stories were very involved and intricate--full of twists and turns that you wish could have been better explored (or better explained, sometimes).
Despite the aforementioned problems, the game was fun and absolutely breathtaking visually--watercolor backgrounds, intricate sprites, beautiful spell effects--who needs 3D when 2D can be so visually pleasing?
So, if you're looking for a graphically intense but challenge-lacking game, go for this one. Just don't go for New Game+, because it goes from all too easy to entirely too difficult...

Surprising!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: July 24, 2000
Author: Amazon User

When I first bought this game, I knew that It could not live up to the new Final Fantasy in graphics or animation. I was right, but then I discovered that that wasn't the reason you bought this game. Oh, sure, it had its share of eye candy, but they were beautiful instead of impressive. And besides, you wouldn't get this game just for the graphics-you'd get it for the storyline. It was beautifully thought out and, often times, FUNNY(A rare thing in an RPG). The characters are wonderfully deformed, and the quests are sometimes serious, sometimes humorous (like a penguin soap opera) and the way you get to decide where towns and dungeons go is really cool. All in all, the storyline, among other things, will get you involved in this game faster than you thought POSSIBLE!

A legend to own

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: August 22, 2000
Author: Amazon User

I gotta say that I'm irritated with most people on this game. The only reason they don't see the main story is because they're probably just too shallow. If you liked Final Fantasy 7, which also had an extremely confusing story, then you'd love this.

I know that Secret of Mana must have been great. But I never played it, so I can't compare them. Most people think it was better, but that would have to be a pretty hard decision for me If I had.

To the point, what I'm trying to say is that everything in this game is uplifting for me. The fighting is like a game of it's own. You can play around with combos and such. Not to mention the magic and the monster raising. This game is open to the mind of the player.

"THE" best PSX Role Playing Game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: April 28, 2001
Author: Amazon User

If you're a Seiken Densetsu fan like me (I'm the biggest on this planet!) then you'll love this game!!!!!! (though most people are disapointed with it and don't appreciate it) It may seem a bit more childish than the other Seiken Densetsu's at first, but its a great game that has a "pretty" good non-linear storyline. This is the first Seiken Densetsu to have a world map, it features a new system where you place the lands in the world as you get them, you can place them wherever you want but its more than what looks pretty, it takes strategy and planning (ex. you want to keep water based lands close to each other so they can share their water essence and make the water in eachother stronger). Also depending on when you place a land in the monsters will be stronger or drop better items. The characters are all so lovable (most of them... besides Escad, Daena, and Lark!) each with their own storylines to follow, there are three main storylines. Legend of Mana also introduces a really cool and advanced blacksmithing system that almost literally gives you no limits to what you can create! The magic system is a different from the other games, but it gives you a bunch of different styles. You make instruments to have magic. You can also Raise Pets or Make Golems for a 3rd NPC! Square even added in a feature so that you can paint your golem... this requires produce which you grow with a scary treeman in your backyard. Legend of Mana has the old weapon style again so that you can use more than one different kind of weapon, only they went over board and made over 20 different Special Techniques for each type of weapon! There are normal skills too like jump, roll ect. When you beat the game you can do something similar to Chrono Trigger's New Game+ feature, when you do this you have to option to go into a harder mode of the game. The graphics are very well done watercolor style, which is a really cool looking graphic style. The music is great too!

Connectix VGS and Bleem! both support this game too, so if you don't have a PSX but you have an emulator you can still play it.

Overall I'd definetly give this game 5 stars! Its not the best in the series, but it definetly one of them and it deserves a spot in every Console Role Player's shelf.

Well that pretty much covers it!

My Favorite Game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: August 23, 2003
Author: Amazon User

This game is absolutely amazing! The music is beautiful, the graphics are nice, and best of all, the plots are good. In this game, rather than one long plot, there are three arcs, along with many smaller ones.

This game packs awesome replay value, I myself have played over 200 hours of it. If you think the plot is 'dumb', that is obviously because you did not look hard enough. This game shoots pass other games with flying colors - the stories behind it are simply superior. This is _NOT_ a game where everything is laid out for you to see, so you can just say, 'Oh, I understand.'

Do not mistaken my frustration for anger or spite. Sometimes it's fun to just watch the plot unravel, instead of actually using your mind to follow it. I just cannot stand people criticizing this game because there is 'no plot', or 'it's too boring'. No.

This game is excellent. =]

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