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Very charming, very cool and very great game!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: July 10, 2008
Author: Amazon User

One of the few games that manages to be charming and cute while still retaining an undeniable coolness! its a game that feels like reading a great fairy tale, and the best thing is that the plot is non linear so you are actually taking part in the evolving fairy tales around you. The game play is pretty interesting real time 2d side scroll battling. With monster raising, item creation and world placement features. ALSO the Soundtrack is one of the best game related OSTs ever!

addicting

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 0 / 1
Date: January 29, 2007
Author: Amazon User

this game is addicting and fun, but i gave it 4 overall stars because it gets boring quick. especially the first missions. but it passes the time and it really is a fun game to play anytime.
...
the musics really pretty and cool too...

An embarassment compared to Secret of Mana...

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 1 / 11
Date: January 11, 2006
Author: Amazon User

The first Mana game, Final Fantasy Adventure, was awesome. So was its remake called Sword of Mana. And Secret of Mana, for the SNES, was an amazing classic beloved by many after all these years. So what happened with Legend of Mana?

First off, this game doesnt have the free flowing world and fighting of the previous games. There is no linking areas to travel between. Each area/dungeon has its own little space and must be found by doing quests. After you have obtained the new area you can place it anywhere on the world map, for reasons not wholly known or cared for. Its a very strange concept at best.

And the battles. Oh, what a terrible system!
When you enter a battle, all of which are preset and cannot be avoided, your character moves in stutter steps. He/she moves somewhat like a fencer, a pace at a time. This makes for awkward movement. And if you want to dodge enemies you have to move up and down. Want to attack? You can only attack the left and right. This two-way dodge/attack system was totally uneccessary compared to Sword and Secret of Manas free moving combat.

And the difficulty of the game... or lack there of.
In battle you can hide in a corner and slowly replenish life. Have a teamate? Stand close to them and you will regain life about 3x faster then normal. And sometimes defeated enemies drop candy which replenish all or most of your life. Oh, and after every battle you regain ALL of your life.
There are more ways to heal your character in battle than to attack!

All in all this game is a garbled mess. Its a failed attempt of Square to make a 'unique' Mana game which strays from the original formula. I cannot believe this game came from the same company as Secret of Mana, the Chrono games, and the Final Fantasy games. Avoid at all costs.

Legend of Mana (ps 1)

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 4 / 4
Date: September 08, 2005
Author: Amazon User

If any of you guys out there like games that let you become super-involved, this is the game to get. I'm a huge fan of Secret of Mana and I expected this game to be very similar, and in a way it is, but in a lot of ways it's not. I'm gonna try to break it down for you in as many categories as I can.
Graphics. The graphics are very creative, bold, colorful, and pleasing to the eyes. They have that "hand-drawn" effect, which makes you feel like you're in a fantasy world. Being a student of the arts, I really love how the maps, backgrounds, and foregrounds just make this a piece of work that's worth checking out.
Gameplay. At first, it was hard to understand the controls and how to control your character during a fight sequence. However, once you get the hang of using you're magic powers, creating combos (that don't give you that huge recovery time) and maneuvering around the map, the game starts to open up a ton. You can almost feel a difference in the weapons you use, pending their strength, range, speed, and overall effectiveness they have on a particular enemy. Overall takes some getting used to.
Concept. If any of you are fans of the Final Fantasy games, this game is for you. Even though it doesn't really have ONE HUGE plot, there are lots of little side quests that ultimately lead you to what you have to do. There lots of ingenious features to the game that are advanced for it's time, which makes it a good buy.
Overall Fun. Dude...this game kicks. Once you get the hang of it, you can't stop. I've seriously logged, like, 40 hours on this game already and I know I'm not even halfway done with it yet. There's SO MUCH stuff you can do and get. The weapons, armor, monster raising, golem building, allies, 2 player features, event-sensitive environments, amazing music and even more stunning graphics make this game a TOTAL MUST HAVE in the moderate-to-serious gamers collection. Like I said, if you like Final Fantasy, you'll love this game. It's like...fighting sequences of Secret of Mana and the gameplay of FF. I didn't know this game from Adam...I bought it on a whim (which i'm sure you're doing too) and i LOVE it. so BUY IT NOW because it'll be gone before you know it.

Hate nonlinear plots... hate em hate em hate em (unless they're done right)

1 Rating: 1, Useful: 0 / 20
Date: September 02, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Despite all that, there is a right way to do them, as well as the wrong way, which they just did. If you want a plot that works, make every action depending upon your specific reaction have roughly ten possible outcomes, but then merge them later weave 20 or 30 separate plots depending on what you have done, and that can suddenly shift if you do something really odd, and make the story alter entirely. Instead Legend of Mana appeared from when I played it to be nothing more than a bunch of loosely strung together garbage- go to a town, solve the puzzle, hear a bunch of drivel that doesn't add up to anything else in your head, get the item and build a new town. The only thing that was recurring was that the faerie princess kept losing her way from what I played, but what did that have to do with anything.

This is an example of a good nonlinear plot:

You are a child in a town that gets destroyed by an evil overlord. The survivors worship you as the hero and fully expect you to right wrongs and destroy the overlord (base plot). Now as you set out, you're swinging your sword about like a fool and you kill a cat by accident. You get arrested for animal cruelty, and put in prison. So then in prison you meet a rogue girl who sets you free, and she tell you that the overlord is small potatoes, that the real problem is this organization that is supposed to be the law but is imposing too harse penalties on minor offenses, so under her tutelage, you become a career criminal. OR you continue on your way and the overlord send an assassin to poison your drink, but she has a change of heart and drug it instead. You get sent as a slave to be a gladiator, but you fight well and impress the army and instead fight in a war. OR you continue unswayed and finally reach the overlord's castle only it seems the townspeople were lying, the guy is really a paladin who saw extreme corruption in the town, and put an end to it, and he has proof. So you march right back tothe town and see that he was right.

This is nonlinear plotline, the plot can make any twist imaginable throughout the game, even sacricing the original antagonize or even the hero. Assume the hero died in the thief story, the plot might now revolve around the rogue girl, and her adventures.

Simply amazing.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: February 14, 2005
Author: Amazon User

As a longtime fan of Squaresoft's work through the Final Fantasy series and branching out into Chrono Trigger, Chrono Cross, etc., I've come to have a general idea of what to expect: great games, plain and simple.

This one really took me by surprise, though.

I was really captivated at first by the composer Yoko Shimomura's choice to make the opening and ending themes in Swedish. These songs have a wonderful feel to them and definitely highlight the pastoral, almost mythological "aura" to the game.

The locations have a very hand-drawn look to them; this only enhances it, and it personally gives me a "storybook" type of feeling.

The next thing I noticed was that this game gives subtle influences to later RPGs, which had me completely delighted. The overlapping, multicolored boss HP bars were something I had not expected to see in a game this early; I had only witnessed this really good idea in Kingdom Hearts, a much more recent title. The placement and arrangement of locations on the main map smacks of conceptual Dark Cloud, and for what it's worth I like this idea much better.

The monster encounter engine is the same as seen in Chrono Trigger -- at fixed locations on the map, and the monsters only appear once you reach that point. However, the battle engine itself is fantastic, allowing you free range to jump, guard, dodge, and move around the map at will. This departure from turn-based battle again does wonders for Legend of Mana's originality; it also makes the player think about tactics, which are definitely useful in the boss battles.

The depth in this game is incredible. Golem creating, weapon forging, and crop growing are all dependent not only on the items used to manufacture/grow the product, but on the combinations of items thereof and down to the very day of the week. Monster raising is featured as well, and you can take your pets on adventures with you -- a great help if they are properly levelled, as they can help you in tough spots.

Consider that to unlock all possible sidequests, all the locations must be placed in a very certain order on the world map; after you realize that, you get a grasp on exactly how huge this game is. You could be at risk of losing access to sunlight for months! (Which is exactly what I was guilty of doing...)

A warning, though: this game will take thought and this game may be a little difficult even to moderately experienced gamers. However, if you're up to the challenge and you have a good amount of time on your hands...I recommend it as a 'must'!

A game with NO limits.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 7
Date: February 03, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Being from the era with final fantasy legends 1 & 2 for gameboy; Let's just say I've a seen, played, and beaten a slew of games. Those who know about the games previously stated, you'll most likely recall FFA. (Final Fantasy Adventure). Back in the day, that was a great game. Then a few years later, as well as many RPGs, On the fabled SNES was released "Secret of Mana". I'm certain that this was loved as much by others as it was by myself. I've stated these 2 games specifically, due to their being the predecessors to the game at hand....

"Legend of Mana"; is a legend in it's own. A guarenteed 160 hrs of gameplay and still counting... An innovative, colorful, well balanced, enjoyable, challenging, imaginative, inticing, and to say the least an excellent action/adventure/rpg.

That being said, this game is inordinatly impossible to truly gain full achievement without it's strategy guide. I've also found many good web sites that have even more info than the book does on this game. By that I mean that the game can be beaten without help, but you can do a lot more with guidance.

You are able to catch & raise pets. After caught, you can raise whatever stats of the animal you desire when they gain levels, as long as you remain dedicated to them. I've got a lvl 99 rabite... (Imagine that) If you don't want to bring a monster with you, you can create a robotic golem to fend of the baddies. They can be a lot of fun to make, but they get expensive after a while. You can also decide what attacks they have, and map out their entire attack plan.

About leveling up: very easy to do, and fun as well. You'll be lvl 99 in 2-3 weeks and not even realize you've played that long already. There are few monsters that will serve your head to you on a platter, but there are some. The game can only get as difficult as you want.

With difficulty, comes power. And being powerful, implies wielding powerful weapons, casting powerful spells, and defending with powerful armor. To get the best of the best, the creators of this oddysey have given the player the ability to create their own. (There are web sites that tell you exactly how to obtain weapons and armors of a 999 stat. Very monotinous, yet highly affective). As for the spells, you can create quite a bit of spells based on the 8 different elements that parts of the game are based on.

The gameplay is inside of 2d/3d environments. Ranging from forests, lakes, cities, caves, fortresses, towers, & bizzare plains that will further expand on and beyond that in what you've come to know in an RPG. When fighting monsters, you're able to move up and down, left and right as well as the diagonals. You physical attacks are centered on a left and right basis, but you can hit monsters above or below your position if you're standing near them. Some of the spells can be cast anywhere on the board at the players discression. Some will be positioned randomly, while other extend sideways. There are also ones that fan outward in front of you. There are also many different techniques that you can use with whatever weapon you've learned them with. Along with these, you'll gain abilities to even further allow you to dominate boss, after boss, after boss.

The end of the game is nice, especially when you go into your library afterwards. You find a text entitled "The forbidden tome", which allows you to let the monsters go up in level by a little, or by an extreme. The changes ARE reversible as well. Look into it...

The world map is designed the way the player wishes it to be. The concept of this is; the further an area is from your home, the more challenging the opponents become.

You can choose from a male or a female in the beginning. If you can't figure out a name for them, the game is programmed to offer you choices fom MANY different names at random. When the characters are chosen, you may chose the weapon you start with. From there you can chose where in the world you wish to begin you beloved quests. (78 in all).

The game is 1 - 2 player simultaneous, just like it's prequel "Secret of Mana". You can load up a friend's character from their memory card save, or you can choose from many different characters that the game offers throughout it's course.

The game requires 2 blocks of memory. It has mini-games to uncover, and it's stories are very indepth and will draw you in after the first 3 or so missions. Oh... and you can also have a garden... Growing and selling your own foods, adds a "Harvest Moon" aspect to the game. You can also fight your friends in an arena.

That being said and all; it's a great game for anyone with dedication, motivation, and a little time. Come; enter the world of Fa'diel to experience that in which can only be dreamed of in most games. The legend within itself, "Legend of Mana".

Enjoy!

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.

Legend of Mana? Legend of the Bore

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 2 / 12
Date: August 23, 2004
Author: Amazon User

I love RPGs they're very constructive and many of them have a good plot. I play all kinds of rpgs and i don't discriminate them if they're graphics are lousey or their music stinks as long as their story is off the wall. Being a mana fan that was what i expected legend of mana to be. Of course my expectations were shot when i played it, it is the most depressing game out there, you a play a soulless protagonist who goes on depressing adventures, which for the most part end up in a sad ending. The worst is when you have to face the last boss man why they make us fight that person i don't know. It truly destroys the beauty of the mana series.

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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