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Second best RPG ever made.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: July 04, 2001
Author: Amazon User

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.

The Golden Age of Video Gaming

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: October 31, 2005
Author: Amazon User

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.

A Great Time-filler but Lacks Depth!

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 5 / 6
Date: June 15, 2005
Author: Amazon User

Anyone who has ever played "Zelda III: A Link to the Past" on the SNES knows what an excellent action/RPG game is supposed be. Secret of Mana is not quite as good as Zelda III, but it is a lot of fun to play. Personally, I enjoy this game! But I will say right not that this is not a particularly hard game to play, but it is interesting and will keep you entertained.

I do not want to go into much detail about the story, but I will say this much. It is an action/RPG about a teenage boy who accidentally finds a magical, powerful sword embedded in a rock outside of his village. Suprisingly, the sword calls out to him and he ends up removing the sword. Little does he know that by doing that, he destroyed the protective seal around his village and monsters and other baddies move in and cause fear and chaos. When the villagers discover that he is responsible for the attack on their village, they banish the boy from his home, and he is forced to set out into the world to restore the peace and order.

Anyone who has ever played SoM can tell you that its best and most memorable quality by far is its music. SoM's music composer Hiroki Kikuta displays his extraordinary talent in this game. Almost every song is beautifully arranged and has an original and interesting composition. Most people who play SoM has his or her own special favourites, and they are so good that you may even find yourself humming them without even realizing it. Secret of Mana has one of the best sountracks of any RPG game (or any game for that matter). Even if the game itself does not satisfy your hunger just listening to its amazing songs will make the playing experience worth while.

Despite the fact that Secret of Mana is over 10 years old, and the graphics are outdated compared to today's polished, beautiful computer generated graphics, it can still hold its own compared to other games made back then. Everything is bright, colourful and detailed (except for the characters who are not as detailed). The most impressive designs are those of the palaces. Each palace is created with such beautiful and intricate detail, that you will forget that the game was made over 10 years ago.

The magic system is pretty simple. You have two magic users in the game, the girl and the sprite. The girl uses magic that has healing or enhancement properties, and the sprite uses destructive/attack magic. Each spell comes from a different elemental creature, and there are 8 elements altogether: Fire, water, earth, air, moon, shade, light and mana. Throughout the game you will meet each elemental creature and he or she will bestow their powers upon you, giving you the ability to use their spells in battle. The more you use a spell the more powerful it becomes. You can track a spell's progress on the Weapon/Magic Level screen in the menu. It will gain levels by decreasing increments (eg. To Level 1 - Increases by 0.1 each use, To Level 2 - Increases by 0.09 each use, to Level 3 - Increases 0.08 each use, etc.) This makes it more difficult to achieve more powerful spells causing you to use spells even when you don't need to in order to reach a higher level. In the end, all the trouble is well worth it when you acheive more powerful spells.

There is not much to the storyline of this game. And it is certainly not as deep and exciting as Zelda III or other RPG's for that matter. There is almost no character development here so if you prefer action over story, then this is the game for you. It is basically a "go-out-and-save-the-world-and-kill-as-many-monsters-as-you-can" type of game so there will be a lack of challenge for seasoned pros. And unfortunately, the dialouge is not too good either. The three heroes hardly say anything at all, except maybe for the boy who does a bit of talking. And what they do say is more at a child's level of understanding and entertainment. Chrono Trigger was made for people of all ages too, but even its dialouge and story were far above that of Secret of Mana in terms of quality, interest and challenge.

A feauture of this game that is unique is that you can play with up to two other people if you have the adapter. That feature alone makes the game a lot more enjoyable. There is a glitch in the game however. If any of the characters are controlled by the computer they will sometimes become stuck behind objects and you may have to restart the game.

Secret of Mana may not be the most difficult RPG to play, especially for seasoned RPGamers, but for anyone who owns it my advice is to hang on to it and treasure it. Don't do what I did and sell it for some money. It may not have much in terms of character-driven stories, or an intricate, sophisticated plot, but it is a great game to play when you get the urge to kick some butt without losing the RPG theme.

An RPG like none other

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 5
Date: November 06, 2002
Author: Amazon User

When originally released for the SNES many years ago, Secret of Mana broke away from the traditional RPG style. Instead of being turn based, all the battles were live action. Utilizing this system, a game like none other was born. Secret of Mana itself is a beautiful game. The graphics, play control, music, design, all of them are perfect. An intricate story coarses through this game, involving the player into a realm of emotions. Square did an excellent job with this game and it deserves to be purchased. It's also a very immersive game, with lots of weaponry, magic, and characters both good and evil. Overall it is very immersive and takes a while to beat. You'll be playing this game for a long time, and replaying it after you beat it.

One of the best RPGs out there

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: July 19, 2005
Author: Amazon User

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!

Secret of Mana Casts a Spell...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 3
Date: July 21, 2006
Author: Amazon User

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.

One of the 3 best SNES SquareSoft games.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 3 / 4
Date: October 09, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This, Crono Trigger, and Final Fantasy III are the three essential SNES RPGs. Although this follows a live action combat system, the gameplay is very well programed. The story is very good, and the game system (magic, fighting, etc.) is well done. This is absolutely a must, I for one hope it gets re-released as so many other games have been lately.

Too good for words to describe!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: January 03, 2002
Author: Amazon User

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!

alot of fun!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: January 14, 2002
Author: Amazon User

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.

Secret Of Mana

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: July 01, 2003
Author: Amazon User

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.

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