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The 2nd Best Looking game on the SNES

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 2
Date: March 15, 2004
Author: Amazon User

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.

you clumsy person! you've stumbled to my review! XD`

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 4 / 9
Date: September 08, 2001
Author: Amazon User

...

Anyway, on to the greatest game of all time ... The Secret of Mana. ^^

SoM has a great plotline and fantastic, intriguing characters. The story advances through a young boy of about sixteen, who pulls out the Mana sword, which protects all life. I won't go into the storyline, cuz' then you won't play the game. ^_^ Hehehe. Anyway, great things in this game that earn brownie points are magic users, sprites and other beings, distant, interesting lands, and hard-to-kick-butt bosses. Did I mention how great and wonderful the story line is? ^^ Seriously. The characters in this game are wonderful. This is definitely one of Square's GREATEST games.

Now is my least favorite thing to say ... negative stuff. Eeww. >< Ok. The least appealing thing I found about this game was the graphics ... I know, I know. I'm terribly cruel. The NES was not your greatest system ever, but hey, it had the best games. The graphics were far behind, as they were based on miniature people with backdrops and little tiny eyes. Still cute though. ^^ The other thing was that ... IT DIDN'T END HAPPY. Poor Dyluck. :( Oh well. Evil Sorcerer Thanatos ... heh.

That about ends my ranting and raving for now. Hope you enjoyed. ^^ Below I've included some information I found in a mythology book from Latin. Also, there maybe a lil tidbit here an' there or something. Whatever. ^^

Thanatos: In Greek mythology, death personified. He was the son of Night and the brother of Sleep and even the gods hated him. He often came after the dead and it was from him that Hercules wrestled Alcestis. Ironic, huh? ^^

Luna: The Roman goddess of the moon, analogue of the Greek Selene.

Jinn or Djinn(SD3): Spirits in Mohammedan mythology, lower than the angels and influencing men for good or evil. They are capable of appearing in human or animal form. Djinn (or Jinn) is the singular form of Djinni or Jinni.

Influenced by the old English meaning of genius as a spirit, ("Henceforth thou art the genius of the shore") the word is often spelled genie, though this is usually treated as a singular.

*looks over reviews* Are these for real?

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 12 / 45
Date: May 04, 2004
Author: Amazon User

Let's get something out of the way first: I thought this was the best game when I first played it back in 1994. But in that same year, I was also in fourth grade, so I didn't really know any better. I thought it had the best storyline and combat system. What a shame. It's only now that I realize how average this thing really is. And after looking over the reviews, claiming how this is the "single best game ever made", it makes me laugh. But then there are the people claiming this is the best SNES game out there. No. How dare you people place this above Super Mario World, Super Metroid, Donkey Kong Country, or even Street Fighter 2 Turbo? Secret of Mana is just as overrated as that other horrid game, Final Fantasy 7.

The story of SoM is nothing special at all. You play a very stupid boy who falls from a log seemingly 500 feet above ground level. Somehow, he gets back on his feet, and decides that he needs to get back up there, probably so he can do it again. On his way back, he finds a sword...calling his name. He gets the sword (because there are bushes in his way. What a sissy), and all hell breaks loose...or so they try to make it seem. He cuts down the bushes, and encounters a rabbit. Only this rabbit spins right at him, and causes danger. So eventually, the boy makes it to his village and...oh hell, I'm already sick of writing this. But after the first 40 minute, the plot becomes non-existant. I tried replaying the game again just last week, to see if there was anything I might have missed, but there isn't. I really hope all the five star reviews here are from people who haven't completed the game. If they are, there's a problem with this country's people.

The characters are horrible. The boy says a few lines in the beginning, and near the end. That's about it. When you go to the status screen, you'll see that he has the lowest intelligence. Big surprise. The girl (these characters don't have a deafult name, so I'm just calling them what they're refered to in the instruction book) is the clich? daughter of a king who "doesn't understand her". To make matters worse, she's in love with a soldier who pretty much could care less if she died. Later on when he disappears, she says "I have to find him!" and that's about it. Some touching moment that was. Then there's The Sprite. This thing comes along with you for no reason at all. This is how it goes right before you get him in the party "hey, you should take the Sprite along! Here's his boomerang and bow!". There, that's the whole reason of him being in the party.

Combat wasn't that bad, but the AI is. If you don't have 2 other people to play this with, the AI is going to get itself killed more times than should be possible. What's funny is that sometimes the characters will get stuck behind a rock or something, and not even try to go around it. Also, you can charge your weapon's attack. For what reason, I have no idea. By the time they're done charging, the enemy is accross the screen on the other side, and you'll miss. Magic's the only decent thing here, as you're invincible when casting spells. Oh, you can only carry 4 of each item for some reason.

The music *shakes head*. There are MAYBE 4 good tracks here, but they're heard once or twice. I'm curious about the number of total tracks, as the same one is repeated for at least 6 different areas. Very lazy of you Square. You're better off just muting the tv and playing a CD. And the sound effects are just downright silly. When you deliver a fatal blow to an enemy, they make a squishy sound, and burst into a rain of what appears to be yogurt. I can't believe I thought this was cool back in the day...

If I could go back in time, I'd slap myself for thinking this was a good game. What was I thinking? The only people that can give this thing 5 stars are those that've never played an RPG before in their life, or Square fanboys who think everything they put out is great. There is one pro about owning this game: I can sell it for at least $40, which is going to end up happening. Go get Chrono Trigger, FFVI, EarthBound or Mario RPG instead.

The best RPG ever made; a truly magical and timeless game...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 2 / 3
Date: October 18, 2006
Author: Amazon User

"Secret of Mana" is not only the best RPG ever made, in my opinion, but one of top ten video games of all time, period. Playing this game is simply a magical experience; it combines incredible gameplay with exceptional level design, strikingly beautiful music, and long length (70+ hrs). SNES was the greatest system ever made, and "Secret of Mana" is a must-have for any SNES owner. With any luck, it will be available via download on Wii in the near future...

THE BEST GAME FOR SNES!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: June 03, 2001
Author: Amazon User

This game is great! 3 people playing at the same time.. in a RPG format, it's awesome! defanetally get this if you are going to hang on to your Super.

Very simply, liberating...

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: February 27, 2002
Author: Amazon User

That is how I regard this game. It is one of the flagship titles of Squaresoft. When paired with "Chrono Trigger" and "FF3", this shows a company at the height of its powers by balancing art with business. Everything about it was refreshing. The music was intimate and passionate, graphics were engaging to the point of hypnosis, characters were concrete and not so cynical. However, I remember it for the fact that it blended fighting, action, adventure, and RPG's together so seemlessly. Multi-player options layered with customization. Battles that were quick but required strategy. Ultimately the game was over in 25 hours. And not a happy ending in sight! Just compare this to FF7 where it's 50 hours, three discs, a girlfriend who is needlessly killed to advance the story, and a storyline that is a patchwork quilt of old ideas.
(Coincidentally, the graphics are so good because this was supposed to be the first game for the Nintendo/Sony side project, the Playstation. But Nintendo, with usual buisness savvy, backed out of the deal and took this game with it. So scenes had to be reconfigured and the game was shortened slightly to make it fit onto an SNES format. Either way the modifications didn't touch the sanctity of this game.)

You can't go wrong

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: July 02, 2002
Author: Amazon User

Secret of Mana didn't appeal to me at first. I hadn't even heard of it for awhile until I rented it. I was surprised by the gameplay, music, story, everything! The gameplay for one is just great. The gamer has so much freedom to do what they want. They can fight or run, choose the tactics they want in battles. They can even set their companions to attack enemies aggresively or to be in a more defensive position. The music, while being a little kiddish, is still fun and amusing. The story is also something that surprised me. I love Chrono Trigger and if you're looking for a story that will match or beat it, this is not that game. But if you're looking for a game that comes pretty darn close, this is it. A mysterious sword, a strange power, a kingdom in ruins, a shady sorcerer, and fortress that serves as a weapon of epidemic porportions. But all that is just the beginning. The story is in-depth, compelling, and a pleasure to follow. It's a great game, good luck finding it on origional cartridge, although I myself have it on cartridge. It doesn't compare to Crono Trigger, but it's a great alternative.

DUST OFF YOUR SNES

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: November 06, 2002
Author: Amazon User

OF COURSE I DUST MINE WEEKLY, BECAUSE I'M A VIDEO GAME ENTHUSIAST WITH SEVERAL UP AND RUNNING GAME CONSOLES. "SECRET OF MANA" IS WITHOUT A DOUBT ONE OF THE GREATEST GAMES IN HISTORY! ANYONE THAT GIVES THIS GAME ANYTHING LESS THAN THEIR HIGHEST RATING HAS NO BUSINESS RATING GAMES TO BEGIN WITH. THERE MAY BE GAMES OUT THERE THAT ARE EQUAL, BUT NONE SURPASS IT. I'VE BEEN PLAYING IT FOR A SOLID WEEK NOW. NOW YOU KNOW A GAME IS EXCELLENT WHEN IT'S 16-BIT AND YOUR IGNORING 128-BIT GAMES TO PLAY IT. HOWEVER LIKE MOVIES, THE CLASSICS ARE ALWAYS THE BEST. IN ADDITION TO THIS GAME I HIGHLY RECOMMEND.. LEGEND OF ZELDA: A LINK TO THE PAST, ILLUSION OF GAIA, AND YOSHI'S ISLAND. ALL FOR YOUR SUPER NES.

Best SNES title by far

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: December 16, 2002
Author: Amazon User

This is the game that put Square in such high esteem, in my books at least. Sure, I am indeed a Final Fantasy fan, but Secret of Mana is at the top of my list. I first rented this game back when I was in high school and when I played it with my two friends we did not put it down until we beat it. I can't say I've ever done that with any other game.
The plot is nothing new: ordinary kid discovers an ancient sword that calls out his name, but when he pulls it from the ground, monsters are awakened and attack his village. Naturally, the boy is shunned by the villagers, but eventually meets two friends who help him in a globe-spanning adventure to defeat the source of evil and discover his connection with the life-giving Mana Tree.
The graphics were standard for the SNES; nothing outstanding but enough to keep you interested. That was probably the worst thing about this game, but you can't help but love the reference to the dragon from "The Neverending Story" when you obtain Flammie.
The music was astounding; each song really set the theme for the area, really getting the player involved. Epic songs such as that which is playing during the rise of the Lost Continent (I think that's what it's called) are memorable even to this day.
Now to the best part: the gameplay. This is the first action/RPG I played with three characters playable at once; that alone made the game shine above all others. Even two players switching off control with the third character added some new and interesting strategy to the game. The weapon upgrade and charge system was also a welcome feature in the game, and made players want to take the extra time to find the upgrades for all weapons. Some weapons, like the javelin, weren't really helpful or useful, but fun to have nonetheless.
Finally, although the plot origins aren't anything new, there are enough twists and turns to keep players involved for long hours. I almost had a hard time keeping track of all the villains I was going after.
I was disappointed that Chrono Trigger was released with the other FF games for the Playstation before this title was (or hopefully will be); perhaps they could release this with new cinemas along with FF 1, 2, and/or 3. This still stands as the best gane Squaresoft ever created, let's hope that a sequel for the PS2 may be released (closer to Kingdom Hearts but with three players at once) since SOM2 was never released here in the States...

One of the best Adventure/RPG's ever made....

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 1 / 1
Date: June 12, 2003
Author: Amazon User

Secret of Mana, is in my opinion, one of the best games of all-time. Squaresoft really set it off with this game. I first got a chance to play SOM about 4 years ago, so I really missed out on it all that time.

The story follows a boy, a girl, and a sprite on a big adventure across fields, deserts, snowlands, and much more. After the boy pulls out the Mana Sword, he gets banned from his hometown by the Elder. The story really takes off from there, and it will keep you entertained throughout the whole game.

The music in SOM is my favorite of any SNES game. Each area has music that is amazing and will really take you into the game. I have the soundtrack and every song is great.

Graphics were really good for the time (1993). The animations and artwork used in SOM were very colorful and easy to look at, so it doesn't hurt your eyes.

Last but certainly not least, while the game is a lot of fun while playing it alone, it's even better when you have a few friends around. Being that this game is 3-players, you can go through it with 2 friends. It's like a multiplayer Zelda. SOM is also pretty challenging and has excellent replay value. I recommend it to anyone who likes the Zelda series or the FF series.

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