I was hunting around for an action RPG to sate my appetite until Diablo 3 hits, and I finally remembered Secret of Mana. I popped it in a couple of nights ago, and I'm already near the end. I really love this game, it's just such a timeless classic. This will probably be the 4th time I've beaten it.
Part of it is the spritework, which is just some of the best ever. The look and feel of this game is ageless. Some of my favorite 16-bit graphics, alongside Chrono Trigger. And it's a great game to just pick up and play. No complicated character planning, no hidden treasures to miss, just enemies to whack, and elementals to collect. This time I put in a code to level weapons and magic faster, and I'm glad I did. Removes one of the main sources of tedium, so I get to the cool flashy spells that are worthwhile faster.
I just picked up Luna, and I'm headed for Dryad, after that is the endgame, pretty much. A boss rush, more or less. Hopefully Girl will have enough MP to heal through it all. Sprite just learned MP absorb so now she is an absurd machine gun of magic spells that never runs dry.
I also really like Seiken Densetsu 3, which has a little more replayability. But I spend way too much time before a game agonizing over who to pick. I was actually going to play SD3, but I couldn't decide on a 3rd character to take with Duran/Angela, or what classes to take Duran based on who else I brought. Eventually I just said "fuck it" and booted up Secret of Mana.
I also played Secret of Evermore a loooong time ago. I liked some of the different stuff it did, but I ended up stuck near the end somehow. I think I was just scared to pull the trigger and actually fight the end boss though. I was pretty young. Some day I should go back and actually beat it.
I played the GBA Mana game. Sword of Mana? I was pretty unimpressed. Didn't like being a solo character. Didn't like how the magic worked based on your equipped weapon. It messed up a lot of the good parts about the Mana series, I thought. Were there any other Mana games that turned out to be good? I never played the ones on Playstation.
Posts
I have yet to beat Secret of Mana though, the enemies get super tough super fast towards the end and I always hated grinding.
Also, it has a stellar soundtrack. Ceremony remains one of the creepiest songs.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=687sEfSkx9Y
I loved that anyone could just pick up a controller at any point and just take over once of the other 2 characters, then when they left the game just carried on without them. No mucking around, it just worked.
Bravely Default / 3DS Friend Code = 3394-3571-1609
I freaking love SNES rpgs. I've got Secret of Evermore in my SNES right now in front of me. I need to find a copy of Secret of Mana though. I just have it on my Wii VC and that doesn't cut it.
Shitty Tumblr:lighthouse1138.tumblr.com
I need to actually play it again.
Nintendo Network ID - Brainiac_8
PSN - Brainiac_8
Steam - http://steamcommunity.com/id/BRAINIAC8/
Add me!
Sadly, the copy of Secret of Mana I thought was mine turned out to be my brother's, and he took it with him when he moved out :P I shall have to procure another. I really like the boss music when you're fighting Lich, but I have no idea what the track is called. That's the fight where he's the ghostly skeleton doing shadow magic on you and pretty much the only way to win is by spamming the light beam spell.
I remember thinking it was really hard, but it probably wasn't actually hard I was just young and bad at understanding things
I also recall this is a pretty hard cart to find anymore, which is too bad because if I still had mine I might be motivated to bust out a snes and play it
ed: secret of evermore I was disappointed by. That might just be because I was expecting another Mana and it was too different, though
Pluto was a planet and I'll never forget
SOM2/SD3 beeing my favourite
Edit: Also Evermore. Insane, real funny story mixed with interesting gameplay systems and Jeremy Soule Music
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfy3Z3VOdBQ
3DSFF: 5026-4429-6577
SNES music is still the best video game music ever created in my opinion. And Square knew what they were doing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMzkUriqXvs
Probably my favorite video game song ever.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-T-c99mx4U
Yeah, isn't it just Boy and Girl? Or am I thinking of another game?
Yeah, I don't think that's a capture from an SNES. :P
SoM was a fun game though.
As far as the PS2 game goes, DoM was pretty sweet too imo... if only because of the soundtrack.
edit: Dawn of Mana, not Legend of Mana. The remixed LoM songs are what I liked the most about it.
Though I thought it was weird that Gnome would call the girl the sprite's wife. Gay marriage reference in a 90's Nintendo game? Unlikely.
Nintendo Network ID: PhysiMarc
#2: Frog's theme is my ringtone.
Nintendo Network ID - Brainiac_8
PSN - Brainiac_8
Steam - http://steamcommunity.com/id/BRAINIAC8/
Add me!
steam | xbox live: IGNORANT HARLOT | psn: MadRoll | nintendo network: spinach
3ds: 1504-5717-8252
#1 Yes.
#2 Geno's Maze is mine, but I'm pretty sure at one point frog was my ringtone too.
I've been playing a lot of PC games lately, and I think the SNES needs some love. I should play Secret of Evermore tonight. I would play Mana, but I don't have a copy yet, and if I don't play it on the SNES with a SNES controller then I feel like I'm doing it wrong.
3DS: 1607-3034-6970
___
NNID: carmofin
3DS: 2852 6971 9745
Throw me a PM if you add me
I waited for years for Secret of Mana 2 to come. never did. Earlier this year, I finally got fed up of waiting. I bought a Seiken Densetsu 3 cart, opened it up, soldered on a translated eeprom, and constructed a US housing. I'm about half-way through Secret of Mana 2, and it was well worth the wait.
Secret of Mana 2 is better than the original, IMO.
It is my favorite game of all time. Hand-drawn watercolor backgrounds, multiple storylines, 3 different ways to trigger endgame, a huge cast of awesome NPCs (like, 10 of which can accompany you on adventures).
I would recommend it to basically everyone, ever.
This guy knows what's up. Amazing game. The only mark against it is the lack of info on forging equipment in game, despite every item you find being used in said forging.
I loved Legend of Mana, but yeah, forging is obtuse, and also, honestly, so is the world building. You can knock yourself right out of a lot of content if you don't use a guide to place things correctly.
Origin: Galedrid - Nintendo: Galedrid/3222-6858-1045
Blizzard: Galedrid#1367 - FFXIV: Galedrid Kingshand
MWO: Adamski
It is on iphone, apparently. And the Wii virtual console. But no, no Nintendo or Sony handhelds have released it. It would be perfect.
As mentioned before +1.
Kevin's one of my favourite video game charachters. The whole cast in that game is great in some way.
That track is called The Oracle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJX-s41D3Dc
Oh and as much as I love Secret of Mana, I always had a sweet spot for the original Game Boy game. Probably because of all the great chiptunes.
Zeboyd Games Development Blog
Steam ID : rwb36, Twitter : Werezompire, Facebook : Zeboyd Games
Get a Supaboy and a Secret of Mana cart and BAM! You have a portable Secret of Mana. :P
Nintendo Network ID - Brainiac_8
PSN - Brainiac_8
Steam - http://steamcommunity.com/id/BRAINIAC8/
Add me!
Steam: TheArcadeBear