People have a desire for the games they loved as children to be exposed to newer generations. In recent years we have seen older games be remade or given an HD remaster. Secret of Mana which was released for the Super Nintendo in 1993, has recently been remade in 3D courtesy of Square Enix. While the Secret of Mana should be played by newer fans, this remake did create some new problems.
You play as a boy who finds a sword hidden in a lake. By pulling the sword out, he unknowingly unleashes monster on to the world. Banished from his village, the boy learns that the sword is the legendary Mana Sword and that he must go to various temples in order to recharge it. Joined by a girl and a fairy, the boy must also evade capture by servants of the emperor.
When it was released in 1993, the game set a new standard for graphics, music and multiplayer game play. The world was seen as huge, even bigger than the Legend of Zelda. It’s legacy grew in later years as it is even seen as better than other well known RPGs. Given the games pedigree, it would seem that not many changes would need to be implemented. The story is exactly the same, which is a point in the game’s favor. Some people have complained that new was added, but this is a remake not a sequel. The 3D models, look slightly cartoonish but that fits in to the general story of the game. This is not a later Final Fantasy game where we want the characters to look photo realistic.
Problems with this remake seem to be in the mechanics. Some people have noticed that the hit boxes of the monsters have changed. This has lead to enemies receiving less damage from the player. While this may not be noticed from new players, it was noticeable enough that players of the original game spoke up. A more minor problem, is that the pop up menus do not remember what the last item used was. This might be frustrating during battle when you use a spell and have to search for the same spell again every time. Since Mana does not use a turn based system, this can cause players to panic and possibly be defeated in battle.
Hearing the characters speak in fully voiced lines is a real treat. Some of the characters don’t sound as I might have imagined them, this probably has to do with me thinking about how these characters should have sounded in my head. The core of Mana has remained intact. While the Mana series was popular in Japan, this was the only game that North American audiences ever got to play. Some old fans might be disappointed in the changes, this is till one of the best RPGs that has ever been produced. If the idea of a 3D remake rubs you the wrong way, the Super Nintendo Classic also included the original game. Whichever form you choose, the Secret of Mana is a classic and should be enjoyed by gamers of any generation.
The Secret of Mana is available now on PS4, PlayStation Vita and PC.
