Secret of Mana, originally released in Japan as is a 1993 action role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the sequel to the 1991 game Seiken Densetsu, released in North America as Final Fantasy Adventure and in Europe as Mystic Quest. Secret of Mana was the first Seiken Densetsu title to be marketed as part of the Mana series rather than the Final Fantasy series. Set in a high fantasy universe, the game follows three heroes as they attempt to prevent an empire from conquering the world with the power of an ancient flying fortress.

Rather than using a turn-based battle system like contemporaneous role-playing games, Secret of Mana features real-time battles with a power bar mechanic. The game has a unique Ring Command menu system, which pauses the action and allows the player to make decisions in the middle of battle. An innovative cooperative multiplayer system allows a second or third player to drop in and out of the game at any time. Secret of Mana was directed and designed by Koichi Ishii, programmed primarily by Nasir Gebelli, and produced by veteran Square designer Hiromichi Tanaka.

The game received acclaim for its brightly colored graphics, expansive plot, Ring Command menu system, and innovative real-time battle system. Critics also praised Hiroki Kikuta's soundtrack and the customizable artificial intelligence settings for computer-controlled allies. Retrospectively, it has been considered one of the greatest games of all time by critics. It was re-released on Virtual Console on the Wii in 2008 and Wii U in 2013, as an enhanced version on multiple mobile platforms between 2009 and 2019, on Switch as part of Collection of Mana in 2017 and 2019, and was remade in 3D in 2018 for PlayStation 4, Vita and Windows. The remake saw mixed reviews, with many faulting its lack of gameplay improvements and reworked graphics.

Gameplay

thumb|The standard overhead view. The party's attack strength and remaining [[Health (gaming)|health is shown in the gauges at the bottom.]]

thumb|Flammie flying and demonstrating [[Mode 7]]

Like many other role-playing games of the 16-bit era, Secret of Mana displays a top-down perspective, in which the player characters navigate the terrain and fight off hostile creatures. The game features three such characters: the hero, the girl, and the sprite, named Randi, Primm, and Popoi outside the initial North American and European releases. The player can also choose their own names for them. The player can choose to control each of the characters at any time; whichever character is currently selected, the other two companions are controlled via artificial intelligence. The game may be played simultaneously by up to three players,

Release

Secret of Mana was announced for a release in July 1993, marketed as a "Party Action RPG". It was released later that same month in South Korea. According to translator Ted Woolsey, a large portion of the game's script was cut out in the English localization due to space limitations.

In 1999, Square announced they would be porting Secret of Mana to Bandai's handheld system WonderSwan Color as one of nine planned games for the system. The soundtrack was released as an album, also titled Secret of Mana Original Soundtrack, shortly after the remake's release in February 2018.

Reception

Sales

The initial shipment of games in Japan sold out within days of the release date. In South Korea, it was the top-selling game from November to December 1993.

Edge reported in November 1993 that the game was "the most widely covered game of the year in Japan" with a high number of sales, but was initially released in North America "completely un-hyped and mostly unheard of".

According to Next Generation magazine, it was surprisingly popular for a role-playing game, contributing to the genre's growing popularity in the West. Next Generation reported in 1996 that the game had sold more than 500,000 copies in the United States alone.

Secret of Mana was awarded Game of the Month in December 1993 and Best Role-Playing Game of 1993 by Electronic Gaming Monthly.

| IGN = 9/10 (Wii)

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  • Secret of Mana at MobyGames