Secret of Mana is an action RPG developed by Square for the Super Nintendo. Like many such games of the time it features an overhead perspective. I’ve always liked this POV for RPGs going back even further to games like the Gold Box AD&D series which also featured a top down perspective, at least for parts. Combat is a sort of real-time, turn-based hybrid. Combat is real-time but can be paused while you make decisions/issue commands. One particularly unique aspect of Secret of Mana is its multiplayer capability. A second or even third player can join in at any time. There are three characters that the player (or players) can control at any time. Two are controlled by the computer during single player activity but the player can switch characters any time.
Secret of Mana is an action RPG developed by Square for the Super Nintendo. Like many such games of the time it features an overhead perspective. I’ve always liked this POV for RPGs going back even further to games like the Gold Box AD&D series which also featured a top down perspective, at least for parts. Combat is a sort of real-time, turn-based hybrid. Combat is real-time but can be paused while you make decisions/issue commands. One particularly unique aspect of Secret of Mana is its multiplayer capability. A second or even third player can join in at any time. There are three characters that the player (or players) can control at any time. Two are controlled by the computer during single player activity but the player can switch characters any time.
The plot of Secret of Mana is a rather complicated affair. Ultimately, it is about the battle of technology vs. magic, of which mana is the source. As a side note, Secret of Mana was originally intended to be a launch title for the Super NES CD-ROM add-on. When that device ended up not being released, up to 40% of the game was cut so that it could fit on a cartridge and other changes were made such as the removal of a feature that allowed the player to take multiple routes through the game with different endings. Many of the developers did not even want to continue the project when they learned that a CD-ROM version was not a possibility. All things considered, it’s good that management chose to continue the project. Despite whatever was cut, Secret of Mana ends up being an excellent game and one that any JRPG or Square fan should love.
Fortunately, this game has seen numerous re-releases that make it a little easier to find and play. An enhanced iOS version was released in 2010 and an Android version in 2014. The original version was released for the Wii U’s Virtual Console in 2013. A port for the Nintendo Switch was released in 2019 as part of the Collection of Mana. In addition, it was one of the games included on the Super NES Classic Edition released in 2017. Finally, a 3D remake was released for the PS4, PlayStation Vita and Windows in 2018. Personally, I prefer the 2D version. In any case, this is definitely a game you should check out though my preference will always be for the original SNES version.
