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Sword of Mana
by Jolex Del Pilar
Monday, May 19 2003
Finally, a sequel to one of the most celebrated RPGs of the 16-bit era.
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Title:
Sword of Mana
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Platform:
GBA/GBA SP
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Publisher:
Square-Enix |
Developer:
Square-Enix |
#
of Players: 1 - 2 |
Genre:
RPG
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Origin:
Japan
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Expected
Release:
Q4 2003 |
Grapevine:
The graphics were almost exactly as I had remembered them, except now I was playing it on a Gameboy Advanced SP the size of a compact mirror. |
With Square-Enix now making games for Nintendo gaming systems, the door has been opened for sequels to those classic Squaresoft RPGs that once graced the Super Nintendo and NES. Secret of Mana was one of those RPGs from the SNES era that had classic written all over it. It featured a fantastic soundtrack, and a very intuitive magic and combat system. Although the game didn't have a fan base nearly as large as the Final Fantasy series, it still remains a classic in the hearts of gamers who played it.
Unfortunately, a sequel was never released in the U.S. So for over a decade, those who have wanted to continue the story of Secret of Mana were left with few options including learning Japanese and importing the Japanese sequels. Don't worry though, your voices have been heard and Square-Enix is adding a brand new chapter to that series exclusively for the GBA. Sword of Mana was heavily featured at the Nintendo pre-show event in Los Angeles, as well as the Square-Enix booth at E3. Although there were a few gamers on the floor who complained that there should be a fully blown Gamecube version of Sword of Mana, most of us are just happy to see the series come to the U.S for the first time in over 10 years.
The game looked and played very similar to the classic Secret of Mana. The graphics were almost exactly as I had remembered them, except now I was playing it on a Gameboy Advanced SP the size of a compact mirror. Not much is known about the story except that the Mana tree is involved again. You can choose from multiple characters which will determine what path the story of the game takes. This is an aspect of the series that is taken from the sequels released in Japan. One thing that remains familiar is the "ring-menu" system that has been sorely missed since Secret of Mana. By simply circling through a "ring" of options on screen, you can get to just about anything you need whether it be armor, weapons, or even magic spells. It also makes for much faster paced gameplay than the traditional sub-menu system.
As always Nintendo, always an advocate for multiplayer, has included a 2 player cooperative mode which is a rarity in today's RPG games.
I played this game on the E3 floor for about 30 minutes and thought to myself, "How do they fit all this into such a small package?" The wonders of technology. The music and graphics are so authentic to the original SNES game that you would be hard pressed to find a difference. The combat system of the game is simple, yet not dumbed down. It's very similar to the "Zelda" combat system in that their are no "timers" or turns to be had, instead everything happens in real-time.
The boss battles are still present and are still very dramatic when they happen. As before, the bosses all have a weakness. To defeat a boss character, you don't need to exploit this weakness, but it sure makes things a lot easier.
Although Sword of Mana isnt due for another couple of months, the version shown at E3 showed a lot of promise and seemed to be in the advanced stages of development. The game is coming, and it should be on time. To all those who missed the Mana series on the SNES, be prepared because the series is back.
--- Jolex Del Pilar, recovering from E3...
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