Sword of Mana

The secret of the sword is revealed in this sequel to the SNES classic.

Once upon a time, there was a superlative SNES game from Square called Secret of Mana, an action/RPG with a great little twist: a ring of eight weapons to collect, each with very distinct strengths, weaknesses, and uses. Each weapon could be leveled up; and the quest was structured so that no single weapon ever became obsolete.

The Legacy of Mana
Sword of Mana for the GBA is the first real successor to that classic from Nintendo lore, featuring the same style combat and weapon scheme. At the beginning of the game, you choose one of two characters?knight or sorceress?and follow his or her story through to the end. While both tales intertwine and involve many of the same areas (often you?re fighting alongside the character you didn?t choose), there are definitely major differences between their quests, in both plot and in style of play.

The game is presented beautifully?the music is majestic, and the detailed graphics are very well animated, even though the cute, precious Brownie Brown character design might be a turn-off to anyone who likes things a little darker, a little dirtier, or a little weirder. Actually, the game could have benefited from any one of those traits.

One of the biggest drawbacks of Mana is the story. Any RPG?especially any RPG made in this day and age?had better have a great story if it?s going to keep your attention. But Mana?s tale is lacking conflict, its characters are dull, and its towns are full of?well, not all that much interesting.

Magic Makes the Impossible Possible!
There are a few snags in the gameplay, too. Mana could really use a quick-select for switching weapons and spells, and weapon physics can be just plain dumb (the path of your arrow, apparently designed by M.C. Escher, confuses the concepts of height and planar distance). The game also has a bad save scheme?20 minutes of dialogue and 30 more of fighting before hitting a save spot?that?s a no-no for a portable game.

Quibbles aside, Mana is a well-made game with excellent visuals and a really fun battle system?it?s just too bad the story is such a generic yarn. Take on Golden Sun, Boktai, Fire Emblem, and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance before you go searching for this sword.

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