Support NeoGAF

[ShiroAmakusa]

​

What is it?
Secret of Mana (aka Seiken Densetsu 2 in Japan), is an Action-RPG developed and published by Squaresoft for the SNES in 1993. It's the sequel to the GameBoy game Seiken Densetsu (1991), known in the USA as Final Fantasy Adventure and Mystic Quest (1993) in PAL regions. Now, 15 years after its first release, SquareEnix is giving us a full remake.

And what is it about?
Secret of Mana is the story of Randi, a boy who pulls out an old, rusty sword from a stone and is banished from his home village because of it. Now on his own, Randi heads out to uncover the secret of his sword.
Luckily, he doesn't stay alone for long...

​

So what has changed since '93?

• Graphics have been updated, incl. UI
• The soundtrack also received an update, old OST can be toggled
• We now have voice acting (Japanese and English)
• The translation has been improved (the original translation was a rushed job)
• Hotkeys for weapons, items, and magic for a better combat flow
• Also Enhanced AI combat for the party members
• Nice mini-map
• Multiplayer has been tweaked (Ring menus don't pause the action, easy drop-in/drop-out coop except on Vita, where MP involves ad-hoc waiting rooms)
• New side-stories
• added Trophies/Achievements, of course

Thanks, IGN!
​

Where are the screenshots!?
I try not to spoil stuff for newcomers, but here are some pics:

​

Oh, by the way...
There is a fancy Collector's Edition but only in Japan. Take a look a this beauty!

 

[technozombie]

Polygon gave this a not-so-great review, I'm interested but it's not a $40 game to me I would probably do 20.

 

[jshackles]

Awesome OT!

I'm really looking forward to this - have had the physical version pre-ordered for a while now and it should be arriving tomorrow. The Secret of Mana was one of my top 10 SNES games and that's saying something since the SNES was my favorite system of all time. I actually like the graphical updates (sure, they could have done more / better, but we all know this was likely put together on a shoestring budget) and the voice acting is a nice although cheesy touch. It looks like the game's core mechanics are still very much intact, and I love the fact that the new mini-map is just the SNES sprites. Expecting great things with this one, hope I'm not disappointed.

 

[ShiroAmakusa]

Awesome OT!

I'm really looking forward to this - have had the physical version pre-ordered for a while now and it should be arriving tomorrow. The Secret of Mana was one of my top 10 SNES games and that's saying something since the SNES was my favorite system of all time. I actually like the graphical updates (sure, they could have done more / better, but we all know this was likely put together on a shoestring budget) and the voice acting is a nice although cheesy touch. It looks like the game's core mechanics are still very much intact, and I love the fact that the new mini-map is just the SNES sprites. Expecting great things with this one, hope I'm not disappointed.

Thanks! I'm gonna tweak the OT a little bit later to make it more stylish and I will add some review scores and possible Q&A.

As for the game, it's same for me! It was my first Japanese Action-RPG and I loved every second of it. I re-played the original on the SNES Mini just a few weeks ago. Now I'm sitting at work with my physical copy on the desk, eagerly waiting to play it!
As for the graphics, I'm fine with it. I like the style in "I am Setsuna" and this is basically the same. With less snow. Thank god! Oh, and I really like the remastered soundtrack. Looking forward to read some more opinions on it.

 

[OH-MyCar]

I honestly don't think the game itself looks very good; it looks iOS-tier and the 3D just doesn't seem to gel with the gameplay as well. The original is one of my all-time favorites (maybe even top 10), but I'll probably pick this up on sale.

With that out of the way: The HACCAN artwork? The new intro? That collector's edition? Christ, I want all of it. I'd just toss the disc and keep my SNES cart with it all. I remember way back when first playing Mushihimesama, thinking "this guy really needs to do some Secret of Mana prints".

 

[anglis84]

It's very hard for me to get into this Polygon style graphics these days. FF VII was okay because of the beautiful hand-drawn back grounds. I've beat the original twice and I love the sprites. I will probably skip this one. I might consider it if it ever drops to $10.

 

[Alcahest]

Did anyone grab the Japanese version for PS4? [ PLJM-16069 ]
I'd like to know if it features ENG text/subs option.
(for exemple when PS4 language is set to english, or maybe as an option inside the game directly)
Thanks.

 

[denpanosekai]

Great OT, but AFAIK Popoi's gender was never officially confirmed so using "his" in the second image is a bit presumptuous.

Originally genderless, then male for the US version and female for German version. Apparently the remake uses gender-neutral "they". (source)

 

[Pejo]

Waiting for some impressions from GAF before picking this up. The original is one of my fav. SNES games, but I still find it perfectly playable as is, so I don't need to buy this if they ruin it.

 

[strange headache]

I've been looking forward to this, unfortunately it's getting a lot of mixed reviews due to glitches, technical problems and gameplay issues. Is it really that bad?

 

[shark sandwich]

Let this be a lesson: if you’re going to remake a classic, A) understand what made the original a classic in the first place, and B) understand which parts still hold up today and which ones don’t.

“Same gameplay, worse music, replace the (then cutting edge) sprite graphics with low-budget smartphone graphics” is like the worst possible way they could’ve remade this game. What a disappointment.

 

[Pejo]

Let this be a lesson: if you’re going to remake a classic, A) understand what made the original a classic in the first place, and B) understand which parts still hold up today and which ones don’t.

“Same gameplay, worse music, replace the (then cutting edge) sprite graphics with low-budget smartphone graphics” is like the worst possible way they could’ve remade this game. What a disappointment.

The reviews talking about gameplay being different is what actually soured me on it first. Apparently you aren't locked to cardinal directions now, so fundamental gameplay has changed a lot. I'm hoping that it's not bad enough to detract from the game. Also, regarding your music point, I think I read that they left the original soundtrack in the game if you choose to use that.

Regarding the graphics, I totally agree about the mobile-esque crap looking much worse than classic sprites. I felt this way about the newest King of Fighters game too.

 

[Velius]

Prim 10/10 would marry and max credit card on

 

[Shouta]

I'm pretty interested in this but gonna wait a bit on to hear some more impressions on it. Radiant Historia: Perfect Chronology just came out too and that's eating my time. =o

 

[PrinnyBomb]

I can't justify buying this when I have the SNES classic version and have never played the game before

 

[sublimit]

I posted this in the IGN thread but i think it would be better if i post it here as well:
Secret of Mana Remake Producer Interview

 

[Nobo-ty]

I’m still wanting to give this a shot. I’m hearing that there’s a possibility of it coming to Switch. But I could wait for the Steam version to get cheaper.

I do agree, that the visual look is very iOS level, but I can live with it. I’m past the point of caring about a game’s visual element as hard as I used to.

 

[MrDanGuy]

Does anyone know where to get the dlc suits in this game? They are not in the inventory at all.

 

[The3DGameArtist]

I feel like they just killed the original artistic & gameplay intent with the animations. It doesn't feel like the same type of gameplay anymore. It really puts me off. I don't mind the graphics changes but to do such drastic changes to those animations is pretty weird. Imagine doing that to a snappy 2d fighting game.

 

[ShiroAmakusa]

Does anyone know where to get the dlc suits in this game? They are not in the inventory at all.

Check the options menu, there is an entry called "Costumes".

Great OT, but AFAIK Popoi's gender was never officially confirmed so using "his" in the second image is a bit presumptuous.

Originally genderless, then male for the US version and female for German version. Apparently the remake uses gender-neutral "they". (source)

I agree and I'm aware of this issue. The Japanese language is able to omit any gendered labels for the Sprite, English and German not so much. I guess it's the German in me who fell back to the generic masculine form.

 

[DeSo]

I feel like they just killed the original artistic & gameplay intent with the animations. It doesn't feel like the same type of gameplay anymore. It really puts me off. I don't mind the graphics changes but to do such drastic changes to those animations is pretty weird. Imagine doing that to a snappy 2d fighting game.

Pretty much.

This remaster never looked promising and from what I've seen it has turned out as average as I thought. The voice acting and new soundtrack are abysmal too.

This shit is $40 USD on the Aus Steam store. Not sure if it's the same price in the US. That's fucking highway robbery. Save your money, download a SNES emulator and play the original in all its glory.

 

[MrDanGuy]

Check the options menu, there is an entry called "Costumes

I downloaded the DLC after I started the game, and it wasn’t there. After this I started a new game for it to be also missing. It is weird..

 

[Alcahest]

When your ears have bled enough, check this:
It's official too and absolutely wonderful <3

 

[Dr. Claus]

Polygon gave this a not-so-great review, I'm interested but it's not a $40 game to me I would probably do 20.

Personal tastes aside, I wouldn't really trust Polygon or Kotaku for their reviews. They have shown some rather absurd biases in previous entires (namely Bayonetta/Dragon's Crown). I suggest using a review aggregate site like Metacritic/OpenCritic and see what fans of the franchise tend to think via forums or subreddits. I find fans can be the harshest critics for a beloved title such as Secret of Mana.

Having played the game for about 10-ish hours now - it is Secret of Mana. There really isn't any other way to say it. For better or worse, it is just a slightly prettier, 3D rendition of the original with some decent voice acting. If you are into that sort of thing like I am, I do suggest you pick it up. It plays well and the remixed music is pretty dang killer for my own personal tastes.

 

[-Oath]

Im playing the game in 4k and turned up the color on my monitor and I think it elevates the graphics just enough that I can enjoy them, it looks nice but thats really it. The graphics and added character INN conversations are a nice touch but other than that the game is hardly better than the Snes original which is crazy. The game shouldve been properly remade. Alot more polish on basically everything wouldve gone a long way. It REALLY feels like a mbile game that was ported to console/PC.

 

[CloudStrife_ca]

Picked it up yesterday, havent gotten a chance to play it yet tho, this weekend. I'm excited as I missed my chance back on the SNES.

 

[Poppyseed]

Picked it up yesterday, havent gotten a chance to play it yet tho, this weekend. I'm excited as I missed my chance back on the SNES.

You haven't missed your chance. You could spend $80 and pick up an SNES Classic and have the best version of the game there is (along with, you know, an SNES Classic). Anyone who pays $40 for this crap... ugh...

 

[_Justinian_]

Did anyone grab the Japanese version for PS4? [ PLJM-16069 ]
I'd like to know if it features ENG text/subs option.
(for exemple when PS4 language is set to english, or maybe as an option inside the game directly)
Thanks.

May I ask why? The PS4 is region free and the U.S. version of this game has Japanese voices as an option with English subtitles.

 

[Alcahest]

May I ask why? The PS4 is region free and the U.S. version of this game has Japanese voices as an option with English subtitles.

Sure, Japanese button mapping, not the infuriating Western one.

 

[iidesuyo]

In the 7 hours that I have played the game so far, it crashed twice (PS4 version) :-/

Otherwise I like it a lot. Graphics are definitely a step up from Adventures of Mana and the new sequences at the INNs give more background to the story. Voice acting is absolutely fine for me, but I'm not a native English speaker.

You could spend $80 and pick up an SNES Classic and have the best version of the game there is (along with, you know, an SNES Classic). Anyone who pays $40 for this crap... ugh...

As someone who is used to the PAL version, the version on the SNES Mini feels much buggier. I had characters stuck in walls and things like that, which I had never experienced before.

 

[Dr. Claus]

You haven't missed your chance. You could spend $80 and pick up an SNES Classic and have the best version of the game there is (along with, you know, an SNES Classic). Anyone who pays $40 for this crap... ugh...

Honestly, it sounds like you haven't played the game. It really isn't "crap" in any way. Graphically it is solid enough for a budget remake and it stays true to the original with some nice additions for those who enjoyed the original and want more of it.

 

[Pachi72]

I am not feeling this..looks like an old iPhone game. They should of done this in 2D in HD. Also the lack of lighting Fx gives it a bland feel to it.

 

[_Justinian_]

Playing it on PC for the first time. After changing the soundtrack to original and muting the volume for voice overs, the game actually isn't that bad and is quite enjoyable.

 

[entremet]

Is there a list of additions to this version?

 

[Shouta]

Is there a list of additions to this version?

I don't think there's a full list of changes out there but as far as I can gather from what I've seen on twitter and what my own friends have said.

- Graphics
- New Arranged soundtrack, old one is available too
- Combat is a bit different because you aren't locked to the 4 cardinal directions
- QoL improvements like shortcuts, better AI, etc
- Voice overs, JP and EN available from what I hear.

Probably other things as well.

 

[jshackles]

I've had a few hours with this game so I feel like I've spent enough time with it to provide some initial impressions.

As a fan of the original, I think this version is fantastic! The gameplay is still pretty excellent, the overall mechanics of the game are largely unchanged, at it's core it's still fun. I don't really mind the graphics I think they're kind of cute. The extra dialog at the inns is welcome. The voice acting is probably my favorite upgrade honestly - even though it's cheesy, it's plentiful. I was expecting there to only be a few voiced sections, but literally all of the dialog in the game (at least the first few hours I've played) has been voiced - even the rando NPCs walking around towns and such, very nice touch. Some of the weapons take some getting used to, given that you can attack in every direction now, but the enemy hit boxes seem to be pretty forgiving in that regard so I've yet to find the experience frustrating.

One complaint (and it's a small one) is that they could have done lip-syncing rather than just having the characters have generalized expressions - but I understand how that would have been a lot of extra work for not a whole lot of meaningful gain. Also - only being able to save at inns still is a little archaic, but thankfully there is an "autosave" slot that saves every time you zone. Also, I might just be mis-remembering, but I think the original had a menu in shops that showed you how each piece of armor would affect your stats and that appears to be missing in this version - again not a huge issue but it would be nice to have back.

Overall - this is exactly what I expected (and a bit more) and I'm loving it to bits. The physical edition from Gamestop is nothing particularly special, but I have to admit the huge smile that crept over my face when I unwrapped the package and found the original SNES artwork on the cover of the PS4 game and on the disc as well.

 

[_Justinian_]

Four hours in. PC Version of the game has a few bugs here and there. On two occasions, my character's animations froze. They moved like chest pieces and were unable to attack or even go to a different room. The first time I had to restart my game (thank goodness for autosave). The second time, I was about to leave the area and come back and it corrected itself. Another bug is that I have only four hours play time, but my save file reads over 1100 hours. This may only be location specific. It still loads and saves so I'm not going to worry about that for now.

 

[entremet]

I don't think there's a full list of changes out there but as far as I can gather from what I've seen on twitter and what my own friends have said.

- Graphics
- New Arranged soundtrack, old one is available too
- Combat is a bit different because you aren't locked to the 4 cardinal directions
- QoL improvements like shortcuts, better AI, etc
- Voice overs, JP and EN available from what I hear.

Probably other things as well.

Thanks Shouta

 

[Link1110]

I got mine, bit can't play it till I get back to my ps4 in a different hemisphere. I saw a video where they had the MC scroll the other two Party members of the screen. I think I may be able to get through the game this time. I beat adventures of mana twice so if it users the same engine as that it's already better than the original game

 

[Zog]

but I think the original had a menu in shops that showed you how each piece of armor would affect your stats and that appears to be missing in this version - again not a huge issue but it would be nice to have back.

No, that wasn't in the original but it should have been added here.

 

[KyanMehwulfe]

I've had a few hours with this game so I feel like I've spent enough time with it to provide some initial impressions.

As a fan of the original, I think this version is fantastic! The gameplay is still pretty excellent, the overall mechanics of the game are largely unchanged, at it's core it's still fun.

thanks, that was pretty much my only hang-up. i'm a huge fan of the original and played it like 3 times (and got most of the endgame armor/extra mana orbs from the mana fortress) back in the day, so i've always loved the feel of its combat. and my main concern was just whether or not the weapons felt good or the combat felt satisfying.

i read some reviews complain about a lack of feedback or poor hitboxes... but hopefully if the simple combat feel of sword vs spear vs claws vs ranged is still fun and satisfying, then music + weapon system/combat is enough for me to play it.

/edit/ tho btw if anyone disagrees about combat haha feel free to chime in cuz it'll determine whether i get it now or on sale =p

 

[Battlechili]

Some people were pointing out some unusual tracks in the new soundtrack to me and this one in particular caught my ear

I'm really in love with this one. A lot of people don't seem to like it but I think it sounds really great! Its got this very tense sound due to the usage of short repetitious voice tracks being used as instrumentation. It sounds really cool, like some kind of battle chant.

 

[Aigato]

On the fence about this one.

Honestly I haven't played the original, I played a ROM years ago and put about 10/15 minutes into it, not sure why I never put more into just convinced myself I didn't like it & thus have avoided the series ever since.

Very tempted to pick this version up and see if I can enjoy it as a standalone rather than nostalgia fueled remake, is it worth me putting the money on it or should I just play the SNES version?.

 

[Ar¢tos]

Am i the only one that would prefer a Legend of Mana remake instead? :O
I'm still on the fence about the new art style... it seems a bit too much "chibi" for my taste.

 

[JareBear: Remastered]

I’m waiting for a substantial price drop

 

[shark sandwich]

Am i the only one that would prefer a Legend of Mana remake instead? :O
I'm still on the fence about the new art style... it seems a bit too much "chibi" for my taste.

I’d love a remake of Legend of Mana, or a new game in that style. Such an underrated game.

Although it would be a crime to replace that game’s beautiful watercolor visuals with SoM Remake-style 3D.

 

[CLBridges]

I'm in agreement with those who say $40 is way too much for this. Overcharging for nostalgia imo. I might try it out when it goes $10, which is what I thought the initial price should've been.

 

[fvng]

I just want an option to disable the atrocious voice acting

 

[DonJimbo]

I have to play it

 

[fvng]

Does the vita version have dual language voice over options? Can I disable that completely?