Product ReviewsSecret of Mana (SNES, 1993)

One of the best RPG games ever made

The Super Nintendo has some of the most enjoyable RPG games ever made for any system and this is one of the best.
If you liked Chrono trigger, you'll love secret of mana.

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: pre-owned | Sold by: bdban_mkpccses

Great except for missing battery.

I would give a higher rating but after receiving the game, I was unable to save my game. I had to open the cartridge and install a cmos battery. After installed, the game played fine with no problems.Read full review...

Verified purchase:  Yes | Condition: new | Sold by: tattooshop21

An awesome rpg then, and it still is today.

One of the best rpgs I've ever played on the snes, Secret of Mana still remains one of SquareSoft's greatest rpgs along with final fantasy and chrono trigger before the merge with Enix.

I asked for this game as a birthday present from my grandparents after reading three issues of nintendo power that detailed a walkthrough and story about it; I also saw this game being played by one of my relatives.

The game's plot tells the tale of one of the games heroes, a boy, having intervertedly unleashed monsters near his home by removing the mana sword and being exiled as a result. Before being exiled the boy meets a knight named Jema and tells him to come to the water palace; there he learns from Jema and the palace's caretaker Luka, about Mana becoming weaker, which resulted in more monsters appearing in conjuction of the mana sword being removed. To revive the sword and mana itself, the boy embarks on a journey to find the other palaces and receive power from the mana seeds.

The boy gains two other allies in his quest, a girl and a sprite, who join him due to their own agendas that ultimately tie into the boy's quest.

The games mechanics allows 1 to 3 players to take control of the heroes as they fight monsters and powerful bosses; even without two other players, one player can manually switch between them and make use of their unique skills.

The games menus are done by the ring system, which includes weapons, spells, equipment, stratgey grid, and other options. Weapons and spells become more powerful through use and require much effort to make them stronger in order to beat bosses.

As you beat bosses, you'll receive weapon orbs which are used to upgrade into stronger weapons and make them powerful.

The story itself is great and you'll enjoy the lighthearted moments down to the sad traigc events as you play the game.

The graphics may not be well received in todays standards, but the game utilizies the snes's 7-mode for being shot to different places via cannon to flying flammie and landing. Overall the graphics for this game are still great as they were in 1993.

Likes:
-Great story.
-real-time battles.
-upgrading weapons.

Dislikes:
-repitive grinding to build higher weapon and spell levels.
-hard to get bearings while flying flammie.
-Limited amount of items your allowed to carry.

SquareSoft set the tone for rpgs in the days before its merger with Enix; nowadays rpgs have become more focused on graphics and battle systems rather than storytelling and striking a balance between battle systems, graphics, and core aspects that were seen in rpgs back. However games such as Xenoblade Chronicles and The Last Story have shown to go back to the basics of rpgs while maintaing todays standards.

While Secret of Mana may not match up today's rpgs in graphics, it help the genre go beyond the traditional battle system and tried something new.

Secret of Mana is and still remains a crown jewel in rpgs, and its definitly worth playing.Read full review...

Its No Secret.... This Game is Awesome

Secret of Mana is a must have game for any RPG fan. Mana has all of the things that you would expect from a great RPG (a great story, magic, variety of weapons, exploration, etc.), but it’s battle system is what sets it apart from other titles of its time. Unlike other RPGs, Mana’s battles take place in real time; you select magic attacks from a circular menu. At any point you are also able to switch the character that you are controlling.

The graphics are also very good for the Super Nintendo and are similar to Chrono Trigger. There is a wide variety of enemies so combat never gets old. In addition to traditional “level gaining”, you can also increase your characters’ weapon level for each type of weapon; this is done through combat. The same goes for magic; the more you use it, the more powerful it gets.

The only problem I had with this game is that, compared to other RPGs, Mana’s story is slightly lacking in terms of depth, although the story itself is very compelling. If you are an RPG fan and own a Super Nintendo, I would highly suggest this game.

Pros:
- Great gameplay
- Entertaining story
- Can be played with multiple people
- Good music

Cons:
- Too shortRead full review...

A phenomenal game.

There are few SNES RPGS that really stick out to me. Most are turn based and require so much grinding. They hardly seemed to have any character. And then there is Secret of Mana. This game is simply amazing. Its like The Legend of Zelda but with a 3 player option. Its so much fun when playing with other people. The combat is easy to understand and the ring selection tool is very well done. The ring allows for easy equipment changes and magic use. The graphics are colorful, bright, and add to this amazing experience. Though this game does have some flaws. Such as the delayed attacks. An example of this would be; you attack an enemy with your sword and the enemy is knocked back. If you were to keep hitting the creature it would not be able to move and each attack is registered but they take a few seconds to show. This also works both ways. So you could find yourself getting the snot beat out of you and you can't do anything about it. It can be kind of frustrating after making so much progress and then getting beat to death without a chance. That aspect of the game makes a second player someone you would like to have around to plan strategies with. Its a lot of fun and anyone who has a SNES should get this game.Read full review...

a spectacular, rare, 3-player title with heart

To start, if you want to enjoy the full experience the game has to offer, you'll need a SuperNintendo with three controllers and a multi-tap adapter so that all three playable characters can be controlled. This is a great game for fantasy lovers, Square (SquareSoft, SquareEnix) fans, and for anyone who wants a friendly, multi-player game that isn't sports- or racing-based.

The storyline is complex and rich, one that older gamers seem to keep coming back to. The menu system is also surprisingly detailed for how old the game is, which multiple weapon, armor, accessory, and item options for each character. You'll have to swap out weapons many times to find your way past obstacles and work your way to the end.

I would have given this game a five if only the graphics had held up a little better. True, the 2D, sprite-based game fares much better than early 3D titles, but with any modern TV and hookup, you might find scan lines and text that ranges from unreadable to headache-inducing. I hold out hope that this game with either be remade for a modern console or offered on the Wii's download service with a few updates, but for now, it can only be found through auctions and the occasional lucky store find.Read full review...

secret of mana (super nintendo)

this is one of the best games that came out for the super nintendo, it is also the only RPG game that 3 players can play at the same time. It would be many years before 3 or more people could play at the same time, unless it was a sports game. The reason i bought the game is because that with all the new video game systems that are on the market these days. Now you can find a great game that you want and it doesn't matter it is made for all 3 systems NINTENDO,MICROSOFT and SONY. But when SECRET of MANA came out you could only play it on 1 system the super nintendo. There was only 2 choices back then NINTENDO or SEGA and both systems had there own games, they didn't share unless it was a sports game. And most people dont know or understand why these games cost so much when they first came out. the insides are made of gold (yes real gold) and thats what made them so exspensive. The games weren't rare or hard to find then, they were everywere. But as soon as the SONY PLAYSTATION came out everyone wanted it because of the CD capability of all the games, no more bulky cartridges. So many of the old super nintendo games were forgotten,lost or thrown out. Thats what makes these great games hard to find and so collectable and with the modern gaming systems we have now you can put 10 to 20 of these old games on a disc but its not the same. We were are young kids and teenagers when these games came out and played them like crazy, and nothing was more fun than brining them to a friends house to play for hours at a time and hopeing you didn't forget to bring it with you when you left. Thats why we put are names and initials on are games so we didn't lose them. And if you did lose it your parents never let you here the end of it especially at 79.99 a game.Read full review...

Great SNES Title!

First off, it's funny they have people who buy the games review them on eBay. If someone bought the game on here, it usually means they wanted it to begin with!

Anyways, Secret of Mana is one of the greatest Action RPGs for the SNES. With the ability to do up to 3 player multi-play and a great (though slightly flawed) battle system, the game really keeps things varied and interesting. Unfortunately, the story is a bit oddly paced and doesn't quite hold up substance wise, especially when compared to much deeper titles that came out around the same time and have come out since. Be aware, too, that this game will be very monotonous and boring for people who aren't into the idea of running around areas and killing enemies for hours, which can become quite laborious with how the energy percentage system works. Basically, every time you attack something or run, your energy depletes to 0%. It then charges back up (quickly), and if you attack before it's back up to 100%, you'll do 1/2 your normal damage or less (usually). While this usually isn't a problem, there are points in the game where this slows things down considerably.

The graphics for this title were very good for when the game came out. Definitely holds all the Super Nintendo charm. Characters often show frames of emotion in response to certain dialogue in the game. I remember this creating a stronger sense of connection to the characters when I first played the game, but unfortunately the effect doesn't seem as strong as it once was.

Overall, a great game, and definitely worth playing, especially if you have a friend or partner who would enjoy this title along with you!Read full review...

Awesome Story, and Very Fun Controls

Secret of Mana is by far one of the Greatest Games of all time. Square-soft went in completely new directions in the development of this game, and it payed off. This game's Story starts off slow and grows exponentially over time resulting in a Wonderful story that will leave you aching for more. The Regular RPG gameplay of the time is slow and turn based, not this one. The Combat is active and the Ring menu system takes a while to get used too ,but it is simply wonderful once you do. The Characters are fun and the environments are colorful and vibrant. The Equipment in the game changes over time and is very intricate and engrossing. The Villain's in the story's motives while may seem obvious at first change over time and grow better and better. To be put quite simply the game is Wonderful and far ahead of its time, No one will regret buying this game, its addictive, fun, and executed wonderfully.Read full review...

Why i like Secret of Mana

Do you understand why i brought Secret of Mana? Okay i'll tell you but first one question. Do you ever wacth the Real Adventures of Jonny Quest? If you did have you seen the episode Ghost Quest? Well after seeing that episode i can't get the Jonny Quest/Jessie Banon pairing out of my head and it's been stick there since 1997. So on that year Secret of Mana really helped me get my mind off of it. The boss music is bad ass. And the main character is cool. So what i hate is that the Light spirit is only for the girl and the dark is only for the sprite child. So thank you for this great game i have to put as part of my collietion.Read full review...

It's still a secret

My roommate got an old Super Nintendo and I knew exactly what game I needed. Secret of Mana is a perfect example of old skool. The game isn't really concerned with awesome graphics and neither am I. With all of the new game systems coming out, a true gamer like myself needs something that brings back the good ole days.
Secret of Mana is one of the greatest Squaresoft games that has ever come out. I am a huge Final Fantasy fan, but this was nothing like the FF2 and 3 that had come out.
Secret is live action. The maps aren't too complex, the story line is easy to follow, and the music is better than any game that I have played this millenium.
If you love RPGs and have a SNES then you should check this game out.
Ebay's the only place to go because local stores don't carry the stuff anymore.
Buying Secret of Mana was a no-brainer.Read full review...

Secret Of Mana - Like a Good Wine, Just Gets Better!

Probably the best game, on any console, in any era, from any decade, of all time.
A true RPG classic, which offers so much fun, and a huge lifespan, coupled with superb gameplay, and it will allow 3 players!
I once owned this game, and another 200 SNES games, spanning around 10-12 years. In 2006, I sold everything, all individually. This game fetched the 2nd highest re-sale value (I think I got £30 in the end), and that was behind a game called Terranigma (£50 Highest Re-Sale Value SNES Game around)
Secret Of Mana is an all time classic, a collectors item, and a must-play for EVERY SINGLE PERSON, who calls themselves a gamer.
DaleychrRead full review...