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The ''Mana'' series has been overall well received, though each title has seen varied levels of success. [[Gamespot]] referred to ''Secret of Mana'' as "one of Square's masterpieces on the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]]".<ref name="SquareHistory">{{cite web| url = http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/hist_square/p1_04.html| title = History of Square| publisher = [[GameSpot]]| accessdate = 2008-02-13}}</ref> The game has appeared on several list of top games.<ref name="NP Top 200">{{Citation| date = February 2006| title=NP Top 200| periodical=[[Nintendo Power]]| issue=200| pages=58-66}}.</ref><ref name="IGN100">{{cite web| author=IGN staff| title = IGN's Top 100 Games| url = http://top100.ign.com/2005/041-050.html| publisher=[[IGN]]| date = 2005| accessdate = 2006-05-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | author=IGN staff | title=IGN's Top 100 Games | url=http://top100.ign.com/2006/041-050.html| publisher =[[IGN]]| date = 2006| accessdate = 2007-09-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| author=Campbell, Colin| year=2006| title=Japan Votes on All Time Top 100| url = http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2401&Itemid=2| publisher=[[Next Generation Magazine]]| accessdate=2007-08-08}}</ref> The [[NPD Group]] ranked ''Legend of Mana'' as the top seller the week of its release.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://psx.ign.com/articles/080/080974p1.html| title = Legend of Mana Tops Sales Charts| date = 2000-06-16| publisher = [[IGN]]| accessdate = 2008-02-12}}</ref> GameSpot commented that despite the game's excellent presentation, it did not match the level of gameplay of its predecessors.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.gamespot.com/ps/rpg/legendofmanathe/review.html?sid=2584020| title = Legend of Mana - Review| date = 2000-06-07| publisher = [[GameSpot]]| author = Vestal, Andrew| accessdate = 2008-02-13}}</ref> Many of the ''World of Mana'' titles have not been as critically successful as the classic series, and though the franchise has been praised for their attempts at trying new ways of experiencing the games fictional world, there have been various gameplay design flaws that have hindered the later games.<ref>{{cite web| author=Bozon, Mark| year=October 31st, 2006| title=Children of Mana| url = http://ds.ign.com/articles/742/742998p1.html| publisher=[[IGN]] | accessdate=2008-02-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| author=Haynes, Jeff| year=May 22nd, 2007| title=Dawn of Mana| url = http://ps2.ign.com/articles/790/790909p2.html| publisher=[[IGN]] | accessdate=2008-02-13}}</ref> Prior to the ''World of Mana'' games, [[RPGamer]] called the series a "treasured favorite".<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.rpgamer.com/games/sd/sd4/reviews/sd4strev1.html| title = Legend of Mana - Review| author = Bilyk, Andrew P.| publisher = [[RPGamer]]| accessdate = 2008-02-13}}</ref> After the release of ''Heroes of Mana'', they commented that the ''World of Mana'' series is "cursed", and the future of the series looked "bleak".<ref name="RPGamer-Heroes">{{cite web| url = http://www.rpgamer.com/games/sd/hom/reviews/homstrev01.html| title = Heroes of Mana - Staff Review| author = Athab, Majed| publisher = [[RPGamer]]| accessdate = 2008-02-13}}</ref>
The ''Mana'' series has been overall well received, though each title has seen varied levels of success. [[Gamespot]] referred to ''Secret of Mana'' as "one of Square's masterpieces on the [[Super Nintendo Entertainment System|SNES]]".<ref name="SquareHistory">{{cite web| url = http://www.gamespot.com/gamespot/features/video/hist_square/p1_04.html| title = History of Square| publisher = [[GameSpot]]| accessdate = 2008-02-13}}</ref> The game has appeared on several list of top games.<ref name="NP Top 200">{{Citation| date = February 2006| title=NP Top 200| periodical=[[Nintendo Power]]| issue=200| pages=58-66}}.</ref><ref name="IGN100">{{cite web| author=IGN staff| title = IGN's Top 100 Games| url = http://top100.ign.com/2005/041-050.html| publisher=[[IGN]]| date = 2005| accessdate = 2006-05-08}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | author=IGN staff | title=IGN's Top 100 Games | url=http://top100.ign.com/2006/041-050.html| publisher =[[IGN]]| date = 2006| accessdate = 2007-09-12}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| author=Campbell, Colin| year=2006| title=Japan Votes on All Time Top 100| url = http://www.next-gen.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2401&Itemid=2| publisher=[[Next Generation Magazine]]| accessdate=2007-08-08}}</ref> Prominent Japanese gaming publication [[Famitsu]] rated [[Children of Mana]] 32/40.<ref>{{cite web| author=Brian Ashcraft| date = 2007-03-02| title=Kotaku Magu: This Week's Famitsu Scores [Dreamcast Edition]| url = http://kotaku.com/gaming/kotaku-magu/kotaku-magu-this-weeks-famitsu-scores-%5Bdreamcast-edition%5D-240934.php| publisher=[[Kotaku]]| accessdate=2008-02-14}}</ref>
The [[NPD Group]] ranked ''Legend of Mana'' as the top seller the week of its release.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://psx.ign.com/articles/080/080974p1.html| title = Legend of Mana Tops Sales Charts| date = 2000-06-16| publisher = [[IGN]]| accessdate = 2008-02-12}}</ref> GameSpot commented that despite the game's excellent presentation, it did not match the level of gameplay of its predecessors.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.gamespot.com/ps/rpg/legendofmanathe/review.html?sid=2584020| title = Legend of Mana - Review| date = 2000-06-07| publisher = [[GameSpot]]| author = Vestal, Andrew| accessdate = 2008-02-13}}</ref> Many of the ''World of Mana'' titles have not been as critically successful as the classic series, and though the franchise has been praised for their attempts at trying new ways of experiencing the games fictional world, there have been various gameplay design flaws that have hindered the later games.<ref>{{cite web| author=Bozon, Mark| year=October 31st, 2006| title=Children of Mana| url = http://ds.ign.com/articles/742/742998p1.html| publisher=[[IGN]] | accessdate=2008-02-13}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| author=Haynes, Jeff| year=May 22nd, 2007| title=Dawn of Mana| url = http://ps2.ign.com/articles/790/790909p2.html| publisher=[[IGN]] | accessdate=2008-02-13}}</ref> Prior to the ''World of Mana'' games, [[RPGamer]] called the series a "treasured favorite".<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.rpgamer.com/games/sd/sd4/reviews/sd4strev1.html| title = Legend of Mana - Review| author = Bilyk, Andrew P.| publisher = [[RPGamer]]| accessdate = 2008-02-13}}</ref> After the release of ''Heroes of Mana'', they commented that the ''World of Mana'' series is "cursed", and the future of the series looked "bleak".<ref name="RPGamer-Heroes">{{cite web| url = http://www.rpgamer.com/games/sd/hom/reviews/homstrev01.html| title = Heroes of Mana - Staff Review| author = Athab, Majed| publisher = [[RPGamer]]| accessdate = 2008-02-13}}</ref>


The music of [[Secret of Mana]] and the Mana series in general has received wide acclaim and fan enthusiasm.<ref name= "mana"/> <ref name="IGN Tracks">{{cite web| url = http://music.ign.com/articles/724/724193p1.html| date= August 8th, 2006|title = Top Ten RPG Title Tracks| author = Meghan Sullivan| publisher = [[IGN]]| accessdate = 2008-02-13}}</ref> It was one of the first Official Soundtracks released of a video games music in the United States and thus before fully mainstream interest in [[RPG]]s.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.rpgfan.com/soundtracks/som/index.html | date= January 1st, 2007|title = Secret of Mana OST| author = Damian Thomas| publisher = RPGfan| accessdate = 2008-02-13}}</ref> The Secret of Mana's opening theme was rated at number 7 on [[IGN]]s 10 Ten RPG Title tracks, calling it a "magical title song that captures our hearts".<ref name="IGN Tracks"/> Secret of Mana is also the number 6 most remixed soundtrack on the popular video game music site [[OverClocked ReMix]], with [[Seiken Densetsu 3]] tied at 18.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.ocremix.org/games/?&sort=mixcountasc&offset=500| title = Browsing: Games (530)| author = | publisher = [[OverClocked ReMix]]| accessdate = 2008-02-14}}</ref>
The music of [[Secret of Mana]] and the Mana series in general has received wide acclaim and fan enthusiasm.<ref name= "mana"/> <ref name="IGN Tracks">{{cite web| url = http://music.ign.com/articles/724/724193p1.html| date= August 8th, 2006|title = Top Ten RPG Title Tracks| author = Meghan Sullivan| publisher = [[IGN]]| accessdate = 2008-02-13}}</ref> It was one of the first Official Soundtracks released of a video games music in the United States and thus before fully mainstream interest in [[RPG]]s.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.rpgfan.com/soundtracks/som/index.html | date= January 1st, 2007|title = Secret of Mana OST| author = Damian Thomas| publisher = RPGfan| accessdate = 2008-02-13}}</ref> The Secret of Mana's opening theme was rated at number 7 on [[IGN]]s 10 Ten RPG Title tracks, calling it a "magical title song that captures our hearts".<ref name="IGN Tracks"/> Secret of Mana is also the number 6 most remixed soundtrack on the popular video game music site [[OverClocked ReMix]], with [[Seiken Densetsu 3]] tied at 18.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.ocremix.org/games/?&sort=mixcountasc&offset=500| title = Browsing: Games (530)| author = | publisher = [[OverClocked ReMix]]| accessdate = 2008-02-14}}</ref>

Revision as of 22:34, 14 February 2008

Artwork of the Mana Tree, from Children of Mana

The Mana series, known in Japan as Seiken Densetsu (聖剣伝説, lit. "Holy Sword Legend"), is a console role-playing game series from Square Enix, created by Koichi Ishii. The series is best known for its musical score and its action-based battle system. The action-based battle system is notable, since most other console role-playing games instead use the traditional turn-based style.

The series began as a handheld side story to Square's flagship franchise Final Fantasy, although most Final Fantasy-inspired elements were subsequently dropped, starting with the second installment, Secret of Mana. The Mana games are linked with a common fictional world centered on a world tree and its associated holy sword. Several character designs and creatures reappear frequently.

In 2003, Secret of Mana was rated 78th in IGN's yearly "Top 100 Games of All Time", while Legend of Mana earned enough sales in 2006 to be re-released as part of the Ultimate Hits budget range. In 2003, the series comprised five games; since 2006, it has experienced a revival through the World of Mana campaign, with five new games released in the span of one year. As of 2008, the Mana series comprises eight console games and two mobile games, in addition to four manga and one novelization. All continuities take place within the same timeline, though (as stated in Heroes of Mana) there are several different parallel dimensions in which different plots are set.

Games

Classic series

File:SecretofManalogo.jpg
The logo of Secret of Mana

Seiken Densetsu: Final Fantasy Gaiden, known as Final Fantasy Adventure in North America and Mystic Quest in Europe, is an action role-playing game released by Square in 1991 for the Game Boy. Drawing many stylistic influences from the Final Fantasy series, it differed from it in that it presented real-time, action-oriented battles comparable to The Legend of Zelda, rather than traditional turn-based battles.[1]

Secret of Mana, known in Japan as Seiken Densetsu 2, was released by Square in 1993 for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES). Originally planned for the SNES CD-ROM add-on in development by Nintendo and Sony, the game ended up being altered to fit on a standard cartridge when the add-on project was dropped by Nintendo.[2] The game introduced the Ring Command menu system, which enabled prompt access to features such as items or magic spells.[3] In 2003, the game ranked 78th in IGN's yearly "Top 100 Game of All Time".[4]

Seiken Densetsu 3 was released by Square for the Super Famicom in 1995. Seiken Densetsu 3 introduced a degree of nonlinearity to the series, allowing players to choose at the beginning of the game a party of three members out of a total of six characters. Distinct encounters and endings can be seen depending on the characters selected.[5] It was never released outside of Japan, although an English language fan translation was released by Neill Corlett in 2000.[6]

Legend of Mana, known in Japan as Seiken Densetsu: Legend of Mana, was released by Square in 2000 for the PlayStation. It features a slightly different gameplay than its predecessors. The locations of the game's world are represented on a map by artifacts placed by the player, with different artifact placements allowing him or her to obtain different items. The game features temporary sidekick characters that the player can recruit, breed or build, as well as a weapon and armor creation and tempering system.[7] It has never been released in Europe. It was re-released in Japan in 2006 as a Square Enix Ultimate Hits.[8]

Sword of Mana, known in Japan as Shin'yaku Seiken Densetsu, is a full remake of Final Fantasy Adventure developed by Brownie Brown and released in 2003 for the Game Boy Advance. The features of the original game have been reworked to be brought more in line with the direction the Mana series had taken with the later games.[9]

World of Mana

File:Worldofmanalogo.jpg
The logo of the World of Mana series

The World of Mana series includes three titles; Children of Mana, Dawn of Mana, and Heroes of Mana. Children of Mana, known in Japan as Seiken Densetsu DS: Children of Mana, is a dungeon crawler which was developed by Nex Entertainment and released in 2006-2007 for the Nintendo DS. Dawn of Mana, known in Japan as Seiken Densetsu 4, is a 3D action-adventure game released by Square Enix in 2006-2007 for the PlayStation 2. In the Mana series in-universe timeline, Dawn of Mana is set at the very beginning, while Children of Mana takes place ten years later.[10] Heroes of Mana, known in Japan as Seiken Densetsu: Heroes of Mana, is a tactical role-playing game developed by Brownie Brown and released in 2007 for the Nintendo DS. It is a prequel to Seiken Densetsu 3.[11][12]

The World of Mana series also comprises two Japan-exclusive mobile phone games released in 2006. The first is an enhanced port of Seiken Densetsu: Final Fantasy Gaiden, which features an artistic style closer to the original game than that of Sword of Mana.[13] The second one, Seiken Densetsu: Friends of Mana, is a multiplayer role-playing game released on 18 October, 2006, and is set in a fictional world called Mi'Diel.[14]

Common elements

The Mana series' Ring Command menu (from Seiken Densetsu 3)

A common element of the series is its seamless, real-time battle system. The system was developed by Koichi Ishii and improved upon by Hiromichi Tanaka, out of a desire to create a system different than the one featured in the first few Final Fantasy titles.[15] While action-based, the Mana battle system is intended to be playable even by newcomers as well as veterans.[16] The system is coupled with the distinctive hierarchical "Ring Command" menu system, featured prominently in Secret of Mana and Seiken Densetsu 3, and to a lesser extent in later installments. Each ring is a set of icons with a textual infobox explanation which, upon selection, allow the player to use an item, cast a spell, look up in-game statistics, or change the game's settings. Navigation within a menu is achieved by rotating the ring through the cursor left or right, while switching to a different menu is achieved by pressing the up or down buttons.[3][17] Although not part of the series, the spin-off Secret of Evermore, developed by Square USA, was also built upon the "Ring Command" system.[18]

The Mana series features several recurring characters and beings, including Final Fantasy creatures such as Chocobos in Final Fantasy Adventure and Legend of Mana,[2][19] as well as Moogles in Secret of Mana and as a status ailment in Seiken Densetsu 3 and Sword of Mana.[20][21][22] Watts is a dwarf blacksmith wearing a horned helmet who upgrades the player's weaponry.[23] Usually, an anthropomorphic peddler is found outside of town areas and allows a player to save the game and buy supplies at high prices. This role is played by Neko the Cat in Secret of Mana, and Niccolo the Rabbit in Legend of Mana and Sword of Mana.[24][25][26]

Mana Tree and Sword

The Mana Tree and the Mana Sword (which is called Excalibur in Final Fantasy Adventure's English version) are recurring plot devices which have been featured in every game of the series. The mystical Mana Tree is a source of magic which sustains the balance and nature of the series' world.[27] When this balance is lost, the typical way to restore it is by using the Mana Sword.[28]

Final Fantasy Adventure explains that if the Mana Tree dies, a member of the Mana Family will become the "seed" of a new Tree. A sprout of the Mana Tree is called a Gemma, while protectors of the Tree, who wield the Mana Sword, are called Gemma Knights.[29][30] In Seiken Densetsu 3, a Goddess is said to have turned into the Mana Tree after creating the world with the Mana Sword.[31][32] The Mana Tree is destroyed near the game ending in Final Fantasy Adventure and Secret of Mana, but a character becomes the new Mana Tree in the former game.[29][33]

Elemental Spirits

File:SD3 Elemental Spirits.jpg
The Faerie of Seiken Densetsu 3 surrounded by spirits of the eight types

Elemental Spirits, also called Mana Spirits, are beings who govern the magic elements of the series' world, and are at the core of the games' magic system.[27] Eight types of spirits have appeared in the series since Secret of Mana, and each embodies a different element. Their names are homonyms of mythological beings or phenomena.[34]

The spirits are used as means of reference as to casting magic spells. In Secret of Mana and Seiken Densetsu 3, usage of their power is enabled upon the main characters' meeting with them.[34][35] In Legend of Mana, the spirits serve as factors in the Land Creation System.[36] In Legend of Mana and Sword of Mana, multiple spirits of the same elemental type appear.[36][37]

In terms of storyline, in Seiken Densetsu 3, the spirits are charged to protect the Mana Stones in which the Mana Goddess sealed eight elemental God Beasts.[31][38] In the "World History" encyclopedia featured in Legend of Mana, the spirits are said to have been created by the light of the Mana Goddess' Moon Gods.[39] In Dawn of Mana's North American version, each spirit speaks with a particular European accent, such as French or Scottish.[40]

Rabites

A typical Rabite (from Children of Mana)

Rabites, known as Rabi (ラビ) in the Japanese versions of the games, are fictional, rabbit-like creatures appearing as a common enemy in the series since its beginning. The Rabite has become a sort of mascot for the Mana series, much the same way as the Chocobo represents Final Fantasy, and is one of its most recognizable icons.[41]

The Rabite resembles a bodiless, one-toothed rabbit with large ears that curve upward and form a point at the tip, and a round, puffy pink tail. Rabites move by hopping along the ground. The most often seen variety of Rabites is the yellow, weakest one. Several other varieties exist, each being different from the others in terms of strength and abilities. A pink variety appears in Secret of Mana and as the Rabilion in Seiken Densetsu 3.[42][43] The latter game also features a lilac variety called King Rabi, and a green variety called Great Rabi.[43] In Seiken Densetsu 3, the Black Rabi is a hidden optional superboss, the most powerful enemy in the game.[44]

Legend of Mana features white Rabites simply called "Rabites", although yellow ones are some of the pets that the player can raise and use as a battle partner.[45] Non-enemy Rabites have also appeared in Seiken Densetsu: Friends of Mana, Heroes of Mana, and with the pet Buju in Dawn of Mana.[46][47][48]

Rabites are also mentioned in Final Fantasy X-2 with an accessory comically named "Rabite's Foot", which increases a character's luck statistic.[49] Rabites have appeared prevalently in several pieces of Mana merchandise, including plush dolls, cushions, lighters, mousepads, straps, telephone cards, and T-shirts.[50]

Flammie

File:Flammie.jpg
Characters riding atop Flammie (from Seiken Densetsu 3)

Flammie (sometimes spelled Flammy) is a the name of a fictional species of flying dragons, as well as the proper name of some its members, featured in several games of the series. A Flammie's appearance is a mixture of draconian, mammalian, and reptilian features. Flammies have a body covered in fine fur, with twin pairs of large, feathery wings extending from their upper back, and with a scaly, ribbed underside. They possess a tuft of thick hair at the top of their heads, a pair of long ears, and a beak-like mouth with two large fangs near the back. Their hind legs are larger and thicker than their front, and have four small fleshy pads at the bottom.

Flammies typically serve as a mean of transportation in the game. The player's characters ride on a Flammie's back to different locations in the game's world. Once obtained in the storyline, a Flammie can be summoned at any time with a particular drum item. In Secret of Mana and Seiken Densetsu 3, the Super Nintendo's Mode 7 graphic capabilities allows the player to control a Flammie from either a "behind the back" third-person or top-down perspective, and fly over the landscape as it scrolls beneath them.[51][52] In Children of Mana, the player selects on a world map a number of destinations he or she wishes to fly to with a Flammie.[53]

Secret of Mana suggests that Flammies are related to the colored, more aggressive, flying creatures called Mana Beasts, or God Beasts (神獣, Kami Kemono) in Japanese; one of these creatures serves as the game's final boss.[54] Eight elemental God Beasts also appear in Seiken Densetsu 3, although their appearances differ from Flammies.

Flammies are absent but mentioned in Legend of Mana in the game's "World History" feature. The Flammies are described as "beautiful yet powerful beasts" created by the Moon Gods. While the Flammies featured within the games of the series are depicted as off-white or yellow, Legend of Mana indicates that Fa'Diel was once populated with Flammies of six different colors, a new one being born each time a Moon God went to sleep.[55] After a series of quarrels between the gods' other creatures and the Flammies themselves, the gods divided crystallized portions of energy from the Mana tree and gave it to six Flammies, who scattered their power across the world, becoming a "flying river of Mana" and disappearing altogether.[56]

Music

The Mana series has had several different composers. Final Fantasy Adventure was composed by Kenji Ito; it was his second original score.[57] Ito's music is mainly inspired by images from the game rather than outside influences.[58] The scores for Secret of Mana and Seiken Densetsu 3 were both composed by Hiroki Kikuta. Despite difficulties in dealing with the hardware limitations, Kikuta tried to express, in the music of Secret of Mana, two "contrasting styles", namely himself and the game. This was to create an original score which would be neither pop music nor standard game music.[59] Kikuta worked on the music for the two games mostly by himself, spending nearly 24 hours a day in his office, alternating between composing and editing to create an immersive three-dimensional sound.[60] Kikuta considers the score for Secret of Mana his favorite creation.[61] His compositions for Secret of Mana and Seiken Densetsu 3 were partly inspired by natural landscapes.[62] In 1995, Kikuta released an experimental album of arranged music from the two installments, titled Secret of Mana +, which features one 50-minute long track.[63]

Legend of Mana's score was composed by Yoko Shimomura, and of all her compositions, she considers it the one that best expresses herself.[64] Kenji Ito returned to the series with Sword of Mana. He also composed roughly one third of the Children of Mana soundtrack, while the rest was composed by Masaharu Iwata and Takayuki Aihara. Ito was the main composer for Dawn of Mana, assisted by Tsuyoshi Sekito, Masayoshi Soken, and Junya Nakano, as well as main theme composer Ryuichi Sakamoto.[57] In North America, purchasers of Dawn of Mana from participating retailers were offered a sampler disc, titled Breath of Mana, which features a selection of tracks from the game.[65] Yoko Shimomura returned to the series with Heroes of Mana.[66]

Development

History

File:Emergence of Excalibur.png
The logo of Seiken Densetsu: The Emergence of Excalibur

Square trademarked the title Seiken Densetsu: The Emergence of Excalibur in 1987, intending to use it for a game project led by Kazuhiko Aoki for the Famicom Disk System. According to early advertisements, the game would consist of an unprecedented five floppy disks, making it one of the largest titles developed for the Famicom up until that point. Although Square solicited pre-orders for the game, Kaoru Moriyama, a former Square employee, affirms that management canceled the ambitious project before it advanced beyond the early planning stages. In October 1987, customers who had placed orders were sent a letter informing them of the cancellation and had their purchases refunded. The letter also suggested to consider placing an order on another upcoming Square role-playing game in a similar vein: Final Fantasy.[67]

In 1991, Square reused the Seiken Densetsu trademark for an unrelated Game Boy action role-playing game directed by Koichi Ishii. Originally developed under the title Gemma Knights, the game was renamed Seiken Densetsu: Final Fantasy Gaiden (published in North America as Final Fantasy Adventure and in Europe as Mystic Quest).[67] Beginning with Secret of Mana, Seiken Densetsu subsequently spawned its own series of action role-playing games distinct from Final Fantasy, with four titles released between 1993 and 2003. In 2005, Square Enix announced plans for World of Mana, a new series of titles in the Mana franchise, whose titles would span more video game genres than the original series. As of September 2007, World of Mana comprises five games and one manga. Koichi Ishii has served as director or producer for all Mana games.

Creation and design

The Mana series is the result of Koichi Ishii's desire to create a fictional world. In Ishii's opinion, Mana is not a series of video games, but rather a world which is illustrated by and can be explored through video games.[12] When working on the series, Koichi Ishii draws inspiration, from abstract images from his memories of childhood, as well as movies and fantasy books that captivated him as a child. Ishii takes care to avoid set conventions, and his influences are correspondingly very wide and non-specific. Nonetheless, among his literary influences, he acknowledges Tove Jansson's Moomin, Lewis Carroll's Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, and J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings[68]

While some titles of the World of Mana series do share direct connections with other installments, the games of the series have few concrete links.[11] There is no overall explicit in-game chronological order. Further, according to Koichi Ishii the games do not take place in exactly the same world, and characters or elements who appear in different titles are best considered alternate versions of each other. Instead, the connections between each title are more abstract than story-based, linked only on the karmic level.[68].

Printed adaptations

File:Princess of Mana.jpg
The Princess of Mana front page, depicting the male protagonist

A 5-volume manga based on Legend of Mana was drawn by Shiro Amano and published in Japan by Enterbrain between 2000 and 2002.[69] It features a comedic story about the game's main character, here named Toto. A German version was published by Egmont Manga & Anime in 2003.[70] A collection of 4-panel comic strips, drawn by various authors and titled Sword of Mana Yonkoma Manga Theatre, was published in Japan by Square Enix on 16 January, 2004. It included a questionnaire that, if sent back, allowed participants to win illustrations signed by Koichi Ishii and Shinichi Kameoka, as well as special T-shirts.[71] Enterbrain also published a Sword of Mana manga adaptation in Japan on 25 February, 2004, drawn by a collaboration of authors led by Shiro Amano.[72] Two days later, Square Enix published a 2-volume novelization of Sword of Mana in Japan written by Matsui Oohama.[71] An original manga, named Seiken Densetsu: Princess of Mana, was drawn by Satsuki Yoshino and published in the Japanese magazine Gangan Powered on 22 February, 2007.[73][74]

Reception

Aggregate review scores
Game Metacritic Game Rankings
Final Fantasy Adventure
—
87%[75]
Secret of Mana
—
86%[76]
Seiken Densetsu 3
—
—
Legend of Mana
—
73%[77]
Sword of Mana
72 out of 100[78]
71%[79]
Children of Mana
65 out of 100[80]
67%[81]
Friends of Mana
—
—
Dawn of Mana
57 out of 100[82]
57%[83]
Heroes of Mana
65 out of 100[84]
65%[85]

The Mana series has been overall well received, though each title has seen varied levels of success. Gamespot referred to Secret of Mana as "one of Square's masterpieces on the SNES".[86] The game has appeared on several list of top games.[87][88][89][90] Prominent Japanese gaming publication Famitsu rated Children of Mana 32/40.[91]

The NPD Group ranked Legend of Mana as the top seller the week of its release.[92] GameSpot commented that despite the game's excellent presentation, it did not match the level of gameplay of its predecessors.[93] Many of the World of Mana titles have not been as critically successful as the classic series, and though the franchise has been praised for their attempts at trying new ways of experiencing the games fictional world, there have been various gameplay design flaws that have hindered the later games.[94][95] Prior to the World of Mana games, RPGamer called the series a "treasured favorite".[96] After the release of Heroes of Mana, they commented that the World of Mana series is "cursed", and the future of the series looked "bleak".[97]

The music of Secret of Mana and the Mana series in general has received wide acclaim and fan enthusiasm.[60] [98] It was one of the first Official Soundtracks released of a video games music in the United States and thus before fully mainstream interest in RPGs.[99] The Secret of Mana's opening theme was rated at number 7 on IGNs 10 Ten RPG Title tracks, calling it a "magical title song that captures our hearts".[98] Secret of Mana is also the number 6 most remixed soundtrack on the popular video game music site OverClocked ReMix, with Seiken Densetsu 3 tied at 18.[100]

References

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  56. ^ Square Co. (2000-06-07). Legend of Mana (PlayStation). Level/area: World History Encyclopedia. Dark Clouds - […] But dark clouds came to Fa'Diel, and the Moon Gods created greater beasts, and set them loose upon the land. The Flammies often quarreled, and the cycle of creation and destruction repeated endlessly. / Rebirth - […] Each Moon God chose a Flammy and gave it a stone. The Flammies rode into the sky. They were born of the earth to ride in the sky and return to the earth. They became a flying river of Mana. / The Revelation - The Flammies turned their backs on the Moon Gods and flew into the air. The Moon Gods turned into stars, and the Flammies never came back down. […]
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External links

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