Secret of Mana

Secret of Mana
North American SNES box art
Developer(s)Square
Publisher(s)Square
Square Enix (mobile)
Director(s)Koichi Ishii
Producer(s)Hiromichi Tanaka
Designer(s)
  • Koichi Ishii
  • Hiromichi Tanaka
Programmer(s)Nasir Gebelli
Artist(s)Shinichi Kameoka
Hiroo Isono
Writer(s)Hiromichi Tanaka
Composer(s)Hiroki Kikuta
SeriesMana
Platform(s)Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Mobile phone, iOS, Android
Release
August 6, 1993
  • Super NES
    • JP: August 6, 1993
    • NA: October 14, 1993
    • PAL: November 25, 1994[1]
    Mobile
    • JP: October 26, 2009
    iOS
    • WW: December 21, 2010
    Android
    • WW: October 30, 2014
Genre(s)Action role-playing
Mode(s)Single-player, multiplayer

Secret of Mana, originally released in Japan as Seiken Densetsu 2,[a] is a 1993 action role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the sequel to the 1991 game Seiken Densetsu, released in North America as Final Fantasy Adventure and in Europe as Mystic Quest, and it was the first Seiken Densetsu title to be marketed as part of the Mana series rather than the Final Fantasy series. Set in a high fantasy universe, the game follows three heroes as they attempt to prevent an empire from conquering the world with the power of an ancient flying fortress.

Rather than using a turn-based battle system like contemporaneous role-playing games, Secret of Mana features real-time battles with a power bar mechanic. The game has a unique Ring Command menu system, which pauses the action and allows the player to make decisions in the middle of battle. An innovative cooperative multiplayer system allows a second or third player to drop in and out of the game at any time. Secret of Mana was directed and designed by Koichi Ishii, programmed primarily by Nasir Gebelli, and produced by veteran Square designer Hiromichi Tanaka.

The game received acclaim for its brightly colored graphics, expansive plot, Ring Command menu system, and innovative real-time battle system. Critics also praised Hiroki Kikuta's soundtrack and the customizable artificial intelligence (AI) settings for computer-controlled allies. Retrospectively, it has been considered one of the greatest games of all time by critics.

The original version was released for the Wii's Virtual Console in Japan by Square's successor Square Enix in September 2008, and for the Wii U's Virtual Console in June 2013. The game was ported to mobile phones in Japan in 2009, and an enhanced port of the game was released for iOS in 2010 and Android in 2014. It was included in the Collection of Mana release for the Nintendo Switch in Japan in June 2017 and North America in June 2019. Nintendo also re-released Secret of Mana in September 2017 as part of the company's Super NES Classic Edition. A full 3D remake was released for the PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita and Windows in February 2018.

  1. ^ "Nintendo pledges hot new titles on the way soon". Grimsby Evening Telegraph. November 14, 1994. p. 21. Retrieved November 26, 2023. November 25 will be the launch day...The same day also sees Secret of Mana brought out for SNES.


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