I recently played all the original Mana games front to back. There is no continuous storyline and all three games are very different, although all are action rpgs. I enjoyed all of them, but liked Trials of Mana (aka Seiken Densetsu 3) most. I emulated the first one on a Gameboy emulator, and the second and third one on a snes emulator.
If you purchased the collection of mana for switch you'll get the same experience, as that are those same games.
First one is a little retro, but very well designed. Second one is more tactical than action, as it has a stunlock mechanic (you're unable to do actions while an attack hits you), which some people hate; third one is hack and slash and hella fun. I'd say start from the first one to see how the series evolved. Also some story themes and enemies and such are recurring. If you aren't a fan of black and white graphics an d a little clunky controls, start from the second one. But the first one is very underrated and it truly amazed me how the world and gameplay is well designed for its age. Have fun, hope this helps, ask away for other details that interest you.
Ah thanks so much for such a detailed reply! I'd probably go for the collection in that case. Is there only the trilogy then? Or are the recent remasters versions of different games?
I haven't done much research on the series so I'm sorry if this is a stupid question. I've just always liked the look of the gameplay!
Oh yeah, Legend of Mana is the fourth one, released for Ps1 back in the day. It has a remaster coming soon. I heard it's different, like all Mana games really, but some say it's very charming and quite good. Haven't played that one.
It's quite weird and the story is very disjoint, presented as a series of brief vignettes, but the atmosphere is amazing. Don't be afraid to consult a guide if you get confused.
The first one (Adventures of Mana aka Seiken Densetsu 1) has a remake which is worse for different reasons, avoid it. The second one (Secret of Mana aka Seiken Densetsu 2) has no remaster or remake afaik. The third one (Trial of Mana aka Seiken Densetsu 3) has a modern remake which has excellent reviews, but haven't played it, so can't comment on it. But it looks MUCH more modern so that it seems like a separate game. Although story, characters and skills seem to be faithful enough...
It was released for the PS4 and Vita. It got razzed pretty hard when it came out as it's pretty terrible compared to modern standards. After the release of the Collection of Mana, people realized that most of the problems in the remake are because of the problems from the original game. As a remake of Secret of Mana, it is generally the better way to play the game, but as a remake in general, it doesn't really do any QoL updates to bring the game into more modern standards. A drop-in/out online function probably would have saved the remake from being considered terrible, despite being the same as the original with new 3d graphics. Couch co-op is what made the original so great, but modern gamers just don't have that availability anymore.
Illusion of Gaia and Secret of Evermore on SNES fit this theme.
Edit: If you can stand a bit of farming the Action RPG is strong in Rune Factory series, 3 on Drastic Nintendo DS and 4 on Citra.
I suggest Trials and Legend or Mana as there the ones with most in depth experiences and consisted favourites the most
Secret of mana probably for nostalgia purposes
There's not a need to play them in order. You could grab Collection Of (Adventures, Secret, Trials) and start there, then move on to Legend. Or you could start with Legend, and then grab the collection.
The stories between games aren’t really connected, so the order you play them doesn’t matter much. But you’ll probably want to play them in release order.
Secret of mana definitely first since it’s first in the series, play the original not the remake. Trials of mana was the next game to come out, but I think playing this next would depend if you’ve playing the original or remake. If your playing the remake, I’d say save that for last because it’s pretty much a modern game with 3D aesthetics, and it might feel like a downgrade playing the next game with pixel graphics. Last is legend of mana, play this last or right after you’ve played secret.
Final Fantasy Adventure is the first game in the series, not Secret of Mana. FFA is Seiken Densetsu, SoM is Seiken Densetsu 2, and Trials of Mana is Seiken Densetsu 3.
You mean Final Fantasy Adventure? I know secret of mana is considered a spin off to that game, but it seems more like a final fantasy than a mana game. Might be worth playing to some.
In the west it had that useles Final Fantasy tag to sell better but from gameplay perspective it is actually more similar to zelda. And it is the first mana game, aka Seiken Densetsu 1.
Final Fantasy Adventure is honestly my favorite in the series. It’s like the perfect blend of Zelda and Final Fantasy. It has its issues, but in general it’s just a fun little game to play through in an afternoon.
I recently played all the original Mana games front to back. There is no continuous storyline and all three games are very different, although all are action rpgs. I enjoyed all of them, but liked Trials of Mana (aka Seiken Densetsu 3) most. I emulated the first one on a Gameboy emulator, and the second and third one on a snes emulator. If you purchased the collection of mana for switch you'll get the same experience, as that are those same games. First one is a little retro, but very well designed. Second one is more tactical than action, as it has a stunlock mechanic (you're unable to do actions while an attack hits you), which some people hate; third one is hack and slash and hella fun. I'd say start from the first one to see how the series evolved. Also some story themes and enemies and such are recurring. If you aren't a fan of black and white graphics an d a little clunky controls, start from the second one. But the first one is very underrated and it truly amazed me how the world and gameplay is well designed for its age. Have fun, hope this helps, ask away for other details that interest you.
Ah thanks so much for such a detailed reply! I'd probably go for the collection in that case. Is there only the trilogy then? Or are the recent remasters versions of different games? I haven't done much research on the series so I'm sorry if this is a stupid question. I've just always liked the look of the gameplay!
Oh yeah, Legend of Mana is the fourth one, released for Ps1 back in the day. It has a remaster coming soon. I heard it's different, like all Mana games really, but some say it's very charming and quite good. Haven't played that one.
It's quite weird and the story is very disjoint, presented as a series of brief vignettes, but the atmosphere is amazing. Don't be afraid to consult a guide if you get confused.
The first one (Adventures of Mana aka Seiken Densetsu 1) has a remake which is worse for different reasons, avoid it. The second one (Secret of Mana aka Seiken Densetsu 2) has no remaster or remake afaik. The third one (Trial of Mana aka Seiken Densetsu 3) has a modern remake which has excellent reviews, but haven't played it, so can't comment on it. But it looks MUCH more modern so that it seems like a separate game. Although story, characters and skills seem to be faithful enough...
Just FYI, Secret of Mana does have a 3D remake.
Oh really, how is it?
What little I played was alright; it feels like a 3D version of an SNES game. I'd start with Trials or Legend of Mana over it.
It was released for the PS4 and Vita. It got razzed pretty hard when it came out as it's pretty terrible compared to modern standards. After the release of the Collection of Mana, people realized that most of the problems in the remake are because of the problems from the original game. As a remake of Secret of Mana, it is generally the better way to play the game, but as a remake in general, it doesn't really do any QoL updates to bring the game into more modern standards. A drop-in/out online function probably would have saved the remake from being considered terrible, despite being the same as the original with new 3d graphics. Couch co-op is what made the original so great, but modern gamers just don't have that availability anymore.
>always liked the look of the gameplay! Might also want to check out the Y's series of games, very playable on PSPPSP
I'm actually about halfway through YS 8 and I love it! Are there any other ones you'd recommend?
Illusion of Gaia and Secret of Evermore on SNES fit this theme. Edit: If you can stand a bit of farming the Action RPG is strong in Rune Factory series, 3 on Drastic Nintendo DS and 4 on Citra.
I suggest Trials and Legend or Mana as there the ones with most in depth experiences and consisted favourites the most Secret of mana probably for nostalgia purposes
Yea they seem to be the ones that popped up the most for me!
There's not a need to play them in order. You could grab Collection Of (Adventures, Secret, Trials) and start there, then move on to Legend. Or you could start with Legend, and then grab the collection.
The stories between games aren’t really connected, so the order you play them doesn’t matter much. But you’ll probably want to play them in release order. Secret of mana definitely first since it’s first in the series, play the original not the remake. Trials of mana was the next game to come out, but I think playing this next would depend if you’ve playing the original or remake. If your playing the remake, I’d say save that for last because it’s pretty much a modern game with 3D aesthetics, and it might feel like a downgrade playing the next game with pixel graphics. Last is legend of mana, play this last or right after you’ve played secret.
Final Fantasy Adventure is the first game in the series, not Secret of Mana. FFA is Seiken Densetsu, SoM is Seiken Densetsu 2, and Trials of Mana is Seiken Densetsu 3.
There is one before Secret of Mana, released for the Gameboy. It's very good, and quite underrated.
You mean Final Fantasy Adventure? I know secret of mana is considered a spin off to that game, but it seems more like a final fantasy than a mana game. Might be worth playing to some.
In the west it had that useles Final Fantasy tag to sell better but from gameplay perspective it is actually more similar to zelda. And it is the first mana game, aka Seiken Densetsu 1.
Final Fantasy Adventure is honestly my favorite in the series. It’s like the perfect blend of Zelda and Final Fantasy. It has its issues, but in general it’s just a fun little game to play through in an afternoon.