There have been some cool things revealed at the 2023 Game Awards. As you might have seen, I've written about some of them. But I'm here to tell you all that a new game in the Mana seri??es has been revealed, ??and it practically made me jump out of my chair.

Visions of Mana is a brand new entry in the Mana series, which to this point has mostly survived off remakes and a failed gacha game. This new game, from the little we've seen so far, looks like everything I'd want in a new Mana game. There's some flashy Action-RPG combat, a world full of whimsy and magic, and what looks like a variety of spells courtesy of some familiars. It's all huge Secret of Mana vibes and I am here for it.

While the Mana series has struggled in the past, I can't help but have high hopes for this one. Some may remember that Secret of Mana was one of my picks for the best SNES games ever, and I'd love to see this series get a modern twist on that classic charm I loved so much in my younger years. Anythi?ng can happen, of course. We only have a small trailer to analyze, after all. But my fingers are very crossed fo?r this one.

Visions of Mana will release in 2024. Stay tuned as we learn more about Visions of Mana.

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Yet another nostalgia-tinged mobile title bites the dust

Square Enix has announced that it will be shutting down service for mobile RPG Echoes of Mana �The free-to?-play RPG, which launched? in April 2022, will hit the lights on May 15, 2023, just a pip over 12 months on from its initial launch.

"We regret to announce we have made the difficult decision to discontinue the Echoes of Mana app service," reads a statement posted to the official website. "From the Echoes of Mana Production Team, we apologize for the abrupt announcement but are sincerely grateful for the support we’ve ??received from our players."

"Since Echoes of Mana‘s launch on April 27, 2022, we’ve strived to provide an incredible and enjoyable gaming experience for our players every day that could exceed the day before. However, we’ve come to the conclusion that it would be difficult to continue maintaining the app experience, and to therefore end the app service. Our remaining time together may be short, but we hope to see you in Echoes of Mana still as we continue to bring exciting content ??and updates that you’re sure to enjoy."

As of today, players can no longer purchase "Spirit Crystals" and are encouraged to spend all that they currently have in their inventory ahead of the title'??s closure in May.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhTkT9ViGP8&ab_channel=Squa??reEnix

Echoes of Mana is the latest in a myriad of free-to-play, live-service, or gacha titles to abruptly announce coming closures �with many of the affected titles only 12 months or so into their lifespan. The past year has seen similar announcements for a slew of mobile and console RPGs and action games, including Apex Le?gends Mobile, Cross?fire X, Battlefield Mobile, Final Fantasy: The First Soldier, Knockout City, the GO strategy series, Dragalia Lost, Sakura Wars, Tales of Crestoria, Tales of Luminaria, and The Witcher: Monster Slayer.

As previously noted, one would be wise to think on before investing their time, money, and emotions into these endeavors, as more and more titles have seen the plug abruptly pulled on their services. And, in some cases, regardless of whether the rel??ease has proven profitable or otherwise.

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Mind Your Manas

It's been 30 years since the debut of the beautiful and classy Seiken Densetsu series, better known in the west as the Mana series. That's three decades of colorful fantasy, whimsy, and wonder. And while not all of the series myriad entries have been stellar, the series has had its fair share of stone-cold classics. Publisher Square Enix is getting set to celebrate the Mana seri??es upcoming anniversary with a spe??cial Japanese live stream, scheduled to take place this weekend.

Hosted by Mana series producer Sho Oyamada, Eleki Comic's Susumu Imadachi, and series creator Koichi Isshi, the live stream will chart the long and storied history of this beloved franchise. From 1991 Game Boy release Final Fantasy Adventure, through the brilliant 1993 SNES release, Secret of Mana, the 2006 PS2 entry Dawn of Mana, and numerous spin-offs, the stream will re-tread the lengthy journey that has lead fans to new release Legend of Mana, which launches this very week.

The stream is scheduled to last around three hours and will kick off Sunday, June 27, at 20:00 JST on the official Square Enix Japan YouTube channel. Of course, both time and language will provide something of a barrier to western fans, which is a shame, but we'll be sure to let you know if there is any pertinent news or other info that comes out of this celebratory event. In the meantime, Legend of Mana la?unches June 24 on PS4, PC, and Nintendo Switch.

//tw??itter.com/Seiken_PR/status?/1406887740747124736?s=20

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Benevodo or Benevodon't

Remakes, no matter their quality, are always a tricky business. How much of an old game's ideas or mechanics do you preserve? What do you update, reinvent, keep as-is, or?? discard outright from an old game that won't betray its essence, or rile up its fans, while still making it appealing to people new to the experience? After all, the stated purpose of? most remake projects is to bring that old experience to new people.

I'm one of those "new people." As I mentioned in my initial impressions of Trials of Mana, I have effectively no experience with Secret of Mana or its SNES-era sequels, knowing them on?ly as Squaresoft games considered by many to be timeless classics.

Now that I'm done with it, the question remains: How did Square Enix's attempt to bring the legendary Seiken Densetsu 3 to modern platforms and contemporary audiences (read: people like me) work out? Does Trials of Mana pass its own trial?

Trials of Mana (PS4 [Reviewed on a PS4 Pro], PC, Nintendo Switch)
Developer: Square Enix
Publisher: Square Enix
Released: April 24, 2020
MSRP: $49.99

It took me a few hours to finally notice it, but a? little bit after I complained about the NPC AI in the previous piece, I noticed the "Strategy" tab in the options menu. That tab allowed me to modify the whole party's behavior, including sliders that adjusted how often they'd use magic, healing items, and special moves. That made my party - Altenish mage Angela, hot-blooded fighter Duran, and polite Amazon Rieze - much more survivable in most situations - though I still had to flip back and forth between characters sometimes to ensure they'd stay out of the boss monsters' danger zones.

The zones are emblematic of where Trials of Mana's upgrades work best - its snazzy new action combat system. With simple, snappy combos, instant dodge-rolls, and quick access to special moves mapped to the shoulder and face buttons, Trials of Mana's combat feels responsive and breezy. In standard battles, things move quickly, with characters doing a good amount of damage (provided they're in the right level range) and the system rewarding more experience points and cash for ending fights quickly. Boss battles merge this lightweight character action with MMO-style raid logic that hinges on keeping party members safe from the dreaded red circles and rectangles?? while maintaining the presence of mind to exploit elemental weaknesses and keep everyone healthy.

Undergirding all this is a simple, but well-tuned progression system based on customization and classes. As with the older game, all six playable characters in Trials of Mana have a specific class. Leveling up past a certain threshold unlocks two mo??re upgradeable classes, each with a different play style.

For example, upgrading Duran to a Knight gives him the ability to equip shields for a defensive stat boost and adds a healing spell to his move list, but opting instead for the Gladiator ups his damage output and unlocks spells that ??add elemental damage to his normal attacks. These upgrades are further gated by allocating Training Points earned by leveling up. Further class upgrades are influenced both by the previous choices - choosing one class ??locks you into a different set of choices unless you reset your progression with a special item - and the acquisition of certain items.

All this allows for a healthy amount of customization even within the relatively static classes themselves, as well as for a satisfying sense of min-max power growth. By the end of the game my work had paid off handsomely. Angela was a magical powerhouse, basically capable of spamming high-power spells non-stop, and never worrying about running out ?of MP. With Duran healing her and Rieze buffing her stats, I could make short work of almost anything that wasn't expressly immune to magical attack, even bosses. 

As satisfying as the combat in Trials of Mana feels, though, the narrative hasn't quite held up as well in my jaded eyes. I'm old and have played a lot of games, so my preferences have shifted away from Trials' earnestly straightforward tale of good guys saving the world from bad guys. On the one hand, not every game - or remake of a game - needs to be "in dialogue" with itself and the world at large. On the other hand, game narratives still need something, and by my lights Trials of Mana lacks the strong, endearing characterization t?hat makes a game stick out in the mind, especially this distant from its initial influence or the nostalgia o??f childhood memory. ;

It doesn't help that the good bits are straight-up missable, or have unfortunate rough edges. Choosing the wrong party combination can result in a strange, disjointed narrative experience, as plotlines get resolved and quest steps move forward without clear transitions or connections between the characters. The English localization, particularly the dub, also doesn't do itself any favors. I can't pretend to know the circumstances affecting the production, but in spots, Trials of Mana's localization feels like a case where not having it at all might have been a better choice. Some voiceovers feel like they were recorded off a Skype call, with odd volume normalization. Other choices, like writing all of Charlotte's lines in a baby-talk-like effect, make characters almost intolerable. The Japanese dub, while not amazing in and?? of itself, is at least more consistent, and features voice act??ors anime fans may recognize.

The story also loses narrative steam about two-thirds of the way through. It throws players into what amounts to a lengthy boss rush, followed by a less interesting boss rush inside a dungeon. Lastly, the additional content added for the remake is also somewhat awkwardly implemented, coming across like a DLC pack intended for post-launch release folded into the main game. Accessing it requires a completion of the main story, but loading it up teleports players to just before the final dungeon, saddling players with a 2-3 hour side quest and a single long dungeon, culminating in a large boss fight that has little in the way of narrative substance, and no impact on the narrative beyond adding a few fun wrinkles of character development to the leads. The new classes are at least powerful, though, and the character models look good, so it's worth playing if you're? having fun with the combat. 

Ultimately, remaking old games can be tough, but at a base level, the goal is pretty simple: To bring the best bits of an old game to life in a way that a new audience can appreciate. Trials of Mana accomplishes this goal handily. In a sense, it's an ideal remake, holding tight to the core of what made the original game (and the Mana series as a?? whole) so compelling to s??o many people at the time, while bringing a novelty and freshness to attract neophytes like yours truly.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the g?ame provided by th??e publisher.]}

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PS Vita and PC versions to follow soon

Square Enix have released a patch which updates retro-remake Secret of Mana to Version 1.02. The patch has gone l??ive on PS4 already, with the same fixes being pushed through the game's other forma?ts at an undisclosed date.

Listed below are the changes implemented in the cute, sword-an??d-sorcery adventur?e:

• Reduced the frequency of application errors

• Fixed an error in which characters transition to a blacked-out screen

• Fixed an error in which the character’s color changes

• Fixed an error in which half of the screen goes dark

• Fixed an error in which party members revived at zero HP

• Fixed an error in which conversations would not finish on certain maps

• Fixed an error in which players slipped through floors on maps that are two floors

• Fixed an error that stops enemy movement when using a combination of attacks and magic

• Fixed bow and arrow behaviour in battles against some monsters

• Added a guide display for the switch button on the Ring Command screen

• Added an icon for the character currently using a ring on the Ring Command screen

• Added an item effect display for Item Rings and the Ring Command screen

Secret of Mana is available now on PS4, PC and PS Vita.

Secret of Mana Version 1.02 [Official / Gematsu]

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Lift me up, Flammie

Secret of Mana memories have been popping up like daises and inserting themselves into my life. I have so many memories of replaying this classic, fr?om solo runs to two-player marathons at my friend's beach house, to full-on three-player parties with the SNES Multitap.

Just recently it also came back in a big way on the SNES Classic system, and now, in 3D-remake form on several modern systems. The ability to compare both takes almost simultaneously has been enlightening, and allows? for a lot of the flaws of the 3D version to shine through.

Secret of Mana (PC, PS4 [reviewed], Vita) 
Developer: Square Enix 
Publisher: Square Enix 
Released: February 15, 2018 
MSRP: $39.99

Secret of Mana's 2018 remake makes a hell of an impact after the start screen. Beautiful art engulfs players right away, coupled with a full-on voiceover na??rration (available with dual audio if you wish). It's the kin??d of thing I'll occasionally re-watch on YouTube, if not only for the incredible soundtrack -- it's short, but powerful.

Then the wonky 3D art comes into play. It's not as ugly as the screens look, but it's not great either. The timeless soundtrack, which has been mostly re-created masks it a bit, but I'm not a fan of the close-up camera when everything looks so massive. Mana's voice performances also run the ??entire gamut of quality, so if you just want consistency I'd just sta??rt with Japanese.

There's a lot of missed opportunity with this new style. The team could have really improved some?? of the old animations for one. Take whipping across a gap for instance -- the party could have cutely held onto one another to fling across in unison, but it's more janky looking than the original. It's a bit of give and take, but some of the story beats are a little more poignant with voice acting. Aesthetics aside it's crazy how similar the remake is. Most of the story beats, locales, and bosses are exactly the same as you remember. If you're new, you'll probably start forging your own memories in your first playthrough of this beloved classic, albeit with some less impactful character designs.

Combat is mostly the same, but the 3D style clunks things up a bit. Many enemies seem to have less precise hitboxes, and it's not always apparent that someone is being affected by a magical spell (I loved the old visual sheen indicators that made it obvious). But the simplistic nature of one melee character and t?wo spellcasters in an iconic three-person party still works. Seeing that "critical hit" prompt pop up is satisfying. Trigger shortcuts are a nice touch as they prevent extreme menu management, though they're limited enough where you're still going to be digging into them a lot. The menus are a bit worse though, as they don't have the memory of the last selection built in -- especially annoying when you're spamming cure in a damage-heavy battle.

Because it runs on the same skeleton as the original, its dungeon designs are still sound. A retro-style map in the top right hand corner is annoying at first, but is something you get used to -- not to mention it's aesthetically pleasing, practical, and a nice little homage to the original. Most of the terra firma is intact. That old school feeling where you explore a dungeon for an hour and finally find that false wall you missed. Or the aimless wandering...oh how I love that there isn't a flashing breadcrumb trail or giant blinking mini-map icon. And those feelings when you fin?d a new item tier at an advanced item shop, or revisit an area and absolutely destroy it because of your newfound upgrades...priceless. A much easier drop-in, drop-out co-op system (which works great on PS4) is an upgrade if you're going in with friends.

My main problem is that several of the areas are now lifeless where they were once lush hotspots teeming with character. The 3D effect cheapens a few of the big reveals, especially bosses that were originally presented with gorgeous spritework with grand entrances. I wish most of the work that went into adding in the extensive voicework and extra inn banter scenes was spent elsewhere polishing up the loo??k. I mean just gaze at the art at the very top of this review -- it's incredible! I wish the remake was anywhere near that breathtaking.

You may as well just play the SNES version, even if it's the first time you're ever picking up a Mana game: the original spritework is able to pick up the slack of a few of its inherent shortcomings, which are only exasperated by the swap to 3D. Secret of Mana is a fighter -- it's ??going to take more than a few flaws to take it down.

_{[This review is based on a retail build of the game provided by the publisher.]}

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The usual story

Since the Secret of Mana remake ??was first announced last year, many fans have been asking whether the new version of the 1993 SNES classic would see a Switch port, given the game's retro stylings and Nintendo origin.

Secret of Mana Producer Masaru Oyamada addressed the fan-request in a recent interview with US Gamer. Oyamada gave the often-heard story that when development began on the ?title, no-one even knew Nintendo Switch was a thing.

"To kind of give background in terms of when the project started... the Switch hadn’t been announced," said Oyamada. "Once we had announced this title, we were very surprised to see th??e amount of demand and feedback we received for a potential Switch version."

Oyamada would go on to state that Square Enix are definitely looking into the possibilities of a Switch release for the title down the line. In the same interview, Oyamada also touched upon fan callings for the localisation of Seiken Densetsu Collection, once again stating that the company was listening to th??e demand and looking into the possibilities.

Secret of Mana launches February 15 on PC, PS4 and PS Vita.

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GameStop exclusive in the United States

Square Enix has announced that the upcoming Secret of Mana remake for PlayStation 4 will be receiving a limited physical release in the U??.S and Canada.

You can grab the physical copy at GameStop in the United States, EB Games in Canada, and any participating retailer in Latin America. You can pr??e-order now to receive the "Moogle Suit" costume for Randi, Primm, and Popoi, the "Tiger Two-Piece" for Primm, and the "Tiger Suit" for Randi and Popoi.

Secret of Mana will launch on PS4, PS V??ita a??nd PC on February 15, 2018.

Secret of Mana PS4 physical edition announced for the West [ResetEra]

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Fortresses and Flamingos

Square Enix have released the intro movie to the Secret of Mana remake, coming to Sony con?soles and PC at the start of 2018.

The two minute clip spins a yarn about the legendary Mana Fortress, created out of the life-force of the planet, in order to hold dominion over man. This angered the Gods who sent down beasts and monsters, in order to punish the wor?ld for its greed and avarice.

I think it's quite pretty, I like the classic comic-book style and the pastel colours. The narration isn't too bad either. The English dub of the game appears to be the only real sticking point so far for some fans, but hopefully there will be a language option for thos?e who'd rather not experience it.

Secret of Mana launches worldwide on P??S4, PS Vita and PC on February 15, 2018.

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From composer Norihiko Hibino

_{[Disclosure: Scarlet Moon Productions' Jayson Napolitano used to write for Destructoid.]}

Secret of Mana is one of those games that really means a lot to me. It wasn't just because I had so much fun with the co-op function with a good friend of mine, but everything about it was j??ust beautiful and memorable -- from the character designs to the soundtrack.

Scarlet Moon Productions has a new album coming out titled Prescription for Sleep: Lullabies of Mana, and it features Metal Gear Solid/Bayonetta series composer Norihiko Hibino on saxophone and PersonaQ/Etrian Odyssey pianist AYAKI, so you know it's legit.

Destructoid has an exclusive track to share with you all -- it's called "The Thick of It," and it's one of my favorite songs from the SNES original. You can listen to it freely here or below, and purchase it here.

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As bosses

Ok, so I kind of want to try Rise of Mana now, despite the fact that it looks like a cheap mobile knockoff. Evidently as part of a special event with the Vita version of the game in Japan, the original Secret of Mana trio (boy, girl, and sprite) make an appearance, as bosses no less. You'll also have the power to possibly recruit them on your? team using the shop.

After July 22, the quest will ??be gone. Yeah, I need t?o change my Vita's region again.

Secret Of Mana’s Heroe??s Show Up In Vita’s Rise Of Mana As Guest Bosses [Siliconera]

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Deadman?s Cross, too!

Square Enix has revealed plans to bring Rise of Mana to PlayStation Vita. 

The latest entry in the long-running Mana series, Rise of Mana is a free-to-play action role-playing game that first burst onto iOS and Android devices earlier this year. Now it's?? set to make the jump to Vita this winter i?n Japan.

Square Enix has not yet announced ?a localiza?tion for other markets.

The publisher will also port Deadman's Cross to Vita this winter. The zombie-themed? card battle shooter launched on mobil??????????????????????????e devices in North America and Europe last year.

「東京ゲームショウ2014」特設サイトオープン！[Square Enix]

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Another classic RPG headed to mobile devices

Hankering for some Secret of Mana action but prefer to relegate your RPG sessions to mobile devices these days? You'll be happy to hear that the classic role-playing adventure Secret of Mana is releasing for Android devices this fall.

But you don't have to wait until fall to play ??if you're a card-carrying iOS user. If you're looking for an iOS game? to blow some cash on right now, Square Enix has lowered the price from $8.99 to $3.99 until August 10.

I highly recommend giving Secret of Mana a trial run, especially?? if you're an old-school JRPG fan looking for your next fix. It's an excellent series that you'll no doubt enjoy, and i??ts mobile port is one of the few that doesn't completely ruin the experience. 'Sgood.

Secre?t of Mana Discounted, Coming To And??roid This Fall [Siliconera]

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