Secret of Mana Review - Successful graphical update

lyra.roberge (56)in #gaming • 7 years ago (edited)

Secret or Mana is now considered a classic action RPG that is partly responsible for the fact that the RPG genre as we know it today has gained a foothold in Europe. Super Nintendo fans in America were presented a classic after classic while European RPG fans were largely ignored. Secret of Mana has been available for some time for modern mobile platforms and apparently this game has sold well enough to justify a full remake now. The question that you can ask for almost every remake also applies to Secret of Mana again; is this remake worth it or do some games have to stay in the past?

Grandpa tells...

I can not write about Secret of Mana without briefly describing my personal history with the game. When the Internet did not exist yet, as a gamer you had to resort to trade magazines that wrote about the latest releases. The then SquareSoft always had a prominent role in these magazines, because they apparently developed top games that we unfortunately could never play in Europe. That created a mysterious atmosphere around all titles of the company and that was why I bought a converter to play and experience those games. When Secret of Mana was announced for the European market in 1994, I did not have to doubt for a second. Next to Final Fantasy III it became my most played Super Nintendo game.

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The surprisingly in-depth story about the lonely teenage boy who, with his coincidental friends, finally had to rid the world of all evil, remains endearing, even though such a story would now fall under the name JRPG cliché. The combat system was profound but accessible, and on a graphic level the title carried an unrivaled charm and love for the profession. I recently played the game shortly on the mini-SNES and I immediately knew why I had Secret or Mana so high. After more than 20 years, the game feels old-fashioned in some ways, but that does not detract from the qualities of Secret of Mana.

The general problem of remakes

When a company decides to make a remake then they take a risk, depending on the title that the remake receives. You have to understand and know exactly which aspects of the original work and which components may need to be considered for an update. Recent remakes as Shadow of the Colossusare only two generations newer than the platform on which the original title came out, making a remake a little less exciting. This is different for Secret of Mana, because the original title is now almost 25 years old. To modernize a Super Nintendo title to appeal to an audience in 2018? That is only a real remake challenge! The remake of Secret of Mana ultimately turns out not to take any risks and plays it safe on all fronts. The final result is therefore solid, but not very exciting or progressive.

Almost 25 years later

What has changed in this remake? First of all, the graphics have received a 3D treatment. The charm of the original 16-bit sprites decays, but fortunately much care has been taken to realize the characters and the world around it. The original release made maximum use of the available color palette and this remake does the same. It gives Secret of Mana a treacherous childish appearance, while the game has a lot more depth than you initially suspect. With the arrival of a 3D-modeled world, it is now also possible to show cut scenes from a different perspective. It is a matter of taste, but I think the result is a success. Another big change is that the script is now completely voiced by voice actors where you can choose between Japanese and English voice-overs. The English voice-overs miss the board on average, because they fall into stereotyped voices that are not out of place in Saturday morning animated series. That is why I quickly switched to Japanese voice-overs, which have a strong anime content that fits the game well.

The remake contains in addition to the original 16-bit soundtrack also a remixed version that is too bombastic, although that is of course also a matter of taste. The cacophony of wind instruments that all sound together makes you realize how good the original 16-bit soundtrack really was. In addition to these changes, there are smaller changes that make the experience a bit smoother. So you can now choose to show a (retro!) Map of your location in the top right corner of your screen, a welcome addition. Items or spells that you often use can now be assigned to two keyboard shortcuts, which is also handy because the original 'ring menu' works less well than in the original, but more about that.

Missed opportunities

Secret of Mana was a special title at the time, not in the first place because it was one of the few RPGs that you could play at the same time. Fortunately, this option is retained (provided you have arrived at the point in the story that you have the three main characters available), but at the same time you wonder why this option has not been expanded with an online component. In 2018 that would be a reason to revive an old title or franchise and it is a missed opportunity in our opinion. The combat system has also been kicked over because of the transition to 3D, but the result is not without drawbacks. Because characters can now attack in all directions, the result is that your enemies can do that too.

Mistakes are punished mercilessly and if you take the lead it is back to your last save. You can therefore forget Quicksaven and download. This makes you play more carefully than in the original and it turns out that a 'hit and run' tactic gives you the most. Enemies also act when you leave a room and go back inside - a classic feature of Super Nintendo RPGs from the 90s. That may be a conscious choice, but it may as well be attributed to laziness on the part of Square Enix. What is also completely identical to the original is the stupidity of your partners when you play alone. It often happens that they stay behind a rock or that they rashly choose the attack while they are about to die.

The ring menu in 2018

Secret of Mana still uses the so-called ring menu in this remake. You can call up the ring menu per character and from this ring menu you select your weapons and other equipment, but you also select all the spells that you use in combat. With the square you select the ring menu of your main character and with the triangle you select the ring menu of your companions. In this remake it is not always clear in which ring menu you are - in the original the ring was shown for the character to which the ring related. This could easily be solved by showing a picture of the character for which you are changing things, but that is not the case.

In the original, your last choice in the ring menu was also remembered, now that is not the case. So it is a little annoying when you have to cast the same spell every time in a fight, because then you will continuously roam through the same submenus. Practically is different. Despite all the criticisms mentioned, Secret of Mana is still a wonderful light-footed RPG to play and especially if you have warm, nostalgic feelings about the original. Objectively (without the nostalgic glasses) it is an excellent title - mainly because the original was also - of which the asking price in our opinion is still a bit too heavy.

Conclusion

With this remake, Square Enix chooses the most secure path and the result is a solid update of a Super Nintendo game that came out almost 25 years ago. No risk was taken to modernize this classic and that is a shame, because with a number of relatively simple changes, Secret of Mana would also be an indispensable RPG in 2018. Where the graphical update is successful, the new soundtrack (including voice-acting) is somewhat disappointing, as is the lack of an online component. Secret of Mana remains a dike of a game because the original was. If you wear the original close to your heart, you will enjoy this remake with nostalgic feelings, even if the remake has some shortcomings. If you have never played the original, the asking price of € 39.