Sword of Mana
Encyclopedia
is an enhanced remake
of the original Game Boy game Seiken Densetsu, which was released as Final Fantasy Adventure
in North America and Mystic Quest in Europe. This remake was released on the Game Boy Advance
in 2003.
was replaced by cannon travel). One notable exception to this are moogles, which do appear in the game. Sword of Mana was made to resemble the graphical style of Seiken Densetsu 3
, but the artwork rather resembles that of Legend of Mana
.
The ring system from Secret of Mana
is featured once again, allowing players to choose various options on the field screen. The day-and-night system introduced in Seiken Densetsu 3 also makes a return. Much like Legend of Mana, players can forge weapons, plant produce in an orchard, and read recorded events in the game's "Hot House" feature.
Both characters get a variety of sidekicks who accompany them throughout the game. These characters may be used by the player in battle or allowed to run through somewhat-configurable artificial intelligence
(AI). These sidekicks are key characters of the story and often contribute significantly to character development.
option, the Sword of Mana does contain the "Amigo" system, which utilizes the Game Boy Advance Link Cable to connect two players' savings together. This allows swapping of partner characters and magic cards used to summon the Mana Wisdoms. As the game's box information does not reflect this, a number of potential buyers were left confused.
was released, packaged with Sword of Mana and a carrying case. Those who purchased the game's soundtrack and strategy guide between August 27 and September 30, 2003, were given the opportunity to win a Cactus character cushion and a cellphone strap.
In 2004, Sword of Mana was adapted into manga
form by author Shiro Amano
and published by Enterbrain
. Two novels based on the game were also published by Enterbrain.
The game's music was composed by Kenji Ito
, building on his previous score for Seiken Densetsu: Final Fantasy Gaiden. Some of the 47 tracks were reworked versions of the previous game's songs, while others were entirely new. The soundtrack, Shinyaku Seiken Densetsu: Sword of Mana Premium Soundtrack, was released on August 27, 2003. The first edition included a bonus disc containing a single track.
and Metacritic
.
Enhanced remake
A video game remake is a game closely adapted from an earlier title, usually for the purpose of modernizing a game for newer hardware and contemporary audiences. Typically, a remake shares essentially the same title, fundamental gameplay concepts, and story elements of the original game...
of the original Game Boy game Seiken Densetsu, which was released as Final Fantasy Adventure
Final Fantasy Adventure
Final Fantasy Adventure, known as Mystic Quest in Europe and as in Japan, is a Final Fantasy spinoff and the first game in the Mana series. Published by Square in 1991 on the original Game Boy, it later saw a North American re-release by Sunsoft in April 1998...
in North America and Mystic Quest in Europe. This remake was released on the Game Boy Advance
Game Boy Advance
The is a 32-bit handheld video game console developed, manufactured, and marketed by Nintendo. It is the successor to the Game Boy Color. It was released in Japan on March 21, 2001; in North America on June 11, 2001; in Australia and Europe on June 22, 2001; and in the People's Republic of China...
in 2003.
Gameplay
At the beginning of the game, the player is able to choose to play as the male lead or as the female lead, both of whom are named by the player. They each have a different quest, but their plots remain similar. Notably, the remake adapted many elements from the original game, which had their origin in Final Fantasy, and favored elements traditional to Mana games (for example, the chocoboChocobo
A is a fictional creature from the Final Fantasy video game series. The creature is a large and normally flightless galliforme/ratite bird capable of being ridden and otherwise used by player characters during gameplay...
was replaced by cannon travel). One notable exception to this are moogles, which do appear in the game. Sword of Mana was made to resemble the graphical style of Seiken Densetsu 3
Seiken Densetsu 3
is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square for Nintendo's Super Famicom as a part of the Mana series.The game features three lengthy main plotlines, six different characters, each with their own storylines, and a wide range of classes to choose from, which provides each...
, but the artwork rather resembles that of Legend of Mana
Legend of Mana
Legend of Mana, known in Japan as , is the fourth game in the Mana series. The game was released for the PlayStation in Japan on July 15, 1999 and in North America on June 7, 2000, with a delayed release in Canada...
.
The ring system from Secret of Mana
Secret of Mana
Secret of Mana is an action role-playing game for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System developed and published by Square in 1993. The game was re-released for the Wii's Virtual Console in 2008, and was ported to Japanese mobile phones in 2009...
is featured once again, allowing players to choose various options on the field screen. The day-and-night system introduced in Seiken Densetsu 3 also makes a return. Much like Legend of Mana, players can forge weapons, plant produce in an orchard, and read recorded events in the game's "Hot House" feature.
Combat
Sword of Mana uses a real-time combat system somewhat similar to that of The Legend of Zelda. There are different times of day in which only certain monsters appear. Several weapons, such as swords, axes, spears, etc., are acquired throughout the game. Each weapon has an attack trait of either jabbing, bashing, or slashing. These attack traits help to determine damage done to enemies throughout the game. In addition to this, a deathblow gauge is included which, when full, allows a more powerful strike than normal attacks. A magical attack system is included as well, with elements such as light, fire, earth, etc., each affecting enemies in different ways. The form each spell takes and the area it can hit varies depending on what weapon the player has equipped; for instance, the sword produces a spike directly in front of the character, and the bow produces an arc like that of an arrow.Both characters get a variety of sidekicks who accompany them throughout the game. These characters may be used by the player in battle or allowed to run through somewhat-configurable artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
(AI). These sidekicks are key characters of the story and often contribute significantly to character development.
Game Boy Advance connectivity
Although the game does not feature a formal multiplayerMultiplayer game
A multiplayer video game is one which more than one person can play in the same game environment at the same time. Unlike most other games, computer and video games are often single-player activities that put the player against preprogrammed challenges and/or AI-controlled opponents, which often...
option, the Sword of Mana does contain the "Amigo" system, which utilizes the Game Boy Advance Link Cable to connect two players' savings together. This allows swapping of partner characters and magic cards used to summon the Mana Wisdoms. As the game's box information does not reflect this, a number of potential buyers were left confused.
Merchandise
In Japan, a special edition "Mana Blue"-colored Game Boy Advance SPGame Boy Advance SP
The , released in February 2003, is an upgraded version of Nintendo's Game Boy Advance. The "SP" in Game Boy Advance SP stands for Special. The SP was marketed at US$99.99 at launch. In September 2004, Nintendo lowered the price to US$79.99...
was released, packaged with Sword of Mana and a carrying case. Those who purchased the game's soundtrack and strategy guide between August 27 and September 30, 2003, were given the opportunity to win a Cactus character cushion and a cellphone strap.
In 2004, Sword of Mana was adapted into manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
form by author Shiro Amano
Shiro Amano
is a Japanese manga artist who has worked on several projects, including his adaptation on the popular Kingdom Hearts series.-Manga:* Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories* Kingdom Hearts II* Kingdom Hearts: 358/2 Days* Legend of Mana...
and published by Enterbrain
Enterbrain
is a Japanese magazine publisher established on April 1, 2000. Enterbrain magazines are generally focused on video games and computer entertainment as well as video game and strategy guides. In addition, the company publishes a small selection of anime artbooks. Enterbrain is based in Tokyo, Japan...
. Two novels based on the game were also published by Enterbrain.
The game's music was composed by Kenji Ito
Kenji Ito
, also known by the nickname , is a Japanese video game composer and musician. He is best known for his work on the Mana and SaGa series, though he has worked on over 30 video games throughout his career as well as composed or arranged music for over 15 other albums, concerts, and plays...
, building on his previous score for Seiken Densetsu: Final Fantasy Gaiden. Some of the 47 tracks were reworked versions of the previous game's songs, while others were entirely new. The soundtrack, Shinyaku Seiken Densetsu: Sword of Mana Premium Soundtrack, was released on August 27, 2003. The first edition included a bonus disc containing a single track.
| Shinyaku Seiken Densetsu - Sword of Mana Premium Soundtrack tracklist | ||
|---|---|---|
Disc 1 (01:09:51)
|
Disc 2 (31:01)
|
Bonus Disc (01:59)
|
Reception
On the day of its Japanese release, Sword of Mana sold 87,491 copies, nearly one third of its initial shipment. It ended up as the 39th top-selling game of 2003 at nearly 278,000 units sold in Japan alone. It received fairly mediocre reviews upon its release, holding a 72 out of 100 on both Game RankingsGame Rankings
GameRankings is a website that collects review scores from both offline and online sources to give an average rating. It indexes over 315,000 articles relating to more than 14,500 games.GameRankings is owned by CBS Interactive...
and Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
.