Secret of Mana Love Thread

[Hugh Jass]

ok, I guess it's no big secret I am an absolute RPG junkie, albeit a recent convert. I've been playing old school SNES games on my droid for almost 2 years now.

Secret of Mana is so awesome in so many ways.

Graphics: great. Colorful, pretty detailed, a visual orgasm in the last level for sure.

Animation: kinda crappy, but not a big deal

story: pretty good. magic sword, mandate to save the word. pretty typical. Thank god there are no 19 year old rocks stars who fight by playing guitar like I found in Chrono Cross. Ugh. Crono Trigger was pretty damn good. So disappointed in Chrono Cross.

Combat: one of the best parts of the gameplay. Love it. even plays well on a droid. Love the circular menu stuff. Good weapons, good spells, I love the "real time" action of it, and how accessing the menu pauses the game, too.

I LOVE finding "rare drops" in games. Kinda wish you could find cooler stuff earlier on in SoM, but then again, that might have made it too easy.

Music is awesome. Very awesome.

I'd put SoM up there with FF6(3) and Chrono Trgger, and Zelda: Link to the Past. A true classic.

[Gonzo]

can't wait to see the parody threads

[ReserveRage]

Hugh Jass, please direct MLSCHOP to this thread!

[CaptainDingo]

Love this game hugh!! My bro and I would invite a friend over so we'd have all 3 players going at the same time- really makes the game awesome!

Just the quintessential RPG to me in every way. My wife even knows the music now, since I play it on the iPod every once in a while...

[mlschop]

Hugh Jass, please direct MLSCHOP to this thread!

:lol:

I bought SOM for my iPhone a week or so ago. I'm trying to wrap up another game I've been playing on there, but I hope to get to SOM very soon!

[Browncoat]

Secret of Mana? "What is it?"

:rofl: :rimshot:

Oh, I crack myself up.

[Inconceivable]

I'm assuming there's a "secrets of man love" parody thread already?

[Hydraskull]

I liked Secret of Mana, but I LOVED Secret of Evermore. Better storyline IMO.

[Browncoat]

Secret of Mana? "What is it?"

:rofl: :rimshot:

Oh, I crack myself up.

Get it? "What is it?" Get it????

[Hugh Jass]

I liked Secret of Mana, but I LOVED Secret of Evermore. Better storyline IMO.

cool, I'll check it out. Is it a lot like SoM? I love the gameplay of it...

I think I have Secret of Evermore in my 750 roms for SNES :)

I'm almost done with SoM on my computer emulator. I've started playing it on my droid. I'd say this game is about the most action kind of game you can actually play on the droid. I do not recommend trying to play something like Ninja Gaiden on the droid because the controls just plain suck

[SirVLCIV]

Secret of Evermore was fun, but our controller's select button fell out and we couldn't beat the game without it. So we were stuck for like 3 months before we got a new controller.

[Hugh Jass]

ok, I definitely have a select button

[Entropy]

IATT

[Hydraskull]

cool, I'll check it out. Is it a lot like SoM? I love the gameplay of it...

I think I have Secret of Evermore in my 750 roms for SNES :)

I'm almost done with SoM on my computer emulator. I've started playing it on my droid. I'd say this game is about the most action kind of game you can actually play on the droid. I do not recommend trying to play something like Ninja Gaiden on the droid because the controls just plain suck

Yep, pretty similar. From wikipedia:

The story follows a boy and his pet dog as they are inadvertently transported to a fantasy world created by an eccentric inventor. The gameplay shares many similarities with Secret of Mana, such as real-time battles, a ring-shaped menu system, and the ability to switch control between the characters.[1] The player guides both the boy and his shapeshifting dog through Evermore, a world that is composed of separate realms, each resembling a different period of real-world history. Control can be passed between the two characters at will to solve various puzzles.

[mlschop]

I liked Secret of Mana, but I LOVED Secret of Evermore. Better storyline IMO.

I really loved Secret of Evermore!

[ORLYLOL]

Illusion of Gaia

/thread

[mlschop]

Illusion of Gaia

/thread

:iatp:

[Entropy]

Illusion of Gaia

/thread

Also a good game.

[Hugh Jass]

cool, thanks for suggesting some new games everyone

Is illusion of gaia on the SNES?


edit: nevermind, I looked at my 750 roms and I have it. cool.

[sloppyjoe]

I can't believe there are people just discovering Secret of Mana. What's next, Double Dragon?

[CaptainDingo]

I can't believe there are people just discovering Secret of Mana. What's next, Double Dragon?

Did you know there's a sequel to double dragon????

[sloppyjoe]

Did you know there's a sequel to double dragon????

wat. :taco:

[erosewater]

I thought this thread was going to be about Magic the Gathering

[mlschop]

I've tried playing this game multiple times...I just can't seem to get into it at all :shrug:

[Super Silver Haze]

I'm assuming there's a "secrets of man love" parody thread already?
"Secretions of Man Love" ftw

[DaveTheBarbarian]

I used to love RPGs when I was younger. It was my guilty pleasure. Now going back to some of them, I realize how lame the dialogue can be.

[mlschop]

I've tried playing this game multiple times...I just can't seem to get into it at all :shrug:

I finally finished the game. I posted my opinion in the "Video Game" thread in S&T, but figured I'd cross-reference here.

I finally finished Secret of Mana. And...

...I don't get the hype :shrug: There was practically no story. The combat was really simplistic (i.e. not much strategy ever needed). I guess most people are nostalgic about being able to play this game with friends, cuz I just don't get it; there are better SNES Action RPGs (LTTP, Illusion of Gaia, and Secret of Evermore are all better games).

[Loner]

Did you know there's a sequel to double dragon????

The angry dragon?

[FourKicks]

I used to love RPGs when I was younger. It was my guilty pleasure. Now going back to some of them, I realize how lame the dialogue can be.

http://static.gamesradar.com/images/mb/GamesRadar/us/Features/2009/07/The%2045%20most%20repeated%20game%20quotes/screens/ff4_spoony_bard--article_image.jpg

[Mog]

When I think about classic SNES RPGs, I think Lufia II. I must have played that through 30+ times.

Why don't they make RPGs like they used to? SNES was probably the greatest RPG console ever, now that I think about it.

[mlschop]

When I think about classic SNES RPGs, I think Lufia II. I must have played that through 30+ times.

Why don't they make RPGs like they used to? SNES was probably the greatest RPG console ever, now that I think about it.

I agree.

PS1 ended up being pretty good as well (especially so when you include all of the FF remakes for the console :-P).

[Mog]

I agree.

PS1 ended up being pretty good as well (especially so when you include all of the FF remakes for the console :-P).

PS1 is definitely runner-up. Things started to go downhill with PS2.

There are still good RPGs, but not as good as they used to be. :heynow:

And certainly not as many, either.

[DyalDragon]

PS1 is definitely runner-up. Things started to go downhill with PS2.

There are still good RPGs, but not as good as they used to be. :heynow:

And certainly not as many, either.
:iatp:

[tgadd]

Jass, are you looking forward to Skyrim?

[DyalDragon]

I agree that some of the hype around SoM is probably the ability to play with friends instead of plodding through alone like in the Dragon Warrior and Final Fantasy games... and I really like the concepts of the games like Tales of Symphonia where you can have other players join in on the battle portion of the game.

However, with all the console games migrating towards online multiplayer, I'm afraid that gems like SoM are quickly becoming ancient history.

[Mog]

Saving this topic from page 2, because I like this conversation.

Did anyone ever play the third SoM? It was only available (AFAIK) via ROM, and translated by some kind soul for others to enjoy. Seiken Dentetsu III? Probably spelled that incorrectly, but I think that's JP for SoM.

Wow--that was some awesome 2P action. Definitely my favorite SoM.

[radoaos]

I tried SoM 2/3 but didn't like playing them on the computer, so I stopped very quickly.

SNES was the best RPG console. PS1 was solid, but SNES pretty clearly takes the cake in my eyes. I think part of the problem is that RPG titles now days are too reliant on graphics. Back in the day the graphics were "meh" at best, so you had to be pulled in by the story or gameplay mechanics.

I know a lot of people think I'm crazy, but the Sphere Grid was the best thing to ever happen to an RPG. I can't believe nobody has emulated it with any decent success yet(Don't give me that crystarium crap. That is a horrible tool.). I mean, Give me FF13 with a sphere grid and THIS SH!T IS ON!

Hopefully FF13-2 will be decent.

[mlschop]

I know a lot of people think I'm crazy, but the Sphere Grid was the best thing to ever happen to an RPG. I can't believe nobody has emulated it with any decent success yet(Don't give me that crystarium crap. That is a horrible tool.). I mean, Give me FF13 with a sphere grid and THIS SH!T IS ON!

Aside from being job specific, the Crystarium stuff in FF13 is pretty much the same as the Sphere Grid.

[Chronus]

I agree.

PS1 ended up being pretty good as well (especially so when you include all of the FF remakes for the console :-P).

If you include FF Anthologies, Chronicles, and Origins the PS1 is definitely superior to the SNES for RPGs. Without including those I think it's very very close. I might even make the argument that the PS1 still wins.

Suikoden 1 and 2
Final Fantasy 7-9 and Tactics
Chrono Cross
Xenogears
Vagrant Story
Legend of Dragoon
Lunar 1 and 2
Persona
Grandia
Alundra

For SNES my list is a bit shorter
Chrono Trigger
Earthbound
Secret of Mana
Secret of Evermore
Final Fantasy 2 & 3 (or 4 and 6)
Lufia
Super Mario RPG

It's a close call for me.

[mlschop]

If you include FF Anthologies, Chronicles, and Origins the PS1 is definitely superior to the SNES for RPGs. Without including those I think it's very very close. I might even make the argument that the PS1 still wins.

Suikoden 1 and 2
Final Fantasy 7-9 and Tactics
Chrono Cross
Xenogears
Vagrant Story
Legend of Dragoon
Lunar 1 and 2
Persona
Grandia
Alundra
Wild Arms 1 - ?
Brave Fencer Musashi
Parasite Eve
Breath of Fire 3 & 4
Legend of Mana
Star Ocean
Castlevania: SOTN
DW7

For SNES my list is a bit shorter
Chrono Trigger
Earthbound
Secret of Mana
Secret of Evermore
Final Fantasy 2 & 3 (or 4 and 6)
Lufia
Super Mario RPG
Illusion of Gaia
Zelda: LTTP (If you're including SoM, then all Action/Adventure RPGs should be included imo)
Breath of Fire 1 & 2

It's a close call for me.

Added some games...

[mlschop]

Here's someone's top 50 list. You may or may not agree with the order, but it's a great RPG list:

http://www0.epinions.com/content_3345850500

[Mr. Micro]

Added some games...

Star Ocean FTW.

[ReserveRage]

I finally finished the game. I posted my opinion in the "Video Game" thread in S&T, but figured I'd cross-reference here.

Illusion of Gaia and Evermore better games? You are out of your mind. They both ripped off SoM completely. What exactly about those games made them better?

[Chronus]

Here's someone's top 50 list. You may or may not agree with the order, but it's a great RPG list:

http://www0.epinions.com/content_3345850500

The fact that Final Fantasy Mystic Quest is even on this list makes me want to discredit the whole thing. Aside from that it seems like a pretty good list of 49 good RPGs.

[radoaos]

The crystarium had no freedom of movement though, which is what I hated. You could move around the sphere grid is certain ways creating slightly different characters. If I remember, taking Kimari down Lulu's path makes him a much different character than taking him down Riku's path.

Good list. Honestly when speaking about top 50 or top 20 or whatever, the games are all really good and worth playing.

[DyalDragon]

The fact that Final Fantasy Mystic Quest is even on this list makes me want to discredit the whole thing. Aside from that it seems like a pretty good list of 49 good RPGs.

Final Fantasy Mystic Quest would have been a much better game if you had more freedom. All the story lines were linear back then, but FFMQ felt like riding on a set of rails, and you never really had to make a decision for yourself.

With that said, if it weren't for FFMQ, there are a lot of RPG players who never would have even tried to play through a real RPG, and there's a chance that some of the great ones might not have been made...

As a standalone RPG, FFMQ was childish, but it was meant to be a teaser that introduced the style to those who felt the FF and DW games were too complicated, and in that sense it did it's job well.

[DyalDragon]

Also, need to add the Golden Sun series to the list of games to play...

[radoaos]

This list has prompted me to go buy some Wii points and pick up:
Shining Force 2
Super Mario RPG

May pick up others, but honestly time gets to be an issue at some point right?

BTW: why the hate on Final Fantasy Adventure for Game Boy? I thought that was loads of fun! The FF Legend series always got ridiculously hard towards the end. Not sure I ever beat one.

[DyalDragon]

BTW: why the hate on Final Fantasy Adventure for Game Boy? I thought that was loads of fun! The FF Legend series always got ridiculously hard towards the end. Not sure I ever beat one.
:iatp:

[Chronus]

Who's hating on Adventure, I haven't heard that mentioned in this thread. I've actually never played Adventure.

[Mog]

I know a lot of people think I'm crazy, but the Sphere Grid was the best thing to ever happen to an RPG.

I don't know if I would say the best thing, but it was interesting, and definitely a very good system. The only problem was that, while there was some freedom, I would like to have had more. For instance, it would have been cool if you could jump to someone else's starting point, at a high cost.

I really liked the system in just about every FF, and I was always glad that they changed it up each time. I would say my favorite is probably the FF12 system, though I hated that you had to unlock weapons. They should have stuck with the stat/ability system like the sphere grid, but the freedom of the FF12 system.

If you include FF Anthologies, Chronicles, and Origins the PS1 is definitely superior to the SNES for RPGs. Without including those I think it's very very close. I might even make the argument that the PS1 still wins.

Suikoden 1 and 2
Final Fantasy 7-9 and Tactics
Chrono Cross
Xenogears
Vagrant Story
Legend of Dragoon
Lunar 1 and 2
Persona
Grandia
Alundra

For SNES my list is a bit shorter
Chrono Trigger
Earthbound
Secret of Mana
Secret of Evermore
Final Fantasy 2 & 3 (or 4 and 6)
Lufia
Super Mario RPG

It's a close call for me.

I guess I forgot just how many awesome RPGs there were on PS1. You even forgot a few, which I think were added later, and I'm sure if everyone really thought about it the list could get even bigger. However, it's quality, not quantity, that ultimately determines which system was "better" for RPGs.

I still think that SNES wins that battle, if only by a small margin.

[DyalDragon]

Who's hating on Adventure, I haven't heard that mentioned in this thread. I've actually never played Adventure.
There was some FFA bashing in the top 50 list link

[Chronus]

There was some FFA bashing in the top 50 list link

Oh ok, I just read the games on the list and ignored the description and comments.

[DyalDragon]

I guess I forgot just how many awesome RPGs there were on PS1. You even forgot a few, which I think were added later, and I'm sure if everyone really thought about it the list could get even bigger. However, it's quality, not quantity, that ultimately determines which system was "better" for RPGs.

I still think that SNES wins that battle, if only by a small margin.
I agree with you for the most part, but I think the reason that the SNES wins is that there were more :qunq:new:qunq: styles. By the time the PS1 came around, there was a firm definition for what a RPG should be in order for it to be successful and there weren't many developers that were willing to take a gamble when they could just push out another FF/DW spinoff with some pretty graphics.

[Mog]

I agree with you for the most part, but I think the reason that the SNES wins is that there were more :qunq:new:qunq: styles. By the time the PS1 came around, there was a firm definition for what a RPG should be in order for it to be successful and there weren't many developers that were willing to take a gamble when they could just push out another FF/DW spinoff with some pretty graphics.

Fair point, and it continued to get worse after PS1, and that's exactly what's wrong with RPGs today. All I see are weak attempts to make a FPS and mask it with swords and shields and call it an RPG, because FPS is what sells.

Developers need to man up.

FTR, I like FPS, but I miss good RPGs, and would trade FPS for them in a heartbeat.