Sword of Mana
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Sword of Mana | |
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Developer(s) | Brownie Brown |
Publisher(s) | Square Enix Co., Ltd. Nintendo of America (North America) |
Release date(s) | JPN August 29, 2003 NA December 1, 2003 EUR March 19, 2004 |
Genre(s) | Role-playing game |
Mode(s) | Single player |
Rating(s) | ESRB: Everyone PEGI: 7+ OFLC: G8+ |
Platform(s) | Game Boy Advance |
Media | 64 megabit cartridge |
Sword of Mana (新約 聖剣伝説 Shin'yaku Seiken Densetsu?, New Testament Holy Sword Legend) is an enhanced remake of the original Game Boy Seiken Densetsu (Final Fantasy Adventure) released on the Game Boy Advance in 2003.
Contents |
[edit] 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, however the plot remains similar. Notably, the remake adapted many elements from the original game, which had their origin in Final Fantasy, and favored elements traditional to Seiken Densetsu games (for example, the chocobo was replaced by Cannon Travel). One notable exception to this are moogles, which do appear in the game. Shinyaku Seiken Densetsu was made to resemble the graphical style of Seiken Densetsu 3, but the artwork rather resembles that of Legend of Mana.
There are nine weapons, each with one of three attack traits, and its own unique look. The girl character starts out with a staff, and the boy starts out with a sword. The player quickly accumulates more weapons. There are also eight spirits to use. Each has an attack based on its element, and a support spell as well.
[edit] Combat
Sword of Mana uses a real-time combat system similar to that of The Legend of Zelda. Several weapons, such as swords, axes, spears, etc. are acquired throughout the game. Each weapon has an attack trait of either jabbing, bashing, or cutting. 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, ground, etc., each affecting enemies in different ways.
[edit] Development
While originally it was thought that it would feature multiplayer options, the only connectivity feature implemented was the ability to trade information in order to enhance the power of characters. As the game's box information does not reflect this, a number of potential buyers were left confused.
[edit] Story
The stories of both the male and female lead characters are extremely similar. In the universal plot, the main character work to prevent Dark Lord, and later Lucius, from gaining Mana Power, the lifeblood of the world. Despite the plot's significance to the story, the primary themes of the story are those of different perspectives and personal growth as an individual.
[edit] Sidekicks
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 programmable AI. These sidekicks are key characters of the story and often contribute significantly to character development.
[edit] References
[edit] External links
Final Fantasy Adventure • Secret of Mana • Seiken Densetsu 3 • Dawn of Mana Legend of Mana • Sword of Mana • Children of Mana • Heroes of Mana • Friends of Mana Elemental Spirits • Flammie • Mana Tree • Mana Sword • Rabite |