| Secret of Mana | |
|---|---|
 North American SNES box art | |
| Developer(s) | Square |
| Publisher(s) |
|
| Director(s) | Koichi Ishii |
| Producer(s) | Hiromichi Tanaka |
| Designer(s) |
|
| Programmer(s) | Nasir Gebelli |
| Artist(s) |
|
| Writer(s) | Hiromichi Tanaka |
| Composer(s) | Hiroki Kikuta |
| Series | Mana |
| Platform(s) | Super Nintendo Entertainment System, PlayStation Vita, Mobile phone, iOS, Android, PlayStation 4, Windows |
| Release | |
| Genre(s) | Action role-playing |
| Mode(s) | Single-player, multiplayer |
Secret of Mana, originally released in Japan as Seiken Densetsu 2,[a] is a 1993 action role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It is the sequel to the 1991 game Seiken Densetsu, released in North America as Final Fantasy Adventure and in Europe as Mystic Quest, and it was the first Seiken Densetsu title to be marketed as part of the Mana series rather than the Final Fantasy series. Set in a high fantasy universe, the game follows three heroes as they attempt to prevent an empire from conquering the world with the power of an ancient flying fortress.
Rather than using a turn-based battle system like contemporaneous role-playing games, Secret of Mana features real-time battles with a power bar mechanic. The game has a unique Ring Command menu system, which pauses the action and allows the player to make decisions in the middle of battle. An innovative cooperative multiplayer system allows a second or third player to drop in and out of the game at any time. Secret of Mana was directed and designed by Koichi Ishii, programmed primarily by Nasir Gebelli, and produced by veteran Square designer Hiromichi Tanaka.
The game received acclaim for its brightly colored graphics, expansive plot, Ring Command menu system, and innovative real-time battle system. Critics also praised Hiroki Kikuta's soundtrack and the customizable artificial intelligence (AI) settings for computer-controlled allies. Retrospectively, it has been considered one of the greatest games of all time by critics. The original saw re-releases on multiple platforms, and was remade in 3D in 2018 for PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita and Windows. The remake saw mixed reviews, with many faulting its lack of gameplay improvements and reworked graphics.
Cite error: There are <ref group=lower-alpha> tags or {{efn}} templates on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=lower-alpha}} template or {{notelist}} template (see the help page).