What does /vr/ feel about Secret Of Mana? I'm interested

>>3437927
I thought it was ok. Great graphics and music but the gameplay has its flaws, namely having to level up many different skills separately and it being awkward to try to control three different characters at the same time in an action game.

I actually prefer the first Seiken Densetsu for game boy. Haven't gotten around to any of the others in the series yet, but a lot of people seem to really like SD3.

It's not known for it's excellent programming, the AI and hit detection is honestly not very good. Secret of Evermore improves on these areas.

What Secret of Mana does have is nostalgia, music that makes me cry, nice visuals, and a really emotional and fantastical storyline.

I'd say go at least until you get the first elemental spirit that lets you cast magic, and if you can, go until the forest of four seasons before you decide you don't like it. You haven't even really made it to any of the major boss fights yet, other than the mantis I guess, though he's sort of a joke.

Play Secret of Evermore a bit if SoM really doesn't do it for you, but don't feel obligated to finish either, they might not be your thing.

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Its one of my favorites. I love the fuck out of that game.

>>3437978
Wrong game nigger

nice music

>>3438002
[/spoiler] i know

Best scenery, music, and nostalgia.

I know /vr/ is mostly anti-emulation, but a hack to make the action to keep flowing when you have the menu open would help fight the OP nature of magic spam vs enemies.

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>>3437927
On the SNES it has great aesthetics, an underdeveloped story, and deeply flawed gameplay. The ring menu is a novelty that quickly becomes a hassle, the AI is abysmal in nearly all ways, and the only way to make the gameplay work without constant frustration is to go through it in multiplayer. Its flaws probably come from the whole CD fiasco, but as it stands aesthetics is the only great (and I mean GREAT) thing it has. Also "nostalgia" if you want to quantify that.

I tried to play it on the SNES a couple times. I did beat it once, but it felt like a huge chore near the end. You end up using/spamming magic a lot, and even that is cumbersome due to menu navigation.

That being said, I'd absolutely recommend the android/ios version. Menu navigation becomes a LOT easier with customizable shortcuts and a redesign that clearly shows who's menu is open. Touch controls work great for switching characters on the fly, and the AI is vastly improved (most notably party members never get stuck on the screen edge now). Even Flammie (your "airship" creature) controls a lot better. The graphics are revamped but still lush, music is still awesome, and even the story is less mediocre if you know another language as most translations have more information than the English one.

I know /vr/ autists like to sperg out about ports and remakes, especially on mobile, but Secret of Mana is half-finished game and its gameplay is clearly flawed. It needed a remake to fix that and for once it actually happened. I'm playing it now (currently at the Tree Palace, so near the end) and it's fun. Having constantly functional gameplay makes me appreciate it the game a lot more. The gameplay feels like what the SNES game wanted to be but couldn't for whatever reason. If you have android you can just pirate it. Only reason not to play it is if you absolutely dislike playing on mobile.

Nostalgia is not a feature you cunt flaps.

>>3437927
Not a fan of the gameplay but I play on giving it another try eventually.

>>3437927
You need friends and multi tap to properly enjoy it

Secret of Mana sucks until you get magic.

SoM is basically designed around you murdering enemies with Magic since the hit detection, and charge system are fucking horrible for the weapons.

So the game just involves grinding up your magic and using whatever the enemies weakness is.

It makes it really boring to play for most of the game.

Seiken Densetsu 3 is a lot more fun, because it goes to the opposite end of the spectrum and strongly encourages you to melee fight as a brawler, which is way more engaging and fun.

>>3437927
I prefer Seiken Densetsu 3.

Secret of Mana feels a bit rougher, both in terms of combat and aesthetics. It also lacks the replayability factor of SD3.

What tier does each weapon go into?

Or are they all equally good?

>>3438359
Smartphones and Tablets (normie devices) are the LEAST authentic way of retrogaming.

>>3438590
Spear consistently out damages the sword throughout the main game, but basically your weapons get "power spikes" after certain bosses.

So the sword and spear basically take turns being teh best weapon.

Whip and Axe are primarily used for navigating obstacles.

The ranged weapons are all basically terrible.

>>3438521
Is the third installment non-Japanese speaker friendly? I know it's an RPG, but if I ignore the story, can I have a good time hacking and slashing away at enemies? Or is there a lot of menu navigation/status lists?

>>3438602
>The ranged weapons are all basically terrible.

Is there any reason why?
I thought the boomerang/Xena disc was really cool when I was young.

>>3437927
It's got wonderful music and graphics but the gameplay, level design and story are mediocre.

>>3438609
It has had an English translation patch available for nearly 16 years, so you should be good there.

Not to derail the thread, but what about Secret of Evermore? I heard a lot about it but when i played it it seemed...weird. You know, going around with a dog and a bazooka.

>>3438373
this game makes you feel nostalgic even if you've never played it

>>3438424
>>3438602
you can use magic to hitstun enemies and then hit them with a charge attack to do a lot of damage. it sort of doesn't look like you're actually hitting them though, because the damage is added together before the number rolls out.

As far as what weapons are good;

Sword has the widest melee range
Axe is stronger than sword but has shorter range
Spear is also stronger than sword, but weaker than Axe, and has a narrow range that doesn't often strike the sides
Glove has the shortest range and fastest recovery (also it's fun)
Bow is a Bow and you can shoot stuff from a distance
Javelin is like a strong slower bow
Chakram/Boomerang is a ranged weapon with a long animation, it can hit enemies as it's flying back
Whip is the fastest ranged weapon and has the largest hitbox in general.

generally if you're playing single player, you should control the boy and give him the sword/whip/glove/axe as they're the fastest and make use of his strength and hitrate, I tend to give the girl the Javelin/Axe and the Sprite the Bow/Spear.

There's no reason to spend your time grinding all the different weapons on each character, the amount of weapon exp you get is based on the difference between your level and the enemy, so just progress through the game while picking one or two.

Casting magic with the sidekicks while controlling the boy is more effective than doing it while you control them yourself, since casting magic will lock your control input if you're using them.

>>3438936
The world and story is a little more more goofy, but still has some really cool areas. Alchemy system is a little more complex than the magic system. Has some more difficult bosses than Secret of Mana, and a lot more confusing mazes. Also it is a shame it was released as a single player game. I played through all of Secret of Mana with a friend, and we at first though that Secret of Evermore would be two player but were pretty disappointed by that. Overall it is a good game. If you are looking for more Secret of Mana then it is worth it. While the real sequel SD3 has some similarities, such as a three party system with multiplayer, it has very drastic changes in the mechanics and progress that make it feel very different (and arguably better) than Secret of Mana.

OP here. Honestly after reading this thread I think I'll just jump to Seiken Densetsu 3 and then play the GBA game after that.

>>3438936
Evermore is generally more crummy than SoM. You're better off playing the remake of SoM or Seken Densetsu 3.

>>3437927
this game
is
broken

I first played it as a child when my best friend a few doors down lent it to me. Didn't get to beat it until I was in highschool. I haven't replayed it in around 16 years but every once in a while I'll listen to the OST and start to feel like it's raining all of a sudden. It takes me back to happier times. Mainly times when I wasn't a middle aged sack of shit.

>>3440057
>>3440147
I see. Thanks guys.

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>>3437927

It was a SNES CD title butchered at the last moment into a cart. Just about puked when Santa Clause showed up. Music is mostly excellent. Prime example of the Square SNES golden era.

>>3437927
Overrated as fuck, honestly. It doesn't hold a place among some of Square's better games.

>>3442630
really makes you wonder if there a version of the SNES CD version laying around somewhere....

>>3437927
It was ok. Great games just didn't blow me away like it does to most people.

It had an amazing commercial. I remember being in 2nd grade seeing this and shitting myself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUfuCExNaY4

>>3444103
Why do idiots do this "repeat a video section on the sides" bullshit for non-widescreen content? Do black bars really make today's kids cry that hard?

Sorry, the commercial was awesome but I was distracted by that shit.

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>>3442630
>no santa claus in my serious fantasy story!!!!

>>3437948
>really emotional and fantastical storyline
I'm sorry, but no. NO! I love this game with al my heart, but the story is as flat and boring as cardboard. Great game. Terrible story which only shows up 5 times during the entire game.

>>3438593
THIS

>>3444319
what would you say is a good game storyline then?

also maybe you spent too much time grinding

I honestly couldn't bear the horrible AI getting me stuck through maps.

Excellent music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mGK3usiX31s

It flows almost perfectly.

>>3444417
>I honestly couldn't bear the horrible AI getting me stuck through maps.
Be nice to your companions, they're just 3 kids who don't know any better

>>3437938
you don't need to control 3 characters, you control the boy, use the magic of the other 2 when needed and maybe sometimes if someone is a dumbass and gets stuck you switch to them

my biggest problem is that if you're playing with 2 other people the amount of time spent in the menu gets pretty infuriating

>>3438593

>normies
>>>/r9k/

but seriously I agree with you. I wonder how people can play non-menu based games on a touchscreen.

As for SoM, I have fond memories playing with my brothers when I was young, being one of my favorite games. I replayed it recently and I felt the game was shallow. I don't feel joy playing this anymore.

>>3438359
>You end up using/spamming magic a lot, and even that is cumbersome due to menu navigation.


Really? I've played through this game several times and rarely use magic all that much.

>>3438359

I'm late to this thread but thanks anon for the mobile port recommendation. This board is heavily biased against emulation and remakes and it's good to get a dissenting viewpoint.

>>3444131
He's just kinda shoehorned in after the Frost Gigas fight for no particular reason.

I don't remember if he actually serves a purpose beyond just the "it's SANTA!" moment.

I own this game with the box but I can't play for very long before quitting. I've tried three times. I just hate the running back and forth. I'm thinking of trading it to a dude I know for a similarly valued game. not sure which game yet.

if someone were to ask me if they should play it...I'd say yeah. plenty of people seem to enjoy it even if I don't. I don't have the nostalgic ties to it although I'm in my mid 30s. it's just one of those games I somehow missed.

>>3437927
Gets better as time passes. It's a fun ride and I like the characters.

One thing I'm not crazy about is that character sprites and enemy sprites are separate elements. The Boy, the Girl and the Sprite are the only exceptions since they're playable.

By the way. Level the fucking Dryad once you get her. JUST TRUST ME.

Also, I got a huge kick out of this: http://manatheater.com/archives01.html

Shame it never got finished...

>>3445927
>He's just kinda shoehorned in after the Frost Gigas fight for no particular reason.
You visit his house and meet Rudolph before getting to Frost Gigas. After defeating Frost Gigas, he BECOMES Santa, and Santa tells you he thought he'd harness the seed's power to more efficiently deliver presents or whatever but the seed turned him into the monster you just beat.

So he's not shoehorned without reason.

SD3 is improved in a lot of ways, but the combat is hardly one of them. Its a fucking button masher. You can win every battle in the game by just mashing.