Adventures of Mana

Adventures of Mana
Developer(s)	MCF
Publisher(s)	Square Enix
Artist(s)	Kazuko Shibuya (FFA) HACCAN (Mobile)
Platform(s)	iOS, Android,PS Vita
Release	JP February 4, 2016 NA June 2016
Genre(s)	Action-adventure
Mode(s)	Single-player

Adventures of Mana is an action role-playing video game developed and published by Square Enix. It is a 3D remake of the 1991 Game Boy game Final Fantasy Adventure, the first game in the Mana series. It was released worldwide for Android and iOS on February 4, 2016; a PlayStation Vita version was also released on the same date in Japan, and in June 2016 in North America and Europe. In addition to these releases, Square Enix had considered a PlayStation 4 version; as of 2021, no such release has been made.

Gameplay

The player takes the role of a young hero, Sumo, who, together with a heroine known as Fuji, tries to stop the Dark Lord of Glaive from destroying the Tree of Mana. The gameplay focuses on sword combat. The view is a top-down perspective. The player traverses the game world and makes their way through dungeons. While fighting monster characters, a gauge is shown on the screen filling up over time and resetting when the player gets hit or attacks; by waiting to attack until the gauge is full, the player can use a stronger attack. The player is accompanied by various non-player characters, who each have different skills the player can use, and who help them defeat enemies.

Development

Final Fantasy Adventure

Adventures of Mana is actually a remake of Seiken Densetsu: Final Fantasy Gaiden (聖剣伝説 ファイナルファンタジー外伝, lit. "Holy Sword Legend: Final Fantasy Side-story"), a Game Boy game released in Japan on June 8, 1991, in North America on November 1 of the same year under the title Final Fantasy Adventure, and in Europe in 1993 under the name Mystic Quest. The core story was the same but it included many references to the Final Fantasy series, such as chocobos. Having faced bankruptcy before the release of Final Fantasy on the NES, Square decided to play up this side of the game for its North American release by putting it in the main title rather than the subtitle.

An enhanced and extended retelling of the original story, titled Sword of Mana, was released in 2003 to mixed reviews.

A faithful re-creation

The idea for Adventures of Mana came from the producer, Masaru Oyamada, who wanted all Mana games to be playable on modern platforms for the series's 25th anniversary in 2016. Initially there was some argument at Square Enix about whether the remake should be done in 2D or 3D; they chose 3D, as it was thought to be easier to control on smartphones and because it could be used as a base for potential future Mana remakes. However, the original staff was not involved in the remake's development because many had already left Square Enix.

The game has received positive reviews, with reviewers giving particular praise to the visuals and the music, and some calling it a better Final Fantasy Adventure remake than Sword of Mana had been. Once again, the game features a chocobo.

Characters

• Sumo
• Fuji
• Will
• Amanda
• Bogard
• Dark Lord
• Julius
• Cibba
• Fuji's Mother
• Lester
• Marcie
• Watts

Gallery

Sumo

Fuji

Fuji healing Sumo

Amanda

Amanda and Sumo battle Medusa

Bogard

Bogard and the Mana Pendant, showing an image of Fuji's Mother

Dark Lord

Sumo duels Dark Lord

Julius

Julius unleashes his power before the Mana Tree

Lester

Sumo listens to Lester's music

Marcie

Sumo finds Marcie

A mysterious Traveler

Watts

Watts rests and eats a Candy while Sumo rides a mine cart

Key art

Sumo protects Fuji after Hasim falls