Secret of Mana HD (PS4)
By: Square Enix
IT'S hard to appreciate nowadays just how brilliant Secret of Mana was. Originally developed for the Nintendo PlayStation – a SNES CD-ROM add-on that, once shelved, led to Sony entering the arms race solo – Square's 16-bit role-player eventually lit up the Super Nintendo in 1993, and despite competing with the benchmark Zelda III, found a loyal following thanks to its bonkers charm and groundbreaking features, such as three-player co-op.
But given your original cartridge has likely been eaten by attic rats, this cutesy odyssey arrives on PS4 in remixed form to be enjoyed all over again.
One of the best top-down role-players of its generation, Secret of Mana boasted brilliant graphics and one of gaming's best soundtracks along with compelling combat and multiplayer.
The pastoral yarn starred villager Randi, who must restore the magical Mana sword while fending off a local monster population with his pair of companions in a sprawling 20-hour quest. Rather than juggling stats, Mana is a full-on, real-time hack-and-slasher. Introducing a stamina bar which depletes with each move, battles assume a certain rhythm as Randi dodges attacks while recharging, with his companions, Primm and Popoi the sprite, adding magic spells to the mix.
While revolutionary on the Super Nintendo, Mana's real-time battles and co-op play are old hat these days. Far from cutting edge, there's even a hint of nostalgia to this do-over, from its spiky, PS2-quality 3D visuals to the adorably childlike art style.
While the shift to three dimensions is the biggest change, Square have added full voice acting (though the characters' lips don’t move, which is more than a little creepy). It's also a faster-paced prospect that now has full analogue movement (meaning you can attack in any direction), though susceptible to the odd crash.
It's still Secret of Mana, though, with every nook and cranny where you remembered in a remix that revels in the dated aspects of its source material. Even the three-person multiplayer remains resolutely from a pre-internet age and can only be enjoyed offline.
Brought kicking and screaming into the 21st century, some of Mana's charm has certainly been lost in translation. Much like when George Lucas desecrated his original Star Wars trilogy with stinking belches of CGI, the new 3D look will affront rose-tinted specs.
Still, while it's guaranteed to make you misty-eyed for the original (and why wasn't it included as a bonus?), there's enough here to milk the nostalgia glands of 90s teens. Time makes fools of us all, but Secret of Mana plays just as well as it did back on your two-tonne 21-inch.
