Secret of Mana on iOS Takes Me Back

Throughout my gaming career which dates back to Dune II and Islands of Adventure, there have only been a few games that really stand out as classics that I’ve played over and over again, even years after their release. One of these games was Secret of Mana for the SNES.  I’ve been playing it non-stop lately, but not on the SNES. Instead, I’ve been playing Square-Enix’s iOS remake of the game on my iPhone. And despite my inherent dislike for playing things on a mobile platform, I’m actually quite enjoying myself.

Secret of Mana enjoys a sort of cult status among gamers. It’s a little bit less known in the U.S. than Square-Enix’s Final Fantasy series but was quite popular in Japan. It has a number of features that were way ahead of their time — real-time combat instead of the turn-based systems in most other games, co-op multiplayer, a weapon skill/magic skill leveling system separate from character levels, etc.  A combination of the gameplay features, excellent music, well drawn graphics, and the nostalgia factor make it a perennial contender for “best console RPG of all time”.

When I saw that Secret of Mana had been re-released on iOS, I was pumped.  The game’s combat and leveling system lends itself very well to the mobile device’s intended usage of playing for a few minutes, then moving on to something else. If I need to stop playing during the middle of combat, I can just hit the Home button or power off the screen, and the game will suspend itself until I return. This is a very nice touch, since the game retains the original’s system of save points being sporadically located throughout the game (and usually not in combat areas). In ye olden times we would leave the console on while paused if we had to go whilst playing. So this remake has the benefit of being a little bit greener too. Some new reflective effects on the water surfaces are also nice touches.

The most annoying thing about mobile games is the control scheme. Secret of Mana manages to improve a bit in this regard, but is still far from ideal. A virtual joystick on the left side of the screen (when held in landscape orientation) controls movement, while attack and dash buttons exist in the lower right hand corner. Mana fans will of course remember the “ring menu” system for selecting weapons, and that’s kind of implemented here — the big thing missing is that you go automatically to your own character’s menu, unlike the console where you can go right to your ally’s menu for faster casting/candy munching.

But the real question is, “did they keep the nostalgia factor?” Unequivocally the answer is yes. Thanatos is still creepy, the Sprite is still an asshole, Neko is still greedy exploiting your limitless need for faerie walnuts, Watts still wants to know “which one’s ready,” and Santa still makes an appearance. The musical score is still hypnotizing in all of its 16-bit glory, especially through a good set of headphones. You’ll still want to spend hours grinding levels for your weapons and magic outside the Ice Palace.

The biggest difference is the lack of the original’s multiplayer; something that really set it apart from other games of its time.  I remember staying up long past any reasonable hour with my childhood friends, coordinating attacks, yelling for healing after getting the shit kicked out of me by a Dark Stalker, and hot-swapping every level-up because none of us had a multi-tap to allow three of us to play at once.  The iOS version lacks that feature, which is probably just as well for everyone else in your immediate vicinity who has to listen to you shout, “Jesus Christ, stop splitting and fucking die you stupid Blue Drop!”

It’s unusual that I’ll recommend an iOS game, because I so rarely find them compelling in any serious manner; especially since so many iOS games these days don’t WANT to be anything more than a 90-second diversion while you’re waiting for the bus. But Secret of Mana isn’t meant for the Angry Birds crowd. Square-Enix very shrewdly saw a gap in the mobile gaming marketplace and filled it with something that many gamers already know and love. And more importantly, they recognized that the nostalgia factor was so important and didn’t fuck with it beyond what was necessary (mainly converting the controls to a touchscreen environment). And last night when I finished whooping Mech Rider’s ass, quit out of the game, and saw that it was after midnight, I remembered what it was like to be ten years old again.