Trials of Mana, for a long while only known as Seiken Densetsu 3, reached somewhat legendary status among fans of Super Nintendo JRPGs as the sequel to the highly celebrated Secret of Mana and one that never left Japan. Unfortunately for players outside of Japan, Seiken Densetsu 3 was reported to be even better in almost every aspect. For years, the only option to play the game was to either know Japanese or emulate it with a fan-translation. Then last year something amazing happened, Nintendo announced The Collection of Mana which compiled together Final Fantasy Adventure, Secret of Mana, and for the first time officially outside of Japan, Trials of Mana. Along with this release they announced that a full remake would be happening similar to the Adventure of Mana (Final Fantasy Adventure), and Secret of Mana remakes. Fans were stoked for the release of the original and were cautiously optimistic about the remake. The Adventure of Mana and Secret of Mana remakes were met with lukewarm receptions and it was going to take some work to convince people that it wouldn’t be the same for the Trials of Mana remake.
Last summer I was quick to pick up The Collection of Mana and play through the original Trials of Mana and I loved it. Made at the end of the Super Nintendo cycle it knew exactly how to utilize the hardware with some of the best sprite work the system can offer and it provided even more of that distinctive soundtrack that made Secret of Mana stand out so much. With the bar set high, I started setting my eyes on the remake. As information came out though, my feelings became mixed. The combat and visuals looked awesome but the lack of the cooperative aspect had me worried about other things that may be removed. With the game officially released did Square Enix learn from the feedback and backlash of Secret of Mana or did they miss the opportunity to improve?
Boss battles feel epic, and are usually pretty dang cute!
Right away Trials of Mana is bursting with features: the option of Japanese or English voice acting, remastered or original soundtrack, and an art style that really does a great job of translating the stellar sprite work into 3D space. Before embarking on the adventure a choice of protagonists must be made. First picking a primary and then two secondary characters that will join you on the journey. Each character is presented with beautiful full character art and an in-depth character history and description including weapon type, stats, and other important information to help inform your decision. Each of the six characters has a unique look and color palette which helps them stand out from one another and the environments they will be exploring. Each character has its own introductory chapters that lead into the grand adventure that lay ahead. You start with only your first character, but it doesn’t take long to be introduced to your companions. One of the best additions to the remake is when you meet them you are given the option to play through their introductory chapters as well which gives you a lot more context for all of the characters you’ll be with traveling with. It is also an excellent opportunity to learn how they play and feel as each character does have strengths and weaknesses that are utilized in different ways. Since you are able to switch characters on the fly it’s good to have a feel for that early. This also saves time from needing to start six separate files to get each character’s story, as after the first time these introductory chapters can be skipped if you’d like. From there, the story moves along at a fairly quick pace, which works in the favor of replayability as the commitment to starting a new file with new characters feels lessened.
Gameplay is mostly a standard action RPG affair. There is a quick attack and a strong/finisher attack. Your combo changes depending on the number of light attacks before hitting the strong/finisher attack. The strong/finisher attack can also be charged for an extra powerful hit that is useful against shielded enemies. Defensively there is a block and a dodge that can be used strategically as some enemy attacks are signaled by a highlighted area of the ground indicating where the attack will land. There is also a jump that is crucial for in-depth exploration and attacking flying enemies.
Then comes the fun part, special moves, and magic! The special moves are accessible through a quick menu, starting with one, and more moves are added as you move onto more powerful classes. Each character has their own set of unique special moves that offer a good variety of uses to help handle various situations. These moves can be used as you earn progress towards filling action bars and the more powerful moves require more full bars. Whether it is crowd control or bashing away at a single boss, the special moves never got old. As for the magic, it depends on character, story progression, and point investment. Spells and items can be accessed by the magic menu which is styled after the classic wheel menu from the original game. There is a second quick menu similar to the special attack ones to assign spells and items too. The quick menu system is impressively intuitive allowing one to quickly use an item or spell. It does automatically select a target, but I never once had it select the wrong one. It always either targeted the ally in most need or the enemy I was already targeting.
Upgrading your class is especially exciting! A new look and new moves!
There is a lot of incentive for becoming proficient in combining all of these skills as your performance can increase your rewards at the end of every fight. Percentage bonuses are rewarded for defeating enemies in under certain amounts of time, defeating enemies with special moves, and the biggest is a full 10% bonus if you win without taking damage! This is also true for the exploration, treasure chests, and other rewards lurking around every corner and is the best way to obtain more money and better items available at the time you receive them.
However, one thing is missing from the original and that is the cooperative gameplay that helped the Mana series stand out from other RPGs. Even today there aren’t many, and to not have that feature present here feels like a miss. I would have loved to experience this game with my daughter or a friend playing at my side.
The original Trials of Mana stood out visually, much like Secret of Mana, using bright colors and recognizable character animations from attacks to their walk cycles to really help set them apart on screen. While some enemies got recycled throughout I never got tired of looking at them. As for the Trials of Mana remake, it’s a mixed bag. The characters, environment, and monster designs were brilliantly translated into 3D. Matching the phenomenal color usage and using a softer painted style of texturing versus a harder cell-shaded look helps recapture the magic that the original provided in presenting its world and cast. The monsters are all extremely cute to the point that my daughter continuously wondered aloud “Why are you hurting the animals? They are SO CUTE!”. I was excited to see what each character would look like as they gained new character classes and were not disappointed. The maps and locations were kept true to the original and my memories of where to go in the original were relevant in the remake! Being able to further explore them in 3D and with the jump was a joy. On the animation side, however, the game suffers. Combat, walking, and running animations are excellent, bringing out the qualities of each character’s personality. That, unfortunately, is where a lot of the quality ends, cutscenes are stiff and look more like someone is using dolls to tell the story. It is a distracting contrast compared to the polished characters and settings.
While colorful and captures the look of the originals, cutscene animations feel stiff
The mixed bag nature of the Trials of Mana remake continues on the audio side. The excellent soundtrack offers both the original and a really well done remastered version that can be switched at any time. You are also given the option between a Japanese or English voiceover track. I’m always a fan of being able to customize my audio experience. I was happy to hear some extremely familiar sound effects that I didn’t realize I was nostalgic for, even though it has been less than a year since my first time playing the original. For example, attacking and dodging are satisfying with the sound effects attached to them. Enemies have death rattles (some heartbreaking as you lay the smackdown to an adorable wolf) as well as growls and other vocal blips during combat. Characters also comment on situations and discuss things while exploring. Again, it is in the cutscenes where this starts to come apart. The English voice acting tries to deliver the individual quirks of the character’s voices as they were presented in the Super Nintendo original with different spelling and grammar usage to create “accents”. Yet, the overall deliveries fall flat when it comes to combining them with emotional responses. As someone unfamiliar with Japanese accents it’s hard to tell how good they are at capturing the personalities of the characters, but I did find the emotional deliveries better, and fewer of the characters annoying.
This giant “bird turtle” gives you rides and is probably my favorite design in the entire game!
The Trials of Mana remake is an excellent remake. A full 3D adaptation of a 2D Super Nintendo game has its challenges, which Square Enix faced in their first two efforts in this franchise let alone their other titles. This time rather than creating a shot-for-shot remake they went in a direction that pulled the camera down behind the character, added more elements into the combat and full exploration. This was done successfully while maintaining the feel and layout of the original maps and locations which tapped into my memories and nostalgia for the Super Nintendo original. Paired with the soundtrack and visual direction, this is a remake that I never would have expected. Unfortunately, there are elements that desperately need more polish in order for this remake to reach its full potential. If you are looking for a well-paced JRPG with fun characters, settings, and great replayability, the Trials of Mana remake is for you. For more casual fans and JRPG fans, if you ever come across this game on sale, buy it. There won’t be any buyers remorse here.
A PS4 digital copy was provided for review purposes. More information can be found on the official website.
Check out my review of The Collection of Mana on Switch here.
