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The controversial 3D remake of a classic Super Nintendo title, Secret of Mana, just got a 10 minute trailer at PAX West, showcasing gameplay footage from the start of the game, with included voice acting. Square Enix notes that this is an early build of the game, which is set to fully release (digital only), for PlayStation 4, PlayStation Vita, and Steam/PC on February 15, 2018.

 

[DarkKaine]

Rabbite takes a critical hit!? You've just lost a sale.

What do you think getting whacked is in the original?

 

[NeroAngelo]

part of the charm was the 2D graphics ... this just looks like a horrible Smartphone game

 

[DinohScene]

Vita release?

Ohhhhh time to dust that thing off.

 

[BlackMagdalene]

It should be on the Nintendo Switch or 3DS though ._. the graphics are not awesome, kinda looks like a Nintendo 64 game but with rounder edges, or like any other 3DS game, quite similar to the Final Fantasy Chrystal Chronicles games on NDS, but it looks 'cute', wish it had a more anime like animation though, or at least a sort of 'Wind Waker' chibi Link cute, if that was what they were aiming for... and I don't really enjoy English dubs, I prefer the original Japanese with subtitles, but if you can have the option to choose language, it's fine. Aside of those details, it still looks like a fun game to play, SoM is one of my favorite classic RPG's along with Chrono Trigger and Final Fantasy IV and the other FF's. It's very exciting to have a new version of this amazing RPG game to play! ;D I'm probably gonna get the PC version when it's out! n_n
Hopefully it has new stuff/material to explore as an addition to the original game.

 

[SonicfanCEMUTesting]

The controversial

Chary, do you live in some alternative dimension where people hate the Secret of Mana 3D remake?

 

[RHOPKINS13]

I really hope that they add in content that was cut from the original. The SNES version is still one of my favorite games, I loved playing it when I was younger. It wasn't until later that I learned they had to cut out a lot of content after the "SNES-CD" was cancelled. I'd love to see some sort of "Director's Cut" version with all the content, even if it was extra DLC you had to pay for. I just want to be able to experience the entire game that I enjoyed while playing as a kid.

 

[FAST6191]

but it's also on steam so they didn't get exclusivity

While I am a best finding the no switch thing amusing (it is almost as though people believe it still has a chance) I do have to point out that console exclusive is a long established concept, more normally seen with Microsoft platforms but Sony are not absent on these ones.

 

[Scarlet]

Chary, do you live in some alternative dimension where people hate the Secret of Mana 3D remake?

You should look around friend, I've been seeing incredibly mixed opinions on it. The main criticism I see is regarding it looking like a mobile game.

 

[Hells Malice]

Chary, do you live in some alternative dimension where people hate the Secret of Mana 3D remake?

No she lives informed in the dimension where the remake and details about it have been met with mixed thoughts and feelings. Which is incredibly common when an old classic gets a modern remake. There are always people on both sides. Thus controversy. If you're going to wear horse blinders, at least try not to make pointless ignorant posts because of it.

 

[jt_1258]

but it's also on steam so they didn't get exclusivity

ehh, look at sfv, it's more so exclusivity to the playstation consoles, they care a bit less about stopping pc but more so of just wanting to screw Nintendo and Microsoft

 

[SonicfanCEMUTesting]

You should look around friend, I've been seeing incredibly mixed opinions on it. The main criticism I see is regarding it looking like a mobile game.

Yeah, i saw them. It seems that adding this "old-cartoony something" graphics wasn't a good idea from Square Enix or maybe just the visuals are not "next-gen" enough.

 

[Issac]

What was that one called? If you don't mind me asking?

The Game Boy game Final Fantasy Adventure was actually Seiken Densetsu: Final Fantasy Gaiden, the very first Seiken Densetsu (Mana) game.
This was remade as Sword of Mana for the GBA, and was in my opinion a fantastic game, but gets a lot of flack for not having co-op like Secret of Mana (it actually said on the box that it had co-op, but ultimately didn't have it).

Then Secret of Mana and Seiken Densetsu 3 for the SNES, and Legend of Mana for the PS1.

The Switch will be getting a Seiken Densetsu collection in Japan, but they only have the GB version of the first game, and the two SNES games. It's a shame they didn't include Sword of Mana instead, to give it a more unified graphic look. Oh well!

 

[FAST6191]

Yeah, i saw them. It seems that adding this "old-cartoony something" graphics wasn't a good idea from Square Enix or maybe just the visuals are not "next-gen" enough.

I don't necessarily know what Square-Enix's consumer testing said but generally among the sorts of people we have around here

i) 16 bit graphics. Absolutely fine and have been for years. With very few exceptions they represent the pinnacle of 2d game art. The only thing later devices added was the ability to have more sprites dancing faster and harder on screen at once.
ii) Nice modern 3d graphics. Also perfectly able to work.

This sort of "person learning to make 3d graphics but limited to something a badly coded N64 game could do" style we first saw on the N64 but first popularised in more recent times with the Final Fantasy 3 (Japanese numbering) remake for the DS and a whole heap of cheapo mobile phone/tablet games in the time since. Words to describe such a thing often include unmemorable, harder to differentiate, lazy as you like and in many cases unpleasant to look at, if not slightly creepy. As the kind of game that leans into these graphics also tends to be rather unpolished and unrefined, especially if it is a near 1:1 remake of an older game without the benefit of the last few decades of people learning game design, and that it is happening to a long heralded classic to boot from a company like modern Square which have a history of farting out bad remakes and hyping them seriously, means people are often ambivalent or negative unless proven otherwise.

 

[DarthDub]

The Game Boy game Final Fantasy Adventure was actually Seiken Densetsu: Final Fantasy Gaiden, the very first Seiken Densetsu (Mana) game.
This was remade as Sword of Mana for the GBA, and was in my opinion a fantastic game, but gets a lot of flack for not having co-op like Secret of Mana (it actually said on the box that it had co-op, but ultimately didn't have it).

Then Secret of Mana and Seiken Densetsu 3 for the SNES, and Legend of Mana for the PS1.

The Switch will be getting a Seiken Densetsu collection in Japan, but they only have the GB version of the first game, and the two SNES games. It's a shame they didn't include Sword of Mana instead, to give it a more unified graphic look. Oh well!

Sword of Mana had terrible collision detection though.

 

[Cyan]

There are always people on both sides

I'm on both sides by myself
I find it well done and cute, I like the way they did it to replicate the same exact game look and mechanics but made it in 3D, but that same argument can be the problem here.
I can criticize that they are not making a new game but selling it slightly too much (40€, as if it was a new game. There are AAA exclusive game for less than 20€!), they didn't add or reworked the areas or the game mechanics, that's the same story, nothing is new, and they add dlc to get equipment which were present in the original game, they removed content! (but that's another debate).

Ok, they worked on 3D custscenes and added voice over.
At least, this time, it's square enix? not another developer with square being a publisher only like 3DS remakes?
Maybe it's a test to see if users will receive it well to make other similar remakes ? (trigger, FF6, live a live, SaGa, etc.)


I liked that game a lot, and played it many times. I'm curious about that new look and wonder if I'll choose to play it or will just replay the 16bit version I still own. Confronted with new look and nostalgia, maybe that game mix both.


I've read lot of users saying graphics are not of PS4 level.
I don't care and don't expect games to ALL be the same standard and pushing the console capability to the max.
I like when there are games which are different, even with an older look. having PS2 game not in 3D at the end of the console's life was refreshing ! having always the same thing is restraining diversity.

 

[Issac]

Sword of Mana had terrible collision detection though.

Really? I don't remember that, but then again, I played it when it was released so it has been a few years now

Speaking of collision detection, I always had issues with hitting enemies in Secret of Mana. Almost half the time, any swings of a sword didn't get recognized. I mean, it wasn't a hit, and it wasn't a "miss" or "dodge", but just... not hitting anything at all.
Most often it was when the AI hit the enemies before me, like if there were some invincibility frames or so (and I don't mean hitting an enemy a fraction of a second later, but seconds later). I hope that is fixed in this remake.

 

[DarthDub]

Really? I don't remember that, but then again, I played it when it was released so it has been a few years now

Speaking of collision detection, I always had issues with hitting enemies in Secret of Mana. Almost half the time, any swings of a sword didn't get recognized. I mean, it wasn't a hit, and it wasn't a "miss" or "dodge", but just... not hitting anything at all.
Most often it was when the AI hit the enemies before me, like if there were some invincibility frames or so (and I don't mean hitting an enemy a fraction of a second later, but seconds later). I hope that is fixed in this remake.

Yeah, I meant for the sword attack.

 

[HaloEliteLegend]

Hey, I just gotta ask, Chary mentioned this game was controversial. How so? Unnecessary maybe, but what's the controversy?

 

[DarthDub]

Hey, I just gotta ask, Chary mentioned this game was controversial. How so? Unnecessary maybe, but what's the controversy?

Mixed reactions. People thought it looked too "kiddy" for an HD remake.

 

[HaloEliteLegend]

Mixed reactions. People thought it looked too "kiddy" for an HD remake.

Got it, thanks! Yeah tbh, it looks like one of their mobile ports. I was okay with the art direction because their mobile remakes ended up looking like that, too, so I kind of expected to see an art style like this, as odd as that is.