Personal
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| Date Created: | 2010-09-08 |
| Date Modified: | 2010-09-08 |
General
| Platform: | Game Boy Advance |
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| Release Year: | 2004 |
| Publisher: | Nintendo |
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| ESRB Rating: | Everyone |
| Amazon Link: | Buy from Amazon.com |
Description
Sword of Mana is Square Enix's second title for the GBA and, like Final Fantasy Tactics before it, it's a remake of one of their earlier classics. The original version, on the old black and white Game Boy, was sold as The Final Fantasy Adventure in the West--although it was actually the first game in the Japanese Seiken Densetsu series (which also includes the highly regarded Secret of Mana) and is nothing to do with the Final Fantasy franchise at all. In fact the game plays a lot more like The Legend of Zelda, because there's no turn-based combat--just real-time action.
With such an illustrious pedigree you'd expect a lot from Sword of Mana and at first you won't be disappointed: the graphics are gorgeous and the sword- and magic-based combat is immediately engaging. However it soon becomes clear that the game lacks the variety of Zelda and instead replaces it with Square Enix's usual finicky role-playing elements. More problematic is the complete stupidity of the various computer-controlled characters that are supposed to help you out throughout the game, but instead just get in your way. Neither element is enough to ruin the game, which is still a superior action RPG--but they do make it fall a little short of the portable classic it could've been. --David Jenkins