Category:

Let's Play

Duration: 1:00:00

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Here is the playthrough of Secret of Mana done live on IGTV. Due to space I wasnt able to record the whole playthrough so here is the final dungeon only.

Follow me on instagram @CabinSNES_fever to join me live or via my reviews and uploads to witness me take down all the games currently in my SNES colleciton, following on from having already beaten all 234 licenced UK releases for the NES. I only use original carts, no cheats & no save states.

REVIEW:
-The 16bit era boasts the perfect marriage in RPG advancements 8-bit hardware was rarely able to offer. Demanding just the right of amount time commitment needed to beat games before gameplay grows stale, something that later 32bit RPGs often suffered with!

Rubbing shoulders with some of the Behemoths in the RPG world, its nice that SOM has something unique to champion for itself. Besides well designed gameplay, serviceable story & an excellent arsenal of weapons and magic, its most impressive feature comes in offering up to 3 player co-op, unheard of in RPGs at the time. At 36, finding 2 people commited enough to dedicate 15 hrs of their lives to beating an ancient RPG is unlikely, which sadly leaves me only the AI. In fairness, besides spending half their time stuck on environmental obstacles, they do a decent job taking care of themselves. Switching between characters; with each assigned to a different button, is quick & elevates gameplay considerably, making magic casting a painless affair.

Another progressive step was the inclusion of multiple weapon options switchable on the fly. Each levels independently per character, unlocking new charged attacks with every new upgrade. Timing attacks is biggest beginner hurdle & demands alot of practice to master. To be honest if not for magic I'd probably still be suffering now!

Early on, travel to new areas is only done when required, negating any potential for getting lost. It's a welcome mechanic but short lived since around halfway, you're spat into the wide world on a dragon, with only a hazy idea of what to do. With no physical map & no in-game ones offering location names, navigating journeys is often a needle in a haystack situation! It's enough to nearly ruin the game completely since NPCs are often unclear where to go & sometimes only offer advice once!

As with any RPG, difficulty is dictated by your commitment to the grind! Having put in the time to level my magic, the reward was a casual cruise to victory.

Overall a solid game with fun and engaging mechanics & plenty of offensive variety. It will never be one of the absolute greats but its certainly holding onto their ankles!