Sword of Mana

Infobox VG| title = Sword of Mana


developer = Brownie Brown
publisher = ^JPN Square Enix
^NA Nintendo
designer = Koichi Ishii (producer, game design)
Takeo Oin (director)
Shinichi Kameoka (character design, scenario arrangement)
Kenji Ito (composer)
engine =
released = ^JPN August 29 2003
^NA December 1 2003
^EUR March 18 2004
genre = Role-playing game
modes = Single player
ratings = ESRB: Everyone
PEGI: 7+
OFLC: G8+
platforms = Game Boy Advance
media = 64 megabit cartridge
requirements =
input =
series = "Mana" seriesnihongo|"Sword of Mana"|新約 聖剣伝説|Shin'yaku Seiken Densetsu|New Testament Holy Sword Legend is an enhanced remake of the original Game Boy game "Seiken Densetsu", which was released as "Final Fantasy Adventure" in North America and "Mystic Quest" in Europe. This remake was released on the Game Boy Advance in 2003.

Gameplay

At the beginning of the game, the player is able to choose to play as the male lead or as the female lead, both of whom are named by the player. They each have a different quest, however the plot remains similar. Notably, the remake adapted many elements from the original game, which had their origin in "Final Fantasy", and favored elements traditional to "Mana" games (for example, the chocobo was replaced by Cannon Travel). One notable exception to this are moogles, which do appear in the game. "Sword of Mana" was made to resemble the graphical style of "Seiken Densetsu 3", but the artwork rather resembles that of "Legend of Mana".

The ring system from "Secret of Mana" is featured once again, allowing players to choose various options on the field screen. The day-and-night system introduced in "Seiken Densetsu 3" also makes a return. Much like "Legend of Mana", players can forge weapons, plant produce in an orchard, and read recorded events in the game's "Hot House" feature.

Combat

"Sword of Mana" uses a real-time combat system somewhat similar to that of "The Legend of Zelda". There are different times of day in which only certain monsters appear. Several weapons, such as swords, axes, spears, etc., are acquired throughout the game. Each weapon has an attack trait of either jabbing, bashing, or slashing. These attack traits help to determine damage done to enemies throughout the game. In addition to this, a deathblow gauge is included which, when full, allows a more powerful strike than normal attacks. A magical attack system is included as well, with elements such as light, fire, earth, etc., each affecting enemies in different ways. The form each spell takes and the area it can hit varies depending on what weapon the player has equipped; for instance, the sword produces a spike directly in front of the character, and the bow produces an arc like that of an arrow.

There are nine weapons, each with one of the three attack traits, and with its own unique look. The female character starts out with a rod, and the male character begins with a sword. The player can accumulate more weapons throughout the whole game. There are also seven elemental spirits to use. Each has an attack based on its element, and a support spell as well.

Both characters get a variety of sidekicks who accompany them throughout the game. These characters may be used by the player in battle or allowed to run through somewhat-configurable AI. These sidekicks are key characters of the story and often contribute significantly to character development.

Game Boy Advance connectivity

Although the game does not feature a formal multiplayer option, the "Sword of Mana" does contain the "Amigo" system, which utilizes the Game Boy Advance Link Cable to connect two players' savings together. This allows swapping of partner characters and magic cards used to summon the Mana Wisdoms. As the game's box information does not reflect this, a number of potential buyers were left confused.cite web | title=Sword of Mana - The Seikens | url=http://www.seikens.com/sword-of-mana.html | work=Seikens.com | accessdate=2008-06-21]

Merchandise

In Japan, a special edition "Mana Blue"-colored Game Boy Advance SP was released, packaged with "Sword of Mana" and a carrying case. [cite web | author=Craig Harris | date=June 30, 2003 | title=Mana Blue SP | url=http://gameboy.ign.com/articles/426/426543p1.html | work=IGN.com | accessdate=2008-06-14] Those who purchased the game's soundtrack and strategy guide between August 27 and September 30, 2003 were given the opportunity to win a Cactus character cushion and a cellphone strap.cite web | author=Wollenschlaeger, Alex | date=August 24, 2003 | title=Japandemonium - Vision Thing | http://www.rpgamer.com/news/japan/aw082403.html | work=RPGamer.com | accessdate=2008-09-07]

In 2004, "Sword of Mana" was adapted into manga form by author Shiro Amano and published by Enterbrain.cite web| author=Enterbrain staff| date=2004 | url=http://www.enterbrain.co.jp/jp/p_catalog/book/2004/4-7577-1753-9.html | title=新約 聖剣伝説 アンソロジーコミック | accessdate=2007-06-21 | language=Japanese] . Two novels based on the game were also published by Enterbrain.cite web| author=Square Enix staff| date=2005| url=http://www.square-enix.co.jp/magazine/gamebooks/seiken/index.html| title=新約 聖剣伝説| accessdate=2007-06-21 | language=Japanese]

The game's music was composed by Kenji Ito, building on his previous score for "Seiken Densetsu: Final Fantasy Gaiden". Some of the 47 tracks were reworked versions of the previous game's songs, while others were entirely new. The soundtrack, "Shinyaku Seiken Densetsu: Sword of Mana Premium Soundtrack", was released on August 27, 2003. The first edition included a bonus disc containing a single track.cite web | title=Shinyaku Seiken Densetsu - Sword of Mana Premium Soundtrack | url=http://www.seikens.com/soundtrack-swom.html | work=Seikens.com | accessdate=2008-06-21]

Reception

VG Reviews
1UP = 6.5 out of 10
Fam = 30 out of 40
GamePro = 4 out of 5
GSpy= 3 out of 5
IGN = 7.0 out of 10
GR = 72 of 100cite web | title=Sword of Mana Reviews | url=http://www.gamerankings.com/htmlpages2/914616.asp | work=GameRankings.com | accessdate=2008-06-21] On the day of its Japanese release, "Sword of Mana" sold 87,491 copies, nearly one third of its initial shipment. [cite web |author=Sifar | date=August 29, 2003 | title=SWORD OF MANA SALES DAY EVENT | url=http://individual.utoronto.ca/mkhan/squarenews/news9.html| work=individual.utoronto.ca| accessdate=2008-06-21] It ended up as the 39th top-selling game of 2003 at nearly 278,000 units sold in Japan alone. [cite web | title=2003 Top 100 Best Selling Japanese Console Games | url=http://the-magicbox.com/Chart-BestSell2003b.shtml | work=The-MagicBox | accessdate=2008-06-21] It received fairly mediocre reviews upon its release.

References

External links

* [http://www.square-enix-usa.com/games/SOM/ "Sword of Mana" official site]
* [http://sword.gameboy.com/launch/ "Sword of Mana" launch site]
* [http://uk.gamespot.com/gba/rpg/seikendensetsu/index.html GameSpot UK "Sword of Mana" article]
* [http://www.gameStats.com/objects/487/487812/articles.html#reviews Gamestats' list of "Sword of Mana" reviews]