What Secret of Mana was supposed to be, and why I'm mad.

[Mother Vain]

The history behind Secret of Mana was that it was a rushed job that was incomplete and otherwise never lived up to its original potential. It was designed for the SNES CD system whose hardware never came to fruitition and created the horrible divide between the original Super Nintendo and the Sony Playstation, once supposed to be the same system.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VY92aPBM0ss

As researched and as seen in this video (seriously don't comment unless you watch the video), Secret of Mana was supposed to be a LOT larger. But in the video, it states that Chrono Trigger and Secret of Mana were to be the same game that split apart in two different experiences. There's more to it than that, so don't get caught up on it.

Secret of Mana was supposed to have much larger areas, more beautiful sceneries, and the towns didn't all look identical. This is confirmed history simply by doing a Google search and identifying why the SNES CD made this game a rush job. The story was to be more expansive, Mana was to be detailed in a greater way, the clips seen in this area weren't even included in the original game and they were beautiful. More story, more side quests, more explanation of the characters and the summons.

We're not getting that version. You may hope for it, you may fanboy/fangirl out saying "you don't know" but yes, with the live video interviews in English already conducted we do indeed already know. You're never getting everything that was supposed to be, and more ironically you're getting it on a Sony system who destroyed the opportunity for you to get the entire game, and not on a Nintendo system who offered you the rushed version.

The Secret of Mana we all grew up and loved was a rushed, limited version to fit on a cartridge because the true inspiration and content that was designed for the game never happened because it was too large to fit. There is no doubt that Secret of Mana was beautiful, but it wasn't the full experience.

The added dialogue in the game is simply dialogue between the three characters, not an expansion to the story itself. As the developers of this remake stated, it is only to kill the time of being with one another and not speaking to each other. This is not new story, merely commentary.

There were more side stories, more quests, more everything that never happened because of technological limitations. NOW, FINALLY, we're in a world where technological limitations are not bound to developers. Instead of them offering a Season Pass or other amazing content that was designed in the original concept of the game we're getting the same condensed no-new-experiences game, "faithfully ported from the original SNES game" which offers nothing more than the Dawn of Mana mobile game character models. You're not getting new content, you're just getting 3D models at full price of half of what the game was supposed to be.

Seriously, don't comment unless you watch the video.

The fact that there's no new content, or even the option of a Season Pass to introduce some of the other quests planned for the original game, shows how Square-Enix is more interested in 3D ports than new experiences.

[VanMeilleur]

Sadly i havent understand 100% of the video but im going to comment anyway !

They was able to revive the legend of the game but instead they sell us a expensive shamfull cashgrab.
I didnt know chrono trigger and secret of mana was one game at the start.... i totally want to play it now, but even if they finally do it ... square isnt able to make legendary game anymore, even when it could be easy to do, they finally fail.

[Etherealtroll]

Originally posted by Vain Palazzo:

As researched and as seen in this video (seriously don't comment unless you watch the video), Secret of Mana was supposed to be a LOT larger. But in the video, it states that Chrono Trigger and Secret of Mana were to be the same game that split apart in two different experiences. There's more to it than that, so don't get caught up on it.

I for one am glad they seprated them, that gave me two great games to play.

Originally posted by Vain Palazzo:

The Secret of Mana we all grew up and loved was a rushed, limited version to fit on a cartridge because the true inspiration and content that was designed for the game never happened because it was too large to fit. There is no doubt that Secret of Mana was beautiful, but it wasn't the full experience.

But would the "full" experience have been "better"?
The very first sentence is "the game we all grew up with and loved was flawed".
Then why was it so loved? The game I played was amazing, I dont see adding more as being better.

[EtrianVagrant]

The original idea for the game seems really ambitious... Maybe even overambitious I'd say. Who can tell if the game would have lived up to the developers own expectations? We're never going to know, and while it certainly is interesting where CT and SoM came from, this SoM Remake we're getting was never intended to be that "original" game. So I don't see why we should be mad about it.

Now if you don't like the looks or small changes they're planning for the remake, that's a totally different story. But what happened back then with the SNES, its CD-Rom attachment and CT/SoM is just that - the past and an interesting footnote in the history of videogaming. If they would realize this project today, it would be a totally different game - not a remake, but a reimagining.

[Radical Zeal]

Originally posted by Etherealtroll:

But would the "full" experience have been "better"?
The very first sentence is "the game we all grew up with and loved was flawed".
Then why was it so loved? The game I played was amazing, I dont see adding more as being better.

I am with you.
First, let me say thanks for this video. It was very interesting, and gives more reasons to get this game as also been a big Chrono Trigger fan.
The video clearly explains that the original project had many features, but due to the need to release it with lower capacity, they needed to remove some of those features, that were later used in another game, Chrono Trigger.
This does not means that Secret of Mana and Chrono Trigger histories are related. It it just that thanks to this, Chrono Trigger implemented some of the featres that were removed from Secret of Mana. Nothing else.
In my opinion, I love this happened. 2 greath games were created.
Yes, I would be awesome to see how the game would have been if nothing were removed, that is not how things happened, and instead we got 2 different awesome games.
Please take in count this does not only applies for this game, but to many things created by man. Many times there are bigger plans for something, but then you need to split things to be able to handle the projects, reduce the production pricing, meet other requiriments, etc, but always trying to bring the best final product to the customer. We should appreciate what we have, and not how it was planned in the beggining.

[Kona]

To say it is better or worse - we will never know.It would be something entirely different. A different game. I am grateful to have experienced SoM as it is. I am happy to replay an updated version regardless of the graphics. I would like to play the unreleased content, but I am not surprised we won't. It doesn't seem worth being upset about.

[Mother Vain]

Originally posted by Stubborn Deer:

you're still going to buy it though aren't you?

No I am not. I'm tired of getting hosed by Squeenix with these half-arsed remakes. They destroyed Final Fantasy VI on mobile and I will never forgive them for that.

We LOVE Secret of Mana for the SNES, we all do -- otherwise we wouldn't be here commenting on this. But it kills me that yet again Square thinks that this can be another one of their cash cows and not a beloved new experience. At least in the GBA ports, new dungeons were available and more story was added.

New content or bust. Online multiplayer or bust. I've already played this game, we ALL have. We know the bosses, we know how it ends, and a YouTube "Let's Play" video will show us everything we want to know. Give me something more or I'm not wasting my money. And I guarantee you that the video game review sites won't give this thing more than a 7/10 for graphics that can be run on a phone from five years ago.

[Seraphita]

Yeeeeah, I think they ruined both FFV and VI. (Mobile crap) and while I hoped that they wouldn't re-release such a joke, they give people the false idea that it is a "superior version". Just blech.

It's indeed unfortunate that we're getting the short end of the stick. Even more unfortunate that people actually defend it like it's the best thing, under the cover of "opinion". Dark day for SoM.

[Hi, I'm Ben!]

Originally posted by Vain Palazzo:

No I am not. I'm tired of getting hosed by Squeenix with these half-arsed remakes.

Do you know Silent Hill? We will never get a new (true) Silent Hill, because Team Silent won't ever come back together. Also each and every one of those members were shaped through their life experience throughout all those years.

The same goes for any other titles which got released 20+ years ago.

Originally posted by Vain Palazzo:

They destroyed Final Fantasy VI on mobile and I will never forgive them for that.

Ah, ja. That one. I am a die hard FF VI fan as well. And I've never bought that monstrosity of a remake. And I am still happy with my original cardrige and rom. Even on my phone.

But I have to admit, that the Seiken Densetsu remake Adventures of Mana was a ground solid and great game. Secret of Mana now gets the same threadment. And this makes me interessted and good hoping towards its release.

And additional to that: We do not preorder! Wait until it is released and then order it based on the facts which are important to you. Because now you are just another crybaby which was given internet access. Nothing more. Nothing less.

[Evabant]

Okay.. So ive seen people repeatedly ask for the 'cut content' from the original product to be added back into the game for this remake... and now I see this, which indicates a good amount of the cut content was instead placed into the chrono trigger game.. and I say this. If they added the cut content, it would not be the same game. It would drastically change the dynamic of the game. The side quests liekly revolved around the time travel mechanic that was removed and likely would not make sense in the current game.

[Call Sign: Raven]

Originally posted by B.Miller:

Originally posted by Vain Palazzo:

No I am not. I'm tired of getting hosed by Squeenix with these half-arsed remakes.

Do you know Silent Hill? We will never get a new (true) Silent Hill, because Team Silent won't ever come back together. Also each and every one of those members were shaped through their life experience throughout all those years.

The same goes for any other titles which got released 20+ years ago.

Originally posted by Vain Palazzo:

They destroyed Final Fantasy VI on mobile and I will never forgive them for that.

Ah, ja. That one. I am a die hard FF VI fan as well. And I've never bought that monstrosity of a remake. And I am still happy with my original cardrige and rom. Even on my phone.

But I have to admit, that the Seiken Densetsu remake Adventures of Mana was a ground solid and great game. Secret of Mana now gets the same threadment. And this makes me interessted and good hoping towards its release.

And additional to that: We do not preorder! Wait until it is released and then order it based on the facts which are important to you. Because now you are just another crybaby which was given internet access. Nothing more. Nothing less.

I really like you. You won me over at the "we do not preorder" part. I wholeheartedly agree. Never preorder games. Always wait for release. Now, hardware, that's different...

[Λ Ζ Λ Ζ Ε L]

... it just blows my mind how still in 2017, Muricans cannot translate game titles properly. How does one go from "Legend of the Sacred Sword 2" or simply just Seiken Densetsu 2 to "Secret of Mana"? Like do you even Japanese? pff. Just because people back in the 90s didn't know shіt, doesn't mean we still have to mislabel stuff. -.-

[Seraphita]

Who cares? Secret of Mana still sounds cool. Plus they won't start renaming the games for fun. It would confuse people and this is the last thing companies want. Seiken Densetsu 4 is named Dawn of Mana anyway. The series is known in the west for using different names with Mana.

[Commander Red Jonkks]

Originally posted by Çerastes:

... it just blows my mind how still in 2017, Muricans cannot translate game titles properly. How does one go from "Legend of the Sacred Sword 2" or simply just Seiken Densetsu 2 to "Secret of Mana"? Like do you even Japanese? pff. Just because people back in the 90s didn't know shіt, doesn't mean we still have to mislabel stuff. -.-

If they ever release an English localisation of Seiken Densetsu 3 (which I really hope they do), then sure they might figure out a more "faithful" translation for the name, but as for updating Secret of Mana it would make no sense for them to drastically change the name when it's become known as one of the best SNES games. If they had drastically altered the content then a new name might work but otherwise they would just be losing that brand recognition of the established English name for no reason.

[Binarynova]

Originally posted by B.Miller:

But I have to admit, that the Seiken Densetsu remake Adventures of Mana was a ground solid and great game. Secret of Mana now gets the same threadment. And this makes me interessted and good hoping towards its release.

I may be in the minority here, but the Seiken Densetsu remake is why I'm very hesitant about Secret of Mana. Adventures of Mana gave us fully polygonal characters in a polygonal world and stuck us with 8-directional movement that felt terrible, likely because it was a mobile port. I bought that game for Vita and immediately regretted it.

If that same team is making this remake, I'm steering clear (unless post-release gameplay video and reviews show that it's more than a mobile-style port).