Secret of Mana - Seiken Densetsu II
Pros - You can play with a friend or two. Has great music and beautiful graphics.
Cons - Can be a bit buggy at times and sprites will disappear if too many are on the screen at once.
Do you remember that smell of a brand new SNES cartridge? Remember the feeling of peeling off the lamination or that troublesome price sticker? Well, I sure do, and these memories all take me back to Secret of Mana (Seiken Densetsu II), possibly the best game in the popular series. But it isn't only nostalgia that keeps this game in my heart, it's the gorgeous graphics, beautiful music, fast pace combat, and the enchanting world that makes playing this game a timeless experience.
From the opening cut-scene to the final showdown, this game is a masterpiece. We start out the game as Randell (or whatever you choose to name him), a young boy with a mysterious past and a strong sword-arm. Randell accidentally pulls a rusty old sword from a lake and that is when when the trouble starts. Monsters begin appearing and Randall is to blame, so he is exiled from the small village he once called home. From this point onward, you will help Randall discover his true identity and help to fulfill his destiny of saving the world from the forces of evil. Secret of Mana is full of story and characters that can be sad at sometimes and cheerful at other times. The controls are so smooth that battle and equipment that the action never gets old. This game has dozens of weapons, special attacks, and spells to aid you during the lengthy and boss battle filled game. The game can be a little easy at times and some bosses can be won by simply spamming the same spell over and over again, but this is hardly a problem. And you can even enjoy the game with up to two of your friends via the game's multi-player functions! And hey, if you don't have any friends, not a problem because you can set Artificial Intelligence patterns for party members being controlled by the CPU.
If you like story driven RPGs like the Final Fantasy series and action/adventure games like Zelda, you will most definitely like Secret of Mana.
-Philosoma-
