Many flaws, to start, exist in the real-time combat system. The hero has a diverse arsenal of weapons, from his trademark sword to a spear, a flail, an axe, and so forth. Throughout the game, I found it annoying to switch weapons constantly when one didn’t work against an enemy. The hero also obtains various elementals throughout the game, granting him access to spells. To use a spell, the hero must equip an elemental, and the player must hold down the R button to bring out the elemental. Two primary spells exist for each elemental, one when the player immediately releases the R button and the other when the player releases it after holding it down for a second or so. An attack spell’s range depends upon what weapon the hero currently has equipped, and requires great precision from the player in order to damage the enemy. Given this particular frustration, I found myself rarely using magic during the game. If you do use it often, however, you can squat by holding the L and A buttons, gradually recovering MP. The player can also build up weapon and spell levels with repeated use.
It’s shocking to realize that this is a remake. Recently, though, Square-Enix announced an obscure addition to the Seiken Densetsu series, so let’s hope they look towards Secret of Mana, the series’ crown jewel in my opinion, for inspiration next time instead of their pocketbooks.
Other Helpful Reviews for Shinyaku Seiken Densetsu
This is one of the best RPG I have ever played. At the beginning I thought RPG games for the GBA were not so good as they are on the Gamecube and PS2. But after playing Sword of Mana, I see now that they are good. You'll... Read Full Review
Since Sword of Mana is supposedly a remake of Mystic Quest (a.k.a. FF Adventure for non-Europeans) I'll be reviewing this game with that game in mind. Mystic Quest has been one of my favourite GameBoy titles ever since ... Read Full Review
