Square Enix's Mana Series Is Getting Two New Games And An Anime Series

Legend of Mana fans have plenty to look forward to in the coming months, as Square Enix marked the 30th anniversary of the cult-classic JRPG franchise with three new project reveals. In a livestream broadcast last week, a new mobile game titled Echoes of Mana was shown off. A free-to-play action RPG for Android and iOS devices that's scheduled to launch in 2022, Echoes of Mana has an all-star cast that brings together characters from previous Mana titles such as Trials of Mana, Secret of Mana, and Adventures of Mana.

The next project revealed was Legend of Mana: The Teardrop Crystal, an anime series being developed by Graphinica and Yokohama Animation Lab for Warner Bros. Japan. According to Mana series producer Masaru Oyamada, this in-development series may have helped influence the HD remaster of the series that was released in 2018.

"When the animation project was first pitched to me, the remastering of 'Legend of Mana' was not even in discussion," Oyamada said in a statement on the official website for the anime. "I initially attended the meeting without deep thoughts, but when Mr. Yawata from Warner Bros. Japan passionately pitched the Legend of Mana animation project (with so much love), I realized I need to created the game as soon as I can. So rumor has it, that's how the HD remaster project began. Fans of the Legend of Mana, please be assured. The people involved in the project still have the love for the series just the same as back then."

The biggest announcement of the livestream was a new untitled game that will be coming to console. Other than that announcement, Square Enix isn't ready to share any other details just yet.

"We wanted to announce it by running a cool trailer, but we're only at the start of the 30th anniversary," Oyamada said via Games Talk. "But we are in fact developing [a new title], but please wait a little while longer until the proper announcement. Although we did have [Mana series creator Koichi Ishii] take a look at it a little bit ago. We're at that level of development, so please look forward to it. Development still has some way to go… We are developing for console, so I hope you can look forward to it."

Smaller announcements for the series included a retro update for the Legend of Mana remaster that will add the font from the original PlayStation version, as well as an iOS and Android release for the Trials of Mana remake on July 15. If waiting until next year is too long, a completely overhauled version of Legend of Mana has just hit the Nintendo Switch, blending retooled visuals, new musical arrangements, and other quality-of-life improvements together.