I am dedicated to seeing Even Worse Streams play through a couple of hours of every Mana title. No amount of fanboymaster singing the hits can stop me! However, there are a few Mana games that are no longer with us. We take a moment today to mourn the Mana games that have shuffled off this mortal coil.
Think about it, my streaming friends, we could have had another four weeks of this!
(Images are compliments of the Art of Mana artbook that was released in 2020. Additional art for the final entry has been heisted from the Echoes of Mana official site. It’s not like I can actually play these games to get screenshots…)
Friends of Mana
Mobile Platforms
Launched: October 18, 2006
Discontinued: February 28, 2011
What is it?
This was a mobile game released in 2006 opposite the Mana resurgence games like Children of Mana and Dawn of Mana.
How does it play?
Do you remember what mobile games were like in 2006? You were playing a game with a keypad on a screen with the same dimensions as a chiclet. So Friends of Mana was an “action RPG” with these cumbersome constraints. This may be why the final product puts such an emphasis on menu-based activities, like crafting.
Is there a plot?
This was supposed to be part of the new, unified “World of Mana” soft reboot of the Mana universe… but this is totally a direct sequel to Legend of Mana. Sorry, Children/Dawn of Mana! And considering Legend of Mana was a game with a wildly variable world (you literally built it!), continuing that is a weird choice. Never build a sequel or crossover on an unpredictable game, kiddies! It was probably easier to reuse all these Legend of Mana characters and plots than care about that… but still!
Is it a crossover?
Legend of Mana was already a game that repurposed a lot of content from previous Mana titles. In addition to all those LoM dudes running around, Secret of Mana’s Sprite and Trials of Mana’s Charlotte are both reincarnated here. And you can score a chocobo pet. Does that count?
How is it Mana-y?
It is Legend of Mana by way of Children of Mana. Attempting to combine those two adventures may not do either game any favors, but it definitely has a Mana vibe to it.
Are we missing anything with it gone?
If you are a Mana-completionist, this is definitely a Mana game that happened, and is more significant in the grand scheme of things than a random gacha or alike. That said, this was mobile gaming before anyone knew how to make a mobile game (it had a monthly subscription! Not just a cool-down meter!), so only seek it out if time traveling is something you already have on the agenda.
Circle of Mana
Mobile Platforms
Launched: March 5, 2013
Discontinued: September 30, 2015
What is it?
Everybody likes card games, right? This is one of those.
How does it play?
Collect cards, use cards. You may be familiar with this style of gameplay if you have ever spent an afternoon with your grandma.
Is there a plot?
Apparently this is some manner of Yu-Gi-Oh Mana universe where cards are used to protect the Mana Tree. Multiple universes are included, and your ultimate goal is to recover the Sword of Mana (which is probably a card?). Note that since we have an official multiverse, you should have a broad selection of Mana Swords available.
Is it a crossover?
The cards are based on damn near everybody from the previous Mana titles. Final Fantasy Adventure is not technically included, but Sword of Mana’s replacement cast is highlighted. Other than that switcheroo, we have a number of representatives from Secret of Mana, Trials of Mana, Legend of Mana, Children of Mana, Dawn of Mana, and Heroes of Mana. If you’re curious, it appears Legend of Mana is the most represented with 71 characters, though that may just be a side effect of that game having a huge cast to begin with.
How is it Mana-y?
It’s card game, but your cards can evolve and go through a sort of dark/light “job class” like in Trials of Mana and a few later Mana titles. Sticking to the dark path with Primm (Secret of Mana’s Lady in Knuckles) will get you an official “Fighting Girl”. It’s her true final form!
Are we missing anything with it gone?
It had Player vs. CPU and Player vs. Player, so there was probably some fun to be had with anyone else that was anxious to duel in a Mana-based card game. Other than that, this one feels like a general cash-in on the good name of Mana. As a mark for exactly that, I am glad it is no longer threatening my wallet.
Rise of Mana
Mobile Platforms, Playstation Vita
Launched: March 6, 2014
Discontinued: March, 2016
What is it?
The most capital “V” videogame on this list. This is a straight-up action adventure title complete with unique mechanics and a fascinating plot hook.
How does it play?
This is basically an action MMORPG, with monster fightin’ to stay busy and boss raidin’ when you want to join your pals. All actions are based on “mental energy”, though, which works out to a sort of stamina meter so you cannot play all day. Unless you pay! Square gotta make some Mana money somewhere.
Is there a plot?
So we have a “Mana Sanctuary” dimension/world where there are distinct dark and light sides to the tree. Everything in the light is an angel, and the dudes hanging out in the shadows are all demons. They have been warring over light and dark since time immortal. Their two greatest champions fight in front of the tree, accidentally tumble down the Mana falls, and wind up stranded in the mundane, “human” realm. In order to maintain corporeal form, the angel and demon merge into one entity and possess a local human. Together, they fight crime! And score a Mana Sword!
Is it a crossover?
This was intended to be a “unique” Mana game that was not all fanservice, but collaborations with other mobile games seem to lean on Mana’s legacy more than its present offering. For instance, the Brave Frontier x Seiken Densetsu 2 x Rise of Mana Collab more heavily featured Primm of Secret of Mana than Rise of Mana’s own protagonists.
How is it Mana-y?
This could have been Seiken Densetsu 5. This isn’t just a rehash of “action RPG’ing”, this is a brand-new experience with a weapon triangle that justifies your armory, elemental imbuing that lets your spirits stretch their legs (note: only 38% of Mana Spirits have legs), an emphasis on switching your devil/angel personalities for combat and NPC-interaction, and even a brand new Goddess of Time so the mythology can expand the tiniest bit. What more could you want?
Are we missing anything with it gone?
Just to add insult to injury, there was talk of an “Offline Version” being produced (they could just expand the Vita version to be on Playstation 4! It worked for World of Final Fantasy!), but that never materialized. The terminated “pay to play or quit for the day” version is all we have, and the Mana franchise is lesser for it. I want 8-players with 16 separate personalities all raiding a Mantis Ant on my Switch! Oh well, at least the game got an ending cinematic released on YouTube…
Echoes of Mana
Mobile Platforms
Launched: April 27, 2022
Discontinued: May 15, 2023
What is it?
It was 2022, so a gacha was inevitable. This one is a little more action-y than simply drawing JPGs and being told they have conquered the Adrestian Empire or whatever, but the main gameplay loop is still based on randomly acquiring legendary pulls and then combining those four stars into five stars in hope of eventually seeing six stars or whatever.
How does it play?
Action fighting time, but that time is only ever five minutes. You are given tasks to complete, and the idea is that you must pull off these jobs as quickly and efficiently as possible. Waste your seconds into a Game Over? Well, I’m sure you can find some way to pay for a few more minutes.
Is there a plot?
Create your own Mana Boy or Girl, and then the opposite gender becomes your rival. Just like Pokémon! And you are working for a goddess to rebuild a world that has been whittled down to nothing! Just like Legend of Mana! And then find out that there is more to this “goddess” than you would expect, and your real pal this whole time has been a possessed stuffed animal! Just like 9 Years of Shadow! Weird that that happened twice! Anyway, as per tradition going back to Dawn of Mana, Witch Goddess Anise is up to no good again, but you’ll eventually pull off a win.
Is it a crossover?
We are back to the crossover aspects being the whole dang point again. Summoning and assisting allies in their various quests is the name of the game, and you are continually dealing with winking nods to “main game” quests for these heroes (Riesz would love to help you in the next chapter, but she has to go find a man with red eyes now). Note that since your summon characters are more playable than the card game, the cast has been trimmed to the more obvious luminaries. Legend of Mana is down to 10 representatives, and Dawn of Mana just has two. Ritzia doesn’t even get to participate! Not that anyone remembers Ritzia anyway!
How is it Mana-y?
Vampires are a common boss creature in Mana titles going back to Final Fantasy Adventure. And this game is a vampire sucking the blood out of the Mana franchise so that it might become immortal. But it dies alone and unloved. That is as Mana-y as it gets.
Are we missing anything with it gone?
By all accounts, Echoes of Mana was a lovely presentation with vapid gacha gameplay. We do not need yet another Mana title that can be described as “pretty, but dumb”, so Echoes of Mana can stay in the trash bin.
Next time on Manapiece Theatre: Adventuring back to the beginning.