A solid few months ago, we started with one question posed by Caliscrub:
“Goggle Bob, which would you say are the good Mana games?”
And I’m ready to answer that question! With a lot of words!
So you going to “They’re good games, Brent” us?
No! There are definitely bad Mana games. Children of Mana is an utterly pointless dungeon crawler. Heroes of Mana is a Tactical game that pales in comparison not only to any tactical game available today, but even Final Fantasy Tactics Advance (released four years before HoM, and playable on the same hardware). And Dawn of Mana was the biggest disappointment of the bunch: I was expecting something like Musashi Samurai Legend. You know, a game that I initially bounced off of back at its release, but can now see a passable game separated from the shame of being tricked into a “worthless” purchase. Nope! Dawn of Mana is just obtuse crap, and while it is possible to understand what they were going for (the fully malleable world is a noble goal), they fell so far off the mark, it veers dangerously into Lunar: Dragon Song territory. Do not mess with basic concepts like “how experience works” or “access to healing spells”. Also, maybe make a few areas a little less green and purple. I know we have that whole tree thing going, but it is a bit much.
But once we get past the bad Mana titles…
Would you play again?
Every single FGC article has ended with one simple question: Would I play again? This is the crux of any game, from chess to Hentai Golf. Did you enjoy this game enough to try again? Some games are curiosities. Some games can be replayed infinitely. There are even a few games out there that are singular experiences, and replaying them would dampen the impact of that original, initial playthrough. But no matter what the answer, we still live in a society where games cost money, and can be “unloaded” for reasons both material (trade in value!) and virtual (I need more space in my Switch’s fridge). If Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Chaos Bleeds does not bring me joy, should I toss it? Or should I hang on to it like a rat destined to one day be found crushed by a tumbling bookshelf of dusty DVD cases? We only have so much time on this Earth, and should that time be spent with loved ones, or Snow Bros.? Play the game to find out!
This is all preamble for a simple statement: excluding the previously mentioned “bad” Mana titles, I wanted to continue playing every Mana title after their attendant stream. Even Sword of Mana! That game is woefully misguided, and contains a host of detrimental directorial differences from its “source material” that quantifiably make the experience worse. But “worse” is not unplayable, and as I got into the groove of hunting hydras, I did want to continue. As far as “good games”? I was playing Legend of Mana with no clear plan on aiming for any particular ending, and you better believe I wanted to “see it through” after cutting the feed and having the game all to myself. And the” big three” originals and their remakes? Well, suffice to say there was a reason you got three weeks of bonus FGC Mana coverage with these Even Worse Streams writeups. You cannot just try a Trial!
So why play Mana games?
While we have ascribed this phenomenon to “baby bird brain” multiple times across the streams, I will state plainly that a big factor here is that I personally am familiar with the gameplay of these Mana titles. And I know I’m not alone! Whether you are playing a Mana title for the first or 500th time, the start of these adventures are always the same: see Rabite, hit Rabite with sword. It’s straightforward! Final Fantasy Adventure is often cited as a Zelda-clone, and the (majority of the) rest of the franchise goes directly from there. So you know what else is “evolved” Zelda gameplay? Well, 40 years of Zelda games, Kingdom Hearts, and practically the entire “adventure” genre. It works. It is comfortable. And after you spend a couple of hours with the intricacies of any given Mana game (maybe because you are streaming every week while your friends yell at you), you are likely to be secure enough to want to see more.
But even beyond the obvious statement of “gameplay is always a solid B”, what else has the Mana series got?
So what is unique about Mana?
Practically every Mana game takes place on its own world. Not unlike its parent Final Fantasy franchise, you occasionally have direct links between games and characters. But even when “The Vandole Empire” or “Vuscav” reappears, it is a different, incompatible thing from the last game. However, have you seen Vuscav?
Holy crap, you guys. We have a giant turtle-duck-fish-kappa thing wearing goggles and sporting a kicky little flag. Are those “suspender” straps meant to imply that the shell is more of a backpack than an actual part of him? And we do know to say “him” at this point, as Visions of Mana gives the guy a whole, princely love story with a matching, pink Vuscav princess! It was a story so romantic, it made Careena cry! That is one important whatsit!
Are the Mana games AAA adventures that are an absolute requirement for any gaming historian? No. But are they alright? Do they contain memorable characters, monsters, and situations? Would I play them again? Absolutely. All of the Mana games are good (almost), and worth a play or two. There are some significant and obvious low points across the franchise, but they are overall worth it.
I’m just not gonna play ‘em again with the peanut gallery commenting…
Next time on Even Worse Streams: Jason Corbett joins us again to talk about the rise of a certain (Patrick) star.
The real stars of the show