Sword of Mana

"A great action-RPG that should be enjoyed by all (LE SP package review included)"

Shinyaku Seiken Densetsu
Sword of Mana

I received the Sword of Mana Package with the ''Limited Edition'' GBA SP as a gift from family in Japan. It's a great little package that has also been made with Boktai and Final Fantasy Tactics Advance. Sword of Mana was a game I was highly anticipating, and my review will not only cover the game but the entire package as well (no reason, just thought that this angle would make my review more unique).

The package overall is amazing, and the game is really great. Sword of Mana takes the style from previous Seiken Densetsu games and puts it into a portable platform. While it is a remake of Final Fantasy Adventure, virtually everything has been revamped and improved to make the game more visually stunning (I haven't played the original, so I can't say for sure that it's been improved beyond that aspect). The product is a fun game that will be one of the better RPGs released on the GBA as far as I can see. Onto the review of the package...

Package:
GBASP - The GBA SP that comes with this is a ''Mana Blue'' edition that looks really great when you play a game. I won't go into the details of the machine itself, but the SP is definitely a plus in this package.
Case - The case that comes in this package isn't as impressive as the one I saw in the FFTA bundle, but still is a nice plus, as it holds the GBA and protects it from scratches. Not much else to say, so onto the game.

Game:
Graphics - Graphically, the game is pretty impressive for a GBA game. The style of the graphics really appeals to me, and I can't really find any real flaws with the graphics. Each character has a unique look and enemies are nice and clear.
Sound - The music in this game is phenomenal. Some of the best on the GBA, it works really well with the game.
Control - The controls in this game are solid, and the fighting in this game is really good. It makes fighting in the game better, as it's not as much of a chore as in other RPGs where it become horrendously monotonous.
Story - The story in the game is very deep and the game is dialogue heavy. I didn't read through all the text (mostly because it would take forever for me to read through it all, as my Japanese isn't as deep as this game needs it to be), but the story seems very interesting. The North American release will give me a better idea of how good the story is, but so far it looks promising.
''Fun Factor'' - Call it what you want, when it comes down to it, you want a game that is ultimately fun to play and Sword of Mana is. I want to dive into it for hours just to fight enemies. The story is very interesting, but I'm holding off playing it more until I finish the North American version, just so I can get into the story and fully appreciate it.

Package: 9/10
Sword of Mana: 9/10

Overall, this game is amazing and should be picked up by any fans of Legend of Zelda and other action-RPGs (along with Mana fans). The game should not be imported for those who don't understand the language fluently (I'm half Japanese and I have trouble with parts of the story), as it is dialogue heavy and most people won't get most of the story. However, if you want a GBASP with a unique color, this is a good option.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 09/10/03