History Trivia / SecretOfMana

* TroubledProduction: ''Secret of Mana'' was intended to launch on the [[Platform/{{SNESCDROM}} Super Nintendo CD add-on]], but when that fell through, Squaresoft was left with a contractual obligation to make the game, but on the much smaller space of a cartridge instead of the CD-ROM they'd expected. They spent several months stripping the game down: removing large sections of the game-world, shortening the script, adjusting the game's plot, re-writing or removing a great deal of dialogue, and using compressed instruments and recomposing the music in an SPC format for the [[Platform/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]]. While this did have the side-effect of pushing the console's capabilities to the limit, it proved murderous on the text and left some obvious gaps in the plotline. In spite of that, it received great critical acclaim at the time of its release, and the original is still considered one of the strongest games of [[UsefulNotes/The16BitEraOfConsoleVideoGames the 16-bit era.]]

* TroubledProduction: ''Secret of Mana'' was intended to launch on the [[UsefulNotes/{{SNESCDROM}} Super Nintendo CD add-on]], but when that fell through, Squaresoft was left with a contractual obligation to make the game, but on the much smaller space of a cartridge instead of the CD-ROM they'd expected. They spent several months stripping the game down: removing large sections of the game-world, shortening the script, adjusting the game's plot, re-writing or removing a great deal of dialogue, and using compressed instruments and recomposing the music in an SPC format for the [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]]. While this did have the side-effect of pushing the console's capabilities to the limit, it proved murderous on the text and left some obvious gaps in the plotline. In spite of that, it received great critical acclaim at the time of its release, and the original is still considered one of the strongest games of [[UsefulNotes/The16BitEraOfConsoleVideoGames the 16-bit era.]]

** According to former Brownie Brown/1-Up Studio's co-founder Shinta Kameoka, a UsefulNotes/GameBoyAdvance remake in the same style of ''VideoGame/SwordOfMana'' was considered at one point, but it never got past the conceptual stage. Only one [[https://twitter.com/ShintaKameoka/status/1017715290317058048 screenshot]] and [[https://twitter.com/ShintaKameoka/status/1017675873321795584 conceptual artwork]] are proof of its existence.

** ''Secret of Mana'' started life as one of the most ambitious games of the early 90's in order to take advantage of the data capacity of the CD-ROM format. For reference, [=CDs=] are capable of holding roughly 700 MB of data. The ''Secret of Mana'' cartridge holds ''two.'' English Translator Ted Woolsey later remarked that the localization "[[http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/localization/localization.htm nearly killed]]" him, mentioning that "about 40% of the text" had to be "nuked" due to space restrictions. The missing content is, incidentally, why there are many places on the world map where the game doesn't allow you to land even though it looks like you should be able to.

** ''Secret of Mana'' started life as one of the most ambitious games of the early 90's in order to take advantage of the data capacity of the CD-ROM format. For reference, [=CDs=] are capable of holding roughly 700 MB of data. The ''Secret of Mana'' cartridge holds ''sixteen.'' English Translator Ted Woolsey later remarked that the localization "[[http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/localization/localization.htm nearly killed]]" him, mentioning that "about 40% of the text" had to be "nuked" due to space restrictions. The missing content is, incidentally, why there are many places on the world map where the game doesn't allow you to land even though it looks like you should be able to.

** ''[[https://www.romhacking.net/translations/5765/ Secret of Mana: Reborn]]'' completely retranslates the entire script and fixes inconsistencies that were present in the original Japanese version. It also adds in additional context using the official remaster and supplementary material that was made for the game.

** ''[[https://www.romhacking.net/hacks/5765/ Secret of Mana: Reborn]]'' completely retranslates the entire script and fixes inconsistencies that were present in the original Japanese version. It also adds in additional context using the official remaster and supplementary material that was made for the game.

* FanTranslation: The "Enhanced" version of ''Secret of Mana'' uses a much more efficient system of text placement, allowing for a lot of text that was LostInTranslation to be added back in. However, most of the "lost" text was also made up out of whole cloth by the translator since he didn't have access to the original script. Among other things, the Cannon Travel Service menu now displays the names of its destinations rather than 1, 2, and 3. You can get it [[http://fantasyanime.com/mana/somdownloads.htm here]].

* NamesTheSame:
** Vandole is named after Vandole, a character previously mentioned in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyAdventure''. This led some to believe that the game was actually a {{prequel}}, but the katakana in Japanese is different (albeit using the rarely differentiated letters ''B'' and ''V''), meaning the English translation is a coincidence. Averted in ''VideoGame/SwordOfMana'', in which he is referred to as ''V''andole rather than ''B''andole in the Japanese release.
** Timothy is known as "Ness" in the Japanese version. This came out before ''VideoGame/EarthBound''.

* {{Jossed}}: The Sprite's gender. Creator/SquareEnix seems to have gone with male as far as their {{crossover}} event with ''VideoGame/{{Spelunker}} World'' is concerned. Along with the other two Secret of Mana protagonists, Popoi's outfit became available for use in the game. Randi and Popoi's gear was usable by the two male characters Spelunker and Dark Spelunker, while Primm's outfit is made for Spelunkette and Spelunkette's sister.

* FanTranslation: The "Enhanced" version of ''Secret of Mana'' uses a much more efficient system of text placement, allowing for a lot of text that was LostInTranslation to be added back in. However, most of the "lost" text was also made up out of whole cloth by the translator since he didn't have access to the original script. Among other things, the Cannon Travel Service menu now displays the names of the destinations rather than 1, 2, and 3. You can get it [[http://fantasyanime.com/mana/somdownloads.htm here]].

* TroubledProduction: ''Secret of Mana'' was intended to launch on the [[UsefulNotes/{{SNESCDROM}} Super Nintendo CD add-on]], but when that fell through, Creator/{{Square|Enix}}soft was left with a contractual obligation to make the game, but on the much smaller space of a cartridge instead of the CD-ROM they'd expected. They spent several months stripping the game down: removing large sections of the game-world, shortening the script, adjusting the game's plot, re-writing or removing a great deal of dialogue, and using compressed instruments and recomposing the music in an SPC format for the [[UsefulNotes/SuperNintendoEntertainmentSystem SNES]]. While this did have the side-effect of pushing the console's capabilities to the limit, it proved murderous on the text and left some obvious gaps in the plotline. In spite of that, it received incredible critical acclaim at the time of its release and the original is still considered one of the strongest games of [[UsefulNotes/The16BitEraOfConsoleVideoGames the 16-bit era.]]

** Vandole is named after Vandole, a character previously mentioned in ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyAdventure''. This led some to believe that the game was actually a {{prequel}}, but the katakana in Japanese is different (albeit using the rarely differentiated letters ''B'' and ''V''), meaning the English translation is a coincidence. Averted in ''VideoGame/SwordOfMana'', in which he ''is'' referred to as ''V''andole rather than ''B''andole in the Japanese release, but un-averted in the subsequent mobile phone remake.
** Jema, however, is certainly named after the Gemma Knights and was a mistranslation. The remake does correct it to Gemma.
** Similarly, people who are aware of [[SpellMyNameWithAnS R/L shenanigans]] in Japanese might look at the character of Geshtar and go "AHA! That's totally the same name as Emperor Gestahl of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVI'', isn't it?!" Well, in Japanese, not at all: the [=SoM=] character is named ゲシュタール ("Geshutaaru", to be extremely phonetic about it), while the ''[=FF6=]'' character is named ガストラ ("Gasutora"). However, it's very likely this is another {{Woolseyism}}, and it's ''Woolsey'' who actually did use the same name while flipping a letter; since "Gastora" (or even worse, [[MemeticMutation if he became "Gas Store"]]) wasn't a very impressive name for an emperor, Woolsey seems to have been creative in interpreting the kana and pulled in the more impressive-sounding name from the older work, which then stuck.
** It's possible the name of ''Final Fantasy VI''[='=]s emperor was intended to translate to English as "Ghastla" (i.e., punning on "ghastly"), however. The Japanese version of the game's soundtrack, bearing in mind the L/R issues, translates his name as "Ghastra". Regardless, the Woolseyism the TropeNamer went with worked well.

* TroubledProduction: ''Secret of Mana'' was intended to launch on the [[UsefulNotes/{{SNESCDROM}} Super Nintendo CD add-on]], but when that fell through, Creator/{{Square|Enix}}soft was left with a contractual obligation to make the game, but on the much smaller space of a cartridge instead of the CD-ROM they'd expected. They spent several months stripping the game down: removing large sections of the game-world, shortening the script, adjusting the game's plot, re-writing or removing a great deal of dialogue, and using compressed instruments and recomposing the music in an SPC format for the SNES. While this did have the side-effect of pushing the SNES's capabilities to the limit (making it more [[SceneryPorn aesthetically stunning]] than almost any other [[UsefulNotes/The16BitEraOfConsoleVideoGames 16-bit game]] of the time), it proved murderous on the text and left some obvious gaps in the plotline. In spite of that, it received incredible critical acclaim at the time of its release and the original is still considered one of the strongest games of [[UsefulNotes/The16BitEraOfConsoleVideoGames the 16-bit era.]]

** The things mentioned, and later removed due to size constraints, were the Ruby Armet (can be found via cheat codes), Mana-Drops (a mystery item called ??? in English and '...' in Japanese) that could cure all status conditions, heal all health, and recover all magic and a fourth character (one of 4 recruited [=NPCs=] that acted as stand-ins for a missing character during plot points, later removed but left in place with a cheat code they could be activated), but are broken bits that do nothing in the game even with a cheat code.

* SpeedRun: Available in several categories in addition to the usual any%[[note]]Complete the game as fast as possible with anything but a credits warp, completing "any %" of the game[[/note]] and any% mostly[[note]]No glitches that wouldn't be done in a playthrough by a normal player[[/note]] glitchless...
** 2 Player Co-op/1 Player, 2 Controllers: Used to take advantage of several {{Good Bad Bug}}s that allows for SequenceBreaking.
** Game End Glitch, also known as Magic%: Using the Barrel to bug the game into showing the "The End" message--this is possible as soon as [[HelloInsertNameHere Boy]] is kicked out of his hometown and can visit Neko.

* TroubledProduction: ''Secret of Mana'' was intended to launch on the [[UsefulNotes/{{SNESCDROM}} Super Nintendo CD add-on]], but when that fell through, Creator/{{Square|Enix}}soft was left with a contractual obligation to make the game, but on the much smaller space of a cartridge instead of the CD-ROM they'd expected. They spent several months stripping the game down: removing large sections of the game-world, shortening the script, adjusting the game's plot, re-writing or removing a great deal of dialogue, and using compressed instruments and recomposing the music in an SPC format for the SNES. While this did have the side-effect of pushing the SNES's capabilities to the limit (making it more [[SceneryPorn aesthetically stunning]] than almost any other [[UsefulNotes/The16BitEraOfConsoleVideoGames 16-bit game]] of the time), it proved murderous on the text and left some obvious gaps in the plotline. (Though apparently much of the content left on the cutting room floor made it into ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' two years later, so it wasn't all bad.) Beyond the matter of the game itself, the SNES CD debacle is considered responsible for damaging Square's relationship with Nintendo to the point of their realignment with {{Creator/Sony}} for ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII''. In spite of that, it received incredible critical acclaim at the time of its release and the original is still considered one of the strongest games of [[UsefulNotes/The16BitEraOfConsoleVideoGames the 16-bit era.]]

** Reportedly, ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' was heavily based on leftover concepts that didn't make it through this phase of development (and was in fact the game's tentative title after it was decided it wouldn't be ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'').

* TroubledProduction: ''Secret of Mana'' was intended to launch on the [[UsefulNotes/{{SNESCDROM}} Super Nintendo CD add-on]], but when that fell through, Creator/{{Square|Enix}}soft was left with a contractual obligation to make the game, but on the much smaller space of a cartridge instead of the CD-ROM they'd expected. They spent several months stripping the game down: removing large sections of the game-world, shortening the script, adjusting the game's plot, re-writing or removing a great deal of dialogue, and using compressed instruments and recomposing the music in an SPC format for the SNES. While this did have the side-effect of pushing the SNES's capabilities to the limit (making it more [[SceneryPorn aesthetically stunning]] than almost any other [[UsefulNotes/The16BitEraOfConsoleVideoGames 16-bit game]] of the time), it proved murderous on the text and left some obvious gaps in the plotline. (Though apparently much of the content left on the cutting room floor made it into ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' two years later, so it wasn't all bad.) This resulted in one of the most infamous cases of WhatCouldHaveBeen in video game history: Beyond the matter of the game itself, the SNES CD debacle is considered responsible for damaging Square's relationship with Nintendo to the point of their realignment with {{Creator/Sony}} for ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII''. In spite of that, it received incredible critical acclaim at the time of its release and the original is still considered one of the strongest games of [[UsefulNotes/The16BitEraOfConsoleVideoGames the 16-bit era.]]

* TroubledProduction: !!Legacy
''Secret of Mana'' was intended to launch on the [[UsefulNotes/{{SNESCDROM}} Super Nintendo CD add-on]], but when that fell through, Creator/{{Square|Enix}}soft was left with a contractual obligation to make the game, but on the much smaller space of a cartridge instead of the CD-ROM they'd expected. They spent several months stripping the game down: removing large sections of the game-world, shortening the script, adjusting the game's plot, re-writing or removing a great deal of dialogue, and using compressed instruments and recomposing the music in an SPC format for the SNES. While this did have the side-effect of pushing the SNES's capabilities to the limit (making it more [[SceneryPorn aesthetically stunning]] than almost any other [[UsefulNotes/The16BitEraOfConsoleVideoGames 16-bit game]] of the time), it proved murderous on the text and left some obvious gaps in the plotline. (Though apparently much of the content left on the cutting room floor made it into ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' two years later, so it wasn't all bad.) This resulted in one of the most infamous cases of WhatCouldHaveBeen in video game history: Beyond the matter of the game itself, the SNES CD debacle is considered responsible for damaging Square's relationship with Nintendo to the point of their realignment with {{Creator/Sony}} for ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyVII''. In spite of that, it received incredible critical acclaim at the time of its release and the original is still considered one of the strongest games of [[UsefulNotesThe16BitEraOfConsoleVideoGames the 16-bit era.]]
* UrbanLegendOfZelda moments occurred thanks to reviews found to be written by test players who spoiled some things about the game before it was released beyond Beta.

*** It's possible the name of ''Final Fantasy VI''[='=]s emperor was intended to translate to English as "Ghastla" (i.e., punning on "ghastly"), however. The Japanese version of the game's soundtrack, bearing in mind the L/R issues, translates his name as "Ghastra". Regardless, the Woolseyism the TropeNamer went with worked well.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen: One of the most infamous examples in the realm of video games. Essentially, ''Secret of Mana'' started life as an add-on for the UsefulNotes/{{SNESCDROM}}, and was designed to be one of the most ambitiously expansive games of the early 1990's to take advantage of the significantly higher data capacity of the CD-ROM format. However, when the Nintendo/Sony partnership that the SNES-CD hinged on collapsed spectacularly, Square was forced to release the game on a cartridge instead, cutting out roughly 40% of its content in order to make it fit on the much lower-capacity medium. For reference, [=CDs=] are capable of holding roughly 700 MB of data. The ''Secret of Mana'' cartridge holds '''sixteen.''' By all reports, having to strip this game down is what led to the schism between Square and Nintendo in the latter 90s and drove Square into Sony's arms. Reportedly, ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'' was based heavily on the leftover concepts that didn't make it through this phase of development (and was in fact the game's tentative title after it was decided it wouldn't be ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV''). To this ''day'' fans lament the game we never got, and wonder what could've been had the game come out in its original design (and with Square's loyalty to Nintendo intact)... The very level of the game that we did get indicates how good WhatCouldHaveBeen was.
** Special mention should go to the English script, which may have suffered the most from the CD-cartridge transfer. Ted Woolsey himself later remarked that the localization "[[http://www.hardcoregaming101.net/localization/localization.htm nearly killed]]" him, mentioning that "about 40% of the text" had to be "nuked" due to space restrictions.
** The missing content is, incidentally, why there are many places on the world map where the game doesn't allow you to land even though they look like you should be able to do so there. It's almost as though the game is actually ''taunting'' us over the removed content.

** Lots of people spent hours, if not more, looking for the non-existent Sword Orb that would supposedly give you the level 9 sword upgrade. The cruel irony is that [[spoiler:the level 9 sword is actually the reactivated Mana Sword, which you can't get until the final battle]].

* SpeedRun: Available in several categories...

** Game End Glitch: Using the Barrel to bug the game into showing the "The End" message--this is possible as soon as [[HelloInsertNameHere Boy]] is kicked out of his hometown and can visit Neko.

** The things mentioned, and later removed due to size constraints, were the Ruby Armet (can be found via cheat codes), Mana-Drops (a mystery item called ??? in English and '...' in Japanese) that could cure all status conditions, heal all health, and recover all magic, a fourth character (one of 4 recruited [=NPCs=] that acted as stand-ins for a missing character during plot points, later removed but left in place with a cheat code they could be activated), ninth-level magic (can be randomly accessed by stat growth of spells when cast in succession which only include extra animation and power), and the fabled ninth element called Life/Mana/Solar which have icons and a stand in slots in the spell ring when accessed by using a cheat code to restore slot-spaces (not available in the normal game despite rumors) but are broken bits that do nothing in the game even with a cheat code.