History VideoGame / WorldOfMana

* ''Seiken Densetsu: Circle of Mana'' (2013, [[UsefulNotes/IOSGames iOS]]/Android, Japan-only; a card battle game released in GREE. Discontinued service in September of 2015)

* A 3D remake of ''Trials of Mana'' (2020, Nintendo Switch/[=PlayStation=] 4/Windows)

* StandardStatusAilments

''(The World of) Mana'' series (or simply ''Mana''), [[CompletelyDifferentTitle alternatively-known]] as ''Seiken Densetsu'' (''Legend of the Holy Sword'') in Japan, is a series of (mostly) {{Fantasy}} {{Action RPG}}s by developed and published Creator/SquareEnix.

* ''VideoGame/LegendOfMana'' (2000, UsefulNotes/PlayStation)

* UnnecessaryCombatRoll: Both in super moves and as its own normal ability in ''VideoGame/LegendOfMana''.
** And in ''VideoGame/DawnOfMana'', it might be marginally faster than running, so it's abused in {{Speed Run}}s; there's even a badge that lets you roll longer.
* {{Unwinnable}}: You'll need at least two InterchangeableAntimatterKeys to get through the final dungeon of ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyAdventure''. If you don't have them, or use them in the wrong spot, then you can't advance to the FinalBoss.
** Until you realize some of the enemies there can drop keys.
** Additionally, if you didn't grind enough stat boosts before the save point before the second-to-last boss in ''VideoGame/DawnOfMana'', you are probably going to have to restart the entire chapter.
* VideoGameRemake: ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyAdventure'' was upgraded into ''VideoGame/SwordOfMana'', bringing it more in line with the rest of the series, ditching the carryover ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' influences for more familiar ''Mana'' references. (Chocobos replaced with cannon travel, for instance.)

* DownerEnding: ''VideoGame/SecretOfMana''. Two of the three arcs leading to the endgame in ''VideoGame/LegendOfMana'' also end this way.
** ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyAdventure'' also ends this way: [[spoiler:All of the hero's friends have been killed (with the exception of Lester, who the hero leaves behind in Jadd to mourn his dead sister...who the hero had to kill when she turned into a monster), and the girl he worked so hard to protect is giving up her existence to become the new Mana Tree.]]
*** And if you consider ''VideoGame/SecretOfMana'' to be the chronological sequel to ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyAdventure'', [[spoiler:she ends up dying anyway when Thanatos destroys the Tree with the Mana Fortress]].

* CactusPerson: Li'l Cactus, first appearing in ''VideoGame/LegendOfMana'', is a very small creature who appears to be an ordinary inanimate cactus whenever the player character is around but, as soon as they leave, he gets out of his pot to write in his journal, revealing that he has roots for legs.

* Creator/YokoShimomura: She composed the music for ''VideoGame/LegendOfMana'', ''VideoGame/SwordOfMana'', and ''VideoGame/HeroesOfMana''. For ''Sword of Mana'', she arranged Creator/KenjiIto's original compositions.

It began as a GaidenGame in the [[RunningGag tree-choppingly popular]] ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series: The first game was a passion project by Koichi Ishii, but Square weren't interested in a new IP, so he finally got it greenlit as ''Final Fantasy Adventure''. (It was literally titled ''Final Fantasy Gaiden'' in Japan.) Likewise, the second game was originally going to be ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'', and then ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', then finally became a sequel to ''Adventure'' mid-development. The real ''Chrono Trigger'' ended up recycling ideas that Ishii and co. left on the cutting-room floor.

It began as a GaidenGame in the [[RunningGag tree-choppingly popular]] ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series: The first game was a passion project by Koichi Ishii, but Square weren't interested in a new IP, so he finally got it greenlit as ''Final Fantasy Adventure''. (It was literally subtitled ''Final Fantasy Gaiden'' in Japan.) Likewise, the second game was originally going to be ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'', and then ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', then finally became a sequel to ''Adventure'' mid-development. The real ''Chrono Trigger'' ended up recycling ideas that Ishii and co. left on the cutting-room floor.

It began as a GaidenGame in the [[RunningGag tree-choppingly popular]] ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series: The first game was a passion project by Koichi Ishii, but Square weren't interested in a new IP, so he finally got it greenlighted as ''Final Fantasy Adventure''. (It was literally subtitled ''Final Fantasy Gaiden'' in Japan.) Likewise, the second game was originally going to be ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'', and then ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', then finally became a sequel to ''Adventure'' mid-development. The real ''Chrono Trigger'' ended up recycling ideas that Ishii and co. left on the cutting-room floor.

* BrokenBridge: You ''have'' to pull the Mana Sword out to chop down the plant blocking your way back home in VideoGame/SecretOfMana; you similarly need the Axe to break through rocks and the Whip to jump certain gaps.

The games tenuously share a setting and usually center on the [[TheWorldIsAlwaysDoomed oft-threatened]] Mana Tree, which is the source of all magic in the world, and the [[LegendaryWeapon mythical]] Mana Sword. ''Mana'' is played in real time, much like a ''[[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Zelda]]'' game but with HP instead of hearts and AI-controlled teammates (when not controlled via multiplayer co-op). There are no battle screens or [[FightWoosh fight transitions]], but other trappings of the [[EasternRPG JRPG]] genre are clearly present. Entries in the series include:

''(The World of) Mana'' series, [[CompletelyDifferentTitle alternatively-known]] as ''Seiken Densetsu'' (''Legend of the Holy Sword'') in Japan, is a series of (mostly) {{Action RPG}}s by Creator/SquareEnix.

It began as a GaidenGame in the [[RunningGag tree-choppingly popular]] ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series: The first game was a passion project by Koichi Ishii, but Square weren't interested in a new IP, so he finally got it greenlighted as ''Final Fantasy Adventure''. (It was literally subtitled ''Final Fantasy Gaiden'' in Japan.) Likewise, the second game was originally going to be ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'', and then ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', then finally became a sequel to ''Adventure'' during development. The real ''Chrono Trigger'' ended up recycling ideas that Ishii and co. left on the cutting-room floor.

* SummonMagic: the spells in ''VideoGame/SecretOfMana'' all involve calling up the respective NatureSpirit and having them blast the enemy or buff the party.

It began as a GaidenGame in the [[RunningGag tree-choppingly popular]] ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series: t)The first game was a passion project by Koichi Ishii, but Square weren't interested in a new IP, so he finally got it greenlighted as ''Final Fantasy Adventure''. (It was literally subtitled ''Final Fantasy Gaiden'' in Japan.) Likewise, the second game was originally going to be ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'', and then ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', then finally became a sequel to ''Adventure'' during development. The real ''Chrono Trigger'' ended up recycling ideas that Ishii and co. left on the cutting-room floor.

It began as a GaidenGame in the [[RunningGag tree-choppingly popular]] ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series; the first game was a passion project by Koichi Ishii, but Square weren't interested in a new IP, so he finally got it greenlighted as ''Final Fantasy Adventure''. (It was literally subtitled ''Final Fantasy Gaiden'' in Japan.) Likewise, the second game was originally going to be ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'', and then ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', then finally became a sequel to ''Adventure'' during development. The real ''Chrono Trigger'' ended up recycling ideas that Ishii and co. left on the cutting-room floor.

The games tenuously share a setting and usually center on the Mana Tree, the source of all magic in the world, and the eponymous Mana Sword. ''Mana'' is played in real time, much like a ''[[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Zelda]]'' game but with HP instead of hearts and AI-controlled teammates (when not controlled via multiplayer co-op). There are no battle screens or [[FightWoosh fight transitions]], but other trappings of the [[EasternRPG JRPG]] genre are clearly present. Entries in the series include:

It began as a GaidenGame in the [[RunningGag tree-choppingly popular]] ''Franchise/FinalFantasy'' series; the first game was a passion project by Koichi Ishii, but Square wasn't interested in a new IP, so he finally got it greenlighted as ''Final Fantasy Adventure''. (It was literally subtitled ''Final Fantasy Gaiden'' in Japan.) Likewise, the second game was originally going to be ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyIV'', and then ''VideoGame/ChronoTrigger'', then finally became a sequel to ''Adventure'' during development. The real ''Chrono Trigger'' ended up recycling ideas that Ishii and co. left on the cutting-room floor.

The fully-3D ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyCrystalChronicles'' have [[SpiritualSuccessor usurped the place]] of ''Mana'' in the Square Enix pantheon to some extent. SE erroneously began scrambling to find [[GenreShift a different genre]] for the ''Mana'' series, such as the RealTimeStrategy ''Heroes'' and vanilla action game ''Dawn''. The latter was very poorly received, especially in Japan, where it was titled ''Seiken Densetsu 4'' and viewed as an unworthy successor to that name. ''Mana'''s mobile efforts have been met with similar derision; although trademarks for ''Circle'' and ''Rise'' were both filed in English-speaking territories, [[NoExportForYou they were never localized]], and the reception was chilly enough in Japan that both lasted about two years apiece before being shuttered.

''(The World of) Mana'' series, also known as the ''Seiken Densetsu'' (''Legend of the Holy Sword''), is a series of mostly [[ActionRPG action]] [[EasternRPG role-playing games]] by Creator/SquareEnix (formerly Squaresoft) that tenuously share a setting. Most of the games center on a Mana Tree, the source of magic in the world, and the eponymous Mana Sword.

''Mana'' is played in real time, much like a ''[[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Zelda]]'' game but with HP instead of hearts and AI-controlled teammates (when not controlled via multiplayer co-op). There are no battle screens or fight transitions, but other trappings of the [[EasternRPG JRPG]] genre are clearly present. Games in the series include:

The fully-3D ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyCrystalChronicles'' have [[SpiritualSuccessor usurped the place]] of ''Mana'' in the Square Enix pantheon to some extent. SE erroneously began scrambling to find [[GenreShift a different genre]] for the ''Mana'' series, such as the RealTimeStrategy ''Heroes'' and vanilla action game ''Dawn''. The latter was very poorly received, especially in Japan, where it was titled ''Seiken Densetsu 4'' and is seen as an unworthy successor to that name. ''Mana'''s mobile efforts have been met with similar derision; although trademarks for ''Circle'' and ''Rise'' were both filed in English-speaking territories, [[NoExportForYou they were never localized]], and the reception was chilly enough in Japan that both lasted about two years apiece before being shuttered.

* ''Seiken Densetsu: Circle of Mana'' (2013, {{UsefulNotes/IOS}}/Android, Japan only; a card battle game released in GREE. Discontinued service in September of 2015)

* ''Seiken Densetsu: Circle of Mana'' (2013, [[UsefulNotes/IOSiOS]][=/=]Android, Japan only; a card battle game released in GREE. Discontinued service in September of 2015)

* ''Seiken Densetsu: Circle of Mana'' (2013, [[UsefulNotes/IOSiOS]]/Android, Japan only; a card battle game released in GREE. Discontinued service in September of 2015)

The fully-3D ''Franchise/KingdomHearts'' and ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyCrystalChronicles'' have [[SpiritualSuccessor usurped the place]] of ''Mana'' in the Square Enix pantheon to some extent. SE erroneously began scrambling to find [[GenreShift a different genre]] for the ''Mana'' series, such as the RealTimeStrategy ''Heroes'' and vanilla action game ''Dawn''. The latter was very poorly received, especially in Japan, where it was titled ''Seiken Densetsu 4'' and seen as an unworthy successor to that name. ''Mana'''s mobile efforts have been met with similar derision; although trademarks for ''Circle'' and ''Rise'' were both filed in English-speaking territories, [[NoExportForYou they were never localized]], and the reception was chilly enough in Japan that both lasted about two years apiece before being shuttered.

''Mana'' is played in real time, much like a ''[[Franchise/TheLegendOfZelda Zelda]]'' game but with HP instead of hearts and AI-controlled teammates (when not controlled via multiplayer co-op). There are no battle screens or fight transitions, but other trappings of the RPG genre are clearly present. Games in the series include:

* ''VideoGame/FinalFantasyAdventure'' (1991, UsefulNotes/Game Boy)

The Square USA game ''VideoGame/SecretOfEvermore'' was often mistaken as being part of the ''World of Mana'', especially in the days before the internet. While it was directly inspired by ''Secret of Mana'', notably the [[RingMenu ring-based menu system]] and combat mechanics, it doesn't have any of the ''Mana'' story elements in it, and magic use is based on [[LimitedUseMagicalDevice consumables]] rather than the traditional [[{{Mana}} mana pool]].