Play Secret of Mana Online

Summary

Secret of Mana (known in Japan as Seiken Densetsu 2) still feels fresh thanks to its real‑time combat that pauses for a sleek Ring Command menu. With a single button press a circular menu hovers over the active character, letting you swap weapons, use items or cast spells without ever leaving the battlefield. The game also pioneered drop‑in cooperative play; up to three friends can join at any moment via the Super Multitap, each taking control of Randi, Primm or Popoi while the others are handled by AI.

Weapon variety is a core loop: eight distinct types can be upgraded eight times, and repeated use builds skill that unlocks special attacks. Magic grows in parallel, tied to rescued Elementals that grant elemental spells, each with its own skill level and MP cost. Traversal is sped up by Cannon Travel Centers, and later the party earns Flammie, a tiny dragon that flies over the overworld using the SNES’s Mode 7 to simulate 3‑D terrain.

The soundtrack, composed by Hiroki Kikuta, pushes the SNES’s audio limits with custom instrument samples, delivering everything from ominous bells to solemn piano passages. Those musical choices, combined with the game’s fluid menu and multiplayer design, keep Secret of Mana a standout action‑RPG for both newcomers and veterans.

Storyline

Secret of Mana unfolds in a high‑fantasy world where the ethereal energy called mana once powered an advanced civilization that built the flying warship known as the Mana Fortress. The gods, angered by this abuse, sent giant beasts to battle the fortress, draining mana and plunging the world into chaos until a hero wielding the Mana Sword shattered the fortress and restored peace. The adventure begins in the village of Potos, where three boys disobey the Elder and pull a rusty sword from a waterfall, unleashing monsters. The hero, Randi, is joined by the brave girl Primm and the amnesiac sprite Popoi as they seek the eight Mana Seeds the Empire hopes will revive the Fortress. Behind the Empire’s ambition, the dying sorcerer Thanatos manipulates events, eventually possessing the warrior Dyluck and seizing the reassembled Fortress. The party discovers the Mana Tree, learns it is the spirit of the original Mana Knight’s wife, and confronts Thanatos atop the Fortress. After defeating the lich, the summoned Mana Beast attacks; encouraged by Popoi, Randi uses the fully powered Mana Sword to slay the Beast, causing it to explode into snow. In the aftermath, the sprite fades into the astral plane, Primm returns home, and Randi is welcomed back to Potos, the Mana Sword once again resting beneath the waterfall.