Rise of Mana

[Endless]

In a move sure to please and frustrate Mana fans around the world, Square Enix announced Rise of Mana (yay!), a mobile game (nay!) for Android and iOS that, according to Japanese magazine Famistu, will feature 8 player real-time Co-Op (yay?).

The protagonist of the game seems to have fallen from the heavens and landed on earth, and seems to have been split in two: an angel body and a demon body, between which you can switch in battle.

The main town is called Miste, and you'll be able to purchase equipment (Niccolo!), upgrade it, and raise pet demons. From the video, the game seems to use several places and monsters/bosses that come straight from Legend of Mana (hell effing yay) such as Fieg Snowfields, Duma desert, Trent (!) in the orchard.

The game is 3D (meh) action (woohoo), and seems to have gone back to basics as far as gameplay goes, with spear, sword and bow as the basic weapons.

If the music in the game is like the music in the video, it'll be gorgeous. Graphic style is inspied by LoM, but with 3D and updated (720p) resolution.

Look out for the return of Lil'Cactus also, and its journal writing habit.

French site gameblog.fr reports the game will be free to play and will feature micropayments, but no not much known yet as to what these will be apart from premium items. the game is set to be released next week in Japan, but no date was announced outside of it. There is hope still, the game name is trademarked outside of Japan.

Now my opinion is: why the heck is this a mobile game and not a full-fledged console/PC game? Wtf is wrong with you, SE?

[Fynn]

Mobile games are steadily flourishing. They're exceptionally big in Japan.

[Del Murder]

Is it really that hard to port these to 3DS or Vita?

[Jowy]

Secret of Mana on iOS is frustratingly difficult on a touch screen. I can see this going the same way.

[Rostum]

I'm hoping that Square continue to try and release some quality RPG's for iOS / Android, rather than just ports. So I'll be looking at this when/if it comes out on the Australian iTunes store.

[Skyblade]

I'm hoping that Square continue to try and release some quality RPG's for iOS / Android, rather than just ports. So I'll be looking at this when/if it comes out on the Australian iTunes store.

"Continue" implies they have succeeded in doing so once so far. Have you played any of the iOS versions? They're horrible. Even good games like Secret of Mana have horrible controls.

[Endless]

The soundtrack will be on sale on April 23rd, and judging from the video and site, it should be good.

Edit: from this Wired article:

[Jiro]

I'm hoping that Square continue to try and release some quality RPG's for iOS / Android, rather than just ports. So I'll be looking at this when/if it comes out on the Australian iTunes store.

"Continue" implies they have succeeded in doing so once so far. Have you played any of the iOS versions? They're horrible. Even good games like Secret of Mana have horrible controls.

Well, he did say "continue to try". They might be trying. That's also debatable though.

[Scotty_ffgamer]

I haven't played any of Square's IOS/Android stuff, but I've heard that the Chaos Rings games are actually pretty decent.

[Ayen]

Just one more game I won't be able to play because I don't play games on my cellphone.

[Jiro]

I haven't played any of Square's IOS/Android stuff, but I've heard that the Chaos Rings games are actually pretty decent.

It's remarkable how decent nearly all of Square Enix's non-Final Fantasy stuff is

[Rostum]

I'm hoping that Square continue to try and release some quality RPG's for iOS / Android, rather than just ports. So I'll be looking at this when/if it comes out on the Australian iTunes store.

"Continue" implies they have succeeded in doing so once so far. Have you played any of the iOS versions? They're horrible. Even good games like Secret of Mana have horrible controls.

Have you?

I've found a lot of the games to be fine, whether it be something original like the Chaos Rings series, a few of the Final Fantasy ports that I've played, Chrono Trigger or even The World Ends With You. I'm not sure about Secret of Mana, but you shouldn't judge based on just one port's controls.

[Skyblade]

I'm hoping that Square continue to try and release some quality RPG's for iOS / Android, rather than just ports. So I'll be looking at this when/if it comes out on the Australian iTunes store.

"Continue" implies they have succeeded in doing so once so far. Have you played any of the iOS versions? They're horrible. Even good games like Secret of Mana have horrible controls.

Have you?

I've found a lot of the games to be fine, whether it be something original like the Chaos Rings series, a few of the Final Fantasy ports that I've played, Chrono Trigger or even The World Ends With You. I'm not sure about Secret of Mana, but you shouldn't judge based on just one port's controls.

I'm not. I've played Secret of Mana, Final Fantasy Dimensions, and Chrono Trigger. They all have poor controls.

For Chrono Trigger, I would like to direct you to this review, the very first one I found by doing a YouTube search. Notice that the review is mostly praising the game, with some minor issues with the port itself, except for the controls, which it criticizes at every point. Because they suck.

[Jowy]

Stirring the pot here, but I've heard the touch screen controls make Death Peak entirely unbeatable in the android version of CT.

[Endless]

Stirring the pot here, but I've heard the touch screen controls make Death Peak entirely unbeatable in the android version of CT.

An acquaintance of mine couldn't get past the section where you have to catch the rat to move forward. I did it for her, and that was using a stylus designed specially for iphones, it was near impossible using finger controls to make sharps turns and keep up with the rat. Not to mention you have to mash a while running, so I had one hand to hold the phone, one hand to move the stylus, and she was mashing the screen to press a.