Square Enix’s franchise, the Mana series, has reached a milestone of 25 years. On this occasion of the 25th Anniversary, the remastered version of the first Mana game now titled Adventures of Mana, has been released worldwide on the PS Vita.
The first Mana game was released in 1991 and was called Final Fantasy Adventure. This year, the developers remade it and released it on the Vita in Japan. Fans complained that Adventures of Mana was not available outside of Japan and the developers listened. Today the game has been released worldwide and this moment proves that developers do listen to fan requests.
Play as a boy who is merely one of the thousands of gladiators forced to work for the Duchy of Glaive. Just like during the height of the Gladiator Age in Rome, he and his poor cell mates are pulled through the dark cells into the light to fight horrible creatures to appease the awful Dark Lord. Those that survive the battle are awarded with enough bread to sustain them until their next forced battle. Sadly, many of the gladiators are unable to survive for very long.
On top of the mysterious Mt. Illusia hidden by the clouds is the great Tree of Mana. This special tree gathers its life force from the endless celestial aether. A legend is told of the one who will place his hand on the trunk and be given an eternal power – a power that will be bestowed upon the boy gladiator. The Dark Lord is also searching for this power to feed and extend his deadly aim of domination.
The PS Vita edition of Adventures of Mana has newly enhanced 3D visuals (a step up from the 2D in the original game), updated menus and a newly arranged soundtrack by the Final Fantasy Adventure’s composer. As a surprise, the developers have created an option to use the first game’s musical score during gameplay for players who want an old-school feel.
Source: PlayStation Blog