Secret of Mana Home and DS Version Revealed

Square Enix has revealed some new and unexpected information on two new Mana games it has in the works, one for home console and a portable spin-off for Nintendo’s DS.

Right now, no platform has been announced for the console version, though Square Enix has promised the most realistic Mana experience to date, with “...storylines offered through hints as subtle as the facial expression of an NPC,” according to Famitsu Weekly.

The DS version is looking fairly advanced however, and is a direct descendant of the lacklustre Game Boy Advance Mana game from last year. Fully titled Seiken Densetsu DS: Children of Mana in Japan and Secret Of Mana DS everywhere else, this will be bittersweet news to fans of the series. The long-awaited revival of the 2D series on GBA was widely panned, with the promise of one of the best modern RPGs in years evaporating into the ether.

From the few images that have popped up in scan form here and there, it looks as though the player controls the action in battle sequences using stylus strokes. No other gameplay details have yet been revealed.

We’ll bring you more details on both Mana games as they emerge in the coming months.