Legend of Mana is a 1999 action role-playing game created and released by Square for the PlayStation. It is part of the Mana series. The game takes place in a fantasy world filled with magic and mythical creatures. Players control an unnamed hero who must restore the land of Fa'Diel by shaping the environment and completing connected tasks to revive the Tree of Mana.
The game includes action role-playing features from earlier Mana games, such as real-time battles. However, Legend of Mana has its own unique gameplay style. A key feature is the Land Make system, which allows players to create new areas and generate quests in a way that lets them choose their own path rather than following a single main story. The game was directed by Koichi Ishii, the creator of the Mana series, designed by Akihiko Matsui, and produced by Akitoshi Kawazu, a longtime Square director and producer.
The game sold 400,000 copies in its first week and reached 700,000 sales by the end of 1999. While critics praised the game’s colorful hand-drawn graphics and soundtrack by Yoko Shimomura, they noted that the story lacked a clear main plot, making the game feel harder to follow. It was later re-released as part of PlayStation and Square’s best-selling collections. A version for the PlayStation Classic was released in Japan and North America. A remastered edition was published by Square Enix for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Windows on June 24, 2021, for Android and iOS on December 7, 2021, and for Xbox Series X/S on September 26, 2024. An anime adaptation titled Legend of Mana: The Teardrop Crystal, made by Yokohama Animation Laboratory and Graphinica, aired from October to December 2022.
Gameplay
Legend of Mana uses an angled top-down view, similar to other games in the Mana series. Players control an unnamed main character and can have up to two companions. One companion is optional and depends on the quest being completed, while the other is chosen by the player from a list of monsters, pets, or golems. Both companions are usually controlled by the game’s AI, but a second player can control the support character or load a saved character from another file. Each character has numbers that show their health, strength, and other traits. These numbers increase when the character gains levels by earning experience points from defeating enemies.
Battles happen when the player encounters enemies while exploring the world. Combat happens in real-time in the same location as the encounter, not on a separate screen. The main character can wear different weapons, armor, and accessories. Weapons allow the player to use special attacks called Special Techs, which are powerful moves that can be used when a special move meter is full. This meter fills as the player harms enemies. Each weapon, like a sword or spear, has specific special attacks that can target one or multiple enemies and can be assigned to different buttons on the controller.
Unlike earlier Mana games, Legend of Mana does not follow a fixed path through a world. Instead, it uses a "Land Make" system where players create the game world by placing objects called Artifacts on empty spaces on a map. The map is a grid shown from an isometric angle. Placing an Artifact creates a Land, which the player can enter by selecting its location on the map. Lands are not connected, so players must return to the map screen to move between them. Each Land is made from a different Artifact and contains a quest that usually rewards another Artifact. Lands also have other quests. Each Land has a strength rating from 0 to 3 for each Spirit of Mana, which affects how strong magic of that type is in that area. The strength depends on the Artifact, its position on the map, and the ratings of nearby Lands. Many areas have non-player characters who offer quests, sell equipment, or provide information. Other areas have enemies and bosses for the player to fight.
After completing certain quests, players can access optional activities centered around the hero or heroine’s house. Players can craft or upgrade weapons and armor using materials found in the game, or combine items to change their power or add effects. They can grow fruit in an orchard, raise pets for companionship, create items, or build golems. Pets can also be raised using the Japan-only PocketStation device, and two players can fight each other in an arena.
Plot
Legend of Mana takes place in the fictional world of Fa'Diel. The Mana Tree, which gives mana and life to the world, burned down almost completely 900 years before the game's events. A war began between faeries, humans, and others who fought for the limited mana that remained. After the war ended, the burned Mana Tree began to regrow while the lands of Fa'Diel were stored in ancient artifacts. A hero, controlled by the player, is tasked with restoring the world and mana to their original state. Fa'Diel is home to many different creatures, including humans, faeries, demons, the Jumi, who have jewel-like hearts, plant-like Sproutlings and Flowerlings, miner bears called Dudbears, and shadowy beings from the Underworld known as Shadoles. The world also includes human-like animals and objects, as well as monsters from other Mana games, such as Rabites, Chobin Hoods, and Goblins. The player controls the game's protagonist, who can be either male or female. The character has no name, and their past or personality is not described in the game.
The story of Legend of Mana is made up of many quests divided into three main storylines, other quests, and a final storyline. Each main storyline includes optional side quests. Players can begin the final storyline and finish the game after completing the required parts of any storyline, even if the other storylines are not started or completed. The three main storylines before the final one are: the Jumi storyline, the Larc and Sierra storyline, and the Matilda and Irwin storyline.
The first storyline follows the Jumi, a race with valuable jewel-like hearts who have been mistreated for a long time. Many characters in the game refer to them as "dirt" as an insult. This storyline centers on Elazul, a Jumi Knight, and Pearl, a Jumi Guardian. Elazul's goal is to protect Pearl, even from Sandra, a jewel hunter. The player helps Elazul and Pearl save the Jumi.
The second storyline follows Larc and Sierra, brother and sister dragoons who serve different dragons and fight on opposite sides of a war for power. Larc serves Drakonis, a dragon who wants to kill the other three dragons to rule the world. Larc forces the player to help him. Sierra, who serves Vadise the White Dragon, wants to stop Drakonis without harming her brother. In the end, Drakonis is defeated and sent to the Underworld, and Larc is freed from his control.
The third storyline follows a complex love story between four childhood friends: Matilda, Irwin, Daena, and Escad. Irwin, a half-demon, is angry that society prevents him from being with Matilda, a spiritual leader, and wants to destroy the world in revenge. Escad tries to stop Irwin, while Daena tries to help everyone and keep Matilda away from Irwin. The conflict grows into a war between humans and faeries. Depending on the player's choices, either Daena or Escad will die, and the player helps end the conflict.
No matter which choices the hero makes, they begin the final storyline, called "Legend of Mana." This storyline focuses on the return of the Mana Tree. The player travels to the Mana Tree and climbs it, but finds that the Mana Goddess has become corrupted and the tree is decaying. The player fights the Mana Goddess and wins. A Sproutling then plants itself in the tree's decaying trunk. With the help of other Sproutlings, the Mana Tree is restored.
Development and release
Legend of Mana was directed by Koichi Ishii, the creator of the Mana series. He had worked on the three earlier games in the series. Many of the other developers were new to the series, including producer Akitoshi Kawazu, who directed and produced many games in Square's SaGa series, and designer Akihiko Matsui, who had directed Chrono Trigger. The game's character designs and illustrations were created by Shinichi Kameoka. In 2011, Retro Gamer reported that Ishii kept the game connected to earlier titles by using gameplay ideas from previous games, but Kawazu had a major influence on the game's design.
Legend of Mana was made as a 2D game, even though the PlayStation was known for its 3D games. The console could not handle the detailed 3D world Ishii wanted, where players could interact with naturally shaped objects. Kawazu allowed Ishii to work with a relaxed schedule and budget at first because Ishii had many ideas for the game. However, when the project became too large and ran out of time, Kawazu shortened the development timeline and convinced Square executives to delay the game's release by two months, even though it had already been announced to the public. Some content, such as many character images and item mechanics, was removed to fit the game on one CD-ROM. Kawazu later said this experience showed him that his real strength in game development was being a producer.
Square announced Legend of Mana in March 1999, just before its debut at the Tokyo Game Show. The game was released in Japan in July 1999 with high excitement and included demos of Square's future games: Vagrant Story, Chrono Cross, Front Mission 3, and Threads of Fate. It was planned to be released in North America with Chrono Cross and Threads of Fate in July and August 2000, but it was released earlier on June 6.
Yoko Shimomura composed, arranged, and produced the original score for Legend of Mana. She was new to the Mana series; the first two Mana games were scored by Hiroki Kikuta, and the first by Kenji Ito. In 2002, Shimomura said she believed the Legend of Mana soundtrack best showed her musical style. She explained that she prefers music that expresses strong emotions and that she must feel the emotions of a piece deeply before writing it. Legend of Mana included the first vocal track in any Mana game, "Song of Mana," which is also the game's opening theme. The song was sung by Swedish vocalist Annika Ljungberg, chosen by Shimomura because she wanted to work with someone unknown. After hearing a sample of Ljungberg's music, Shimomura traveled to Sweden to record the song using analog equipment.
The 1999 soundtrack album Seiken Densetsu / Legend of Mana Original Soundtrack includes 55 tracks from the game on two discs. The music features many styles, such as piano, hard rock, and electronic music. The album was published by DigiCube and reprinted by Square Enix in 2004. It reached #65 on Japan's Oricon music charts and stayed there for two weeks. "Song of Mana" was later included on the Square Vocal Collection album in 2001. Four tracks from the game were released on Drammatica: The Very Best Works of Yoko Shimomura, an album highlighting Shimomura's compositions.
When Legend of Mana was released in Japan, Square offered promotional items, such as stuffed toy dolls of the rabite enemy and series mascot, a necklace, and lighters. As part of Square's "Summer of Adventure" promotion in 2000, customers who preordered the game received a free music CD with select tracks. In late 2000, the game was re-released in Japan as part of the Square Millennium Collection at a lower price, along with a special music box and two character figurines. A companion book titled Seiken Densetsu: Legend of Mana Ultimania, including artwork and interviews, was released as part of Square's Ultimania series. It was published by DigiCube in 1999 and later reprinted by Square Enix in 2004. An artbook, Legend of Mana: Making of Mana, was published in 2000 by ASCII. A five-volume manga series, created by Shiro Amano, was published between 2000 and 2002.
Reception
In Japan, Legend of Mana was a top-selling game when it was first released. It sold more than 400,000 copies in its first week, making it the best-selling game that week in Japan. By the end of the year, it had sold over 700,000 copies in Japan. The game also became the top-selling PlayStation game in North America during the week of its release.
Critics had mixed opinions about Legend of Mana. Many praised its visuals, especially the bright, colorful hand-drawn graphics. David Smith of IGN said the graphics were one of the game’s strongest features. Andrew P. Bilyk of RPGamer called the visuals "some of the best 2D graphics ever seen in an RPG." Andrew Pfister of Electronic Gaming Monthly described them as "the most impressive 2D artwork ever on a console." Damian Thomas of RPGFan compared the graphics to Disney animation, noting they had a "storybook, cutesy cartoon style." Andrew Vestal of GameSpot said the graphics were "very detailed and beautiful 2D artwork." The game won an award for best graphics at the 4th Japan Game Awards. The music was also widely praised, with reviewers calling it "fantastic" and "wonderful." Smith of IGN said the soundtrack was "as good as any you'll hear today," with a mix of intensity and subtlety. Vestal of GameSpot said the music was "well-organized" and fit the game’s environments perfectly.
Some critics had concerns about the game’s structure. They noted that the game focused more on separate quests than a main story. GamePro praised the "Land Make" system but said the many subplots made the game feel unclear. Johnny Liu of Game Revolution said the game lacked depth and felt like a collection of short quests instead of one complete game. Vestal of GameSpot said the miniquests might disappoint players looking for a traditional action-RPG, and that the gameplay felt "confusing and not connected well." Next Generation said the "Land Make" system was creative but made the game feel disconnected without a strong story. Japanese reviewers from Weekly Famitsu said the system was ambitious but made the game feel unconnected, with the story’s separate parts making the beginning less charming than the end.
Gary Steinman of Official U.S. PlayStation Magazine said the lack of a main story made the game less motivating to play, especially because he thought the combat system was weak. Sam Kennedy of Electronic Gaming Monthly agreed with these points. Bilyk of RPGamer said the smaller stories were sometimes simple but still enjoyable. Smith of IGN said he liked the game but thought it was more like a collection of fun experiences rather than a complete game like Secret of Mana.
In November 2000, Legend of Mana was ranked number 48 on Weekly Famitsu’s list of the top 100 PlayStation games of all time. The game was re-released in Japan in 2002 as part of the PSone Books best-sellers series, in 2006 as part of Square Enix’s Ultimate Hits collection, and on the PlayStation 3 PlayStation Network in 2011 as part of the PSone Classics series. A remastered version was released in 2021 for the Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and PC. This version was later released for Android and iOS in 2021 and for Xbox Series X|S in 2024. An anime adaptation titled Legend of Mana: The Teardrop Crystal aired from October to December 2022. The series began in October 2022.