Secret of Mana - Play Online Free

About Secret of Mana

Square's Super Nintendo action RPG, known in Japan as Seiken Densetsu 2, keeps three characters on screen at once: a boy who pulls a rusted sword out of a stone, a girl searching for a missing friend, and a sprite with no memory of where it came from. Fighting happens in real time in the field with no separate battle screen, and menus open as a ring of icons around whoever you are currently controlling.

Attacks are governed by a percentage gauge under your hit points. Swing and it drops to zero, then refills; connecting at full charge does full damage, so combat settles into a rhythm of strike, step back, strike. Eight weapon types level separately, magic is learned by rescuing the eight Elementals and each spell grows stronger the more you cast it, and your two companions can be run by the computer or handed to other players.

Why play Secret of Mana

Three-player co-operative play through the Super Multitap was rare in a role-playing game, and the ring menu, which hovers over whoever is active rather than sending you to a separate screen, keeps a second or third player able to equip gear and pick spells with minimal interruption. Hiroki Kikuta's score — his first game soundtrack — and the Mode 7 flights over the world map on Flammie are what most people remember. The project was originally planned for the abandoned SNES CD add-on and reworked onto a cartridge.

Tips for new players

Watch the percentage gauge rather than the enemy: swinging before it returns to 100% does a fraction of the damage and wastes your opening.
Weapon Orbs do nothing sitting in your bag — hand each one to Watts the dwarf blacksmith, who forges the weapon up a level for a fee. He first appears in the Dwarf Village but follows the party to most towns afterwards, so you rarely need to backtrack.
Every forge also adds another charge level, so hold the attack button and land charged hits to raise a weapon's proficiency; each of the eight types levels independently, and spreading your use leaves everything weak.
Spells grow stronger the more they are cast, so it is worth spending magic on ordinary fights rather than hoarding MP for bosses.
Your AI companions catch on scenery constantly; set their behaviour in the ring menu and expect to backtrack for them in tight dungeon corridors.

Platform

Super Nintendo (SNES)

Released

1993

Genre

Action RPG

Publisher

Square

Developer

Square

Players

1 player

Price

Free

Default Controls

You can play with keyboard, gamepad, or touch (on mobile). The default keyboard layout is below; remap any key inside the emulator settings.

↑↓←→D-Pad

ZB

XA

AY

SX

QL

WR

EnterStart

ShiftSelect

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Secret of Mana connected to Final Fantasy Adventure?

Yes. It is Seiken Densetsu 2, following the Game Boy game released in the West as Final Fantasy Adventure. The connection is thematic — the Mana Tree, the Mana Sword and the elemental spirits — rather than a continuing cast of characters.

Why do my attacks barely damage anything?

The percentage meter under your hit points determines damage. It empties whenever you swing and then refills, and hitting at a low percentage barely scratches an enemy. Wait for it to reach 100% between blows, especially with slow weapons like the axe.

How do you upgrade weapons in Secret of Mana?

Through two connected systems. Weapon Orbs found in dungeons and earned from bosses raise a weapon's level, but only once Watts the dwarf blacksmith forges them for a fee. Each forge also unlocks a further charge level, and the weapon's proficiency then rises through use as you land charged attacks.

Is Secret of Mana really free to play?

Yes. Every game on OldGames.Games is free to play in your browser. There are no downloads, hidden fees or account requirement for single-player games.

Can I save my progress?

Yes. The emulator supports save states — you can save the exact moment you're at and resume later from any device by signing into a free OldGames account.