Trials of Mana

Trials of Mana, released in Japan as *Seiken Densetsu 3*, is an action role-playing game from 1995. It was both developed and published by Square for the Super Famicom. As the follow-up to 1993's *Secret of Mana*, it stands as the third title in the Mana series. The game is set in a high fantasy world and centers on three heroes seeking the legendary Mana Sword to prevent the Benevodons from being unleashed and destroying the world. It offers three main plotlines and six possible main characters, each with their own story, and supports two-player simultaneous play. Building on its predecessor, the game introduces a time progression system with day-to-night and weekday cycles, along with a wide range of character classes that grant each character unique skills and stat growth. The game was designed by series creator Koichi Ishii, directed by Hiromichi Tanaka, and produced by Tetsuhisa Tsuruzono. Artwork was provided by manga and anime artist Nobuteru Yūki, while the music was composed by Hiroki Kikuta, who also scored *Secret of Mana*. Although initially released only in Japan, English-speaking players gained access through an unofficial fan translation in 1999. Critics praised *Trials of Mana* for its graphics—considered among the best on the Super Famicom—and for refining the gameplay of its predecessor. The plot received mixed reactions: the overlapping storylines were seen as interesting and boosting replayability, but the characters and individual plots were often described as flat and clichéd. Overall, many critics regard it as a classic of the Super Famicom library. In June 2017, the game was included in the *Seiken Densetsu Collection* for the Nintendo Switch in Japan. This collection was released in North America and the PAL region in June 2019 as *Collection of Mana*, with *Seiken Densetsu 3* titled *Trials of Mana*. A 3D remake of the same name was announced alongside it and released worldwide in April 2020 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4. The remake came to Xbox Series X/S in 2024. The gameplay of *Trials of Mana* is similar to that of *Secret of Mana*. Like many 16-bit role-playing games, it uses a top-down perspective where three player characters navigate terrain and fight hostile creatures. Control can be switched between characters at any time, with the others controlled by artificial intelligence.