Secret of Mana
1993 · Action RPG · SNES
Overview
Secret of Mana was an action RPG with real-time combat and a charge mechanic — holding the attack button built power that was released on a charged strike. The SNES Multitap adapter allowed three players simultaneously, making it one of the first cooperative RPG experiences on a home console. Hiroki Kikuta's atmospheric soundtrack became one of the most beloved in RPG history.
Deep Dive
Secret of Mana was directed by Koichi Ishii at Square and was designed as a CD-ROM title before the SNES CD-ROM peripheral was cancelled, requiring the game to be redesigned for cartridge. The three-player cooperative mode — using the Multitap accessory — was unusual for RPGs and made the game a definitive couch co-op experience. The ring menu system — a circular interface that appeared with a button press without stopping the game — became the game's signature interface contribution.
Developer Story
Secret of Mana was directed by Koichi Ishii at Square after Yoshitaka Amano designed the game's visual style. The project had a complicated development history involving a cancelled SNES CD-ROM peripheral, requiring significant redesign. The game launched in Japan in August 1993.
Did You Know?
- Secret of Mana was originally developed for the SNES CD-ROM peripheral before Nintendo cancelled the project — the game was redesigned for cartridge, losing content that had been planned for the CD format's larger storage.
- The three-player simultaneous cooperative mode required the SNES Multitap adapter, which Square bundled with some versions of the game in Japan.
- Composer Hiroki Kikuta was given minimal direction from the development team — he wrote the entire soundtrack based on his own emotional interpretation of the game's themes.
- The weapon charge system — holding the attack button to build power — was designed to give real-time combat depth without requiring fighting game-style inputs.
