Retronauts Episode 339: Trials of Mana remake
You say Mana, I say Mana...
Square Enix has it tough. The company carries the legacy of two different classic Japanese game developers, each with its own history, and there is but a finite amount of time and resources in the world. How can Square Enix adequately maintain all of their famous franchises at the same time?
I can't possibly answer that question, but I'm confident that there must have been a better way to handle the 2020 remake of Trials of Mana, a game originally released only in Japan 25 years ago until getting a translated re-release last year followed by a full-on remake released in April of this year. But do you remember what also happened in April of this year (don't say COVID)? That's right: Final Fantasy VII got a remake, and it was very shiny and an immediate sensation, so much so that the Trials of Mana remake was instantly overlooked.
But when a classic game gets overlooked, Retronauts is there to discuss it anyway! Joining Jeremy to round out our podcast series on the Mana series are two frequent guests on our program, Chris Kohler (now with Digital Eclipse) and Nadia Oxford, co-host of Axe of the Blood God. Let them tell you all about how this remake fits in amongst this troubled series' many ups and downs and why it's still worth your time.
Description: Earlier this year, we discussed the original 16-bit version of Trials of Mana (aka Seiken Densetsu 3). Now, Jeremy Parish, Chris Kohler, and Nadia Oxford dig into the 3D remake: What it does right, where it falls short, and pwaces it's vewy iwwitating.
Retronauts is a completely fan-funded operation. To support the show, and get exclusive episodes every month, please visit the official Retronauts Patreon.
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Artwork for this episode by Shaan Khan and editing thanks go to Greg Leahy.
