Offering hours of gameplay and some of the most memorable moments in the history of the SNES, it's a game which surely needs no introduction it has been re-released numerous times since 1993 (including a smartphone port and a rather divisive remake on PS4) and is one of the games you can play on your Super NES Classic Edition. Even today it remains a true 2D masterpiece, with gorgeous visuals and one of the best 16-bit soundtracks ever committed to silicon, courtesy of Hiroki Kikuta. Released in 1993, Secret of Mana is arguably the most famous entry in the franchise, at least outside of Japan heck, it's probably the reason you're so keenly reading this review – if you haven't already excitedly downloaded the collection, of course. Toggling through these screen modes is a simple case of tapping the ZR shoulder trigger, but you can't change the border artwork or opt for a black surround, which some may find disappointing. It's so convincing we were immediately hit with a strong sense of nostalgia the only thing missing is the blurriness when objects are moving. However, the best screen filter, in our opinion, is the one which replicates the lurid green display of the original Game Boy, complete with visible pixels. Surprisingly, out of the three games presented here, the Game Boy entry is the one with the most screen options you can play in black and white, with fullscreen and windowed variants, and there's also a Game Boy Color filter which adds a spot of vibrancy to the visuals. It's a gentle introduction to the core mechanics of the Mana series, and despite its obvious simplicity compared to what would follow, it certainly has plenty of charm. The visuals are quite basic and the storyline is threadbare – even by early Game Boy standards – but the mixture of real-time action and role-playing stats still clicks, even after all these years. The franchise debut – known as Seiken Densetsu in Japan, Final Fantasy Adventure in North America and Mystic Quest in Europe – arrived early in the Game Boy's life and features enjoyable (if rather lightweight) action RPG mechanics which actually pre-date the likes of Zelda: Link's Awakening. Save states are also included for those times when you can't reach an in-game save point, and multiplayer is possible on the SNES games thanks to those lovely detachable Joy-Con controllers. Each title includes a music test which allows you to appreciate the gorgeous soundtracks outside of the games themselves, as well as screen filters to ensure you get the best view, either on the Switch's screen or your television. The involvement of M2 should be enough to put to rest any fears that this might be a hack-job on Square Enix's part the emulation is utterly flawless throughout. This pack includes the first three titles in the franchise – the 1991 Game Boy original and the aforementioned 16-bit outings – as emulated by the experts at M2, the studio responsible for the Sega Ages 3D series on Switch as well as Konami's recent Castlevania and Contra Anniversary Collections.
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