Children of Mana – NDS – Preview

E3 2006 Hands On Preview

Children of Mana’s first run of
screenshots brought many thoughts. Who are those three-headed monsters (who are
nearly as big as one of the DS screens)? What’s the story about? Who are these
characters? How did the game artists make them look so good on two tiny screens?

Their paint job: impressive. Their
detail: immense. Children of Mana is a beautiful action-filled RPG with dozens
of enemies to annihilate. It’s these monstrous encounters that sets Mana apart
from its predecessors, especially the colorful but less eventful Mana games for
the PSone.

Children of Mana is both colorful
and eventful. It’s faster, smoother, and easier to get into. I didn’t have as
much time to devote to the story as I would have liked, but the taste I got was
rather satisfying. The characters are well designed out of battle and look great
in battle as well.


Children of Mana Nintendo DS screenshots

You get your first look at these
guys from the character selection screen at the start of the game. Ferrik, who
has the spirit Salamander; Poppen, who is somehow connected to Undine; and
Tamber, whose spirit is named Luna. Each spirit and playable character has a
unique design that’s slightly reminiscent of the Final Fantasy Tactics art
style. Faces are standout but less defined – the nose is almost nonexistent, a
feature that is typically noticeable in game characters.

As I battled enemies, broke pots for
no reason, and worked my way toward what would end up being a fiery boss battle,
my spirit chimed in to say “Hi!” It wasn’t speaking directly to me or to my
character, yet it had a lot to say. Without an explanation given in the game’s
opening, the talking spirit didn’t make much sense. I know it must play a huge
role in the story, otherwise they wouldn’t have introduced the spirit so early
on. Chances are it’ll have an effect on the gameplay as well.

Upon reaching the end of the level,
I discovered a door to the roof of the building. Outside a bird waited for me to
arrive. While normally this wouldn’t be much of a problem, this was no ordinary
bird. In fact, he was quite fowl, and fiery. Engulfed in flames, the bird
charged at Ferrik, hoping to take him out. I dodge many of his moves, most of
which were fairly predictable and not that hard to avoid. He could fly but not
very fast. On one hand that made quick evasions easy. At the same time it made
me get lax and fall into his trap every now and then.


Children of Mana Nintendo DS screenshots

Getting hit by the bird is more than
just taking damage, it means having to (possibly) endure the effects of a severe
burn or temporary paralysis. Paralysis makes the character feel stiff and hard
to control. You can still move, just not very well. Burns prevent your character
from attacking. Luckily the negative effects don’t last very long.

Weapons are going to be one of the
game’s highlights, with four options available from the start: sword, hammer,
chain, and a bow and arrow. Two weapons can be designated to two of the face
buttons; the other two face buttons are reserved for items. Children of Mana
isn’t the first game to take a stab at quick weapon/item access, but it’s
definitely one of the most effective.

At its current stage in development,
Children of Mana does not have the best touch screen features. You use it to
select items and weapons, nothing more. I don’t want to see a lot of Zelda
copycats on the market, but I do hope Square Enix has plans to include at least
one more touchable feature: puzzles, special attacks, a rare spell – anything
that would effect the gameplay in a positive way.

 


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