E3 06: Children of Mana

The much anticipated continuation of Square-Enix’s legendary series, Children of Mana is making its way to the Nintendo DS. Unfortunately, the most anticipated feature; the 4-player co-op via wireless multiplayer was unavailable on the show floor. What I played of the single player adventure however left me very impressed.

The look and feel of Mana is a throw back to my personal favorite of the series, Secret of Mana. In typical Square-Enix fashion, the graphics are superb. The hand drawn sprites feel right at home on the DS. Items and weapons are mapped to the X and A buttons by holding the L or R buttons respectively, and then tapping the weapon or item on the touch screen or simply rotating the menu with the d-pad. The latter method feels much more intuitive and quick, and I have a feeling most players will forgo the touch screen interface entirely.

Combat is typical action RPG fare, with a few twists. Enemies and some destructible items interact with the physical world. Hit a barrel and send it into a wall and it ricochets off, either inflicting damage back to you or, if carefully aimed, a nearby enemy. Creating chain reactions of damage with this 2D physics system is tactically advantageous and feels very satisfying.

The limited demo didn’t have much in the way of magic and summons, though they are present in the game. Tapping Select initiates fury, which increase the physical damage your character both inflicts and takes. Holding the B button charges your summons, and once released you’ll have their effects for a short period of time.

Look for more on this title on AMN as its fall release draws nearer.

— Weston Bass