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Seiken Densetsu Series
Seiken Densetsu Series
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History Archive - Seiken Densetsu Series

Seiken Densetsu is one of many successful gaming series from the Japanese market which have been embraced by the gaming community. This role-playing game (RPG) is distributed by Square Enix having been created by Koichi Ishii.

The direct translation for Seiken Densetsu is “Holy Sword Legend” which just about sums up this all action RPG which has spawned many copycat games since it was introduced to the market in 1991.

Like other popular gaming franchises such as The Legend Of Princess Zelda, Seiken Densetsu keep the same style and characteristics through out the series, but the games do not flow in any particular order. While Seiken Densetsu was introduced to the worldwide market in 1991, strangely it was not released to the Japanese market until the second game in 1993. The series itself has proved popular, building up a dedicated fan base, although is has been left a little in the shade by some of the more robust gaming series, such as The Legend Of Princess Zelda.

The game itself revolves around the mystical force of Mana, and the various evil bodies looking to take control. The fight for control between good and evil bodies is the basis for Seiken Densetsu, with the sacred Mana Tree (the final resting place of the Mana Godess) holding the key to the future. The Seiken Densetsu is actually the sword of Mana and plays a big part in the adventures of our heroes, who are able to cast spells and use the various equipment cast around the world they inhabit. The game play itself revolves around a very sleek “ring” option system, which has been accepted after initial scepticism - the game was one of a kind on issue and provoked differing thoughts and comments from gamers.

The main characters throughout the series of games are :-

  • Watts, the Dwarven Blacksmith, who supports the heroes by supplying them with gunpowder and teaches them how to use weapons and fight.
  • The games tend to have a peddler, who will appear at appropriate times selling their wares at sky high prices. This character takes differing shapes in each game, being Neko the Cat in Secret of Mana and Nikka the Rabbit in Children of Mana - to name but a few.
  • Flammie, who is a helpful white dragon is often the heroes form of transport, although the right to use him has to be earned by completing various tasks.
  • While the series has a number of evil forces and greedy bosses, these often take the form of Rabite (in various disguises) who is a regular throughout the games.

    • The games magic system is a vital element allowing players to use the various special powers and skills, which are held by the eight pieces of the Elemental Spirit. By coming into contact with any of the eight pieces, the player will inherit the various powers associated with that particular Spirit.

    Depending upon who you believe, there have been eleven or twelve main stream releases, with a further two connected games brought to market. The history is as follows :-


    A Mystery?
    The Emergence of Excalibur (TEOE)

    The Seiken Densetsu name was trademarked as early as 1987, although there is some confusion as to the exact date of the first release.

    Some say that The Emergence of Excalibur was released in 1987
    (originally intended for the Famicom Disk System) but there is some confusion as to whether it was ever actually released. While the distributor “Square” were rumoured to have taken pre-orders for the game, they have since denied ever releasing the game.


    Deemed by many to be the first in the series, gameplay is very sketchy with the distributors keen to emphasise that this was never released. What is certain is that the game play and plot lines were vastly different to the later Mana based games, which is probably the reason why it has been removed from history.

    The Seiken Densetsu Series
    Final Fantasy Adventure
    Final Fantasy Adventure (FFA)

    Four years after the “release” of The Emergence of Excalibur, the first confirmed offering was released on the market in the shape of Final Fantasy Adventure. The game was loosely based on the Final Fantasy series, which was popular at the time, although Final Fantasy Adventure introduced real-time play and a large amount of action battles, rather than the more strategy based system of the original Final Fantasy series.

    Your Quest

    As the world is threatened by the evil “Dark Lord” who is looking to find the Mana and rule the land, a unlikely hero appears in the shape of Sumo. Sumo has been imprisoned by the Dark Lord but manages to escape, although he is tracked down and left for dead. Unknown to the Dark Lord, Sumo survives and teams up with a mystery lady called Fuji after rescuing her from a group of monsters. The unlikely due then set about successfully defeating the Dark Lord although the vitally important Mana Tree dies. Desperate for the tree to revive, Fuji sacrifices her life to become the Mana Tree and save the balance of the world.

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    Secret of Mana
    Secret of Mana (SOM)

    In 1993 Square introduced Secret of Mana to the gaming community, where the force of Mana took centre stage (a strategy replicated in many of the later Seiken Densetsu games). This was the first of the Seiken Densetsu to introduce the “ring” menu system, offering an array of extra powers in reward for completing ventures and finding items.

    Your Quest

    Set near the hometown of Randi, this adventure sees Randi and friends Elliott and Timothy discover the lost sword of Mana. After being prompted by a mysterious ghost to release the Mana from its resting place, Randi unwittingly releases a whole host of monsters from their slumber. There are many twists and turns in this game, seeing Randi take on the evil spirits trying to takeover the world.

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    Seiken Densetsu 3
    Seiken Densetsu 3 (SD3)

    Seiken Densetsu 3 was originally released for the Super Famicom Systm in 1995, but it was some five years later until an English version was produced. This was the first of the series to offer optional characters, with players invited to choose three characters from a list of six. The game also introduced three distinct storylines, thereby detaching from the natural storyline progression of earlier releases.

    Your Quest

    Centred around the Holy City of Wendel our heroes are instructed to find the Priest of Light who is under attack from the Beastmen. Conscious that the Mana Tree is again under threat, and with its demise will come the domination of the world by the evil forces, our heroes set out to revive the centre of the world. Action packed and fast moving, our heroes are thrust into the role of super heroes as they fight to regain control of the God-Beasts, and save the world.

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    Legend of Mana
    Legend of Mana (LOM)

    Released at the same time as the English version of Seiken Densetsu 3 (2000), the Legend Of Mana was targeted at the Playstation market. This was a major advance for the Seiken Densetsu series in that it offered a larger world for the characters to roam, as well as introducing a number of new “side-kicks” who were able to assist in some of the many task required. More strategy was introduced to the game play, allowing players to strategically place objects around the world, grow crops to feed helpful animals and take a more hands on approach to the future.

    Your Quest

    The Legend of Mana contains an amazing sixty seven quests, contained within three main plot lines, which push our heroes to the limit. Packed with a vast array of new evil characters, the game builds towards the ultimate goal of securing the resurrection of the Mana tree. Scaling the heights of the Tree our heroes attempt to remove the evil which has been embedded within the trunk.

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    Sword Of Mana
    Sword Of Mana (SOM)

    Sword Of Mana was released in 2003, but it was basically a heavily modified version of the original Game Boy version of Seiken Densetsu.

    After the original game was released, the game play and strategy took a different path and this was an attempt to bring the initial game back into line.

    Your Quest

    The scars of a troubled childhood reappear as our hero takes on the power of the evil Dark Lord. His family were attacked while he was younger and he was forced to flee, leaving behind his family and heroine. After escaping from the clutches of evil the hero of the story looks to gain revenge on the evil forces, and protect his family and friends. There are many twists and turns in this action packed adventure, which initially starts with a revenge mission.

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    World of Mana (WOM)

    This is a cover for an additional sub series of games, based around the whole Seiken Densetsu style. It further expands on the mystical world of Mana, and the powers that ensure the balance of good over evil.

    The year 2005 saw a slightly deviation in the Seiken Densetsu series, with the announcement of five games for release under the Seiken Densetsu : World of Mana name. They were:-

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    Children of Mana
    Children of Mana (COM)

    This was the first of the new sub series, and kept a strong link with the central line of the Seiken Densetsu theme, i.e. Mana. It was released in 2006 for the Nintendo DS.

    Your Quest

    Set around the central Mana Tree, and the events of years gone by when the tree was saved, a number of orphaned children set out to see what happened to their families. This step back in time links the modern day Seiken Densetsu, with the original storylines, as we follow the adventures of Ferrik, Tamber, Poppen and Wanderer.

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    Dawn of Mana
    Dawn of Mana (DOM)

    The Seiken Densetsu name was trademarked as early as 1987, although there is some confusion as to the exact date of the first release. Some say that The Emergence of Excalibur was released in 1987
    (originally intended for the Famicom Disk System) but there is some confusion as to whether it was ever actually released. While the distributor “Square” were rumoured to have taken pre-orders for the game, they have since denied ever releasing the game.

    Your Quest

    The mysterious Edly, a 16 year old boy, and priestess Ritzia are the central characters as the childhood friends look to fight off foreign invaders. The duo take control as they seek to shore up their town’s defences in readiness for the battles ahead. Action packed with many twists and turns, this game is very fast moving.

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    Final Fantasy Adventure Remade
    Final Fantasy Adventure Remade (FFAR)

    Final Fantasy Adventure was also released in 2006, and again was basically an enhancement and upgrade of an earlier game. Released especially for the growing mobile phone market, the game was rebased on the main Seiken Densetsu theme, which is so recognisable to enthusiasts.

    Your Quest

    In this upgrade of an early game from the series, we rejoin the battles of Sumo and the “Dark Lord”, who had imprisoned our hero for so many years. Additional characters become involved in the tussle to save the balance of the Mana, in a action packed fight for survival.

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    Friends of Mana
    Friends of Mana (FOM)

    The second of the mobile phone games released under the series, Seiken Densetsu : Friends of Mana was also brought to the market in 2006.

    Your Quest

    This is heavily based around the Legend Of Mana, which was an earlier games console release. Packed with an amazing number of quests, and three different storylines, this complicated game follows the quest to secure the resurrection of the Mana Tree.

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    Heroes of Mana
    Heroes of Mana (HOM)

    Another release also followed later in the year (2006), with Heroes of Mana and another chance to connect with the various heroes who have emerged from Mana. This version was released for the Nintendo DS.


    Your Quest

    This role play come time strategy game introduces a new hero in the shape of Roger, who is a born leader in the fight against evil. Summoning upon all of his powers of persuasion and fighting skills, a band of fighters led by Roger seek to take on the evil forces looking to takeover the world.

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    Conclusion

    While the most recent games bare little resemblance to the very first of the Seiken Densetsu series, there is no doubting the backing and support that the game has received over the last 10 years. Still ever popular even today, the adventures of Mana seem set to run on into 2007 and beyond, with the new Wii controllers being put to ever more greater use.

    External Links
    * Seiken Densetsu at Wikipedia
    * The Official Mana Website

    Featured Articles
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