Kbash I just want to say that you're pretty much the only RUclipsr on here that I religiously watch all of your videos regardless if the games are interesting or not. My brother and I just genuinely enjoy hearing what you have to say about anything
I second this. I didn’t watch video game reviews until I discovered KBash a week or two ago. Now I’ve watched EVERY video game review you’ve made! Was kinda bummed that I wouldn’t have a new one to watch tonight. Boy how pleased was I to discover you have a new upload! Keep doin you KBash!
Sword of Mana is precious to me because it was my introduction to the Mana series. Unlike most people who were introduced into Mana series by Secret of Mana, I was greeted by Sword of Mana because I spent a lot of times with my GBA i was gifted to during my childhood. And boy, was it one of the best game on GBA i ever had. Underrated game, original and misunderstood by Mana fans.
It was my first "proper" RPG ever (if we ignore pokemon...) and it's safe to say that it had a massive influence on how I see the wider genre of aRPGs. I was 9 years old when it relased and mostly only played platformers before that. never anything where stats mattered and the story was important so playing this game as a kid blew my mind. Best thing is that it still holds up today.
Legend of Mana was a game that shaped my creativity as a child. I had a copy in japanese, didnt even know how to save the game, but the character designs and songs enraptured me so much. The bizarre creatures mashups made my way to tell fantasy what it is today
It's refreshing to know that there are others out there who appreciate and love this series as much as I do. I played SoM back in 1994 or 1995 when I was only about 7 years old. It left quite an impression on me, and it grabbed my attention over all the other games I had, including A Link to the Past and Illusion of Gaia. I missed out on ToM of course, but did play FF Adventure, as well as Sword of Mana, which was indeed criminally underrated. Children of Mana was just unnoticed by most (along with the surprisingly wonderful HoM also on DS). Legend and Dawn are the only others I really missed out from that time. I never played any of the iOS/Android releases. I was literally just playing the 3D remake of Trials (I also have the 2D release in Collection of Mana) and after playing only 5 minutes of the demo, I pre-ordered the deluxe edition of Visions. Thank you for making this video, sorry for rambling comment, this series has always meant a lot to me, and it's nice to see it does to others as well.
Man... you're good. The sheer level of sincerity, eloquence and insightfulness in this video is astonishing. Also, the willingness to engage with games on a deeper emotional level than the average reviewer, taking artistic intention and the themes presented in the work itself into consideration is truly, truly great. I had a longer ramble written here, about how wonderful it is that this series largely governed by a beautiful melancholy and longing for the kinder, simpler "natural world" was and still is allowed to exist, even if I think that it is overall a very mixed bag... but I'll cut it short a bit to praise you instead. Congrats! You should be proud! 🙏🙏🙏
I grew up looking at photos of this game on game magazines because I couldn't afford both the console it was on and the game itself. Now, we have phones that can emulate almost all the games in the series and somehow, playing them feels like a waste of time - always something better to do. It hit me hard when you said that this game is about the yearning for childhood imagination and adventure. That explains why even though I haven't played the game, I have much love for it. Thanks for this video 🙂
Sword of Mana is a game that changed me. Ever since I was a child, its beautiful art, a simple but entertaining story, characters, and world, made for countless hours of adventure and wonder for me. This game made me company in some of the darkest moments of my life when my parents were divorcing and my brothers hated me for it. And I am ever grateful to Square Enix and Browni Studious for bringing it to light. I certainly don't know who I would be without such a sweet memory like this game. Every year, at least once, I start a new save and join in the world of Sword Of Mana once again. It actually surprises me how badly seen it is from Mana fans. It is a critically underrated game. Thanks for making this video. It brought a tear to my eye knowing that people still remember this game.
This was literally the first Mana game I ever played...when I was a kid I didn't even know it was a series. I loved the game, and didn't know until recently that it was a remake.
Same for me too! I got mine for Christmas! Such a great present! And it’s a great game! I seriously hated A lot of the Reviews that came out! They seriously did not see the effort put into it.
I LOVE Sword of Mana, it was actually my first Mana game. The story, the music, landscape, gameplay. It's all amazing. Then I went online and turns out A LOT of people hate it and honestly I still couldn't figure out why it was so hated. It's amazing. The funny thing is after I first beat it I found out that I missed so much content. Also Amanda's portrait looks like the annoying Orange.
I LOVED this game as a child and played probably thousands of hours of it, at one point I had most of the monsters on their black version. Thank you for giving it the spotlight it deserves
God, I adore Nobuteru Yuki's designs so much. His work on the Little Tail Bronx series is what initially enchanted me but everything he does is absolute gold. This is a really cool video Kbash, excellent work
As a big fan of the series myself, your Mana videos are some of my favorites you've ever done. The series is consistently written off and treated as less important than its competition, and so it's just great to see someone giving them the love and due diligence that they deserve. Sword of Mana was integral to my childhood. My older brother owned Legend of Mana, and that was a game that always tickled my imagination to just simply *look* at. Sword was my first time playing any of these games, and I've been a fan since, so it's great to finally see someone look at it not as just a remake, but a culmination of everything the series built up to that point.
I loved Sword of Mana since childhood and i stil have my original GBA game. The artwork was always my favorite and its soo beautiful. Thanks for this video it brought back nostalgia.💜
This is the only Mana game I played as a kid, and it left a huge impact on me. I'm really glad you looped back around and talked about it :) The art direction was really incredible and seeing some of the artist's other work invokes some of that wonder i originally felt playing it.
I always enjoyed Sword of Mana and was baffled many years later when I found out it was panned so hard. Really enjoyed this video, and interesting how much our feelings about the game are similar both with the highs and lows.
I just LOVED this game. Of course, Trials of Mana/Seiken Densetsu 3 is what stole my heart with this franchise. But Sword of Mana is so well balanced good to "play again". It just feel good. I hope we can get another Mana game that is so fun to play like that.
I don't even know what you're gonna say; liking it already. I get why it doesn't work for some folks, but I got the Game Boy original when I was a kid and it resonated with me. Discovering the remake yeeears after it came out was a wonderful surprise. Despite some goofiness with the game design, Julius still not having much depth, and not getting the references to Secret or Legend (I'll get to em one day!), I loved it. The music was absolute god tier, the story expansions felt like they fit in pretty well, the art was fantastic, etc etc. Would kill for a port that integrates the link cable elements into the singleplayer. That 3D remake of the original is neat and all; I respect why people like it and I'll probably play it eventually. But Sword's where it's at for me. Thanks for covering it Kbash.
Fucking killer work as usual. I remember playing this, then hearing all the bad reviews and wondering if I somehow had gotten the games mixed up or something. Like, it wasn't revolutionary, but it was fun and well made. The only thing in this video that threw me for a loop was the part at the beginning. I mean, pronounce the name however you like, I wont knock you, but nearly all of the cultures and people you mentioned, pronounce the word mah-nah. I think the better tactic would have been "here's how I say it. Get over it".
I think this is your best video yet. I think not just because it has the fewest skits, but because it feels the most earnest! I can really tell how much this series and its world mean to you :)
Dude, the amount of research and passion you put in your videos is nothing short of astonishing. So appreciate the work you do! Hope you're doing well! 💜
I'm still on the second section, but the idea that this game was poorly received is staggering knowledge. I tracked the release date of this game as it approached. I bought a GBA SP specifically to play this on ( had a backlit OG GBA, but still.. this game deserved the best). This game was amazing. And the fact that almost a decade or two later I learned that the two characters actually had different plot elements? Madness. So good.
You put an artistic spin on so much of what you cover it’s just incredible. You pay true homage to these works of art bro. Your on another level. This game was incredible. I couldn’t believe how poorly it was received in US. It was so much better than those DS mana games that the critics loved.
You're on another level I subbed because of this video, i keep seeing your thumbnails, I know instantly they are yours because of the silhouette art, love what you're doing, very motivating.
I remember having played both final fantasy adventure and sword of mana, but it never occurred to me they were meant to be the same game until 10 years later when I looked up the mana series.
thanks for making this. not enough people give Sword of mana the examination that it truly deserves. it's my comfort game, and i have so throughly taken it apart. i actually have done a Tool Assisted Speedrun of it, (i think the only one) and you voice a lot of my critiques of the game. the clunky story has moments of clarity and value, but its sheer bloat accounts for literally over half of the game haha.
Seiken Densetsu 3 was my favorite in the series, such a narrative driven game with so many towns, locations, and characters, it was a real RPG. I've been baffled that the series never returned to those heights of being a really epic story driven game with lots of towns and characters
Gotta say, I really enjoyed this video. I'm a proud owner of this game, which I almost bought on a whim but ended up really enjoying, and it makes me sad that it's so overlooked and sometimes criticized by the community, hence why I thank you for bringing more attention to it and offering some really great outlook. If I had to point out something to disagree with, it would be about the game's soundtrack. I really love it, specially the way it tries to combine more gb sounds with an orchestrated approach (as much as a gba will allow of course), which makes it sound more original compared to other soundtracks of the era. It seems to me like another attempt to unite the old and the new of the mana series.
Kbash you have covered games I love and games I’ve never heard about in such an entertaining way that I want to play them. You have taken over my jontron fix for video game covers. Thank you for your hard work we all know you should be at AT LEAST 4mil subs
Yesssss, my favourite Mana game!! Wonderful cast of villains. I was sad you missed it before. I spent so many hours on weapon levelling and all those side quests!
I hear you talk about how these games feel more like an explorable universe than a series and I’m reminded of Xenoblade Chronicles. Yeah, each game has hearty narrative content, even connecting to each other here and there, but the world is always the main draw for playing moment-to-moment. Very cash money.
You literally made my day. I'm just so glad to see people (especially you) giving love and passion to Sword of Mana (and the mana series as a whole). In spite of the games not being all good, I really think there is something special about this franchise. I was like 12 when I got Sword of Mana on my GBA and the only Mana game I had played before was Secret of Mana (which I was already obsessed with). I had no idea the game was a remake and I remember being surprised/disappointed by the some gameplay mechanics at first. But after like two hours I simply fell in love with the game. The graphics were mesmerizing, the soundtrack was engaging and the plot was probably the more mature I had ever experienced at the time. This game truly left a mark. Thank you for making people know about it.
Never delved into the Mana series. But hearing that end bit, and the echoing idea of "Nature above all" has me kicking myself for not trying it out sooner. It's reminding me of a time we're I loved nature, before everything I'm fond of now. A time where I walked into forests and across rivers, and writing about said things in a journal I carried with me back then. I miss that childhood love and fixation of nature.
God I would kill for you to do a long format video on Legend of Mana. I know you did it in the original coverage, but it's one of my favorite games of all time, and you're the only person I know of that actually pays the game it's due. It's just so...fucking amazing.
I remember getting Sword of Mana back in the early 2000s on the GBA. I remember there was a bug that prevented me from progressing as the Male Character as I needed him to blast a Fire Ball but instead he created a pillar of Fire that was supposed to come later in the game, wasn't able to progress after that and tried several times to restart the game only to have the same thing happen again and again and again and again. Wasn't sure if it was just my copy of the game or if others had came across the Game Breaking Bug where your Fire attack was too powerful when playing as the Male character when in reality you needed to have a weaker Fire attack first that would just be a flying ball of fire to melt something that was blocking your way out after the Vampire Castle. I got a fair bit into the game as the Female character, but became stuck near the end and I eventually traded in the Sword of Mana GBA cart because I was disappointed of how annoying it was to be stuck and maybe I never got the time to finish it when I used to have it.
It really comes across how much you love this little mistreated, forgotten gba game as it is one of your least shitposty videos. Well done KBash. You really owe it to yourself to take a look at the SoulBlazer trilogy on SNES, you’d find so much to love there.
Glad to see another video about Sword of Mana. This was my intro the Mana series and I still hold it in high regard. I can play this over most Mana games aside from Trials of Mana and SNES Secret of Mana. I wish it was brought back somehow in the collection of Mana
something really wild i wish people would talk about is the role/effect of lord granz in the story. granz is stroud and gurnda's father. through reading granz' journal when you get to the castle, you learn granz abandoned and neglected his children at a young age due to an unclarified issue between his marriage with the mavole medusa. both stroud and gurnda are obviously messed up and granz' poor parenting can be inferred as a huge factor in both their maladaptive natures and their mother's condition. if he was a better father and husband, it's possible his sons would not have become a genocidal tyrant(stroud launches a bloody ethnic cleansing targeting the mana clan, his father's most cherished people group) and a manipulative predator(gurnda lures and abducts ministrels to become slaves for his mentally ill mother). tl;dr YOUR GUITAR TEACHER BEING A SHITTY DAD GOT U ENSLAVED AS A CHILD AND YOUR PARENTS MURDERED there are so many things in this story that i love that no one talks about.
Really this was the only thing I think KBash missed out on touching on. The Gemma knights end up having this profound impact on the world saving it. Lord Granz like you mention has this whole history we get glimpses of with the likes of The Count Lee. That all being said this was a great video and really hit parts of why this world sticks around with me after so many years since having played FFA as a kid and then SoM near high school. There are some simplications in the characters but the themes and tones touched upon are great for kick starting feelings.
It was my first "proper" RPG ever (if we ignore pokemon...) and it's safe to say that it had a massive influence on how I see the wider genre of aRPGs. I was 9 years old when it relased and mostly only played platformers before that. never anything where stats mattered and the story was important so playing this game as a kid blew my mind. Best thing is that it still holds up today.
Amazing video! Really appreciate you putting a spotlight on these grand but portable JRPGs that most people would normally gloss over. Glad these titles aren't forgotten by everyone!
I legit spent a solid hour scrolling through Hiroo Isono’s works… before I woke up from that trance as I realized I had work. His art will certainly be decorating my future home.
It was the first jrpg I played and I still think highly of it nowadays. It together with Breath of Fire, Golden Sun and Tales of Phantasia made the most memorable time of my life. It was the reason I tried so hard to find similar games in the Mana series to play and couldn't find any. Not until recently did I come across Legends of Mana and really loved it, but not quite the love I always have for a true jrpg.
Hey KBash, I know you are already getting lots of praise here and I'm late to the party but anyways hopefully you'll get to read this someday. The amount of love pouring out of this video is palpable from the very start, it's so clear how much this inspires you and how deeply you feel it, the way you convey not only your personal interest on the subject but also what you believe to be of worth to anyone watching is truly to be appreciated, and I can happily say your efforts to bring the beauty you see in Seiken Densetsu to somebody else worked. You see, art is something that moves feelings within me in ways nothing else can. First, when Isono's work was onscreen and then in the conclusion at the video hearing what you had to say about the ideas you believe Ishii was trying to materialize, it clicked with me. The yearning for that chilhood lust for adventure, remembering the excitement when thinking of a mystical forest, or the belief that magical things await within the very heart of nature, I felt all that and then more. So you know, thank you for that, I needed it. Even if sometimes I completely agree with the ideas you present or other times I just scoff at your words, this time what you showed here and what you said had a very real impact in me, something honestly rare this days. Anyways, good sh(Mario noises)t man.
While I know the community favorite is Secret of Mana, I've always liked Sword of Mana more. I definitely don't like Sword of Mana as much as Trials of Mana, and I like Legend more than Sword, but I feel this was a great experience for fans, and personally my favorite representation of the magic in that franchise. My personal theory regarding the story though, is that all of the Seiken Densetsu games are actually the fairy tales that parents in the various Final Fantasy universes tell their kids before bed, which is why they include FF iconography, but are tonally and visually distinct 🙂
Hey, Ishii did the character designs on Final Fantasy I and III for the protagonists, he also did the chocobo and moogle I'm pretty sure, so Seiken Densetsu 1 is less borrowing from Final Fantasy, but rather a continuation of Ishii's own original art
I'm so happy this video exists. I'd never played the mana series before this game and it's one of my favourite GBA games ever. Having your two protagonists experience convergent plotlines was mindblowing to my teenaged self, let alone the fact that wow in an rpg I could actually play as a girl! I can't wait to watch this
I never really hear people talk about this, but one of the things that SD does well is the night. Just in SD3 alone they take advantage of the night as a setting in so many different ways: The mysterious lampflower forest, the boisterous night market, and the eerie midnight forest. Its fitting for the theme of the series that nature is a character, whether through seasons, weather, and time of day. These things are cared for in their implementation.
My favourite is Seiken Densetsu 3 - the art style, gameplay etc. I found Legends a huge let down, have tried to like it but it never clicked with me. Haven’t really kept up with the series until Trials was released. Thanks for the deep dive into Sword - very informative.
I apologize for putting a novel of text here as I often do but I feel it necessary to get this across. Man, this was such a relaxing cozy video. It had such a soothing effect on me it was surreal. I believe a couple weeks ago on Twitter you said something to the effect of "I'm working on a non chaotic passion piece." And you were not the least bit kidding. This upload came at the most perfect time too because I actually bought a copy of Sword of Mana a while back and began playing it when I was on vacation with my dad and sister a couple weeks ago. The timing is so impeccable it's stunning. I recently fully inaugurated myself as a fan of the Mana series (due in no small part to your enthusiastic videos from a few years back) and I've very much enjoyed my time with it so far. I'm playing through Secret on SNES and I own a copy of Legend but I'm gonna wait until I've finished Secret and had time to play the original Trials on the Collection of Mana to sink my time into Legend. I know you sent out a Tweet implying this video isn't doing as well as you'd hoped. And while I think it's criminal that a video this passionately analytical isn't raking in the views you hoped it might've, It was a lovely watch, man. I personally adored this more down to earth and laid back approach to the game in question, because it's wonderfully apparent how much you appreciate what you're discussing. Just like your Axes video, I'm gonna rewatch this one A LOT down the road. Kbash, within the past year and a half/two years your videos have brought me an incalculable amount of entertainment. They've become such a reliable source of relief for me when I'm stressed or overwhelmed or depressed, I don't go a single week without watching at least a few of them. You've become of the few content creators on this platform who I follow so avidly and I hope you know how much your videos mean to some of us who watch them. I'd like to say thank you for being so damn awesome, dude. The work you put into these uploads is truly commendable and I hope at the very least you never feel like you've wasted your time doing it.
1:52 - "Secret Of Mana is the first MANA-festation of the Mana identity..." Also, if you want to try your hand at fighting enemies and bosses without magic spam, Secret Of Mana has a randomizer that you can run as Randi only (or, more often then not, you can have either Primm or Popoi in your party but don't have the appropriate magic to burst down a boss, so you just have to do your best)
Thank you for the review! I had this game as a kid, and not knowing english i got to the glass desert where i was stuck. Years later i found the game again and played through it, only to find out that i had to walk in an 8 shape around 2 tree's to progress!
you are probably my favorite RUclipsr at this point and I cannot think of a creator more deserving of a big boost in subs. keep it up, I'm hoping the algorithm does you right one of these days.
I never played any of these growing up, although I did get Dawn of Mana for Christmas once. The 3D one where you get a neat vibe whip and nature sword loadout. I was definitely to dumb to get anything going on but I fell in love with the cool level destruction.
My first Mana game. Found it cheap in a used videogame store, and bought it. Looked it up online when I got home and saw it wasn't liked, but I was a broke kid so I played what I bought. I loved it.
Thank you Kbash. For your dedicated work and time on all of the odd RPGs i loved, elloquently speaking on what we love about them. And most of all reminding me of all the subconscious things that made me love them while not realizing it at the time.
I was always sad about how Sword of Mana seemed to have slipped under the radar compared to some other GBA and I'm so glad to see it get the attention it deserves.
Just wanted to say I love your content, Kbash, especially when you cover games/series I personally have played and enjoyed. Someday I will play Gungnir thanks to you… as soon as I stop being intimidated by it.
Mystic Quest (SD1) was one of the first games I ever played on the GameBoy when I was just a kid in primary school. It completely blew my mind and impacted me greatly. I recently replayed it in the collection and found it actually held up great, though it's actually much easier than I remember. I player Sword of Mana years ago when it came out and it just felt like shovel ware to me. I think that atmosphere in the original that is somewhere between secret of mana and final fantasy is actually what spoke to me the most, more than either. The music still send shivers down my spine.
KBash, I just have to say: I haven’t played the vast majority of the games you talk about. Of the ones I have, I usually don’t agree with your opinions on. But damn if you aren’t consistently entertaining and your videos inexplicably enjoyable to watch. I’ve stayed up till 8am way too many times blasting through your channel. I don’t know if you’ll ever read this, but thank you. You’ve genuinely made a difference and helped make at least one person’s frustrating life more bearable.
God this game has such a hold on me. It was one of my very first GBA games at 4 years old. I had no idea what the Mana series was and It absolutely tore my little head off. Even now, knowing that there are better mana games out there I'll still stand by this little game with my life.
I just watched your Final Fantasy Tactics video and saw a pop up for a look into Secret of Mana and made me think "Hey Sword of Mana is a game I played a long time ago I wonder if anyone did a retrospective on that." and without knowing your channel name just happened to click on this video after searching Sword of Mana review (not a whole ton of results). Got a sub from me!
This was my first and favorite mana game. I put probably a thousand hours into it. I remember replaying it just to listen to the music. And grinding bats until i was level 20 to set off on the adventure.
I like the new slightly more reserved tone for this video, it’s quality in a different way than loud/fast KBash content. I’m looking forward to what else comes out in the future here whether it be more of this or something more similar to KBash’s other work.
Kbash I just want to say that you're pretty much the only RUclipsr on here that I religiously watch all of your videos regardless if the games are interesting or not. My brother and I just genuinely enjoy hearing what you have to say about anything
Ditto this guy knows culture
I second that, he makes you care
Agreed. Been here since he had way less subs. Consistent quality!
He got an instant subcribe the detail and the care of all his videos superb
I second this. I didn’t watch video game reviews until I discovered KBash a week or two ago. Now I’ve watched EVERY video game review you’ve made! Was kinda bummed that I wouldn’t have a new one to watch tonight. Boy how pleased was I to discover you have a new upload!
Keep doin you KBash!
Sword of Mana is precious to me because it was my introduction to the Mana series. Unlike most people who were introduced into Mana series by Secret of Mana, I was greeted by Sword of Mana because I spent a lot of times with my GBA i was gifted to during my childhood.
And boy, was it one of the best game on GBA i ever had.
Underrated game, original and misunderstood by Mana fans.
It was my first "proper" RPG ever (if we ignore pokemon...) and it's safe to say that it had a massive influence on how I see the wider genre of aRPGs. I was 9 years old when it relased and mostly only played platformers before that. never anything where stats mattered and the story was important so playing this game as a kid blew my mind.
Best thing is that it still holds up today.
Agreed! I’m unapologetically a super fan of sword of mana 👏 I wish so much for a remake of it
Legend of Mana was a game that shaped my creativity as a child. I had a copy in japanese, didnt even know how to save the game, but the character designs and songs enraptured me so much. The bizarre creatures mashups made my way to tell fantasy what it is today
It's refreshing to know that there are others out there who appreciate and love this series as much as I do. I played SoM back in 1994 or 1995 when I was only about 7 years old. It left quite an impression on me, and it grabbed my attention over all the other games I had, including A Link to the Past and Illusion of Gaia. I missed out on ToM of course, but did play FF Adventure, as well as Sword of Mana, which was indeed criminally underrated. Children of Mana was just unnoticed by most (along with the surprisingly wonderful HoM also on DS). Legend and Dawn are the only others I really missed out from that time. I never played any of the iOS/Android releases. I was literally just playing the 3D remake of Trials (I also have the 2D release in Collection of Mana) and after playing only 5 minutes of the demo, I pre-ordered the deluxe edition of Visions. Thank you for making this video, sorry for rambling comment, this series has always meant a lot to me, and it's nice to see it does to others as well.
Man... you're good.
The sheer level of sincerity, eloquence and insightfulness in this video is astonishing. Also, the willingness to engage with games on a deeper emotional level than the average reviewer, taking artistic intention and the themes presented in the work itself into consideration is truly, truly great.
I had a longer ramble written here, about how wonderful it is that this series largely governed by a beautiful melancholy and longing for the kinder, simpler "natural world" was and still is allowed to exist, even if I think that it is overall a very mixed bag... but I'll cut it short a bit to praise you instead.
Congrats! You should be proud! 🙏🙏🙏
Took the words out of my mouth. Spoken with such passion and eloquence as well as charm. Knows his stuff and fun to listen to.
I grew up looking at photos of this game on game magazines because I couldn't afford both the console it was on and the game itself. Now, we have phones that can emulate almost all the games in the series and somehow, playing them feels like a waste of time - always something better to do.
It hit me hard when you said that this game is about the yearning for childhood imagination and adventure. That explains why even though I haven't played the game, I have much love for it.
Thanks for this video 🙂
Sword of Mana is a game that changed me. Ever since I was a child, its beautiful art, a simple but entertaining story, characters, and world, made for countless hours of adventure and wonder for me. This game made me company in some of the darkest moments of my life when my parents were divorcing and my brothers hated me for it. And I am ever grateful to Square Enix and Browni Studious for bringing it to light. I certainly don't know who I would be without such a sweet memory like this game. Every year, at least once, I start a new save and join in the world of Sword Of Mana once again.
It actually surprises me how badly seen it is from Mana fans. It is a critically underrated game.
Thanks for making this video. It brought a tear to my eye knowing that people still remember this game.
This was literally the first Mana game I ever played...when I was a kid I didn't even know it was a series.
I loved the game, and didn't know until recently that it was a remake.
Same. This game is one of my all time favorites, and I didn't know there were more! I want to try Trials.
Same here this was also my first Mana game and at the time I never knew it was a remake.
Same for me too! I got mine for Christmas! Such a great present! And it’s a great game! I seriously hated A lot of the Reviews that came out!
They seriously did not see the effort put into it.
Same for me. Still one of my favorite games ever, warts and all.
I LOVE Sword of Mana, it was actually my first Mana game. The story, the music, landscape, gameplay. It's all amazing. Then I went online and turns out A LOT of people hate it and honestly I still couldn't figure out why it was so hated. It's amazing.
The funny thing is after I first beat it I found out that I missed so much content.
Also Amanda's portrait looks like the annoying Orange.
same
I LOVED this game as a child and played probably thousands of hours of it, at one point I had most of the monsters on their black version.
Thank you for giving it the spotlight it deserves
God, I adore Nobuteru Yuki's designs so much. His work on the Little Tail Bronx series is what initially enchanted me but everything he does is absolute gold. This is a really cool video Kbash, excellent work
Sword of mana! I played this when I was a kid. Really glad you decided to cover it.
As a big fan of the series myself, your Mana videos are some of my favorites you've ever done. The series is consistently written off and treated as less important than its competition, and so it's just great to see someone giving them the love and due diligence that they deserve. Sword of Mana was integral to my childhood. My older brother owned Legend of Mana, and that was a game that always tickled my imagination to just simply *look* at. Sword was my first time playing any of these games, and I've been a fan since, so it's great to finally see someone look at it not as just a remake, but a culmination of everything the series built up to that point.
I loved Sword of Mana since childhood and i stil have my original GBA game. The artwork was always my favorite and its soo beautiful. Thanks for this video it brought back nostalgia.💜
This is the only Mana game I played as a kid, and it left a huge impact on me. I'm really glad you looped back around and talked about it :) The art direction was really incredible and seeing some of the artist's other work invokes some of that wonder i originally felt playing it.
I always enjoyed Sword of Mana and was baffled many years later when I found out it was panned so hard. Really enjoyed this video, and interesting how much our feelings about the game are similar both with the highs and lows.
I know right?! Just what we’re those Morons even on About?!
43:44 "Don't you want to press your hands into the warm grass on a sunny day?"
Can't believe Kbash just told his entire audience to go touch grass.
Awesome! Another Mana video! Love the series! Going to watch the video on my lunch break. Thanks for your hard work!
I just LOVED this game. Of course, Trials of Mana/Seiken Densetsu 3 is what stole my heart with this franchise. But Sword of Mana is so well balanced good to "play again". It just feel good. I hope we can get another Mana game that is so fun to play like that.
I don't even know what you're gonna say; liking it already.
I get why it doesn't work for some folks, but I got the Game Boy original when I was a kid and it resonated with me. Discovering the remake yeeears after it came out was a wonderful surprise.
Despite some goofiness with the game design, Julius still not having much depth, and not getting the references to Secret or Legend (I'll get to em one day!), I loved it. The music was absolute god tier, the story expansions felt like they fit in pretty well, the art was fantastic, etc etc. Would kill for a port that integrates the link cable elements into the singleplayer.
That 3D remake of the original is neat and all; I respect why people like it and I'll probably play it eventually. But Sword's where it's at for me. Thanks for covering it Kbash.
Every time you said Sword of Mana my brain thought "Sort of Mana" and that's also accurate.
Fucking killer work as usual. I remember playing this, then hearing all the bad reviews and wondering if I somehow had gotten the games mixed up or something. Like, it wasn't revolutionary, but it was fun and well made. The only thing in this video that threw me for a loop was the part at the beginning. I mean, pronounce the name however you like, I wont knock you, but nearly all of the cultures and people you mentioned, pronounce the word mah-nah. I think the better tactic would have been "here's how I say it. Get over it".
This comment just got me to add your newest RE vids to the watch later 😁
We don't constantly bring up you Canadians always saying "aboot" and "sore-y"
What a dumb criticism.
I think this is your best video yet. I think not just because it has the fewest skits, but because it feels the most earnest! I can really tell how much this series and its world mean to you :)
Kbash underrated. So much work clearly goes into these. Thanks dude :)
The 2 RPGs I played and loved as a kid was Secret of Evermore (I absolutely loved the Soundtrack, the best in my book) and Sword of Mana.
I fucking love the format shift you did with this, genuinely one of your best works so far.
Dude, the amount of research and passion you put in your videos is nothing short of astonishing. So appreciate the work you do! Hope you're doing well! 💜
I love how some of the enemies in the original GB Mana (Final Fantasy Adventure) looked like FF1 Light Warrior clones.
That fucking sound tho.
That damn low health sound!!!
I'm still on the second section, but the idea that this game was poorly received is staggering knowledge. I tracked the release date of this game as it approached. I bought a GBA SP specifically to play this on ( had a backlit OG GBA, but still.. this game deserved the best). This game was amazing. And the fact that almost a decade or two later I learned that the two characters actually had different plot elements? Madness. So good.
your passion for whatever you're talking about shines through in each vid you make. keep up the great work homie
Man, I remember subscribing when you had like a few thousand subs. You've come a long way my dude. Keep it up!
You put an artistic spin on so much of what you cover it’s just incredible. You pay true homage to these works of art bro. Your on another level.
This game was incredible. I couldn’t believe how poorly it was received in US. It was so much better than those DS mana games that the critics loved.
you obviously get it. your video gets me even more nostalgic than the game itself. mana series is my favorite setting of all time
Still have my copy from when I was a kid, this is the game that got me into the mana series and too this day I dig the class system for it.
You're on another level I subbed because of this video, i keep seeing your thumbnails, I know instantly they are yours because of the silhouette art, love what you're doing, very motivating.
I remember having played both final fantasy adventure and sword of mana, but it never occurred to me they were meant to be the same game until 10 years later when I looked up the mana series.
thanks for making this. not enough people give Sword of mana the examination that it truly deserves. it's my comfort game, and i have so throughly taken it apart. i actually have done a Tool Assisted Speedrun of it, (i think the only one) and you voice a lot of my critiques of the game. the clunky story has moments of clarity and value, but its sheer bloat accounts for literally over half of the game haha.
My new favorite Kbash video... Really like the more chill and indepth tone
Seiken Densetsu 3 was my favorite in the series, such a narrative driven game with so many towns, locations, and characters, it was a real RPG. I've been baffled that the series never returned to those heights of being a really epic story driven game with lots of towns and characters
Gotta say, I really enjoyed this video. I'm a proud owner of this game, which I almost bought on a whim but ended up really enjoying, and it makes me sad that it's so overlooked and sometimes criticized by the community, hence why I thank you for bringing more attention to it and offering some really great outlook.
If I had to point out something to disagree with, it would be about the game's soundtrack. I really love it, specially the way it tries to combine more gb sounds with an orchestrated approach (as much as a gba will allow of course), which makes it sound more original compared to other soundtracks of the era. It seems to me like another attempt to unite the old and the new of the mana series.
Kbash you have covered games I love and games I’ve never heard about in such an entertaining way that I want to play them. You have taken over my jontron fix for video game covers. Thank you for your hard work we all know you should be at AT LEAST 4mil subs
Yesssss, my favourite Mana game!! Wonderful cast of villains. I was sad you missed it before. I spent so many hours on weapon levelling and all those side quests!
KBash dude your videos have always been great but the depth of this one is just outstanding, keep it up!
I hear you talk about how these games feel more like an explorable universe than a series and I’m reminded of Xenoblade Chronicles. Yeah, each game has hearty narrative content, even connecting to each other here and there, but the world is always the main draw for playing moment-to-moment. Very cash money.
You literally made my day. I'm just so glad to see people (especially you) giving love and passion to Sword of Mana (and the mana series as a whole).
In spite of the games not being all good, I really think there is something special about this franchise.
I was like 12 when I got Sword of Mana on my GBA and the only Mana game I had played before was Secret of Mana (which I was already obsessed with). I had no idea the game was a remake and I remember being surprised/disappointed by the some gameplay mechanics at first.
But after like two hours I simply fell in love with the game. The graphics were mesmerizing, the soundtrack was engaging and the plot was probably the more mature I had ever experienced at the time.
This game truly left a mark.
Thank you for making people know about it.
Villain: does genocide
Hero: kills villain
someone: "so much for the tolerant left!"
Sword of Mana was my first Mana game. It was my introduction into the Mana series and I love it so much.
Never delved into the Mana series. But hearing that end bit, and the echoing idea of "Nature above all" has me kicking myself for not trying it out sooner.
It's reminding me of a time we're I loved nature, before everything I'm fond of now. A time where I walked into forests and across rivers, and writing about said things in a journal I carried with me back then. I miss that childhood love and fixation of nature.
God I would kill for you to do a long format video on Legend of Mana. I know you did it in the original coverage, but it's one of my favorite games of all time, and you're the only person I know of that actually pays the game it's due. It's just so...fucking amazing.
I remember getting Sword of Mana back in the early 2000s on the GBA.
I remember there was a bug that prevented me from progressing as the Male Character as I needed him to blast a Fire Ball but instead he created a pillar of Fire that was supposed to come later in the game, wasn't able to progress after that and tried several times to restart the game only to have the same thing happen again and again and again and again.
Wasn't sure if it was just my copy of the game or if others had came across the Game Breaking Bug where your Fire attack was too powerful when playing as the Male character when in reality you needed to have a weaker Fire attack first that would just be a flying ball of fire to melt something that was blocking your way out after the Vampire Castle.
I got a fair bit into the game as the Female character, but became stuck near the end and I eventually traded in the Sword of Mana GBA cart because I was disappointed of how annoying it was to be stuck and maybe I never got the time to finish it when I used to have it.
It really comes across how much you love this little mistreated, forgotten gba game as it is one of your least shitposty videos. Well done KBash.
You really owe it to yourself to take a look at the SoulBlazer trilogy on SNES, you’d find so much to love there.
Love the loreal quality! Time to relax and watch it
Glad to see another video about Sword of Mana. This was my intro the Mana series and I still hold it in high regard. I can play this over most Mana games aside from Trials of Mana and SNES Secret of Mana. I wish it was brought back somehow in the collection of Mana
Fantastic writing and editing, as usual.
something really wild i wish people would talk about is the role/effect of lord granz in the story. granz is stroud and gurnda's father. through reading granz' journal when you get to the castle, you learn granz abandoned and neglected his children at a young age due to an unclarified issue between his marriage with the mavole medusa. both stroud and gurnda are obviously messed up and granz' poor parenting can be inferred as a huge factor in both their maladaptive natures and their mother's condition. if he was a better father and husband, it's possible his sons would not have become a genocidal tyrant(stroud launches a bloody ethnic cleansing targeting the mana clan, his father's most cherished people group) and a manipulative predator(gurnda lures and abducts ministrels to become slaves for his mentally ill mother).
tl;dr YOUR GUITAR TEACHER BEING A SHITTY DAD GOT U ENSLAVED AS A CHILD AND YOUR PARENTS MURDERED
there are so many things in this story that i love that no one talks about.
Really this was the only thing I think KBash missed out on touching on. The Gemma knights end up having this profound impact on the world saving it. Lord Granz like you mention has this whole history we get glimpses of with the likes of The Count Lee.
That all being said this was a great video and really hit parts of why this world sticks around with me after so many years since having played FFA as a kid and then SoM near high school. There are some simplications in the characters but the themes and tones touched upon are great for kick starting feelings.
Your luscious locks will always bring me crawling back no matter how long I've been away
It was my first "proper" RPG ever (if we ignore pokemon...) and it's safe to say that it had a massive influence on how I see the wider genre of aRPGs. I was 9 years old when it relased and mostly only played platformers before that. never anything where stats mattered and the story was important so playing this game as a kid blew my mind.
Best thing is that it still holds up today.
Amazing video! Really appreciate you putting a spotlight on these grand but portable JRPGs that most people would normally gloss over. Glad these titles aren't forgotten by everyone!
Thoughtful as always. Your hard work pays off every time.
I legit spent a solid hour scrolling through Hiroo Isono’s works… before I woke up from that trance as I realized I had work. His art will certainly be decorating my future home.
It was the first jrpg I played and I still think highly of it nowadays. It together with Breath of Fire, Golden Sun and Tales of Phantasia made the most memorable time of my life. It was the reason I tried so hard to find similar games in the Mana series to play and couldn't find any. Not until recently did I come across Legends of Mana and really loved it, but not quite the love I always have for a true jrpg.
This is top tier gaming documentary content. I'd nominate it for an award if I could.
this is such a beautiful video, i've been sending parts of what you describe and say to ppl i know because honestly what a labor of love
Hey KBash, I know you are already getting lots of praise here and I'm late to the party but anyways hopefully you'll get to read this someday.
The amount of love pouring out of this video is palpable from the very start, it's so clear how much this inspires you and how deeply you feel it, the way you convey not only your personal interest on the subject but also what you believe to be of worth to anyone watching is truly to be appreciated, and I can happily say your efforts to bring the beauty you see in Seiken Densetsu to somebody else worked.
You see, art is something that moves feelings within me in ways nothing else can. First, when Isono's work was onscreen and then in the conclusion at the video hearing what you had to say about the ideas you believe Ishii was trying to materialize, it clicked with me. The yearning for that chilhood lust for adventure, remembering the excitement when thinking of a mystical forest, or the belief that magical things await within the very heart of nature, I felt all that and then more. So you know, thank you for that, I needed it.
Even if sometimes I completely agree with the ideas you present or other times I just scoff at your words, this time what you showed here and what you said had a very real impact in me, something honestly rare this days.
Anyways, good sh(Mario noises)t man.
While I know the community favorite is Secret of Mana, I've always liked Sword of Mana more.
I definitely don't like Sword of Mana as much as Trials of Mana, and I like Legend more than Sword, but I feel this was a great experience for fans, and personally my favorite representation of the magic in that franchise.
My personal theory regarding the story though, is that all of the Seiken Densetsu games are actually the fairy tales that parents in the various Final Fantasy universes tell their kids before bed, which is why they include FF iconography, but are tonally and visually distinct 🙂
Hey, Ishii did the character designs on Final Fantasy I and III for the protagonists, he also did the chocobo and moogle I'm pretty sure, so Seiken Densetsu 1 is less borrowing from Final Fantasy, but rather a continuation of Ishii's own original art
I'm so happy this video exists. I'd never played the mana series before this game and it's one of my favourite GBA games ever. Having your two protagonists experience convergent plotlines was mindblowing to my teenaged self, let alone the fact that wow in an rpg I could actually play as a girl! I can't wait to watch this
I never really hear people talk about this, but one of the things that SD does well is the night. Just in SD3 alone they take advantage of the night as a setting in so many different ways: The mysterious lampflower forest, the boisterous night market, and the eerie midnight forest. Its fitting for the theme of the series that nature is a character, whether through seasons, weather, and time of day. These things are cared for in their implementation.
My favourite is Seiken Densetsu 3 - the art style, gameplay etc. I found Legends a huge let down, have tried to like it but it never clicked with me. Haven’t really kept up with the series until Trials was released. Thanks for the deep dive into Sword - very informative.
I apologize for putting a novel of text here as I often do but I feel it necessary to get this across.
Man, this was such a relaxing cozy video. It had such a soothing effect on me it was surreal. I believe a couple weeks ago on Twitter you said something to the effect of "I'm working on a non chaotic passion piece." And you were not the least bit kidding. This upload came at the most perfect time too because I actually bought a copy of Sword of Mana a while back and began playing it when I was on vacation with my dad and sister a couple weeks ago. The timing is so impeccable it's stunning. I recently fully inaugurated myself as a fan of the Mana series (due in no small part to your enthusiastic videos from a few years back) and I've very much enjoyed my time with it so far. I'm playing through Secret on SNES and I own a copy of Legend but I'm gonna wait until I've finished Secret and had time to play the original Trials on the Collection of Mana to sink my time into Legend. I know you sent out a Tweet implying this video isn't doing as well as you'd hoped. And while I think it's criminal that a video this passionately analytical isn't raking in the views you hoped it might've, It was a lovely watch, man. I personally adored this more down to earth and laid back approach to the game in question, because it's wonderfully apparent how much you appreciate what you're discussing. Just like your Axes video, I'm gonna rewatch this one A LOT down the road. Kbash, within the past year and a half/two years your videos have brought me an incalculable amount of entertainment. They've become such a reliable source of relief for me when I'm stressed or overwhelmed or depressed, I don't go a single week without watching at least a few of them. You've become of the few content creators on this platform who I follow so avidly and I hope you know how much your videos mean to some of us who watch them. I'd like to say thank you for being so damn awesome, dude. The work you put into these uploads is truly commendable and I hope at the very least you never feel like you've wasted your time doing it.
“Memorializing childhood imagination”, that’s exactly what Mana is 😢
1:52 - "Secret Of Mana is the first MANA-festation of the Mana identity..."
Also, if you want to try your hand at fighting enemies and bosses without magic spam, Secret Of Mana has a randomizer that you can run as Randi only (or, more often then not, you can have either Primm or Popoi in your party but don't have the appropriate magic to burst down a boss, so you just have to do your best)
Thank you for the review! I had this game as a kid, and not knowing english i got to the glass desert where i was stuck. Years later i found the game again and played through it, only to find out that i had to walk in an 8 shape around 2 tree's to progress!
you are probably my favorite RUclipsr at this point and I cannot think of a creator more deserving of a big boost in subs. keep it up, I'm hoping the algorithm does you right one of these days.
I didn't even know what the Mana games were, then I watched your videos on it. Still haven't played them, but I'm so hype for watching this.
Idk how well this is doing/will do but this is definitely one of my favorite videos you have done absolutely incredible stuff
im a child of secret of mana. sadly i never had a gba. now experiencing sword of mana for the first time. ty for this great "review"
I never played any of these growing up, although I did get Dawn of Mana for Christmas once. The 3D one where you get a neat vibe whip and nature sword loadout. I was definitely to dumb to get anything going on but I fell in love with the cool level destruction.
Thank you for fantastic delve into this game, thoroughly enjoyed it.
I've already told you a bunch before but I do honestly love your videos and your vibes. Keep doing what you love my guy -DTerryM
This game was my childhood, much of my creativity spanned from this singular game. It brings me back to happier times
My first Mana game. Found it cheap in a used videogame store, and bought it. Looked it up online when I got home and saw it wasn't liked, but I was a broke kid so I played what I bought. I loved it.
I freaking loved the charming, compelling and addicting GBA Sword of Mana when it first came out. So glad I ignored the negative reviews back then.
Thank you Kbash. For your dedicated work and time on all of the odd RPGs i loved, elloquently speaking on what we love about them. And most of all reminding me of all the subconscious things that made me love them while not realizing it at the time.
I was always sad about how Sword of Mana seemed to have slipped under the radar compared to some other GBA and I'm so glad to see it get the attention it deserves.
Dude, that conclusion statement was so poignant and deep that it gave me goosebumps. Well done sir.
I'm ready for your channel to blow up - your videos are always amazing!
Just wanted to say I love your content, Kbash, especially when you cover games/series I personally have played and enjoyed.
Someday I will play Gungnir thanks to you… as soon as I stop being intimidated by it.
You are the only RUclipsr whose end credits I will actively pay attention to
Mystic Quest (SD1) was one of the first games I ever played on the GameBoy when I was just a kid in primary school. It completely blew my mind and impacted me greatly. I recently replayed it in the collection and found it actually held up great, though it's actually much easier than I remember. I player Sword of Mana years ago when it came out and it just felt like shovel ware to me. I think that atmosphere in the original that is somewhere between secret of mana and final fantasy is actually what spoke to me the most, more than either.
The music still send shivers down my spine.
KBash, I just have to say: I haven’t played the vast majority of the games you talk about. Of the ones I have, I usually don’t agree with your opinions on. But damn if you aren’t consistently entertaining and your videos inexplicably enjoyable to watch. I’ve stayed up till 8am way too many times blasting through your channel. I don’t know if you’ll ever read this, but thank you. You’ve genuinely made a difference and helped make at least one person’s frustrating life more bearable.
God this game has such a hold on me. It was one of my very first GBA games at 4 years old. I had no idea what the Mana series was and It absolutely tore my little head off. Even now, knowing that there are better mana games out there I'll still stand by this little game with my life.
I just watched your Final Fantasy Tactics video and saw a pop up for a look into Secret of Mana and made me think "Hey Sword of Mana is a game I played a long time ago I wonder if anyone did a retrospective on that." and without knowing your channel name just happened to click on this video after searching Sword of Mana review (not a whole ton of results). Got a sub from me!
Great video of this overlooked classic. Subbed
This was my first and favorite mana game. I put probably a thousand hours into it. I remember replaying it just to listen to the music. And grinding bats until i was level 20 to set off on the adventure.
I like the new slightly more reserved tone for this video, it’s quality in a different way than loud/fast KBash content. I’m looking forward to what else comes out in the future here whether it be more of this or something more similar to KBash’s other work.
The series has straight up Santa in it. Medusa is the lesser evil here.
SWORD OF MANA!
SWORD OF MANA!!
YEEEEEAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!
I grew up with this game and ADORE it.
This game was my introduction to the Mana series and JRPGs as a whole