Welcome to Modojo, 
Children of Mana Review
Written by Cody Musser on Friday, November 3, 2006
Looka fantastic. Solid multiplayer.
Confusing for first time Mana players. Somewhat tedious
The DS is currently enjoying its most bountiful and potentially impressive season yet, and somewhere amidst the numerous releases we'll be seeing this fall, Children of Mana snuck its way in. Now, a Mana title might not demand the 'sit up and take notice' mentality that, say, Zelda does, but this is a series that has been enthralling gamers since its OG days as a Final Fantasy Gaiden. So, the RPG hounds are bound to gobble this game up, even amidst the competition from other releases, and not to mention, other RPG's like Magical Starsign.
Nintendo saw fit to market both Children of Mana and Magical Starsign as a pair of adventures for gamers to enjoy this autumn. Considering they licensed both games from two separate developers, and are using them as a spearhead for the DS RPG market, this gave Children of Mana some real presence even amidst the loaded shelves. So, where does Children of Mana fit into the small amount of RPG's on the DS (as of yet, anyways)? It's strange to say it, but it's actually right around the top, not necessarily because we're looking at the standout title Nintendo had hoped to deliver, but because the competition in the RPG market, just isn't that impressive.
Children of Mana leaps beyond the competition, and the visuals, story, and mostly solid gameplay, make it a slight nudge better than the average RPG, and Magical Starsign for that matter. Expect to enter the World of Mana and be instantly enamored by the quaint 2D artwork. This harkens back to the SNES role-playing heyday that most of us love to pontificate about, but unfortunately, outside the stunning anime cutscenes, the visuals never really reach beyond that benchmark set somewhere around 10 years ago, and as such, they don't require too much time to grow stale. Spell effects, attacks, and enemies never really become too much more than what is present at the onset of the adventure, and the only reason this is mostly acceptable, is that the game won't actually take too much time to complete.
The time it takes to finish Children of Mana isn't necessarily that disappointing, and that helps the gameplay from becoming too tedious before the main quest is finished. Tedious is a good descriptive term, but in truth, because this game is essentially a dungeon crawler, it is going to require the type of player that rarely admits how tedious something can be. The basic action of entering a dungeon level, clearing the enemies or finding a hidden chest to obtain the key, and using that key to proceed, is present throughout the entirety. If that's not something that sounds enjoyable; it's probably a good idea to keep away from this release.
Luckily, the combat within the levels is saved, particularly by the unique rebound mechanics within the game. Children of Mana's elastic fighting system has enemies bouncing into walls, items, and off each other with every attack, and it's a treat to watch the chaos after just one sword swing. If I was to admit that one thing kept me going throughout the entire game, it would have been this. Exploring the different rebound effects attributed to the games four playable weapons (the sword, flail, bow, and hammer) was particularly fun and they actually make the gameplay significantly different. The real diehards might scoff at how the system is actually pretty simple and easy to exploit, but they're probably playing the game for that famed Mana storyline anyways, so it shouldn't bother them too much.
The continuation of the Mana storyline is going to be the driving force for many players interested in Children of Mana, and while I'd like to admit that it's up to snuff, I don't really have a point of reference. Yeah ... I apologize for my pathetic appreciation of gaming history. My lack of knowledge within the World of Mana actually presented another serious issue with the game. Unfortunately, the storyline within Children of Mana never really clarifies a lot of important concepts and plot devices that are carried over from the previous games. That's not to say it is unplayable, it's just a lot harder to enjoy when I'm trying to wrap my head around the Tree of Mana, the Goddess of Mana, the Sword of Mana ... the damned Tuna Fish of Mana. This game is built around knowing that you know about Mana, and I'm of the opinion they should keep that sort of stuff plastered right on the cover, in a big disclaimer notice that says: "Purchasing this game requires absolute knowledge of Mana, in all it's various forms, shapes, and possible future metamorphoses."
There is even a multiplayer aspect to Children of Mana, which is something missing from almost every RPG. It's a welcome addition, but the scope of the dungeon crawling does require a single cart for each player, and this is local wireless here, not the Nintendo WiFi service. Players explore dungeons with up to four friends, each playing as one of the four playable main characters. The characters, whether in single or multiplayer, have the neat option of being male or female, and having a different hair color, but the changes are only cosmetic. It's slightly jarring, as changing a characters hair color for the single player mode will leave you staring at your sprite frolicking around with silver hair, while the dialog artwork is something entirely different.
Looking back, I can recollect that Children of Mana was one of this falls releases that I was most anticipating. I wouldn't say that I was expecting something different, but I had hoped that there was some polish that just doesn't find itself present in this iteration of the Mana franchise. There is potential here, and there is some real substance for those that can appreciate the game despite its faults, but if money is an issue, I might reconsider picking this one up. Children of Mana tops out Lunar: Dragon Song, Deep Labyrinth, and Pokemon Mystery Dungeon, but it doesn't take too much effort to be the champion of "Just OK."
posted March 17, 2007