Part of the Mana series, released for the Nintendo DS in 2006.
The story takes place when the Mana Tree was newly created (making it the chronologically earliest game at the time of its release before it got a prequel of it's own in Dawn of Mana a year later). After a crack appears in it, the nearby temple suddenly becomes infested with monsters. After the player character clears out the temple, they return to find that mysterious pillars of light have appeared in numerous different lands...
Like other games in the Mana series, it uses an action RPG formula. It uses a top down perspective similar to the 2D The Legend of Zelda games, but with a heavier emphasis on combat, and a more defined system of giving you quests and sidequests. More RPG than Action if you will.
This Game provides examples of:
- Adults Are Useless: "The ancient stone has cracked and a beam of light has engulfed the holy tower, where a village girl just went to pray! We have to go rescue her right now! What, you want to go? I don't know, you're just a kid, but...okay. We'll be right behind you. (cue peaceful music) Before you go, want to practice swinging your sword around? You should pay the marketplace next door a visit so you can find out what all of your stats are for, what all the different colors of gem do, learn about each Elemental's attack and assist spell, and the varieties of chests, pots, and obstacles you'll find in dungeons. Did you know that a couple of shops are opening here? They can tell you all about the things they sell. By the way, remember when I told you we'd be right behind you? What I meant is that we'll be hanging out in this house the entire time you're gone."
- The Blade Always Lands Pointy End In: The Holy Sword makes its appearance this way in the first chapter.
- Checkpoint Starvation: You get the option to equip new gear, manage your gems, and save after defeating four levels of a dungeon. Considering how many Hit Points the Damage Sponge Mooks possess, and their sheer quantity, coupled with the frequency in which your goal for the level involves killing all enemies, it can take upwards of half an hour between checkpoints.
- Continuity Nod: The Benevodons are the same as the Benevodons from Trials of Mana, but in their normal non-rampaging states. They even have the same names.
- Disc-One Final Boss: So, you beat the Mana Storm, the Mana Surge is stopped, so that's it, right? Wrong! Okay, but now you beat the Mana Lord, so that's gotta be the end! Well, it isn't. The Mana Lord brushes off that fight, beats you down with no effort at all, and then takes the Holy Sword, which turns out to be the series-iconic Sword of Mana. Your story's just getting started.
- Epic Flail: One of the four weapon types, and Poppen's weapon. Hits a bit harder than the Sword and can hit all enemies around you, but it doesn't combo. The Flail can also be used as a grappling hook to grab items or cross gaps.
- Fusion Dance: Forced on the Benevodons/God-Beasts by the Mana Lord.
- Xan Bie and Dangaard become Xangar.
- Lightgazer and Mispolm become Galem.
- Zable Fahr and Dolan become Thaydol.
- Land Umber and Fiegmund become Landmund.
- Global Airship: Flammie, as always, and you get her surprisingly early for a World of Mana game. This is mostly due to the world map being a glorified list of dungeons for you to enter, making the existence of a Global Airship at all a narrative device as opposed to a game design decision.
- Infinity +1 Sword: The Mystery and Ultima weapons. These weapons are not obtainable by normal means.
- Interface Spoiler: Even before clearing the first dungeon, you can see that you have room for four separate weapon types and room for a gem grid four times larger than what you start with.
- Item Crafting: The gems, which allows you to customize your character further if you have the necessary materials to make them.
- Jack of All Stats: Ferrik and Tamber, though they do lean more towards physical and magical damage, respectively.
- Pinball Projectile: Any enemy hit by the hammer will be knocked back, and into nearby walls, taking damage with each hit. If that enemy hits another enemy, they both go flying. If a pinball enemy hits the player character, you become the projectile. Given how many other objects you need to hit with the hammer, it's a toss up whether you save time switching weapons every few seconds, or just spending half of your time as a pinball.
- Shifting Sand Land: The Fiery Sands of Jadd.
- Superdickery: The opening scrawl says, how this is the story of the one time, the Sword of Mana was used against Mana.
- Sword of Plot Advancement: Acquired at the end of the first dungeon. For some reason, nobody thinks it'd be a good idea to use the peerless holy sword to attack monsters with. At least until the end of the Ice Citadel where, after defeating the last of the malevodons, the player character attempts to use it to attack the Mana Lord, only to have the Sword of Mana turn on them, wound them, and enter his hands, due to the increasing power of the Mana Surge, overpowering the blade's own will.
