Seiken Densetsu 3

Three heroes, six possible stories and a world that changes depending on who you choose as your main character. Seiken Densetsu 3 belongs among the legends of the 16-bit era, ones that were long only whispered about in the West. This sequel to Squaresoft's Mana series never left Japan back in its day, so players around the world enjoyed it for many years only thanks to fan translations.

The game builds on the action combat system of its predecessor Secret of Mana but expands it in every respect. Battles play out in real time right in the environment, and an elaborate class system was added, where characters can advance along a path of light or darkness and change their classes. The day-and-night cycle and the rotation of the days of the week, which affect gameplay, are also ingenious. Choosing your opening trio from six heroes fundamentally changes the angle of the narrative as well as the final enemy, giving the game enormous replay value.

Seiken Densetsu 3 came out in Japan in 1995, at a time when Squaresoft was churning out one technically and artistically polished title after another. The pixel art, animation and color palette rank among the finest the Super Nintendo was ever able to display, and Hiroki Kikuta's music enriches the game with an atmospheric, at times dreamlike tone.

The game's cultural significance is twofold. On one hand it is the peak of the classic branch of the Mana series, on the other it became a textbook example of a game the Western audience loved long before it officially received it. An official English release didn't come until much later, in 2019, under the title Trials of Mana as part of the Collection of Mana for Nintendo Switch, and later also as a full 3D remake. For years it circulated only in the form of a fan translation that enthusiasts created themselves in order to make accessible a title that in Japan enjoyed a reputation as one of the finest RPGs on the console.

Also worth noting is how the game handles the party. From the six heroes, from the fighter Angela through the warrior Duran to the wolf-girl Riesz, you assemble a trio, and it is your first choice that determines the main villain and the overall arc of the story. This structure was exceptionally ambitious for its time and makes every playthrough a slightly different experience, a concept the genre returned to only gradually.

For many collectors and JRPG fans, Seiken Densetsu 3 remains one of the most beautiful and most ambitious games of its generation. The combination of action combat, a branching story and artistic splendor makes it a title that even today holds up as a demonstration of what a 16-bit console was capable of.

Why play: An action JRPG with a branching story and gorgeous graphics that was long among the most sought-after unavailable treasures of the Super Nintendo.