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Seiken Densetsu 3 - Reader Review |
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One of the most Improved Sequels, Seiken Densetsu 3, dies before reaching America
By Jessie Dawson
Review Breakdown |
Battle System | 9.0 |
Gameplay | 8.0 |
Music | 9.0 |
Originality | 8.0 |
Plot | 7.5 |
Replay Value | 9.5 |
Sound | 8.5 |
Visuals | 9.0 |
Difficulty | Medium |
Time to Complete | 30 hours per quest | |
Overall |
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Seiken Densetsu 3, the sequel to Secret of Mana, is a sin. Not only was the
project 2/3 translated, but Nintendo ditched the project at the last second to
release Mario RPG and Secret of Evermore instead, two games that were
considered So/So by the majority of the public. Seiken Densetsu 3 was
anything but So/So, but this was a sad choice made by Nintendo. Even when one
of the articles of Nintendo Power had a preview of this game, it was still
decided not to be unreleased.
One of the must lush games on the Super Nintendo, this game delivers Detail
in Spades. From the very beginning, you are swept off with a Piano and Flute
duet, then a shot of the Mana Sanctuary. The Characters are very well
designed, and don't border on sharing the same personalities, which is often
overdone. Angela, the magician, is nothing like Kevin, the werewolf fighter,
As is Charlotte to Reisz, Duran to Hawkeye. The Music is one of the best I've
heard, only second to Final Fantasy 6 in soundtracks, and the song "Return to
Forever" is exquisite. Really.
The plot on here is a "Triangle Story" which means you can play it several
different ways. Out of six characters, you may choose 3 to start the quest,
one you start with, and two others you meet in time. This helps with an
immense amount of replay value. Not only can you choose new combinations, but
depending on your lead character, you may fight entirely different enemies and
bosses, with a different final area. But also, there are 2 class changes!
You can choose for your character to be light or dark once at level 18, then
you can get another class change at level 38 to be dark or light again. Class
changes give you different spells with different special attacks. This
results in a dark-dark, light-light, or a neutral class. The straighter
combinations give you stronger powers, but the neutral combinations usually
give you more of a variety of spells. I thought this was a nice touch. This
deals another ace for the Replay value!
Also, this game can be very difficult. One of the last bosses, the Prince of
Darkness, is very difficult, as are some of the characters that can just
instantly kill you in one move. I love a game with a challenge, but sometimes
it gets insane, especially when you have bad fighters in your party.
The game is a kick. But let's see. It does have its flaws. First of all,
you may be fighting a boss, and you will hit the button to bring up your menu,
but you can't hit it. Even when you aren't doing anything. Sometimes, the
action slows down slightly in the middle of the game, during a big fight
scene. Also, the plot can be weak at time. There are moments when you have
to fight the elemental jinjus, and you spend about 10 hours just fighting!
That could have been filled with plot twists instead....
But that didn't really bother me. I love this game. I'm on a new game even
now, and I adore it. The Black Rabite, the secret enemy, will take quite a
while to beat it. ::Grumbles:: If you ever see this for a reasonable price,
take a good ponder about it!
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