Secret of Mana

Secret of Mana, known in Japan as Seiken Densetsu 2, is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Super Nintendo, released in Japan in 1993 and in the West shortly after. It follows a young hero who draws a rusted sword from a stone, is exiled from his village, and sets out with two companions to restore the world's fading Mana and stop an empire from exploiting an ancient flying fortress. Unlike the turn-based combat common to the era, it plays in real time, with a distinctive ring-command menu that pauses the action to let players select spells, items, and equipment from radial wheels. Its signature feature is cooperative multiplayer: with a Super Multitap, up to three players can control the hero and his two friends at once on a single screen, a rare offering for a role-playing game of its time. Celebrated for its lush visuals, its acclaimed score by Hiroki Kikuta, and its accessible real-time combat, it became one of the most beloved games in Square's library. A section called the Forest of Seasons, where players walk through spring, summer, autumn, and winter in turn, and its three-player couch cooperative design make it a natural fit for a summer of long days and full couches.