First released: SNES (1993) Now Available On: Virtual Console, iOS

Square Enix will always be synonymous with its enduringly-popular Final Fantasy franchise, but the role-playing series isn't the only epic saga to come out of the Japanese studio's doors.

In the early 1990s, shortly after the release of Final Fantasy III, the developer was keen to cater for fans who found turn-based combat about as much fun as filling out an Excel spreadsheet.

Then known as Squaresoft, the company set out to achieve this with The Secret of Mana, an action-centric role-playing game for Super Nintendo that began life as a sequel to Final Fantasy III.

Secret of Mana was as much inspired by The Legend of Zelda as its was by its role-playing brethren, containing fast-paced, real-time combat and a dynamic overworld to explore.

The game followed a nameless youth who discovered a sacred sword. The young protagonist embarks on a quest to re-energize the weapon and thwart the plans of an empire with world domination on its mind.

Secret of Mana may have omitted the turn-based combat of Final Fantasy, but it offered just as much depth where story was concerned, taking place in a world backed by in-depth lore and populated by colourful characters.

Secret of Mana's take on multiplayer was inventive, allowing a second and third user (with the help of the SNES Super Multitap accessory) to drop in and out during a play session and take control of the sword-wielding hero's allies.

For those who found actual friends hard to come by, the game provided customisable AI settings for the computer-controlled characters, a feature that has since been adopted elsewhere.

While the game flew in the face of its genre's traditions in some respects, it embraced them in others, with main characters that were every inch role-playing archetypes.

Continued here:

The Secret of Mana retrospective: An epic Super Nintendo adventure