Common themes and motifs
Game style
Another common element of the games is its top-down action-based battle system, helped in part by its distinctive hierarchical "ring menu" system. Each ring is a set of pictures with a textual infobox explanation which, upon selection, allow the player to use an item, or cast a spell, or to look up game statistics or change game settings. Navigation within a menu is achieved by rotating the ring through the cursor left or right with the left or right buttons, while changing the menu is achieved by pressing the up or down buttons. Secret of Mana is almost entirely based upon this system, while later games have more traditional RPG menus accompanying it; Legend of Mana only uses ring menus for encyclopædia selection and in monster breeding options. The controversial spin-off Secret of Evermore was also built upon the ring menu system.
The games' magic system is divided into eight different elements, each embodied by a different protector Elemental Spirit, and by meeting or coming into contact with an Elemental, the player receives the ability to cast spells for that magic element. This is often a crucial plot element, as barriers up ahead of this meeting often need to be cleared by that Elemental or with one of their spells. Post-Legend of Mana, the Elementals role has been somewhat diminished to that of providing magical support for the protagonists.
Flammie is a fictional dragon-like character featured in the Seiken Densetsu video game series created by Squaresoft (later Square Enix). Though not principally a main character, Flammie nonetheless serves an important role by transporting party members on its back, usually to access some location that they couldn't before. In reality, several characters have appeared with the name "Flammie" throughout the series: first, a male version in Secret of Mana, and then a female one in Seiken Densetsu 3. A third Flammie, also female, is featured in Children of Mana. In addition to being a proper name, Flammie (written sometimes as "Flammy") also serves as the name of their specific race.
Template:Spoiler The history of the Flammies is detailed throughout the various games in the Seiken Densetsu series, particularly Legend of Mana, and are described as "beautiful yet powerful beasts" created by the Moon Gods, a race of omnipotent beings responsible for most of the life in the world. While the Flammies featured within the games of the series are depicted as off-white or yellow, the ancient world was populated by Flammies of six different colors, a new one being born when each Moon God went to sleep. Eventually, the Moon Gods attempted to prove each was better than the others by creating new, powerful beasts to roam the land. These creatures, along with the Flammies themselves, often quarreled at the gods' expense, tearing apart the world as they struggled to sustain it. A rift to another world was opened in the process, unleashing dark magic across the land, and sparked wars that were fought by terrible beasts that threatened the gods themselves. The prolonged fighting damaged the Mana Tree, a gigantic tree that served as the central life force of the planet. In order to keep the power of Mana from diminishing, the gods divided crystallized portions of energy from the tree itself and gave it to six Flammies, who scattered their power across the world, becoming a "flying river of Mana".
The efforts of the Flammies were enough to empower the planet to such an extent that the rift to the dark world was closed, but as they returned to their home, the gods were nowhere to be found. Saddened, they flew far into the sky, never to be seen again. Many years passed, and new races such as humans and fairies began to populate the world. One day, six brightly colored rays of light descended on the land, imbuing the land in life energy and ushering in a new golden age. New species began to appear that resembled the Flammies, such as dragons, however they were said to lack the beauty and divinity of true Flammies, though no one had ever laid eyes on one. Creatures similar in power to Flammies called wyrms were summoned to the land by powerful mages, and were used to carry out their various purposes.
While a Flammie's appearance is overall very draconic, they do possess several unique traits that makes it difficult to attribute their features to any one particular animal, and it appears to be as much mammalian as it is reptilian. While Flammies have a scaley, ribbed underside, the rest of their body is covered in a fine fur, with a tuft of thick hair at the top of their heads. They also possess a beak-like mouth with two large fangs near the back, and a pair of long ears. Their hind legs are larger and thicker than their front, and have four small fleshy pads at the bottom to aid in sitting. The Flammie's most distinguishing feature, however, are the twin pairs of large, feathery wings that extend from its upper back. These wings, though not exceptionally large, work in tandum to generate the lift needed to keep both Flammie and its passengers in the air. If its activity in the games is any indication, Flammies can remain airborne for extreme periods of time, and by tilting their wings slightly, they can move up or down as well as side to side without losing momentum. Flammies share several biological characteristics with luckdragons.
The first Flammie appears in Secret of Mana, and is discovered, newly hatched, by the main characters Randi, Purim, and Popoie within a subterranean labyrinth known as the White Dragon Cave. King Truffle, monarch of the Kingdom of Matango, gives him the name Flammie, if only because he thinks the name is cute. Flammie is then left in the King's care while the party goes about their business until they reach the Imperial Northtown Castle. With the castle set alight, King Truffle comes to the party's rescue aboard a mature, flying Flammie. After flying to safety, Truffle bestows them with the "Flammie Drum", allowing them to call upon their new friend at any time. Serving as a means of aerial transport, Flammie can carry the three main characters on his back, and allows them access to nearly any location in the world, including the flying Mana Fortress. By utilizing the Super Nintendo's Mode 7 graphic capabilities, players can control Flammie from a "behind the back" third-person perspective, and fly over the landscape as it scrolls beneath them. This view can be switched to a top-down perspective; however, this view is the only option once Flammie flies low enough to land. A creature similar to Flammie called the Mana Beast was summoned by a dark magician Thanatos to serve as his instrument of destruction. This monster, though resembling Flammie, was considerably more mature and powerful than the one the heroes found, and possessed the ability to breath fire. As the final boss of the game, Randi, Purim, and Popoie had to combat the beast with the full power of the Mana Sword in order to defeat it. The German translation of the game cast Flammie as the Mana Beast; however, the Mana Beast's identity is inconclusive in the original English translation.
When the heroes of Seiken Densetsu 3 need a form of transport that would allow them to reach the airborne portal to another world known as the Mana Holyland, they invest in an ancient prophecy about a large dragon creature that could soar across the skies without difficulty. Seeking this "Father of the Winged Ones", the group makes their way up a steep mountain trail called the Path to the Heavens, only to find that the "Father" is actually a "daughter", a young female dragon. Riesz (or the fairy depending on whether or not the player selected Riesz to be in the party) gives her the name Flammie, and the group rides on her back into the Holyland. After meeting with the Mana Goddess, she gives them a special item called the Wind Drum that allows them to call upon Flammie to transport them anywhere. Like in the previous game, Flammie can fly just about anywhere in the world, landing in preset points that will allow the party to explore an area. Like the previous game, a top-down view can be achieved, giving the player a better view of the land below. Later in the game, a mid-air boss battle is fought while the party stands on Flammie's back.
Though not actively appearing in Legend of Mana, Flammie (or more appropriately, his race referred to coequally as "Flammies") is mentioned in the in-game World History feature, which outlines several pieces of lore in the Seiken Densetsu world. In it, the legend of the Flammies is explained in detail for the first time, and establishes a connection between them and the very forces that control the world.
Flammie was originally planned to appear in Sword of Mana, as evidenced by original artwork in a calendar used to promote the game's Japanese version, Shinyaku Seiken Densetsu [1]. However, like many other features planned for the game, Flammie was cut and removed completely. It is unknown exactly what role Flammie would play in this game, as the original version, Final Fantasy Adventure, did not feature Flammie at all.
Shortly after obtaining the fabled Mana Sword, the main character (whichever is chosen at the beginning) of Children of Mana is encouraged to investigate the mystery of this object by traveling to the city of Topple, a center of trade and learning. However, in order to reach this place, the character will require some form of aerial transport, which is given to him by Moti, a researcher and historian who has in his possession the fabled Spin Drum that can be used to call Flammie at any time. With Flammie's assistance, the character is able to travel to the city, as well as navigate the rest world with minimal effort. Once the Spin Drum is obtained, the option to summon Flammie becomes selectable in the game's start menu. When used, the player is returned to the world map and is able to select a number of destinations they wish to travel to, as well as zoom out of their current position and view the entire world.
Though there isn't much info available at the moment, Flammie can be seen flying in the dusk sky at the end of the Seiken Densetsu 4 trailer, and most recently in the E3 trailer, which confirms that the white dragon will indeed appear in yet another Seiken Densetsu game. As Dawn of Mana takes places only ten years before Children of Mana, it is possible that this Flammie is the same one from the previous game.
Four music pieces have been associated with Flammie over the course of the Seiken Densetsu series. In Secret of Mana, the first theme that plays while flying on Flammie is "Flight into the Unknown" (track 22 on the Seiken Densetsu 2 Original Sound Version). After the Grand Palace is activated, it changes to "Dark Star". Later in the game, when the flying Mana Fortress surfaces, his theme is changed to the song "Prophecy" (track 29). In Seiken Densetsu 3, Flammie's theme is "Can You Fly, Sister?" from the Seiken Densetsu 3 Original Sound Version. All four songs were composed by Hiroki Kikuta.
Mana Sword
Mana Sword (or Sword of Mana) is a fictional weapon and plot device from the Seiken Densetsu series of role-playing video games. It has been featured in every game of the series, and is often part of the game's main plot. It is the very object of the series title, the Holy Sword of Legend. Despite playing such a central role in the series, Secret of Mana is the only game where the main character physically wields the Sword throughout the game. Template:Spoiler
In Final Fantasy Adventure, Mana Sword is not mentioned until halfway through the game, and is called Excaliber in the English translation. At that point all that is known about it is that it is the only weapon able to damage a person who was acquired the power of Mana. Later on, the Heroine's Mother gives the Hero the Mana Sword just prior to the final battle with Julius, in the gardens of the Mana Shrine. Presumably, the antagonists Borgin and Lorim knew that the Sword was in the Shrine, but guided the Hero to the alternative, more difficult method of getting there - the only one available in the game.
In Secret of Mana the Mana Sword was the means by which the Mana Knight destroyed the Mana Fortress that was abusing Mana and threatening the existence of the whole world in a bygone age. Upon such a dramatic usage the Sword apparently used up its power and had to be regenerated by the next Mana Knight. After the battle, the Sword was thrust into a rock near the village of Potos, thus keeping it protected by monsters. Many years later, on an exploration with friends, the main character Randi draws it at the prompt of a spiritual being, thereby bringing monsters to attack him and Potos. After his banishment from the village, he learns that in order to prevent the Mana Fortress from being revived, he has to seal the eight Seeds of Mana in the eight Palaces of Mana throughout the world with the Sword. He does this by holding up the Sword to the Seed at its altar, whereupon the Sword and the Seed momentarily merge.
At the end of the game when all of the Seeds' seals are broken, Randi goes to the Mana Tree to regenerate the Sword by the Tree itself. There, he learns that only male members of the Mana Tribe can wield the Sword. He also learns that it is the only weapon that can be used to harm the Mana Beast, the powerful being that seeks to destroy the entire world. At the final battle, the Mana Sword only reaches its full potential by Purim and Popoie (the main character's companions) simultaneously casting Dryad's Mana Magic spell upon it. After slaying the Beast, Randi returns the Sword to the stone he drew it from.
In Seiken Densetsu 3 the Goddess of Mana used the Sword to slay the primordial eight Mana Beasts (called "Incarnations of Disaster") to create the ordered world. After her feat, she planted the Tree of Mana and thrust the Sword into one of its roots. The Sword receives the power of Mana, and its wielder controls Mana with it. The Sword of Mana can only be drawn with a great deal of power and doing so weakens the Mana Stones, which the Incarnations of Disaster are trapped in. Midway through the game the characters exchange the sword for the Fairy who is taken hostage, and at the end of the game it breaks as the main enemy reveals their true form. However the power of the Sword enters the main characters, since they are the true and rightful wielders. At the end of the game there is no mention of remaking the Sword.
In Legend of Manathe Mana Sword sees the least amount of importance in Legend of Mana. It is merely one of the final Artifacts the protagonist collects throughout the last quarter of the game. When used on the World Map, it creates the area where the player can climb the Mana Tree and fight the dark side of the Mana Goddess, effectively finishing the game. Incidentally, the Sword of Mana effectively fills all surrounding areas' Mana power to full, making it useful for that reason alone.
The Mana Tree
The Mana Tree (occasionally the Tree of Mana) is a character and plot device from the Seiken Densetsu series of role-playing video games. It has been featured in several games of the series, and is often part of the game's main plot, likely due to the fact that its very existence is what enables magic to exist in the world of Seiken Densetsu. Template:Spoiler
In Final Fantasy Adventure and Sword of Mana, The Tree of Mana grows atop Mt. Illusia from which a waterfall flows. Anyone who touches it will be granted the power of Mana: infinite and unlimited magic. The Tree is protected and cared for by the Mana Family. In the game's recent past the power of Mana was used to create the bloody and evil empire of Vandole. With the help of the Gemma Knights, the Mana Family overturned them and sealed off access to the Tree, leaving the Waterfall.
Throughout the game, from people and reliefs in the Dime Tower, it is revealed that the Tree of Mana is integral with life. The Waterfall is imbued with the power of Mana and its waters sustain nature. If Mana is abused the water is tainted, and the people and animals who drink it also become more evil. The only way to counter a person using Mana is with the sword Excaliber (translated in subsequent games as the Mana Sword) that is guarded by the Mana Family and wielded by a Gemma Knight.
At the end of the game the Tree is destroyed during the battle with Julius and the final secrets are revealed about the Tree. It also turns out that the members of the Mana Family literally are the seeds of the Mana Tree. If the tree dies, a Family member will become its seed. A sprout of the Mana Tree is called a Gemma, which reveals the true role of the Gemma Knights. The Heroine, the last member of the Mana Family, fulfils her role and becomes the tree, while a voice (supposedly the heroine's mother) reminds the Hero that he is the last Gemma Knight.
In the Secret of Mana, the Tree of Mana grows in the world and sustains Mana, which is life, magic, and balance. It is cared for by the Mana Tribe, and has eight seeds in eight palaces throughout the world, which are focus points of its power. The Tree resides in a hidden valley called the Pureland. However it is inaccessible due to a large cloud cover that is sustained by Mana. Late in the game it is revealed that the female members of the Mana Tribe become the Tree of Mana if it withers, while the men become wielders of the Mana Sword. The current Tree is Randi's mother, while his father was the previous Mana Knight. Near the end of the game the tree is destroyed by the Mana Fortress. Although there is a Mana Knight and Mana is restored, the Tree is not, nor is there suggestion of doing so.
In Seiken Densetsu 3, the Tree of Mana resides in the Mana Holyland, and was planted by the Goddess of Mana at the end of her Creation as a sign of life with the Sword of Mana trusted into one of its roots. From it flows Mana, thereby sustaining life, but also it flows into the Mana Sword whereby a person can contol Mana. The tree is tended by fairies, which cannot live long far from the Tree, unless they acquire a permanent human host. Although Mana flows through the Sword, it cannot ultimately controled that way. If the Sword breaks or is abused by evil Mana from the Tree will flow to those it deems worthy.
At the end of the game the tree is destroyed by the final battle. The fairy however becomes the new Mana Goddess and a new Tree sprouts, since a fairy can become the Goddess if she is believed in strongly by the wielder of the Sword of Mana. It will take a thousand years for a new Tree to grow in which the world will not have Mana. There is no hint or mentioning of any negative effects of this, suggesting that Mana is more tied to magic and power rather than life and existence as compared to the other games.
Rabites
Rabites (rabi in Japan) are fictional, rabbit-like monsters featured in the video game series Seiken Densetsu developed by Square Enix (originally Squaresoft). Appearing as a common enemy in the series since its beginning, the rabite has become a sort of mascot for the Seiken Densetsu games, much the same way as the chocobo represents Final Fantasy, and is one of its most recognizable icons.
The rabite resembles a small, bodiless rabbit with no legs, large ears that curve upward and form a point at the tip, and a round, puffy tail. Its English name is a portmanteau of "rabbit" and "bite", a reference to both its appearance and primary means of attack. Movement by the rabites is achieved by hopping along the ground by pushing up with the muscles on its underside, allowing it to move forward while propelling its body through the air. Though many aspects of its physiology remain unrevealed by Square Enix, its body appears to contain little to no bone structure, as evidenced by the extreme pliability of its stomach and mouth, which it is able to open quite widely. This theory is troublesome, however, as in the more recent games, the rabite tends to spew forth several bones from its body upon defeat, often more so than could logically be housed inside its small frame. One possible explanation could be that the bones come from an animal the rabite has recently devoured, or it could simply be a recycled death graphic that should not be taken literally. In the earlier games, the rabite, upon defeat, explodes in a colourful splash.
Despite their docile appearance, rabites can and most often will attack unprovoked, and remain a constant nuisance in whatever game they happen to be in. Their primary attack consists of lunging at an opponent, mouth agape, and biting down on them with their single, large tooth. According to some of its other traits found in Secret of Mana, in the event it becomes too wounded to fight or if it faces a threat too large for it to handle, it will attempt to flee. If it becomes surrounded it will then cover its face in a last bid for mercy. In any game featuring a day-night cycle, rabites can be seen sleeping when it becomes dark rather than moving around screen, which would make them diurnal.
While the most common rabites are depicted as yellow, several other types exist, each one being different from the other in terms of strength.
Yellow: The most often seen version of rabites that has appeared in every Seiken Densetsu title since the first game, Final Fantasy Adventure. Most often depicted as the weakest form of rabite, the yellow variety usually lacks any sort of special attacks other than its bite and can often be defeated by the player with little difficulty. Regardless, this rabite is the most seen of any of its brethren, and is the form most would associate with rabites as a whole.
White: In Legend of Mana all non-boss monsters in the game can be domesticated by the player. Domesticated monsters have a different color palette than their wild counterparts. The wild rabite in this game is white, while the domesticated rabite is yellow. The white rabite's strength depends on when their habitat becomes available to the player, but the yellow domesticated version's strength depends on how much battle experience the player has exposed them to. Both versions tend to have the same attacks, such as biting and a special attack that makes their opponents fall for the rabite's cuteness, decreasing their special attack power.
Pink: Also known as a "rabilion" in Seiken Densetsu 3, or as a "silktail" in Secret of Mana. Silktails are a stronger version of a rabite enemy. Unlike yellow rabites, the pink rabites rely on their ability to both attack and heal, using their ability to conjure minor restorative magic (the silktails in Secret of Mana also possess a sleep spell). They are much more aggressive than regular rabites, using jumping and leaping attacks and pursuing foes well after dark.
Lilac: Known as "king rabites" in Seiken Densetsu 3, the lilac version remains the strongest normally-found rabite, having much better attack and defensive power than its predecessors. Something of a rarity, these rabites make their home in the fabled Mana Holyland, a sacred place that houses the Mana Tree. They can summon rabites and rabilions to their aid, and they have a potent attack which pummels a foe with many tiny rabites.
Black: The black rabite's elusiveness is matched only by its immense power, and a player would have to go far out of their way to find one. First appearing in Seiken Densetsu 3, the black rabite is an optional boss character that wields powerful magic and has a staggering amount of health. The origin of this beast is unknown, but it has somehow come into possession of powerful mana that allows it to cast nearly every spell in the game, as well as summon equal-level monsters to its aid. The Black Rabite is seen in a hidden path inside the Dragon's Hole in Seiken Densetsu 3, not too far from the entrance.
The black rabite appears again as a result of an easter egg in Sword of Mana by killing 1000 normal rabites, thus allowing the player to "upgrade" any rabites encountered thereafter into their black counterparts. Although much more powerful physically than normal rabites, these black rabites lack the magic abilities of the one found in Seiken Densetsu 3.
While the rabite is most often seen as an enemy character, there are rare instances of using rabites to assist the player in the Seiken Densetsu games. In Legend of Mana, a yellow rabite is one of the possible pets that the player can raise and subsequently use as a battle partner. After hatching from a Monster Egg, the rabite can be used in battle and leveled up just like a normal character, having its power increased in the process. While never really becoming a strong fighter, the rabite had a special ability called "HP Recovery" which increases the natural rate at which a player recovers hit points. This idea is later carried over to Seiken Densetsu: Friends of Mana. In Dawn of Mana, a rabite named Rabini ("Puck" in the Japanese version) is the pet of the female lead character Ritzia, who took him in after he was abandoned by his family.
Appearances
A rabite also appeared in the Legend of Mana manga by Shiro Amano, as a dangerous and cuddly comic relief character and emergency food ration for the main hero. In the Square Enix RPG Final Fantasy X-2 there is an accessory called the "Rabite's Foot", a reference to the Mana games, which increases the Luck statistic by 100 points. This is a play on "rabbit's foot", both in the sense of word play and that rabbit feet are considered a good-luck charm. However, as stated above, rabites lack any form of feet, perhaps explaining why the item is considered so lucky.
Statues of rabites appear outside of a shrine in the Squaresoft RPG SaGa Frontier (the player can also beat one in combat in the hidden ending of the game -when all scenarios are completed-). Rabites appear in a small cameo quote in the Square Enix Gameboy Advance role-playing game Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, in which it is also stated that they are sometimes referred to as "the lucky rabbit". The quote is included in a summary of the mission "Poachers". The webcomic Rabite Season chronicles the lives of several video game rabbits, one of which is a Jewish Rabite named Shem (he is of the pink "Silktail" variety). In the Flash webcomic Secret of Mana Theater, the main character, Seth, is deathly afraid of rabites, having had a bad experience with them at the beginning of the comic.
Rabites have appeared prevalently in several pieces of Seiken Densetsu merchandise, including plush dolls, figurines, and keychains. Special rabite wristbands for the Nintendo DS and cellphone jockeys are also available in Japan. Template:Endspoiler
Other characteristics
Like Final Fantasy's use of Cid and Chocobos, the Seiken Densetsu games also share some other common in-game characters and creatures. Watts, the Dwarven Blacksmith, whose roles extend from giving the protagonists gunpowder, to teaching smithing, to upgrading the party's weaponry. Usually, there is a therianthropic Jūjin peddler who allows saving in the field and sells their wares (usually at exorbitant prices): this role is played by Neko the Cat in Secret of Mana, Nikita the Rabbit in Children of Mana and Niccolo the Rabbit in Sword of Mana (though Niccolo will fight alongside the main character in Legend of Mana from time to time). The series also has its own set of recurring enemies and bosses (sometimes with different names), however, the Rabite and its various incarnations are used throughout the series and is treated as the emblematic creature, much like the Chocobo. Moogles were used in Secret of Mana and have a passing reference in Sword of Mana, but were phased out for Seiken Densetsu 3 to be replaced by the Corobokkles, a group of shy gnome-like creatures led by the wise Don Perignon. Since Legend of Mana, this role has been filled by the Dudbears, somewhat slow-witted creatures that look like a cross between a plush dog and a teddy bear and speak in a language mainly comprised of the letters A, B, D and U.