Square Enix’s ‘Final Fantasy Adventure’ Reborn as ‘Adventures of Mana’ This Week

Ready to feel confused? Square Enix is launching Adventures of Mana on the App Store this week, and it’s a remake of… well… I suppose you’ll want to strap in for this one. It isn’t easy to explain. In 1993, Square …

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Ready to feel confused? Square Enix is launching Adventures of Mana on the App Store this week, and it’s a remake of… well… I suppose you’ll want to strap in for this one. It isn’t easy to explain.

In 1993, Square Enix released a Super Nintendo game that would go on to become one of the most beloved RPGs of all time, Secret of Mana. What most people didn’t realize at the time, however, was that there was another game in the Mana series before this: Final Fantasy Adventure.

Final Fantasy Adventure on the Game Boy, 1991
Final Fantasy Adventure on the Game Boy, 1991

Despite the naming conventions, 1991’s Final Fantasy Adventure for the Game Boy is formally considered the first game in the Mana series. To make matters more confusing, however, the game was marketed in Europe as Mystic Quest in 1993 — right as the other Final Fantasy Mystic Quest was arriving on the Super Nintendo.

tl’dr; Adventures of Mana is the remake of a 1991 GameBoy game that you didn’t realize was related to Secret of Mana, but totally is. If you like your JRPGs more action-oriented than most, put this one high on your radar.

My brain hurts after all of this, but I’m sure Adventures of Mana will make it feel all better. Expect it on the App Store and Google Play on February 4th.

Jim Squires is the Editor-in-Chief of Gamezebo. Everything you see passes his eyes first, so we like to think of him as "the gatekeeper of cool stuff." He likes good games, great writing, and just can't say no to a hamburger. Also, he is not a bear.