Secret of Evermore (SNES)

...elements of gameplay seen in Secret of Mana. However, unlike many others do, this game should not be compared to Secret of Mana, as both RPGs have completely different aims.

Story:

The game starts out with a medium-length intro. It shows you (the character has whatever name you give him, if not given a name he is called "the boy") in 1995, just coming out of a movie theater. Your dog chases a cat into an old ...
...gameplay is where similarities to Secret of Mana can be seen. The menus are organized in rings, the bosses look similar, you acquire new weapons but it is just like upgrading in Secret of Mana. However, there are a few more unique aspects. Weapons are leveled up by usage, and you level up also. Your dog serves as a partner in the fighting and you can play as him as well. His "weapon" (his bite) levels up as well. The AI is rather advanced, ... more

To this day, this is my favorite RPG. It has its own unique blend of flavor combined with key elements of gameplay seen in Secret of Mana. However, unlike many others do, this game should not be compared to Secret of Mana, as both RPGs have completely different aims.

The game starts out with a medium-length intro. It shows you (the character has whatever name you give him, if not given a name he is called "the boy") in 1995, just coming out of a movie theater. Your dog chases a cat into an old abandoned laboratory. You follow him and you get teleported into a space station on a world called Evermore. You fight some robots and manage to escape the space station, crash landing on Evermore. You journey through four different eras, which are divided by location and not by time (an interesting concept, although it doesn't make much sense). You run into many "evil twins" as you try to discover what's happening to Evermore.

The gameplay is where similarities to Secret of Mana can be seen. The menus are organized in rings, the bosses look similar, you acquire new weapons but it is just like upgrading in Secret of Mana. However, there are a few more unique aspects. Weapons are leveled up by usage, and you level up also. Your dog serves as a partner in the fighting and you can play as him as well. His "weapon" (his bite) levels up as well. The AI is rather advanced, you can set how the character you're not controlling should act. If the boy dies, you lose, but the dog can die repeatedly. The most unique aspect of the gameplay is the magic system. Magic in the game is coined "alchemy", and is used by combining ingredients. Ingredients can be bought at stores or found by sniffing them out with the dog. Alchemy spells must be taught to you by people you encounter, and the more you use them the more powerful they become. Also, accompanying the four eras there are four different currencies. You can change your currencies as you change locations. Since you don't have to change locations often, this is not annoying, but rather just makes the game feel more real. One town also features a marketplace where you trade goods for other goods, and includes many one-of-a-kind items in the game. The game is not all that difficult, especially if you decide to take time to power up your weapons or spells.

Secret of Evermore is one of the most detailed SNES games out there. The graphics look surprisingly realistic, everything from the desert to the bosses. The colors are more subtle, not trying to jump out at you, like in Secret of Mana. The colors are more realistic to whatever environment you are in.

Once again, Secret of Evermore does not come up short. The sounds beautifully construct the environment around you in combination with the graphics. It often is not music alone; sometimes you will hear birds chirping, owls hooting, waves crashing against the beach, etc. Secret of Evermore definitely has a leg up over most or all SNES games in this department.

This is the main reason Secret of Evermore shouldn't be compared to Secret of Mana. Whereas Secret of Mana's main attempt was to create a serious storyline, Secret of Evermore is a very comedic game. Let me stress the "very". I have played this game through multiple times, and half of the reason for my playing through is just to see the comedy again. The boy makes many comedic references to made up B-movies. Also, the dog changes form in every era, the most hilarious is when you're in the futuristic era and the dog is basically a toaster with legs.

Secret of Evermore is one of the less appreciated SNES games. This game can serve to break the monotony of mainstream RPGs, providing some unique aspects of gameplay and a very comedic plot. I would recommend Secret of Evermore to anyone wanting to broaden their scope on RPGs. 

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