My eighth favorite multiplayer video game of all time:
Secret of Mana (SNES)
Secret of Mana was unique in two ways. Not only did it have real-time combat, but it supported three-player simultaneous gaming. Few other role playing games can compete.
The story is pretty standard stuff: You’re the regular joe guy in a medieval village – until you learn of your destiny to pull the sword from the stone and save the world.
Thankfully, Mana’s responsive controls, smooth menu system, extensive options, and collaborative strategies help elevate it to the stuff of legend. I’m generally not a big proponent of RPGs, but this one managed to suck me in.
A couple of summers ago, two friends and I dusted off the old SNES, rustled up an adapter for multiple controllers, and played through it again. Despite being somewhat cliched, the story does have its heartrending moments, and kept me interested all the way through. Secret of Mana stands the test of time, and even twelve years later maintains a used selling price close to its original point.