Heroes of Mana

"Honestly, hardcore RTS fans probably won't enjoy Heroes of Mana's simplified design. And fans of more traditional RPGs probably won't appreciate its chaotic, large-scale engagements, either. Taken for what it is, though, Heroes is an enjoyable little excursion, with enough Mana elements to lend welcome charm and familiarity to its curious approach to strategy gaming. If this is the last we ever see of Mana -- which it might well be, given the way Mana games are selling these days -- at least the series goes out on a positive note."

"We've still got a long way to go with Heroes of Mana before we can give a final verdict, but from what we've seen the game is a great blend of Ishii's Mana design and solid DS action. The game uses great touch screen design and an equally impressive amount of storytelling, but it isn't without its faults. The game can be a bit slow at times, and can also show some lingering frame issues when the action heats up, but for how many RTS fans we know are out there waiting for a great stylus-enabled combat game to sink their teeth into we - as long as many of you - are welcoming Square Enix's latest DS effort."

"The presentation is great, the fully-animated sequences are simply beautiful, the music is captivating (not as much as something like Final Fantasy, but still pretty impressive), and for the most part the gameplay is intuitive and downright fun. For anyone willing to put up with a few annoyances Heroes of Mana delivers a great pocket RTS experience plain and simple, and with a deep story, diverse cast of characters, and a pretty remarkable amount of depth it's a no-brainer for strategy fanatics. It isn't the franchise you remember from over a decade ago, but Heroes of Mana proves one very important element of Koichi Ishii's philosophy: The gameplay may change, but the soul remains."

"These problems are, of course, all sugar coated by Square-Enix's fantastic presentation and artwork. Menus are slick and easy to navigate, sprites and environments are rich and colourful, and the anime cutscenes add yet more sheen and class to the package. But despite all of the positives, the game underneath, for all its features and ideas, remains a broken one, thus continuing the Mana series legacy of being a series that tries its hand at new things to get noticed, but one which fails to match up to the brilliance of its forefather."

"Heroes of Mana is an ambitious and sloppy game that will both entertain and infuriate you."