Secret of Evermore (1995)

Wow, this is hard! No wonder I struggled with it as a ten year old... I'm not sure I even cleared the first town. Well, I have now, and I've figured out the sniffing to find stuff mechanic. I'm just moving slowly and trying to incorporate grinding into my exploration a bit so I'm prepared for what's next.

The soundscapes without music are very interesting. I know I didn't like it as a kid, but I think it's kind of cool now. Looking forward to the rest!

Preliminary: At first I said meh reading that it has Mana-series gameplay, but then I read ambient music... Hmmm. So far it is absolutely beautiful very impressive for an SNES game with such a futuristic Look hard to explain, and good music too. Sort of Earthbound setting/Look. I think it'll come to how Mana-like the combat is cuz I don't like the charge combat and this may end up in the 3/4 star trap the Mana series has fallen into despite its great Look and Sound and ideas.

As much as I love the "real life gets weird" concept so far, it's feeling a bit dull and empty so far. I'm sure it'll get bigger. And I have a feeling it'll be Eartrhbound-y.

Yay for fast movement and unique music vibe. Boo to a literal Mana ring menu (like straight from it) and HUGE boo to the charge for attack to shoot and meh about shooting as the attack anyway. I prefer slashing :-p

It does have a nice system of introducing the mechanics like the gourds as chests and I am glad I now have a bone isntead of a bazooka.

The idea of a landed hit hitting 0 is infurirating. Oh Mana combat... The charging is terrible but I do really like most of this so far. I love love love the ambiance instead of music for the forest area. I actually didn't mind the Raptor fighttoo much because it was made around the charging aspect, and it showcases your fast movement's value, btu it did bring out how bad the dog's AI can be.

Early Game:

This has a lot to like about it. The alchemy feature reminds me of the Prehistoric part of Live A Live (fittingly with teh prehistoric village). But I am worried the combat will stop me from finishing the game like with the Mana games.

Nice I already move quickly, and now I have Run to top it off!

Yeaaa this first true part of the game just felt boring fighting these skeleton creatures repeatedly. This has a lot going for it but I doubt it will get to the 4 stars of the Mana games.

Look: 8/10 Starts out really strong, but in the end just another high quality late-SNES game. Didn't stand out enough after all

Sound: 8/10 I like that it's uniquely dark and meandering, but kinda felt boring when the combat started getting slow. And I'm a huge ambient fan. Maybe it was cuz the area I was in was a dungeon-y dreary type melody for the ambient.

Play: 7/10 I wanna give it credit for its positives, namely the fast walking and fast equipping, but so much of this was in the original Mana game..

Feel: 7/10 Disappointing. I was excited for this one. I supose I will be nice and add it to RPG Replay anyway to see if later in the game it clicks more. But gosh this combat...

Attachment: 7/10

Overall: 7.4/10

This title is an action RPG that is notable for being the only Square RPG made exclusively by the U.S. team, it shares gameplay similarities with Secret of Mana, featuring real-time combat, a charge-based attack system, and ring menus, even the animations, menus and sound effects were recycled, though this is not a bad thing since they are very unique and high quality. You play as a boy and his shapeshifting dog, journeying through imaginative worlds based on B-movie tropes, from prehistoric lands to futuristic cities. I remember being blown away at the first time I saw this title because I couldn't believe that the dog companion could, not just shapeshift, but also have it's own AI and actions, a very unique mechanic at the time.

The alchemy-based magic system adds a unique twist, requiring players to mix ingredients rather than use traditional MP-based spells, giving an unique layer of complexity to the combat, specially in some very challenging enemy encounters, or even for some of the repetitive sections. While it lacks the multiplayer of Secret of Mana and can feel grindy, Secret of Evermore stands out for its quirky humor, atmospheric soundtrack, and strong sense of adventure. It's a cult classic for the SNES platform, though not without flaws like uneven pacing and some clunky mechanics, best enjoyed with patience and a taste for 90s oddball storytelling.

One of this game's best aspects is its atmosphere, each region has its own visual identity, color palette, and musical style that reinforce the B-movie inspiration, from cheesy sci-fi labs to pulpy jungle adventures. The OST does not rely on conventional melodic themes as much as other RPGs of the era, instead leaning into ambient, almost experimental compositions that create a sense of mystery and isolation. Combined with the slightly offbeat dialogue and pop culture references, the game builds a tone that feels distinctly different from its Japanese counterparts.

Overall, this game feels like a fascinating time capsule of mid-90s experimentation. It may not have reached the legendary status of other RPGs on the system, but its ambition and personality make it memorable decades later. The main dynamic gives the adventure heart, and the alchemy system rewards preparation and strategy over brute force. For people willing to understand its limitations, it offers a rewarding journey that stands as one of the more unusual titles in the SNES library.

Early impressions:

+Easier to figure out what your objective is. NPCs actually repeat what they want you to do if you need a reminder.

+Haven’t had a problem with hit detection yet

—Much harder than Secret of Mana so far. Enemies hit harder and have more erratic movement. There’s also one less partner.

—Level design so far has been either tedious or confusing.

—Alchemy system replaces the more standard spell system from Secret of Mana. Using different resources for different spells is more annoying than just having an MP pool you can restore by resting at an inn or using an item.

—Music is not as good imo

—I don’t like the visuals. I can’t say the aesthetics are bad, but I just don’t like the setting. Less colorful and vibrant than Secret of Mana. I’m also a bigger fan magical fantasy than I am of time travel.

—Single player only. I wouldn’t make use of the multiplayer anyway, but it’s worth mentioning since Secret of Mana had 3 player co-op.

+-Can’t decide what I think of the MC. They’re kind of a dork, but that’s also kinda endearing. Always making weird movie references and they take everything in stride.

I said I’m not a quitter, but that’s also before I started the game. I’m having second thoughts now lol

I beat this right after finishing Secret of Mana. It uses pretty much the same combat and UI systems but it works better with only a single character. I enjoyed the plot and progression, particularly how the weapons were spread out enough to get use out of them all and how they improve with technology as you travel through time. I did not care for the somewhat complicated alchemy and trading systems.

I ended at level 39 and mostly used spears. The character uses them like a moron though, with the overarm javelin style, completely failing to take advantage of reach. They have the highest attack power though, which is why I used them. Swords and axes have better reach and I may have preferred them for bosses. I know my save state in the final battle is using the best sword. All spears were maxed, as well as the best sword and claw axe. Other weapons in order of use are: bronze axe (2.6), gladiator sword (2.55), bone (2.4), crusader sword (1.9), knight basher (1.87) and atom smasher (1.5). My most used alchemy were heal (4.7) and cure (1.3). Everything else was barely used and less than 1.0. Double drain, energize, one up, barrier and fireball had some use.

Overall the game is almost as good as Secret of Mana. My notes give it 7/10 but since I gave SOM a tiny boost this game can get one too, so 7.2.