When comparing Secret of Mana vs Goat Simulator, the Slant community recommends Goat Simulator for most people. In the question“What are the best Android games without in-app purchases/paywalls?” Goat Simulator is ranked 23rd while Secret of Mana is ranked 57th.
Specs
Ranked in these QuestionsQuestion Ranking
Pros
Pro Has stood the test of time
Twenty some odd years later and Secret of Mana is still considered one of the best action role playing game experiences there is.
Pro Unique ring command system allows for easy menu selection
The ring command system used for selecting equipment and other options is still as innovative today as it was back in 1993.
A first at it's time, the ring command system allowed for users to select their weapons and equipment easily without having to leave the main game screen, making for selecting quite easy.
Pro Shift in gameplay for Squaresoft/SquareEnix made RPGs
Secret of Mana features a top down real time battle system akin to other action role playing games such as Legend of Zelda that at the time was a large shift from the turn based fare that Square created. Even today Square Enix does not foray too often into the action role playing genre, making for a unique experience when it comes to Square created titles.
Pro Considered one of the best stories in RPG's young and old
While the outline of the story is the normal RPG fare, where a young boy is tasked with saving the world, the characters and their journey still holds up as one of the best ever written.
Pro Colorful 16bit era graphics
Secret of Mana was created at the height of the 16bit SNES era and utilized some of the most colorful and stylized fantasy role playing game graphics. While it would have been nice to see Square polish them up a bit for HD devices, they still hold up, especially in a market that has many games designed with bit graphics as a current trend.
Pro 4 player local coop
Pro Physics-based sandbox design allows for a ton of mayhem
Goat Simulator is a basic sandbox game where the point is to just cause as much destruction as possible. The actual physics of this sandbox are actually designed to be buggy, which can lead to plenty of ridiculous outcomes.
Pro Stumbling across the many easter eggs adds a nice level of "happy accidents"
With the smattering of easter eggs hidden around the open world, it can be quite fun to try out different methods of finding them.
Pro Multi os support (Linux/Mac/Windows)
Pro Wacky freestyle parkour movement makes for a satisfying way to traverse the game
It's extremely satisfying to land that triple back-flip combo when running around the open environments of the game.
Pro Intuitive controls makes for an easy game to pick up
It does not take long to figure out the basic controls of the game. This way just about anyone can pick it up in no time, allowing themselves to enjoy the gameplay over worrying about learning difficult controls.
Cons
Con Graphically, almost a direct port
Square Enix has done nothing to polish the graphics in this port which for the price point is a little disheartening. The black borders on both sides of the screen are also disappointing. To see Square do so little to accommodate HD devices and their swath of screen sizes, it makes one wonder how they get away charging the prices they do.
Con Becomes boring without buying DLCs
After exploring all there is to see in the game, it can become quite dull to the point that you will probably not play it that much anymore. There are DLCs available to extend the gameplay, though they do cost extra money.
Con You quickly run out of things to do
There is not much to do once you explore the game for a minute or two. It is mostly an open sandbox, but it can get repetitive due to how little there is for you to do.
Con Quirkiness of the game is definitely not for all audiences
Some people will take one look at this game and wonder "what's wrong with kids these days". It certainly isn't for everybody thanks to the quirky and pointless gameplay and purposefully horrible graphics