When comparing Ys Chronicles II vs Secret of Mana, the Slant community recommends Secret of Mana for most people. In the question“What are the best Android RPGs?” Secret of Mana is ranked 8th while Ys Chronicles II is ranked 32nd. The most important reason people chose Secret of Mana is:
Twenty some odd years later and Secret of Mana is still considered one of the best action role playing game experiences there is.
Specs
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Pros
Pro Fun spell system that allows for new strategy through ranged attacks
Unlike the first game, there are ranged attacks/spells in Ys II. This completely changes the gameplay up since different tactics can be used. Now you can hold back and take out enemies from a distance.
Pro Cool optional graphical settings where you can play with the original graphics, or the new improved one
You can choose between tow different graphical settings, Chronicles and Original. Chronicles is an updated look to the game, while Original is maintains the look of the original PC-88 game. These options allows one to enjoy the original classic looks or a more improved and polished look, so purists and shiny graphic enthusiasts should find something that suits them.
Pro Comprehensive choice of soundtrack similar to the graphics, where you have a choice of the original or new improved ones
Being that many versions of this game have been released in years past, a few have been polished up in order to fit their target platform. Some of the improvements to be found were with the soundtrack of the game. there are three options available for the user to choose from, Chronicles, Original, and PC-88. Each has a unique sound design to them, and the user can choose witch one they prefer for the gameplay.
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.
Cons
Con Frustrating controls
The touchscreen controls for the game are a bit sensitive, which can be troublesome when aiming attacks. This winds up getting even more annoying when fighting boss fights, as they tend to be on the tougher side, meaning your aim needs to be on point in order to defeat them. This tends to be difficult to do with the sensitive controls.
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.