Beautiful music can create an unforgettable gaming experience. Square Enix’s unforgettable Legend of Mana is one such title. Celebrating 30 years since its release, Legend of Mana has come to PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch and Steam on PC. All releases include remasters of the original tracks and some newly rearranged scores, by composer Yoko Shimomura.
Legend of Mana is set in the fantastical world of Fa’Diel. Players choose their own character, weapon and starting point. Now, with the remaster, they can choose which soundtracks to listen to. Hailed as a beautiful recreation of the PlayStation 1 game, Legend of Mana brings all the nostalgia to life once more.
As part of the game’s 30 year anniversary celebration, Square Enix is going back to where it all began. In-depth interviews with the creative team, including Shimomura, give gamers some insight into how Legend of Mana came to be.
Without spoiling the whole interview, Shimomura explains her creative process. “My inspirations for it were illustrations – pictures of the game, drawings of the towns and so on. I have a memory of gazing at these a lot while I was composing the soundtrack,” she relates. “I really liked the whimsical yet cute feel of the visuals – they left an impression on me.”
Shimomura describes her fondest memories, emotional journeys and her role in the newest versions. She also acknowledges the fans’ love for the project helped bring the remaster to fruition. “It’s because of the fans who have always supported the games, that the soundtrack of the original game is available to purchase, that we were able to create an arrangement album, and the game itself has been remastered,” she says.
Read the entire series of interviews with Shimomura, Creator Koichi Ishii, Producer Masaru Oyamada, and Combat Designer Hiroshi Takai on the Square Enix website.
Check out our review of the remaster for the Switch.
And stay tuned for new projects from the Legend of Mana team!
