Oh! Emperor Vandole is a DOG. - Let's Uncover the Secret of Mana!

Already I regret this.

You think you have it bad? I'm the guy who gets to play through the game in English and Japanese both AND do on-the-fly translations of the latter language into the former as I go! A few bad puns and the occasional reference to Princess Tomato in Salad Kingdom is nothing compared to that.

I don't know if we need the full Japanese translation with screenshots treatment. It feels a little redundant. Maybe just a few highlights for each area? I love the comparisons but I don't think I'm going to read the almost the same script twice. Feel free to ignore me, because I love the LP either way

Conversely, if I had to pick one, I think I'd prefer to see the lengthier translated-from-Japanese-but-not-edited-for-length version. Since I've already played through the more common English copy.

I want to know what the actual translation is for "Rabite got whacked!"

According to my notes: "<Monster> was critical!"

Obviously, I chose to do something else with the message.

Well, the text reads something along the lines of ラビにクリティカル！, which literally translates out to "Rabite took a critical!". That's a pretty stupidly literal translation, though; more sensible would be "Rabite took a critical hit!". More verbose, but also better English.

It just got whacked cuz it was weak.

How could a person up and call a Rabite whack?

How could the devil turn the blue sky black?

How many babies born will never reach their dreams?!

And how could a person call another person whack?!

I...

wow.

This is a theme that is reprised in one or two more songs.

(I prefer Distant Thunder, personally! But this is a soundtrack full of gems, so no need to be picky. Warning: musical spoilers, I guess?)

These links make me happy. =)

What other games has Hiroki Kikuta composed for? I feel like I'm missing out on someone with a lot of talent.

Here, have a list!

He's pretty great.

(I think Can You Fly, Sister? and Flight Bound for the Unknown are among the best flight tunes. Ever.

Holy crap, that's a lot! Thank you. =)

Besides this game and Seiken Densetsu 3, I can vouch for his "Alphabet Planet" album. Despite not being attached to a video game, it's exactly the same kind of amazing instrumental work he did for the Seiken series. You can hear a sample here.

Yeah, Hiroki Kikuta is one of those Square composers that was always awesome, yet nobody noticed him because the big names like Nobuo Uematsu and Yasunori Mitsuda were getting all the attention. A real pity; his work on the second and third Mana games was amazing. Quite a legacy that Yoko Shimomura had to live up to when the time came for Legend of Mana to be scored...

Not only does Secret of Mana have wonderful, rhythmically complex compositions, the sound quality itself is amazing. The only thing reminding you of the limits of the SNES is the fact that the sound effects make parts of the music cut out. I'm guessing that's the kludge they had to make to get it to fit into a cartridge.

(Really, auto-spellchecker? You don't think "teleport" is a word, but you have no problem with "kludge?")

Oh man, anyone not familiar with this soundtrack is in for an amazing treat with this LP! Simply one of the best sountracks of all time (OF ALL TIME!) and probably my second favorite on the SNES to FF6 (but barely).

I desperately need the OST to this.

If you don't mind a digital download, you can get it off iTunes for $8.

I've never met a spellchecker that understands teleport.

Yeah, the music is easily better than everything else in the game by a tremendously wide margin.

So the thread claims that Emperor Vandole is a DOG. What I want to know is - was he a merry old soul?

Also, is he magic?

Man, when I was a lad, I was always so psyched w/e I rented Secret of Mana, and went really out of my way to try and get a multitap for some 3-player action. But when I went back and re-played the game older I was a little frustrated with how buggy it was, and it just didn't seem that rad. But damn if I didn't tear up a little re-hearing some of them songs.

Even so, you best not be steppin' to no Yoko Shimomura.

DONE!

They also have the Chrono Trigger OST but it's $18. Maybe I'll just buy a few tracks off of that. Also no FFVI OST, Celtic Moon or Brink of Time that I can see, bummer.

Part II - The Exposition Expedition!

And the moral of today's update is, don't start an LP the week before finals (or the week before a new version of Dwarf Fortress)! That's over now, however, so we can get back to the goody-goodness that is Secret of Mana. Today's first stop: the Cannon Travel Center!



♪♪ In the Thick of It ♪♪

Going to the Water Palace? Jema's already left. He paid your way, too! Hop in!

I have misgivings about this...



That... that isn't helping any, cannon dude...



Wait, I've changed my mi



SHIIIIIIIII-



Hey, I can see my house from here!



Oh right, "gravity". Forgot about that for a minute.



And thus Boss broke every bone in his body and died in horrible agony. The end.



Oh of course not. This is an RPG. It takes more than 9.8m/s/s from half a mile up to kill an RPG protagonist! Let's talk to these guys.

Soldier: This mission will be full of danger. But we'll do our best! We need a whip to go through the short cut to the castle of Elinee, the witch.
Dyluck: We came from Pandora to fight Elinee, the witch in the Haunted Forest!

Riveting.



Talking to any soldier twice (or to any soldier that says the same thing as any other soldier) sends these guys on their way.

Dyluck: Right! Let's go!
*They walk off to the left and a weird sound is heard*

What was that, anyway?



Huh. So this "short cut" is 3 mini-Moais. Okay.



Sure enough, the way forward is blocked on the other side. Damn and blast! So, how did we end up here and not at the Water Palace again? I want a refund!



...Oh. Okay, you can keep my 0 Lucre, cannon man. But I'm watching you...



Its bits of dialogue like that that make our hero's name worth it.



♪♪ A Silent Prayer ♪♪

Someone who hates convenience designed this place. You have to stand on switches to make staircases appear. ...Wait, how the hell did Jema get up there if the only staircase up is closed?

Gah, the left staircase is defective or something. Gonna have to go right, then.



Oh, I see. Jema was putting his hand over the sensor at the top or something. Dick.

Jema: Hey! How rude! Luka, it's nice to see you again.

Wait, what?



Oh hijinks!



Too embarrassed to face up to his mistake, Boss hurries downstairs to regain his cool. (Why does this basement room exist, anyway? This game is loaded with empty rooms like this. It's like the guy who made 4/5ths of the doors in FF2j lead nowhere had a hand in this game!)



Luka seems to be rather bemused by all of this. Then again, I suppose after 200 years, most people would have stopped giving a crap about what happens to the world.

Jema: Luka, it seems we've run into an unexpected problem... This young man pulled out the sword before I arrived. The results were disastrous. Monsters are trying to invade villages. He just fought a Mantis Ant!
Luka: I know. The ebb and flow of water brings me news from around the world. Mana's power is growing weak. I believe that's why this boy was able to take the sword. When he did, the balance of Mana in this area shifted, and evil monsters revived. They are drawn to the Mana Sword, hoping to steal away its remaining power. But by defeating those evil monsters, you can restore the Sword's Mana power. The power is kept in orbs. I see that you've already found one with the Mantis Ant. There must be more hidden orbs which hold Mana power for the Sword. You must find someone who can reforge the sword to release its stored power.
Boss: I see...

Good grief, woman! You have verbal diarrhea that makes that pointless NPC in the FF5 bonus dungeon look terse and to the point! Have you never heard of show-don't-tell!?



Somehow I can't picture this guy in priest's robes.

I studied the power of Mana, which sustains everything in this world.

Oh great, another parable on sustainability... Haven't I endured enough of those yet?



I'd be more worried about the empire seeking to obtain saltpeter, sulfur, and charcoal, lady. Just sayin', guns and explosives tend to be a bigger threat than magical fortresses buried at the bottom of the sea. Certainly a lot more obtainable by much easier means.

Boss: You mean the one that destroys the world in that fairy tale?
Jema: That's no fairy tale. The Empire is trying to awaken it.
Luka: The Empire is going to unlock the seals from the world's Mana Seeds. A bunch of strangers have already started snooping around the palace!
Jema: Something is very wrong in Pandora. Could the Empire be involved?
Luka: I don't know. Jema, see the King of Pandora and tell him to be cautious.
Jema: Right. I'm on my way. Boss, make your way to the cave called Gaia's Navel. The dwarves in that cave are renowned for their craftsmandwarfship with weapons. They may know somebody who can reforge and empower that sword of yours. As your sword's power and skill level increase, so too will your ability.
*Jema walks off, somehow activating the stairs from above despite there being no switch up there*
Boss: But wait... I...

Jema does not wait for anyone, even the Boss. Well, that whole conversation sounded suspiciously like the way the plot wants me to go. And we can't have that, now can we?



Well, yeah. You are kinda asking this kid to accept that fantasy is reality, in essence.

Boss: This is a bit sudden. Being cast out of my village was bad enough, but this...
Luka: Boss, what are you so scared of?
The Sword / > The Fortress {Why would anyone not pick option two here, I wonder? If he's scared of the sword, he can just toss that thing in the nearest river and be done with it.}
Luka: Yes, the Fortress is something to be greatly feared. Eons ago the ancients used the Mana Fortress in their final battle to control the world. But even with all their vast technological wonders, they could not control Mana... In the end it was your sword that saved the last of our race from utter extinction. Survivors rebuilt the world to honor Mana, swearing never to repeat the tragedy of the past.

Seriously, did the FF6 script writers just do a Mad Libs on this game's plot to decide the history of FF6's world or something?



Destiny, baby, you're so screwed...

Yet it seems to have used its last ounce of power to summon you...
> Why me? / Power? {Again, obvious choice. You'd have to have not been listening at all thus far to have not realized that the Mana Sword is uber-magical.}
Boss: Why did it choose me? I'm no one important! Just an outcast orphan...
Luka: I'm sorry Boss, but I honestly don't know. Regardless, you are now the only one that can re-energize it!
> No problem! / No way! {This is so obviously a But Thou Must prompt. I didn't think video games were still doing those in 1993!}
Boss: What should I do?
Luka: Put aside your fears and doubts. You must become a hero who is worthy of the sword!
Who, me!? / > ...Okay! {And again! Though really, he's not about to say otherwise. He IS the Boss, after all.}
Luka: Well, enough of this! {THANK YOU.} Hold the sword up to the Water Seed!

...Say WHAT!?



They never really explain what the deal is with the Mana Seeds in this game. They're just kinda... there. Are they seeds of the Mana Tree? If so, why are they being enshrined instead of planted to grow a new Mana Tree? What the hell is going on, in short?

My theory is this: the Mana Seeds cannot germinate. They are all that remains of the power of the Mana Tree, and the source of all remaining Mana in the world. Much like the Artifacts in Legend of Mana, they're highly coveted as a result and thus are protected fiercely.



Um, nifty?

Now the Mana power from the seed will be sent only to you and your sword. You'll be able to gain powers from the Mana seed wherever you are! Our world has 8 palaces. Visit them all and receive the power from them all! Take this spear with you. Mana Guardians used it long ago.

Going by my theory and that dialogue, that means that Boss just stole the power of water from the entire world to power his rusty piece of crap sword. The aesop is broken!



Ah, who cares? Spear!

It will grow and regain its power just like your Mana Sword. There must be more weapons like this spear in the world. Find them!

Somehow I doubt I'll have to put in any real effort to do that...



Luka conveniently acts as a save point and free inn. Handy!

Luka: First, head for Gaia's Navel like Jema said. Find someone to reforge the sword with the orb. While you're there, try looking for the Underground Palace and the Earth Seed. To reach Gaia's Navel, head south into the realm of Pandora, then north-west.

Hey, don't tell me where to go. Who's the Boss here, lady? That's right, I am!



Just for that, I'm cutting off your access to the ground level. Enjoy an eternity of being trapped up there, surrounded by running water with no toilet! Bwahahahaha!

♪♪ In the Thick of It ♪♪

Screw you plot, let's go right instead.



Lame! Fine, we'll head for Pandora.



Oh come on! I was going the way you told me to! Goddamn Goblin ambushes... Well, at least they weren't Bowmen, or I'd have lost my entire fort. Oh wait, wrong game, sorry!



Apparently these Goblins are sissy little nature worshippers.



Sissy little nature worshippers who speak properly and eat humans. ...Are you sure these aren't Elves?

You are very lucky! You're going to be our main dish!
Boss: Haaaaalp! Let me go!
Goblins: You look delicious! ...SHRIEK!

...Did he really just say "shriek" out loud?



♪♪ Dancing Beasts ♪♪

But if you do that, the meat will overcook!



Uh, lady? You don't need to crouch. That cooking pot's literally big enough to fit a man inside of it. They can't see you behind it.



What can I do for ya, Boss?

*The girl walks up to the cooking pot and Boss looks at her*
Girl: What on earth are you doing, you idiot?
Boss: Please help me!
Girl: Shhh. Quiet.

Ooh, are we gonna have shennanigans now as you fight off all the Goblins and shatter the pot!?



You pulled him out? Double lame! You'll never meet this game's Anime-Style Pointless Action Sequence quota if you keep that up!

Girl: Let's get out of here!

Fine, fine... But next time we meet, you'd better do something epic!



♪♪ In the Thick of It ♪♪

Looking for the Water Palace. It's surprisingly hard to locate!

Girl: I've been searching for my fiance. For a second I thought you were him... A case of mistaken identity, huh? Oh well, I guess you'll have to do. {Bow-chicka-bow-bow.}
Boss: Now wait a minute!
Girl: I'm only joking! Look, I'm in a hurry. You'd better get back to your home, it's dangerous out here. Later!
*She runs off to the east*
Boss: Hey, wait! She left without even telling me her name...

That WAS rather rude. Quick, after her! Proper social etiquitte must be observed! It's not a proper Japanese story otherwise!



I haven't really mentioned battles much in this area because, really, not much out here stands a chance. You hit them, they fall over. They get up just in time for you to hit them again. It's a vicious cycle that only ends when the enemy explodes. Rest assured, this is not the norm later in the game.



♪♪ Wild Roses and Spirits ♪♪

Looks like Jema's already put in a good word for us!

Sir Jema of Tasnica is meeting in the castle with our King. Oh, and I wouldn't bother talking to the people in town if I were you.

Oh come on, that's just an invitation to talk to them!



Ah, I see. There must be a deaf-and-mute convention going on in Pandora right now.



But not everyone in town is a zombie! Let's talk!

Wandering About
Old Woman: This is awful! It's as though they've lost their will to live! {Lady, they're just deaf and mute. It's not THAT bad!}
Woman: ...... Don't you ever shut up? {Ahahaha you're a bitch.}

In a House
Man: Why are you talking to me? I don't know anything! {This guy must've just moved to Pandora from Hyrule, circa Zelda II!}

In a Different House
Girl: Help my Mama and Papa!
Boy: Waaaah! What's happened to Mama and Papa! {Their parents are also deaf and mute. This is starting to get suspicious...}

In Yet Another House
Old Man: Grandma has grown senile and won't say a thing.
Blue-Haired Woman: Some people are gathering at the ruins south of the town. Odd things have been happening ever since! Grandma goes there... {Since this woman has a unique sprite, she'll probably show up later. Just sayin'.}

In the Item Shop
Shopkeep: Whoa, a customer. Nothin' much here, though.

This town sucks. Let's check out those southern ruins instead.



Oh yeah, nothing ominous at all here. Just devil statues, people wearing ceremonial robes and masks, and more deaf and mute people wandering about. I don't see anything obviously evil going on here, no siree.

May as well say "hi" to Jema while we're in town, I guess.



Oh joy, more Talking Time(tm)!

Soldier: Most of the townspeople and soldiers have turned into zombies. {They don't look undead to me!}
Man: My life is precious, and this place is dangerous, so I'm quitting the army and moving away! {"Jenkins, are you a pacifist!?" "No sir, I'm not. I'm a coward!"}
Soldier: Actually, I've also been assigned to the witch hunt. But I didn't want to get bewitched, so I pretended to be sick. Don't tell anyone! {Morale is at an all-time high! Seriously, you should've seen these guys last week...}
Man: The Empire attacked us once, about 15 years ago. The resulting battle was terrible. The entire army of Pandora was almost completely obliterated! Only the Legendary Mana Knight defeating the Emperor in single combat turned the tide. The knight was wounded in the fight, but he pursued the dying Emperor and cornered his army. But the Knight mysteriously went missing, so the Emperor escaped and miraculously recovered. No one knows why... {Hooray backstory!}
Woman: Why are the people in the southern ruins wearing strange masks?
Woman: Have you ever seen an enormous tree called the Mana Tree? Well, I haven't!
Boy: I wonder if Dyluck is going to be back soon? He promised he'd play with me then!
Soldier: The witch up north must be up to no good! People are acting strangely recently! {Yeah, just blame all your problems on the witch... Look, sometimes the problems come from within, alright? It's not always "the other guys" who are causing the problems! Yes, I am saying your king is to blame. Viva la revolucion!}
Woman: This land has had it. It has been cursed by a witch!
Woman: Sir Elman arranged his daughter's marriage. I feel sorry for her. They should be upstairs now!
Girl: I sense something evil in the ruins to the south.

Well, this place is suitably RPG-cliche'd. Let's go upstairs now!



Silly girl, these are pseudo-medieval times! Women don't have rights in times like these!



Uh, no... Boss didn't say anything...

Boss: Huh... oh, you mean this...
Girl: This is GREAT! I need your help! I helped YOU didn't I? It's your turn. We're going ot teach that witch a lesson. We're going ot save Dyluck!
Boss: But... I've got to go to Gaia's Navel and the Under...
Girl: Later... LATER! Right. Let's go, uh...
Boss: I'm Boss.
Girl: Oh. call me...

...Yes?



Ah, you want me to name you! How clever!



Here's what has top votes right now. Feel free to suggest other names as well! I'll update again in a few days, but until then, this is the end of part 2!

(There will not be translation updates any longer, because I realized that was the main thing slowing me down and making me not want to work on this LP. But if you have a specific bit of dialogue you want me to give a gander at in the Japanese script and get a tentative translation of, just give the word and I'll do that much!)

If I remember correctly that room does get used, she's locked up in there when they take over the palace.

I don't understand the timeline of this backstory at all. At some indeterminate point, there was an empire, a Mana Fortress, a big war, divine retribution, and a legendary mana knight with the sword (in that order). Also, 15 years ago, there was an empire, a big war, and a Legendary Mana Knight. Are we to infer that the Mana Fortress has been out of commission for almost a generation, or if not, how often does this happen, anyway?

The game's backstory is a bit of a mess as presented, but here's what I've pieced together...

Long ago, civilization developed to about our level of technology and built the Mana Fortress. This caused "the gods" to summon forth the Mana Beasts, which tried to strike down the fortress to no avail. So instead some dude got a sword from the Mana Goddess and wrecked the Fortress' shit himself. Civilization got toasted, world was saved, Mana Tree born, yadda yadda.

Over the course of the centuries that followed, civilization rebuilds. 15 years before the present, an empire rises up and tries to take over the world, but a new knight appears with the Mana Sword and stops them. Then the knight vanishes, and the sword shows up in the Potos waterfall because... well, presumably because that's where the knight put it when he was done with it. Not sure how the sword being in the waterfall became a legend, but really, SoM's plot is pretty self-contradictory and confusing even in the Japanese script. I blame the fact that it got condensed down from a CD-sized game to a cartridge-sized game, no doubt resulting in a serious script re-write that left elements of the original story's plot in place even when they no longer applied.