The only Square game designed in north america, Secret of Evermore proved to be more than just a western Mana epigone. Regional differences are visible in its writing & main characters, while gameplay/system ones such as alchemy - which simply adds crafting materials to leveled spells (mainly for RPG utilities but also for mild Zelda-like progression), offer partial but more intriguing twists on the source. Its combat follows a similar approach; top-down brawling modeled after Secret of Mana (ring menu, stamina, charge attacks, battler-swapping, etc.) but without the ability to vortex and push foes around (as knockdowns last for a fraction of what they used to), focused instead on evasive movement, brief stuns and follow-up attacks from a companion. In a sense, it's closer in concept to the original Seiken Densetsu than to its follow-ups, although updated with the speed of SD2 and the flow of SD3. If its production pales when compared to mainline Manas, Evermore managed to surpass them in other areas, from enemies (trickier and more diverse in design) to sprinting (that controls more freely than SD2's pegasus boots-ian dash), from progression (quasi-levels that leave the world map for much later) to dungeons (lengthier and far more creative). Not everything works - though: Its weapons feel samey beyond their niche, bosses are as varied as they are annoying, and the second half disappoints, relying too heavily on mazes, hidden paths and backtracking to confuse the player.
I love the graphics. I love the music and ambient sounds. I totally dig the atmosphere and the original, crazy story and writing.
For real, this is one of the most unique games I have played from the SNES era.
But I hate everything else: the awful combat system with its dreaded hit detection. The original but annoying alchemy mechanics. And the frustrating, time consuming and boring mazes it has for levels. Is one infernal-boring maze after another. Is not a game from 1987; is a 1995 game. You can't be so cheap.
If someday this is remade with a better combat system and level design, it will be a truly amazing game.
For real, this is one of the most unique games I have played from the SNES era.
But I hate everything else: the awful combat system with its dreaded hit detection. The original but annoying alchemy mechanics. And the frustrating, time consuming and boring mazes it has for levels. Is one infernal-boring maze after another. Is not a game from 1987; is a 1995 game. You can't be so cheap.
If someday this is remade with a better combat system and level design, it will be a truly amazing game.
I want to love it as much as I respect it, but this combat system is so unsatisfying.
text by Ario Barzan
★★★★
“KICKING ASS AND WRITING SYMPHONIES AT THE SAME TIME.”
Ask me about RPG's, and I'll admit to once having a thing for them: an affinity that drove me to emulate Tales of Phantasia on a stuttering computer and max out the timer on Final Fantasy VII. Ask me to tell you what the thing was, and I can't, exactly. I'd like to think the unmentionable was a phase, that the games were an outlet for nervous ticks at an unstable period. Now, the phrase "random battle" will get a rolling of eyes, a sigh, maybe a bar of soap in your mouth.
Final Fantasy XII has recently been called a Beacon of Nobility. I’m sorry, though: it was only a step forward on the long staircase RPG's need to climb to escape from their stone-age. See, back in 1995, Secret of Evermore was doing what should be done now. It was, presumably, Square USA's answer to Secret of Mana, and it got damn near everything right.
Select a new file, and you'll find those first moments slightly…off. The setting: dingy Podunk – a nameless name. Trash rolls about on the street, a couple youths play marbles, and a boy and dog emerge out of a theater showing “The Lost Adventures of Vexx.†It’s humble, and clunky. In no time at all, a cat grabs the canine’s attention, and he sprints away in the pursuit of happiness. As the boy follows, the chase leads to an old mansion, setting in motion Very Unusual Things. Once inside, bumbling curiosity activates a mechanism – a transporter that shifts the kid and his pet over to another dimension. This dimension is Evermore, a combination of personal Utopias. Utopias of whom? Why, the scientific minds behind the project.
Charming as this concept is, if you go invest in RPG’s for their plots, you are not going to be thrilled with Evermore. If, on the other hand, you are like me, and realize that most “fabulous†video game plots are poor summer movies, and prefer to revel in what the medium is better at doing now, then you’re in luck. The plot is there to dictate advancements in setting, but it is by no means a backbone. Sparse and never-too-serious events take the boy to different locales, each representing historical periods. Prehistoria segues into Antiqua, then Gothica, and, finally, Omnitopia.
Let’s throw the trash-bag out. In what seems to be a common cold of video games, Evermore’s conclusive chunk is weak: an obtuse splurge of glass tubes and pristine interiors. The rest is picked at the peak of freshness, so what happened? Omnitopia is, however, small, and not a flow murderer. Also, the dialogue. But, no, at the same time, it’s not bad, really. Just funny, in the way that it would be funny to see a figure skateboarding in a Friedrich painting. The stuff’s saved by being brief and reasonably pleasant.
Onto the good. On the chance one has played Mana, they’re already acquainted with part of Evermore’s system. Everything is presented from a lightly lopsided bird’s-eye view. Press Y to bring up a ring menu (very slick), and hold A when the percentage display on the bottom, representing stamina, allows you to dash. The boy’s dog acts as a secondary character whose aggressiveness can be toggled on an A.I. scale.
As the boy progresses through trials or passive events, he is rewarded with, or given, weapons, be it a bazooka, sword, or…bone. Use that weapon enough, and it will deal more damage. After a certain point, you can hold down the attack button to charge your attack. Effects vary – if you’re wielding a spear, it launches across the screen for long-range damage.
Not to worry. Combat supports improving statistics’ hardiness. It is actualized, seamless – no swirling vortexes, chess board positioning, or victory animations here, folks. And, hell, it’s well done. What a blessing. Dragon Quest VIII was lovely, lovely enough to make R2 my MVP button, but that didn’t stop its NES mechanics from plunging the package into flames of torment. Here’s the thing. DQVIII, and the bulk of RPG’s, are the British army, and Secret of Evermore is the feisty American force that runs around, hides in trees, and doesn’t stand for the horsestuff of lining up and trading blows.
There’s a compact, brisk intelligence to fighting. Unravel your rival’s capabilities, and when the choice moment comes, line up and strike the bastard, resulting with the sound of hitting a table with one’s knuckles. This is not as easy as it sounds. Many enemies are faster, or, if they are slower, unexpectedly lunge out with territorial ferocity, making well-played victories against them an “A†on the proverbial paper. Bosses do not forsake their title. You’ll go from fighting a crab-like arachnid in the skull of a dead behemoth, to a gladiator in a Colosseum, to a freak-show-gone-loose (think Bigfoot, but ten times bigger…and only his head is visible) accompanied by possessed puppets on a stage.
Rather than spells being introduced by leveling up, they’re taught to you by a people. And in place of magic points are raw materials, which can be combined to specific effects. It’s guaranteed that you’ll miss out on the bulk of these spells the first time through, and even the second. Evermore is crawling with so many secret locations that it’s kind of mind-boggling. It’s also rich with said materials. Try nudging suspicious crannies: they will often yield something.
Most important of all is this: A lush wonder surrounds the journey. You need to give Evermore a little time. It doesn’t have an immediate sparkle. Where its inspiration is truly outdone is in the ripeness of emotion.
You can feel this in the visuals’ layers: sights give the impression of a mystery beyond what’s in front. This is a bit of a wonder, considering Western games’ ugly art history that continues to perpetuate itself (the best recent, popular example is Oblivion – an attractive, albeit generic, world with character models that look like the team modeled and mirror-imaged hecking middle-aged cosplayers). There’s the amazing, gravitational soundtrack by Jeremy Soule – his first project in the medium, and still his best. And it’s not only in the music – it’s in the lack of music. Evermore’s world is not afraid of quietness. There are forests, ecosystems, whose leaves rustle as animals chirp and hoot, and vast, windy expanses with grumbling pits.
Here is also why the game succeeds: structure. FFXII improved combat’s flow by removing a number of unnecessary abstractions, though hell if its containers for the combat weren’t blunt. By contrast, Evermore’s dungeons are curious, nuanced complexes testing not only your offensive skills, but your navigational and puzzle-solving abilities. In them, a hint of surreal Metroid design emerges, as well. Get inquisitive or lucky enough, and you might walk past a wall and through an unseeable maze to appear in a secluded chamber. Maybe there will be a person who can teach you a spell, or maybe a series of pots will await their opening.
Honest-to-God life was invested into towns and villages. Nobilia, Antiqua’s capital, is a flood of happenings – chickens being fed by children, an old man preaching apocalyptic messages, people in their trading booths waiting for customers (keep track of the bartering system for great deals!); there is no other Super Nintendo site that matches this level of inhabitance.
When I was a kid (I can hear the groans. Hush), one of my favorite things was to be outside for hours, lifting up rocks, logs, whatever, to see the life underneath. Evermore is those rocks, those logs. If you want to poke around, it lets you, and rewards you with impeccable atmosphere and sublime, little game-y elements. You’re thrown into the thick of things, and there’s a whole world out there, one that trusts the competence of the player behind the controller. Its craft holds up because it’s not bound by flimsy tech demos or self-absorption; it is universally, wonderfully made. Go out, get a copy, make a cup of tea, and settle down for a slice of joy.
★★★★
“KICKING ASS AND WRITING SYMPHONIES AT THE SAME TIME.”
Ask me about RPG's, and I'll admit to once having a thing for them: an affinity that drove me to emulate Tales of Phantasia on a stuttering computer and max out the timer on Final Fantasy VII. Ask me to tell you what the thing was, and I can't, exactly. I'd like to think the unmentionable was a phase, that the games were an outlet for nervous ticks at an unstable period. Now, the phrase "random battle" will get a rolling of eyes, a sigh, maybe a bar of soap in your mouth.
Final Fantasy XII has recently been called a Beacon of Nobility. I’m sorry, though: it was only a step forward on the long staircase RPG's need to climb to escape from their stone-age. See, back in 1995, Secret of Evermore was doing what should be done now. It was, presumably, Square USA's answer to Secret of Mana, and it got damn near everything right.
Select a new file, and you'll find those first moments slightly…off. The setting: dingy Podunk – a nameless name. Trash rolls about on the street, a couple youths play marbles, and a boy and dog emerge out of a theater showing “The Lost Adventures of Vexx.†It’s humble, and clunky. In no time at all, a cat grabs the canine’s attention, and he sprints away in the pursuit of happiness. As the boy follows, the chase leads to an old mansion, setting in motion Very Unusual Things. Once inside, bumbling curiosity activates a mechanism – a transporter that shifts the kid and his pet over to another dimension. This dimension is Evermore, a combination of personal Utopias. Utopias of whom? Why, the scientific minds behind the project.
Charming as this concept is, if you go invest in RPG’s for their plots, you are not going to be thrilled with Evermore. If, on the other hand, you are like me, and realize that most “fabulous†video game plots are poor summer movies, and prefer to revel in what the medium is better at doing now, then you’re in luck. The plot is there to dictate advancements in setting, but it is by no means a backbone. Sparse and never-too-serious events take the boy to different locales, each representing historical periods. Prehistoria segues into Antiqua, then Gothica, and, finally, Omnitopia.
Let’s throw the trash-bag out. In what seems to be a common cold of video games, Evermore’s conclusive chunk is weak: an obtuse splurge of glass tubes and pristine interiors. The rest is picked at the peak of freshness, so what happened? Omnitopia is, however, small, and not a flow murderer. Also, the dialogue. But, no, at the same time, it’s not bad, really. Just funny, in the way that it would be funny to see a figure skateboarding in a Friedrich painting. The stuff’s saved by being brief and reasonably pleasant.
Onto the good. On the chance one has played Mana, they’re already acquainted with part of Evermore’s system. Everything is presented from a lightly lopsided bird’s-eye view. Press Y to bring up a ring menu (very slick), and hold A when the percentage display on the bottom, representing stamina, allows you to dash. The boy’s dog acts as a secondary character whose aggressiveness can be toggled on an A.I. scale.
As the boy progresses through trials or passive events, he is rewarded with, or given, weapons, be it a bazooka, sword, or…bone. Use that weapon enough, and it will deal more damage. After a certain point, you can hold down the attack button to charge your attack. Effects vary – if you’re wielding a spear, it launches across the screen for long-range damage.
Not to worry. Combat supports improving statistics’ hardiness. It is actualized, seamless – no swirling vortexes, chess board positioning, or victory animations here, folks. And, hell, it’s well done. What a blessing. Dragon Quest VIII was lovely, lovely enough to make R2 my MVP button, but that didn’t stop its NES mechanics from plunging the package into flames of torment. Here’s the thing. DQVIII, and the bulk of RPG’s, are the British army, and Secret of Evermore is the feisty American force that runs around, hides in trees, and doesn’t stand for the horsestuff of lining up and trading blows.
There’s a compact, brisk intelligence to fighting. Unravel your rival’s capabilities, and when the choice moment comes, line up and strike the bastard, resulting with the sound of hitting a table with one’s knuckles. This is not as easy as it sounds. Many enemies are faster, or, if they are slower, unexpectedly lunge out with territorial ferocity, making well-played victories against them an “A†on the proverbial paper. Bosses do not forsake their title. You’ll go from fighting a crab-like arachnid in the skull of a dead behemoth, to a gladiator in a Colosseum, to a freak-show-gone-loose (think Bigfoot, but ten times bigger…and only his head is visible) accompanied by possessed puppets on a stage.
Rather than spells being introduced by leveling up, they’re taught to you by a people. And in place of magic points are raw materials, which can be combined to specific effects. It’s guaranteed that you’ll miss out on the bulk of these spells the first time through, and even the second. Evermore is crawling with so many secret locations that it’s kind of mind-boggling. It’s also rich with said materials. Try nudging suspicious crannies: they will often yield something.
Most important of all is this: A lush wonder surrounds the journey. You need to give Evermore a little time. It doesn’t have an immediate sparkle. Where its inspiration is truly outdone is in the ripeness of emotion.
You can feel this in the visuals’ layers: sights give the impression of a mystery beyond what’s in front. This is a bit of a wonder, considering Western games’ ugly art history that continues to perpetuate itself (the best recent, popular example is Oblivion – an attractive, albeit generic, world with character models that look like the team modeled and mirror-imaged hecking middle-aged cosplayers). There’s the amazing, gravitational soundtrack by Jeremy Soule – his first project in the medium, and still his best. And it’s not only in the music – it’s in the lack of music. Evermore’s world is not afraid of quietness. There are forests, ecosystems, whose leaves rustle as animals chirp and hoot, and vast, windy expanses with grumbling pits.
Here is also why the game succeeds: structure. FFXII improved combat’s flow by removing a number of unnecessary abstractions, though hell if its containers for the combat weren’t blunt. By contrast, Evermore’s dungeons are curious, nuanced complexes testing not only your offensive skills, but your navigational and puzzle-solving abilities. In them, a hint of surreal Metroid design emerges, as well. Get inquisitive or lucky enough, and you might walk past a wall and through an unseeable maze to appear in a secluded chamber. Maybe there will be a person who can teach you a spell, or maybe a series of pots will await their opening.
Honest-to-God life was invested into towns and villages. Nobilia, Antiqua’s capital, is a flood of happenings – chickens being fed by children, an old man preaching apocalyptic messages, people in their trading booths waiting for customers (keep track of the bartering system for great deals!); there is no other Super Nintendo site that matches this level of inhabitance.
When I was a kid (I can hear the groans. Hush), one of my favorite things was to be outside for hours, lifting up rocks, logs, whatever, to see the life underneath. Evermore is those rocks, those logs. If you want to poke around, it lets you, and rewards you with impeccable atmosphere and sublime, little game-y elements. You’re thrown into the thick of things, and there’s a whole world out there, one that trusts the competence of the player behind the controller. Its craft holds up because it’s not bound by flimsy tech demos or self-absorption; it is universally, wonderfully made. Go out, get a copy, make a cup of tea, and settle down for a slice of joy.
Eu adoro esse jogo! No começo eu não imaginava que ia gostar tanto. Com o decorrer do jogo eu fui me envolvendo até não conseguir parar de jogar mais. Não sosseguei enquanto não cheguei no fim. Um ótimo Action RPG.
I played this so hard, the cartridge would only display lines.
One of my favorites growing up, highly recommended and severely underrated.
One of my favorites growing up, highly recommended and severely underrated.
This is a very hit-or-miss game for most people. Personally, I enjoyed the settings of each area, the combat had a satisfying rhythm to it, the concept of having multiple currencies was neat, and collecting materials to use spells was cool. However, some of the areas can prove an unfair challenge, and there's a specific rat boss that will make you pull your hair out if you fight it unprepared. I think it's worth playing today, despite that.
Also, there's a mod that enables co-op play if you want to tackle this one with a friend!
Also, there's a mod that enables co-op play if you want to tackle this one with a friend!
i wanted to rate this game 5 stars, but in my heart of hearts i knew i was being biased so i subtracted points for the bugs. that being said: this game made me everything i am today. it has dinosaurs, a really cool hellenistic mash-up world of ancient egypt, greece, and rome, pirates, medieval castles, really dumb and cheesy humor, a plus-size librarian lady, 50's-era aesthetic sci-fi, dogs, an unfathomably ahead of its time soundtrack, a ridiculously addictive marketplace area (iyky),and overall just a really earnest affection for everything 'b movie'. yes, it's clunky and unpolished (none of the people involved had ever made a game before this), yes, there are tons of bugs, some of which are utterly game-breaking (the amount of save files i've had to erase/record over because some bug utterly wrecked everything and made it unplayable is staggering), but consider this point in this game's favor: i love it
Un juego con muchos errores tales como el sistema de progresión de armas, algunas alquimias (muy) rotas y ciertos jefes desbalanceados. Aún así se mantiene como mi juego favorito por todo lo demás y sobre todo que es divertido de rejugar XD
Mejor que Secret of Mana y sus incontables bugs 👍
Mejor que Secret of Mana y sus incontables bugs 👍
If you like time travel and the Mana series, you won't regret playing this game. Fighting is a bit clunky though, even for its time
A pretty good game that was honestly before its time. The alchemy system was interesting, and I don't think it was done before. It was a bold experiment that could have used a little more love.
It's an interesting world with some good mechanics (like the alchemy system) but none of that matters because the hit detection is so beyond diabolical. When an enemy runs into your outstretched sword and you get hit instead, you know they should just have made a menu-based RPG instead.
It does have one of my favorite easter eggs though (it only activates if you name your character 'fuck'. seriously.) so there's that.
It does have one of my favorite easter eggs though (it only activates if you name your character 'fuck'. seriously.) so there's that.
this game rules and more people need to check it out. your dog transforming to a multitude of creatures and for the main character to only say 'yeah...he hasn't been himself lately!" is my favorite
Belos sprites, bom senso de progressão e uma ótima ambientação, é um excelente ARPG pra sua época.
cuk
One of my favorite A-RPG of all time.
Exploring all the worlds and timeline was such an amazing and exciting experience. The RPG elements and combat system were excellent and you never have time to get bored.
Really an amazing game!
Exploring all the worlds and timeline was such an amazing and exciting experience. The RPG elements and combat system were excellent and you never have time to get bored.
Really an amazing game!
on the fence between shelving and abandoning it, it has potential but it's just kinda crappy
5/10
5/10
At a time when everybody was hoping for Seiken Densetsu 3 to get localized... we got this.
3 horas, y me estaba aburriendo.
extremely clunky and unpolished combat mechanics, even for its time, but if you like other action rpgs from the time you may dig it
“Wow, Spot, what a situation we’re in! This is just like that RPG from the nineties “Secret of Evermore,” you know, the one with atrocious hit detection, a story that is nonsensical as much as it is inconsequential, a main character who’s got exactly one joke, more than one instance of an asinine marketplace fetch-sidequest, a woefully underwhelming final boss, and the real unironic expectation that you are really going to sit there and just swing different weapons and cast spells over and over again at no one so you can level them up!”
aunque su trama solo es una excusa barata para los variados dungeons y zonas que atravesaremos que facilmente son lo mas destacable del titulo ,varios sistemas que propone como la masterizacion de armas y las opciones de alquimia son implementadas de manera tan vaga que incluso el juego mismo es conciente de eso y cuando llegas a la recta final te dan una receta de alquimia que rompe todo lo que construyo para que el jefe final no sea un dolor de huevos
This is a worse version of Secret of Mana, which is already a game with problems. It isn't worth playing unless you are a fanatic of the Mana games but just need more of it.
I really like the general atmosphere and aesthetic of this game. Did isekai before it was cool.