Secret of Mana Redux

Secret of Mana’s Items

Lore

Secret of Mana’s Items

October 19, 2024

Late 1992
Early 1993
The evolution of Secret of Mana’s items
Final

Secret of Mana has eleven items, four of which are permanent artifacts. All of them augment the storybook vibe of the game. For the first time, Square’s descriptions from the Fundamental Knowledge Compilation guide have been translated. I’ve also provided my own insight with gameplay tips and background info.

Translated by Dr. Sheexy and Nobunaga

Candy Candy
Japanese Cost/Sell Use
まんまるドロップ 10GP/6GP +100HP
Square’s Description A round transparent drop made by a flower fairy from moon drops and pollen. When you eat one, the sweet and sour taste fills your mouth and fills you with energy. Recovers up to 100HP.
ManaRedux says… These are great in the early game, but lose utility as your HP increases and you have money for Chocolate. It decreases even more when you acquire Cure Water. Still, it’s good to have a full compliment at all times in case you’re low on MP, or lose Primm.

Candy is often retranslated as “Perfectly Round Candy Drop”, but “manmaru” has a cutesy feel to it, and doesn’t imply round in a scientific way.
Chocolate Chocolate
Japanese Cost/Sell Use
ぱっくんチョコ 30GP/18GP +250HP
Square’s Description A slightly bittersweet chocolate made by blending cacao berries grown in holy water with medicinal herbs using a special manufacturing method. When you eat it, your body becomes hot and your strength boils. Recovers up to 250HP.
ManaRedux says… Even chocolate will decline to being marginally useful in the endgame with ever-increasing HP and better healing options, but early on it’s all you need to restore your strength.

The Japanese “Pakkun” refers to the sound of vigorous chewing.
Royal Jam Royal Jam
Japanese Cost/Sell Use
はちみつドリンク 100GP/66GP Max HP
Square’s Description Throat gland secretions of the giant killer bee “Buzz Bee.” Only a small amount can be collected from a single enemy, and collecting them can be life-threatening, making them extremely valuable. Just tasting a small amount blows away all fatigue and fully recovers HP.
ManaRedux says… You can easily get through an entire run without owning a Royal Jam. Even then, you might only get them from chests. They’re quite expensive early on and not found in many shops throughout the game. In the first act, Chocolate is more than enough to restore your full health, and later on you’ll have Cure Water.
Cup of Wishes Cup of Wishes
Japanese Cost/Sell Use
天使の聖杯 150GP/100GP Revives party member
Square’s Description A cup exquisitely modeled after the wine cups said to have been used by angels long ago, sculpted in silver by a renowned craftsman. When held up to the sky, an angel will come with a dazzling light and drive away the reaper.
ManaRedux says… An item that needs no explanation. The fact that you’re limited to four is a huge drag, especially in the midgame.
Faerie Walnut Faerie Walnut
Japanese Cost/Sell Use
魔法のクルミ 500GP/333GP +50MP
Square’s Description A very rare and mysterious walnut that grows only in the Forest of Spirits. It can only be harvested in autumn. The hard shell contains a fragrant fruit, and if you put one in your mouth, you will feel refreshed and your MP will recover.
ManaRedux says… The early game requires the most strategic planning, and the Faerie Walnut is front and center. Only available at Neko’s for double the price (an eye-watering amount at that point), it’s a luxurious portable boost to your low MP. Dungeons like the Ruins become far more manageable than they would be otherwise. It remains a must later on, even when it becomes more prolific. Primm never learns Magic Absorb, and Popoi may not always be able to extract a sufficient amount of MP from enemies in certain situations.
Medical Herb Medical Herb
Japanese Cost/Sell Use
プイプイ草 10GP/6GP Cures status ailments
Square’s Description Medicinal herbs grown all over the world. A typical root vegetable, its young leaves and roots are chopped together and eaten to instantly cure disease. All status ailments other than death can be cured with this herb.
ManaRedux says… Even though you’ll get artifacts that restore specific ailments, nothing beats the value of the medical herb for the entire game. Primm will get Remedy early on, but these always have a habit of coming in handy to the very end.

The Japanese “Pui Pui Grass” is likely a play on “pen-pen gusa”, the colloquial name for the herb known as nazuna, or shepherd’s purse in English. If you hold it up and spin the stem between your fingers, the chunky heart-shaped leaves bump against each other and make a quiet slapping sound: “pen pen.” Here, the katakana is “pui pui” as a joke.
Barrel Barrel
Japanese Cost/Sell Use
タル 450GP/300GP Makes party briefly invulnerable
Square’s Description (Strangely enough, the barrel has no description in the FKC, nor does it have official art in the Super Famicom era. It may have been a very late addition.)
ManaRedux says… A good idea in theory, the barrel has little practical value. Note that while its nominal cost is 450GP, it can only be purchased from Neko (scumbucket cat!) for 900GP. Its sale value is based on its nominal cost.

The gameplay almost never necessitates a shield to walk through monsters when they’re so easy to run from, especially one that costs as much as it does. There are a handful of boss attacks that it may protect you from, but in every instance there’s far more efficient ways of doing so.

The barrel has found new life in the speedrunning community as it can be used to effect glitches and bypass events.
Magic Rope Barrel
Japanese Cost/Sell Use
魔法のローブ Found In most places, returns the party to the entrance of their current location
Square’s Description A rope crafted with great care by a magician. It possesses the will of a living organism and when its power is released, its tip extends to nowhere. If you [make] use [of] this [particular] behavior, you can escape from dungeons.
ManaRedux says… You can’t finish Secret of Mana without the Magic Rope. Like a lot of things in the game, it doesn’t always work as intended, such as the occasional ability to warp out of boss fights, and getting stuck in some locations with a reset being the only means of escape.
Flammie Drum Barrel
Japanese Cost/Sell Use
風の太鼓 Found Calls Flammie
Square’s Description A pellet drum used to summon the divine beast Flammie. Flammie has a highly developed sense of hearing, so he flies to the main characters no matter how far away they are, except when in dungeons and buildings.
ManaRedux says… Flammie’s favorite toy, a gift from Truffle. For more fun, use a cheat code to get this item early, and sequence break to your heart’s delight.
Moogle Belt Moogle Belt
Japanese Cost/Sell Use
モーグリベルト Found Toggles Moogle Status
Square’s Description A belt that contains a moogle’s power in its buckle. If you put it on your waist, you can transform into a moogle for a certain period of time. It seems to have been prized in the past, but now it has lost its practical value.
ManaRedux says… Cute, but ultimately not necessary. Remedy and Medical Herbs can handle your Moogle status, and there’s no need to transform into one unless you really want to.
Midge Mallet
(Minor Mallet)		 Midge Mallet
Japanese Cost/Sell Use
ちびっ子ハンマー Found Toggles Pygmized Status
Square’s Description An improved version of a magic mallet from a foreign land. If you are hit with this, you can transform into a little kid for a certain period of time. It seems to have been highly prized in the past, but now it has lost its practical value.
ManaRedux says… The same story as the Moogle Belt. Skip all you want. (Or don’t.)

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