Secret of Mana Redux

Unknown Areas

Locations

Unknown Areas from Secret of Mana’s cut content

World Map Legend

February 28, 2021

Interest has abounded for content deleted from Secret of Mana during development. While no prototype has surfaced, the early phases live on through screenshots and promotional videos. Here we have prerelease areas that can’t be placed in known locations of the game.

This castle (or fancy rug?) doesn’t resemble anything on any map. It almost certainly predates IIa.

A prerelease shot of Secret of Mana
Famitsu (February 12, 1993)
A prerelease shot a castle in Secret of Mana
Famitsu (February 12, 1993)

This is similar to the first room of the Ice Palace:

Famitsu
(May 1993)

Possibly a cannon travel test:

A prerelease shot of a cannon travel screen in Secret of Mana
Hippon Super! (March 3, 1993)

Shops that could be anything given their source. Likely from early in the game:

A prerelease shop in Secret of Mana
Famitsu (May 28, 1993)
A prerelease inn in Secret of Mana
Famitsu (May 28, 1993)
A prerelease location in Secret of Mana
Scoop Guide (Family Computer Magazine: December 25, 1992)

This shop features Sergo and Phanna, and also has a rear door.  The rear door’s frame is still in the ROM, but the rest of the graphics have been removed.  The NPCs were likely being prototyped at this stage.  This location was altered and used as the pub in Potos; it could be an early version of that.  It also resembles the cannon man’s house in Kippo. 

Same place with Pecard:

The Super Famicom (December 25, 1992)

These two islands from I don’t resemble anything in the final, and I’ve moved them together in this shot:

Two deleted islands from Secret of Mana

The one on the right was at least partially coded.  It doesn’t show up on IIa maps so it was a very early cut:

It looks like there’s a volcano on the island.  Some have suggested a possible forerunner to Volcano Island Bucca in Seiken Densetsu 3 (Trials of Mana).  Also note the more intricate map objects.

Early Lighthouse?

An unknown area cut from Secret of Mana

No idea on these either:

A deleted area from Secret of Mana
Famitsu (March 5, 1993)
A deleted area from Secret of Mana
Scoop Guide (Family Computer Magazine: April 30, 1993)
A prerelease screen from Secret of Mana
Hippon Super! (February 1993)
A prerelease screen from Secret of Mana
Scoop Guide (Family Computer Magazine: December 25, 1992)
Hippon Super!
(February 1993)
Hippon Super!
(March 1993)

Then there’s a trove of random shots that are mostly from the Gaia Lowlands. Some may be early versions of the Lofty Mountains, or test areas. Some appear in the final in a different form:

Probably enemy tests:

Secret of Mana enemy tests
Scoop Guide (Family Computer Magazine: April 30, 1993)
Secret of Mana enemy tests
Scoop Guide (Family Computer Magazine: April 30, 1993)
Secret of Mana enemy tests
Scoop Guide (Family Computer Magazine: April 30, 1993)

Unfinished Cannon Travel screen:

Secret of Mana's cannon travel center during development
Scoop Guide (Family Computer Magazine: April 30, 1993)

1 thought on “Unknown Areas

  1. This is some of the most interesting stuff, i wonder if this was post or pre non CD adaptations. It still pains me knowing what really could have been.
    It looks like they wanted to add some more flourishes in certain areas, like with more fences and brick roads. Would have gave the world a more settled feel to it.

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