Secret of Mana in Club Nintendo #2
Secret of Mana in Club Nintendo #2
December 29, 2024
This is part 2 of our retrospective of Germany’s Club Nintendo offerings for Secret of Mana. You can see the first part here.
January 1995
Club Nintendo already has way more Secret of Mana content than Nintendo Power ever did. Original, next-level art continues to flow in too.
MANA, POWERS AND MYTHS
You have solved the myth of the Forest of the Four Seasons and opened the way to the sprite settlement. Your next goal is now the Palace of the Wind, where another Mana Seed is already waiting to be resealed.
But before you are granted the right to enter the magnificent palace, you must pass another test. A being with plumage-like fire is your destiny.
THE BIRD FROM HELL
As the group heads north towards the Wind Palace, the reason that the village is abandoned becomes clear. The tornado chick lunges at the adventurers with a wild battle cry. However, with a few mud bombs, this enemy is also defeated.
INDOMITABLE MARCUS
He is the embodiment of all evil, the right hand of Tantalus, the demon with the steel armor. It will be difficult for you to defeat him, because he is one of the Emperor's most feared minions. Here your courage will be put to the greatest test yet. The sprite, however, is not afraid of him and attacks the villain with lightning bolts.
HOT/COLD DUEL: THE SPOTLIGHT HERON
A tropical-looking plant beast surprises the hero squad in the Crystal Forest. The slimy creature opens its spiky shell and immediately attacks the group. But it's a good thing the sprite is there too, because her energy suction causes the monster to quickly wither. After a few attacks, the beast is defeated.
March 1995
WHERE IS SANTA CLAUS?
Before you can ask the guardian of the ice palace about Santa Claus' whereabouts, you must first get past his charges. The three fish lizards with their knobby tongues can be eliminated with Vesuvio's magic. Next, you deal with the ice mutant, who vaguely resembles the kidnapped Santa Claus.
THE CREATURE FROM HELL
The hot-blooded lord of the fire palace is called Minotaur and is a very unpleasant fellow. He has no desire at all for you to bring the mana seed to his place, so he attacks you in a very nasty way. Luckily, the goblin knows Electra's lightning spell, which Minotaur is extremely allergic to. A few spells in a row and Minotaur is finished with the world.
Next up is a movie that hopefully remains in development, though it may be too late to get Arnold involved.
Since Marko Ostovic plugged "Donkey Kong Country" in his Super Nintendo console, he hasn't been able to get away from it. After all, he wants to see 101% with stars on the screen at the end. When the 13-year old half-American isn't playing with his Super Nintendo, NES or Game Boy, he goes swimming, plays basketball, or rides his bike around. The Weinheim native is a fan of Arnold Schwarzenegger and his favorite film is Jurassic Park. And soon he wants to become a filmmaker himself, because he and his friends are planning a film based on the story of Secret of Mana. The game has particularly taken a liking to Marko --- for three days, he couldn't be dissuaded from saving the Mana Tree.
SECRET OF MANA (Super Nintendo)
I am in the Four Seasons Forest and cannot find the sprite settlement. What should I do now?
First of all, you should talk to all the fidgeters. The fidgeters are extremely talkative fellows. The nasty Minos creatures have attacked the fidgeter village and are occupying it. Defeat the creatures so that the fidgeters return to their village. Suddenly, the sprite remembers the path that takes you to the sprite settlement. Now run through spring, summer, autumn, winter and then spring again. The path to the sprite settlement is then finally open.
[picture caption, top-left] Here you have to talk to all the Zapplers.
[picture caption, top-right] Finally, the search has come to an end.
[picture caption, bottom-left] The spiky monsters prove to be stubborn opponents.
[picture caption, bottom-right] An idyllic place. The sprite settlement!
The cuddly cat in Tura's castle is giving me trouble. How do I defeat him?
You should have reached at least level 9 for this opponent. Equip your hero with the iron helmet, the thorn vest and the power bracelet, the girl with the hair bow, the ninja robe and the power bracelet, and the sprite with the fluffy hat, the thorn vest and also the power bracelet. The three heroes can now take up the fight against the cuddly cat. When he is on the two platforms on the top left and right, you can go to the bottom of the screen and stand on the two gray floor plates. There the cuddly cat can hardly hit you with his two spells.
If he dares to go down, you can finish him off immediately with a charged weapon. But first make sure that you have enough candy, chocolate and honey in your backpack to be able to replenish your strength in an emergency.
[Spikey Tiger picture caption]The cuddly cat is not exactly a pet!
I've been looking for the ruby diadem for ages. Where is it hidden?
To be honest, we haven't found the ruby diadem yet. It seems to be very well hidden. Fortunately, there are still much better armor items in the game to buy, so that you don't necessarily have to decorate your hero with the ruby diadem. [ManaRedux's note: this item appeared in the strategy guide, but didn't make it into the final game, in any version; in light of the answer below, the Club Nintendo staff may not have realized this themselves]
Where is the Overgrowth Crater in the Mana Fortress?
There is no crater in the Mana Fortress. This is a mistake that crept unnoticed into the game guide book. The crater can be found in the last time to the right of the Demon Fortress. There you can buy the best armor and do some more bulk shopping to equip yourself for the difficult battle in the Mana Fortress.
May 1995
This challenge was likely a search to find places in the German translation where the Club Nintendo staff’s names were used. On the right are the results of a previous Donkey Kong Country challenge.
• Challenge • Challenge •
This time, the Club Nintendo program has a very unusual challenge on its program. It is aimed at the true connoisseurs of "Secret of Mana". A whole series of Club Nintendo editors are taking part. The question now is: who plays which role in the adventure on the Super Nintendo? You should look out for the following names: Claude, Marcus, Suse, Andreas, Lili, Annette, Ron. Just send us the list.
July 1995
Dag nabbit, if they say you look like Primm and you happen to like going to bed late, you’re in!
A wish that never comes true?
Kristina Schütz from Alling/Biburg has had a very special wish for a long time. She really wants to get into the Club Nintendo magazine. The (still) eleven-year-old, who according to her friend looks like the girl from "Secret of Mana", has already played through over 20 Nintendo games. When she is not sitting at her Super Nintendo or Game Boy, she devotes herself to her many other hobbies. She loves painting, reading, listening to music and her favorite hobby is going to bed late. Kristina is also enthusiastic about English at school and is a huge cat fan.
October 1995
December 1995
April 1996
Borrow weapon levels!
You want to perform a super attack with a weapon even though it hasn't reached a high level yet? No problem! The prerequisite is that at least one of your weapons has a high weapon level. Charge the weapon that has the high level with the B button. You give another character the weapon you would like to use via a second controller. When the first player's weapon reaches its highest value, simply press the Y button on the second controller to get to the ring menu. Now switch the two weapons with the second controller and you can use the "weak" one to perform the action of the "strong" weapon. It's quite logical, isn't it?
Stefan Pöppl, Thonhausen
October 1996
This 24-question exam by Dennis Troegel of Soltau takes a big mana brain and some awareness of the German translation to figure out. Do your best!
The Big "Secret of Mana" Quiz Try to answer all the questions without a game consultant if possible.
1)Where is the Four Seasons Forest?
a)on the World Night Island
b)on the Highlands
c)on the Empire
2)Which of the eight patron saints has the magic lock (Dispel Magic)?
a)Nocturn
b)Frosta
c)Harzinger
3)What is the name of the desert city?
a)El Sandalar
b)El Dorado
c)El Oasis
4)How many doors and passageways does the Mana Fortress have?
a)22
b)33
c)44
5)Who does the Sandship belong to?
a)The Rebels
b)The Republic
c)The Empire
6)Who are the Emperor's followers?
a)Tura, Tantalus and Hagen
b)Tanatalus, Marcus, Assis, and Trax
c)Huey, Dewey, and Louie
7)Why does Lunatic, the patron saint of the moon, join the heroes?
a)Because she is bored in the Moon Palace and wants in on some of the "action"
b)Because she owes Victor a favor
c)Because she would like to fly on Lufti
8)Who is hiding behind the ice mutant?
a)Queen Elizabeth II
b)Santa Claus
c)Michael Jackson
9)What is the name of the golden city of the empire?
a)El Dorado
b)Nugget Town
c)Gold City
10)How many mana seeds are there?
a)8
b)10
c)12
11)How can you play Secret of Mana with three people?
a)With the Game Link dialog cable
b)With a speedometer
c)With the multi-adapter
12)Which of the eight patron saints always speaks in rhymes?
a)Laterna
b)Rocky
c)Vesuvio
13)What is the name of the witch Tura's pet?
a)Cuddly cat
b)Cuddly tiger
c)Teddy leopard
14)Who is Berti?
a)The fiancé of the girl from Pandoria
b)The old wise man who used to be a Mana knight
c)The blacksmith from the dwarf village
15)What does the Empire consist of?
a)North City, Pandoria and Tasnica
b)Gold City, South City and North City
c)El Oasis, Snow Village and Destinea
16)What do you need a little thing [literal translation of Dinglechen, refers to the Sea Hare's Tail; this is likely a play on the German dingle for thing and the Japanese chen-->chan for something cute] for?
a)To reactivate the Mana Fortress
b)To keep tropical temperatures in Solaris
c)To allow the water to return to the desert oasis
17)How does Marcus try to get rid of the hero once and for all?
a)He casts a resin gas spell on him
b)He sets fire to the Imperial palace
c)He abandons him in the desert
18)Which of the eight patron saints has a Bavarian dialect?
a)Harziner
b)Elektra
c)Frosta
19)What can lure the dragon Lufti?
a)With the fidget belt
b)With the air drum
c)With a juicy steak
20)Where is the fog volcano?
a)South of South Town
b)North of Tasnica
c)West of Christmas Island
21)What does the doctor in North Town determine after examining Heidl?
a)She has measles
b)She is very quiet [This is difficult to translate. It basically means she's taciturn and unable to speak very much.]
c)She is diabetic
22)Who is the prisoner of the witch Tura and later of Tantalus?
a)Colonel Hagen
b)Acquaria
c)Canonia
23)What is the chocolate for?
a)To feed the fidgets
b)To bribe the Emperor
c)To replenish the heroes' HP
24)Which of the eight patron saints has the ivy cloak?
a)Harzinger
b)Rocky
c)Nocturne
February 1997
It’s been almost four years since Secret of Mana was released in Japan, but in Germany we’re still in the game! It remains at the #3 position for SNES games over two years after its local release, even beating out Super Mario Kart.
June 1998
And this is where a very good thing must come to an end. Secret of Mana would mysteriously go from #5 to dropping out completely after this issue, and Club Nintendo would stop tracking Super Nintendo games with the first issue of 1999. But what an amazing run for the game in Germany!
