As the power of Mana wanes, power-hungry nations vie for global supremacy. Uprooted by the turmoil, six teenagers' destinies converge as they strive to restore order to the world, unsuspecting of the ancient legend behind the chaos.
Not long ago, the face of the video game industry had a form far different than what we see today. During the years leading up to the current console generation, Japan ran the show, leaving Western gamers at the mercy of sluggish localizations and with no choice but to read and re-read import coverage as they waited impatiently for killer titles to trickle overseas. Even landmark, blockbuster games like Final Fantasy VII took their time in making the transition to English; nine months separated the Japanese and American releases of the franchise's 32-bit debut, an unthinkable delay today.
Hiroki Kikuta is the music composer behind Squaresoft action RPG's Secret of Mana and Seiken Denstesu 3. Just as his electronic music for Square left a lasting impression on the era of 16-bit games, his live orchestral tracks found in Soukaigi and Koudelka are among the most original songs created for the Playstation console. Today Square Haven talks with the composer and game designer about his latest album, Lost Files, and the future of Hiroki Kikuta. Read on
The newest addition to Nintendo's second party arsenal consists of ex-Square developers. Read on
