Wikipedia:Today's featured article/requests/Trials of Mana

Trials of Mana

 * This is the archived discussion of the TFAR nomination for the article below. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page (such as Wikipedia talk:Today's featured article/requests). Please do not modify this page.

The result was: scheduled for Today's featured article/August 2, 2020 by Ealdgyth (talk) 15:50, 26 July 2020 (UTC)



Trials of Mana, also known by its Japanese title Seiken Densetsu 3, (3) is a 1995 action role-playing game developed and published by Square (now Square Enix) for the Super Famicom. It is the sequel to the 1993 game Secret of Mana, and is the third installment in the Mana series. Set in a high fantasy world, the game follows three heroes as they attempt to claim the legendary Mana Sword and prevent the Benevodons from being unleashed and destroying the world. It features three lengthy main plotlines and six different possible main characters, each with their own storylines, and allows two players to play simultaneously. Trials of Mana builds on the gameplay of its predecessor with multiple enhancements, including the use of a time progression system with transitions from day to night and weekday to weekday in game time, and a wide range of character classes to choose from, which provides each character with an exclusive set of skills and status progression.

The game was designed by series creator Koichi Ishii, directed by veteran Square designer Hiromichi Tanaka, and produced by Tetsuhisa Tsuruzono. Artwork was produced by manga and anime artist Nobuteru Yūki, while the music was composed by Secret of Mana composer Hiroki Kikuta. Although the game was only published in Japan, English-speaking players had been able to play Seiken Densetsu 3 due to an unofficial English fan translation released in 1999. Seiken Densetsu 3 received considerable acclaim from reviewers, who praised the graphics as among the best ever made for the Super Famicom and the gameplay as an improved version of its predecessor's. The plot received mixed reviews by critics, who found the overlapping stories to be interesting and to enhance replayability, but the characters and plotlines themselves to be flat and clichéd. Overall, the game is considered by some critics to be a Super Famicom classic.

In June 2017, the game was included in the Seiken Densetsu Collection release for the Nintendo Switch in Japan; the collection was released in June 2019 in North America as Collection of Mana with Seiken Densetsu 3 titled Trials of Mana. A 3D remake of the same name was announced alongside it, and released worldwide in April 2020 for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, and PlayStation 4.
 * Most recent similar article(s): Sega, June 3
 * Main editors: @PresN, @ProtoDrake
 * Promoted: January 16, 2016
 * Reasons for nomination: This is a game that has been long awaited to appear in English, and was released recently after almost two decades of players awaiting it. It also just had a worldwide remake released, and the article has been impeccably maintained and expanded as more information came out about it. Its a model video game article, and with the remake having come out not long ago, any time coming up would be good to feature it.
 * Support as nominator. Judgesurreal777 (talk) 03:32, 13 June 2020 (UTC)
 * Support --ProtoDrake (talk) 10:11, 13 June 2020 (UTC)
 * Welcome to TFAR. This needs to be transcluded to WP:TFAR. The blurb review is at WT:Featured article candidates/Seiken Densetsu 3/archive1. See the note there about "has been announced". - Dank (push to talk) 12:58, 13 June 2020 (UTC)

Copying from the blurb review:
 * Thanks for the edit ... 1039 characters ... something had to go, so I axed "and music by Hiroki Kikuta". - Dank (push to talk) 04:00, 27 January 2020 (UTC)
 * Thanks for the assists, but we might want to axe something else, since our free use image for the article is of the game composer. :) Judgesurreal777 (talk) 14:47, 13 June 2020 (UTC)
 * In May, I suggested an image of a composer for a video game blurb, and no one thought it was relevant enough to include. We've had them in the past, though. You can try it if you like, as long as the character count stays under 1025. - Dank (push to talk) 14:59, 13 June 2020 (UTC)
 * I think on this one occasion I speak for everyone when I say that music is especially important in Square Enix games, and even more so Mana games, and I believe the only other person we could show has been shown previously, so the composer should have a turn :) Judgesurreal777 (talk) 15:03, 13 June 2020 (UTC)
 * I’m wondering if September 30th May be a better time to run this since it would the 25th Anniversary of its original release.--69.157.254.64 (talk) 06:21, 19 June 2020 (UTC)
 * I’d be open to it, might be more appropriate. Judgesurreal777 (talk) 03:55, 21 June 2020 (UTC)
 * On the other hand though, it might be better sooner, as the game just came out and it’s fresh in people’s minds! Judgesurreal777 (talk) 21:25, 26 June 2020 (UTC)