Children of Mana Critic Reviews

Since the game is actually a dungeon crawler, Children of Mana may disappoint those looking for their traditional RPG fix. But if it really counts toward opinion, the game just might be the best and most beautiful dungeon crawler ever created.

As far as hack-n-slash RPGs go, Children of Mana is one of the best we’ve seen on a handheld, and for dungeon crawler addicts Square Enix has definitely hit the spot.

Wonderfully rendered, but when compared to Secret of Mana's engaging narrative, Children of Mana's sparse and slow story falls short.

Despite some iffy controls, as a dungeon-crawler CoM provides a fairly enjoyable way to kill numerous hours on the go. The nice graphics and really nice music help to smooth out a game that otherwise is a little bit stale.

For those of you looking for that one great RPG for your DS collection, this game might be your answer. While the game slows down at certain points and has a fair amount of difficulty, it’s still a force to be reckoned with.

A good dungeon crawler. The game does have some annoyances and you can argue that the gameplay isn’t deep but fans of the genre will be satisfied. The stylish presentation and multiplayer mode really help round out the package.

With great graphics, great sound and pretty good gameplay, including the addition of multiplayer, Square Enix has once again shown why they are on top when it comes to developing and publishing RPG titles.

Children of Mana brings intelligence and charm into the realm of dungeon-based button bashing.

The gameplay is a bit watered down by comparison to titles past, but for a dungeon crawler this is actually really engaging and enjoyable.

Is this the game Mana fans have been waiting for? Probably not. However, Children of Mana is an excellent game in its own right, bringing dungeon crawling to a new level on Nintendo DS.

Sadly, Children of Mana's extremely repetitive gameplay means that if you're playing for an extended period of time the game's appeal wanes. It all depends on what kind of player you are.

Children of Mana is not the longest game in the world, but it sure is a fun ride while it lasts, especially if you have friends that are into it as well.

Another nail in the coffin of the Seiken Densetsu series.

As a role-playing game, Children of Mana comes up aces, with an intriguing story and characters that you'll recall long after the game is shelved. Sadly however, this game counts itself among the popular action segment of the role-playing genre, and it is in that addendum that it falls short.

For as simplistic as the gameplay seems, there's a simple old school pleasure in dungeon hacking that makes Children of Mana so appealing, even if there are some occasional annoyances.

Ever since the "Mana" series made its North American debut on the SNES in 1993, players have been waiting for a sequel that recaptures the same magic. Children of mana doesn't fit that bill, but if you're looking for an action-oriented RPG--and you've got buddies looking for the same--it's worth checking out.

An action RPG with the plot stripped out and replaced by pure, constant fighting and levelling-up. Sound good to you? Perhaps, but perhaps not if you're a Mana stalwart.

Polished, sometimes excellent, often dreary. Not bad, but will disappoint Mana fans.

Children of Mana does not live up to the previous Seiken Densetsu releases. Character development is limited, the action is repetitive and the plot is boring, but graphics and playability are great. Too bad there is not more substance.

Compared to the SNES version, this DS game just doesn’t cut the mustard.