Gaming Children of Mana

[SunfallE]

[COLOR=RoyalBlue]I just got this game last week for my DS system since I adored the original Secret of Mana game for SNES, which I still have by the way. And since it looked interesting, and the short reviews like the one I read here on Amazon:
[INDENT][SIZE=1]Children Of Mana takes us back to ages past, when an island called Illusia floated at the center of the world. At the heart of the island towered an ancient, enormous tree that stretched up to the very heavens. When a time of darkness comes, chaos and sorrow engulfed the world until at last its salvation appeared - in the form of a boy, a girl, and a holy sword.[/SIZE][/INDENT]
Painted a picture of a game that looked like it would be fun to play, I decided to give it a try. So far it?s been a combination of liking how it was done and being disappointed in the lack of an overall storyline.

For starters, one of the things I do like is you aren?t restricted in choosing who the main hero will be. There are four you can choose from and each one has little variations that affect how they look on your screen.

The actual landscape is beautifully done, even if the characters look a bit odd as they are done more like colorful sprites instead of realistic looking characters. But each time they talk there are beautifully done pictures of the character to go along with what ever they are saying and different expressions depending upon their current mood.

The actual game play is very linear, there are side quests, but actually doing them is the same process of what you do to advance the game, so other than the actual goal at the end being different. It?s essentially the same as doing a major event. Well other than many of those major events will include a boss battle where the side quests will not.

One of my biggest dislikes in this game is the actual dungeon aspect. Everything revolves around entering a dungeon, completing anywhere from [spoiler] four to twelve and more levels. And for each area, they all have only so many floor plans that you get again and again. As the game progresses, the only thing that changes is the monsters as the further along you go, the more difficult the monsters become. [/spoiler]

You of course have the spirits for magic in the game, however, unlike the Secret of Mana you are limited to only [spoiler]taking one along at any given time. If you want two, you have to be in multiplayer mode with someone else and even then the second one is just the one they have with them. [/spoiler] So I found that to be a little disappointing.

The actual fighting has some improvements in that your character locks onto the target when you are using a bow, and you have special moves, and others you gain later in the game.

It also has a system of a gem frame where you either find, buy or make gems to put in it that provide a variety of different effects from making you stronger to [spoiler]causing your bow to shoot three arrows at the same time. One of my favorite moves. [/spoiler] The only drawback, you can?t [spoiler] switch gems once you?ve entered the dungeon, so if you?ve equipped the wrong one you have to wait till a point during the dungeon process when you can or leave the dungeon, switch it and then come back. [/spoiler]

The music is nicely done which is a plus as nothing turns me off quicker than poorly done music in a game.

Anyway, overall I?ve enjoyed the game enough that I feel I got my money?s worth. But I know I?d love to see another game that was a bit more true to the Secret of Mana I played so many years ago, as it was one of the games that started my love for RPG?s in the first place. Anyway...for those of you who have also played it, what's your take on it? ^_~[/COLOR]