Posted in: Games, Square Enix, Video Games | Tagged: Legend Of Mana, Masaru Oyamada, Square Enix

Square Enix Producer Masaru Oyamada Talks Legend Of Mana Remaster

Last month, Square Enix had released a remastered version of Legend of Mana, bringing new life to a classic game in the series. The remaster added a revitalized look to the artwork, improved mechanics, a breath of air to the soundtrack, and more as a whole new audience can now experience the 1999 title on modern systems. But a lot of work went into making the game look and feel the way it does. We had a chance to chat with Square Enix Producer Masaru Oyamada about the game and all the work that went into this remaster, as well as the changes made to it.

BC: Hey there! First thing, how have you been doing during the past year or so?

MO: We had a brief moment of calm after releasing Trials of Mana in 2020, but right after that, we became very busy with the development of Legend of Mana, so things remained unchanged, and we were working hard at game development. To this day, we continue to work on the Mana series with vigor.

How has everything been working out with Square Enix during the pandemic and still working on titles?

For the Mana team, we had already been working with external development partners prior to the pandemic, so we leveraged online meetings, etc., and were able to keep working on our daily tasks without it being too chaotic.

How did the idea of doing a remastered version of Legend Of Mana come about? What made this one special to want to remaster?

When we released the Super Famicom version of Trials of Mana outside of Japan for the first time through Collection of Mana, I remember European players telling me that they wanted us to localize Legend of Mana as well. At the time, Trials of Mana was still in development, so we weren't able to start working on it right away. It was also just around that same time that Warner Bros. approached us about turning it into an anime series. Their proposal was so passionate that I felt compelled to first make the game become playable on current consoles worldwide. That's when the production of this title started in 2019.

What kind of steps did you have to go through to make it happen before working on it?

Since our development environment at the time was for the PlayStation 1, we had to start with checking whether or not we have source data available, including whether or not we can open the files that were created with proprietary specifications. While there were elements that remained mostly intact, there were some mixed in that differed from the official release for some reason, so it was quite a challenge to sift through all that, from a volume perspective as well.

What kind of approach did you take with the artwork to keep the theme from the original while making this one pop?

Where possible, we strived for an up-rez that recreate various textures in the original map. This title especially has a picture-book feel overall, including its world settings, so just because we were making this a higher resolution, we didn't want to make it look jarringly real. Instead, I had the team deliberately retain that hand-drawn texture, keeping in mind what the artists at the time did with the original backgrounds.

I understand the game mechanics underwent a bit of a change. What did you go in and rework for this version?

I think the fact that we've taken a game that was originally released for the PlayStation 1 and changed it so it's now on various other platforms goes without saying. But otherwise, the main areas that were adjusted were expanding the screen aspect ratio, and adjusting the collision so we can accommodate for auto-saving. There was a rendering technique that utilized semi-transparencies, which was not noticeable at the time, but with the screen becoming bigger, we frequently saw the roughness was more significant, which prompted us to make specific adjustments in certain parts. If people are able to play this without the feeling that something is "off," then I think I can consider this a success.

What kind of work went into the audio and giving it an upgrade to modern consoles? 

We asked Composer Yoko Shimomura to share with us any points that had been on her mind from the original tracks. Then, we discussed those points with the sound team to determine the direction we wanted to take with them. In a remastered game, the gameplay hasn't been changed, so I was a little nervous that it might end up feeling awkward if the tracks were new, but those worries ended up being completely unfounded. They're fantastic arrangements.

Was there anything you wanted to do with the game that you didn't get a chance to incorporate here?

As with any game, when developing, there are always many ideas from each member of the development team that we'd love to be incorporated. However, I'm confident with how the game came out and hope that the fans enjoy playing through it!

When it was finished, what was it like going back and playing it and experiencing this story through what is essentially a new pair of glasses?

I played the original thoroughly when it first came out, and so I was able to play through without much trouble based on what I remembered; but perhaps because the map was so much cleaner/prettier, I would take the wrong path and frequently get lost in areas like the Mindas Ruins and the jungle. Also, whenever I'm faced with a choice, I would deliberately pick one that I didn't choose at the time of the original, so I was surprised by some unexpected reactions from characters, which was refreshing.

What do you hope people take away from this remastered version, both old and new players?

If you are starting anew with this remastered version, I would like for you to enjoy this whimsical experience in a world much like a picture book without any sort of information beforehand. There are many elements with replay value, outside of progressing the story, so I think finding your own way to play the game would be exciting. As for those who have played the original, I believe the scenario may be perceived differently or what you think is interesting may have expanded based on how you've grown as a person, so I would love for you to give it another try.

Without giving away too much, what else are you all working on?

We just released Trials of Mana on the iOS and Android platforms on July 15th. We are also developing the newest entry in the series, Echoes of Mana, on the iOS and Android platforms as well. There are plans for a Legend of Mana anime as well, so please stay tuned for more information!

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