Square Enix might be making a sequel to an old franchise, as the Japanese developer has trademarked the name Rise of Mana. This title suspiciously alludes to the Mana series, which began as a side story to Square’s own Final Fantasy series back in the early 90s.
Originally released as Final Fantasy Adventure (Seiken Densetsu: Final Fantasy Gaiden in Japan) in 1991, the title was created by Koichi Ishii. While starting off as a side story to the Final Fantasy series at first, its popularity allowed the Mana series get up on its own two feet, enforced when the sequel removed the the Final Fantasy brand entirely, and was titled as Secret of Mana (or Seiken Densetsu 2 in Japan).
Since then, the series has grown quite large, spanning over eight sequels on multiple platforms.
Now this classic series maybe getting a sequel, as the title, Rise of Mana, was filed for trademark by Square Enix in June. However, Mana fans should not be celebrating just yet, as this trademark may not be the sequel you are hoping for. There is a possible chance that this may just be an indication that Circle of Mana, a card battle game for cellular devices, is finally getting localized to the West.
Those Mana fans who are hoping for a sequel should keep their fingers crossed, as the gaming community will have to wait patiently as more information on this development comes in.
