Square Enix is bringing a compilation of its classic action RPGs to the Nintendo Switch in June, bundling the Super NES hit Secret of Mana alongside its predecessor and sequel as part of the upcoming Seiken Densetsu Collection.
The compilation, currently slated to launch exclusively in Japan, includes playable versions of the original Seiken Densetsu (aka Final Fantasy Adventure), 16-bit follow-up Seiken Densetsu 2 (aka Secret of Mana), and its Super Famicom successor Seiken Densetsu 3. Series fans hailing from North America and Europe may want to keep their expectations in check, however, as Seiken Densetsu Collection is not yet slated for a stateside release.
Though Secret of Mana remains a favorite among fans of SquareSoft’s 16-bit output, the series suffered from a fractured release history outside of Japan. The original Game Boy game in the series was translated as Final Fantasy Adventure for its stateside release in 1991, leaving no trace of its lineage.
Seiken Densetsu 2 later hit the Super NES in North America and Europe in 1993 as Secret of Mana, but despite the game’s devoted following, SquareSoft chose not to localize its 1995 sequel Seiken Densetsu 3. Instead, the publisher opted to promote a mechanically similar but otherwise unrelated action RPG, Secret of Evermore, leaving Secret of Mana‘s official sequel stranded in Japan.
The Seiken Densetsu series spawned many follow-ups and spinoffs in the years afterward, including Legend of Mana for the original PlayStation and 2003’s Sword of Mana for the Game Boy Advance. A remake of the original Seiken Densetsu was recently released for the PlayStation Vita and mobile platforms under the localized title Adventures of Mana.
While Seiken Densetsu Collection for the Nintendo Switch has not been announced for release outside of Japan, Square Enix’s willingness to translate the recent Adventures of Mana indicates that a localized series compilation release may be in the works. If Seiken Densetsu Collection fails to materialize in the west, fans have the option of importing the Japanese release, as Nintendo Switch software is not region-locked.
Seiken Densetsu Collection launches digitally and at retail for the Nintendo Switch in Japan on June 1.
Acer’s Predator Atlas 8 finally has a US release date and price, several months after the company first showed off the handheld in May. The highlight is the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip inside, which has been adopted by only a couple of other consoles besides the Atlas 8. This version will go on sale exclusively at Best Buy on November 1 for $1,299.99.
Acer originally said the Atlas 8 would arrive in North America in October, but left pricing open at the time. The launch came amid the ongoing DRAM crunch, which has made memory more expensive across the PC industry and complicated pricing for hardware makers.
Gaming laptops and I have a complicated relationship. One of my first gaming rigs was an Acer Predator that was already outdated when I bought it. I was a broke college kid, and that was the best I could afford. So trying out high-end gaming laptops is always fun. But ASUS' ROG Zephyrus G14 is a lot more than a laptop that can run AAA games. It is portable, so you're not lugging around a 2.5kg machine everywhere you go. It is built well, none of that plastic chassis, and can even function as a normal laptop outside of just gaming.
Google Play is borrowing one of the Nintendo Switch’s most useful little tricks. A new Sidekick tool called Playbacks captures a short clip after something interesting has already happened, sparing players from running a screen recorder throughout an entire game.
Playbacks is part of Google Play Store v53.8 and keeps saved clips on the phone. Google first announced it earlier this month, but the new Play Store update marks its arrival for players. Anyone who has watched a perfect win vanish because the record button came too late already understands the appeal.