Seiken Densetsu 3 (1995) - pick one of six heroes and travel as three. It took 24 years to play officially in English

September 30, 1995, on the Super Famicom

Hello, this is Toki. Episode 69 of "Today Is Release Day." Today's game is an action RPG about a party of three, released as the Super Famicom's life was nearing its end.

Seiken Densetsu 3 was released by Square for the Super Famicom on September 30, 1995. Today it turns exactly 31.

Pick one of six as your hero, then two more as companions

You begin by choosing a protagonist from six characters. Two of the remaining characters join you, and the three of you set out together.

Lines and story turns change with the hero you picked and the companions you brought. It is a design that makes you want to play again.

Characters change class partway through and lean toward either light or dark. Koichi Ishii was the game designer, Hiromichi Tanaka the director, Nobuteru Yuki the illustrator, and Hiroki Kikuta the composer.From "Seiken Densetsu 3 聖剣伝説3 Legend of the Sacred Sword 3 Trailer Mana Super Famicom SNES Intro Theme" (TTretroD, YouTube)

How it landed - 31 points from Famitsu, and the Silver Hall of Fame

Famitsu's cross review gave it 8, 8, 8 and 7, for 31 out of 40. That score earned it a place in the Silver Hall of Fame.

Its beautiful pixel-art graphics were a highlight, typical of the Super Famicom's late years. The circular menu for choosing items and spells is a hallmark of this line of games.

As for sales figures at the time and detailed commentary from individual magazines, the sources I could confirm do not include them. I will leave those out.

Twenty-four years to cross the sea - and a video from the time

In North America, Square's local branch is reported to have dropped the release over programming bugs. Localization costs were heavy, and the market was moving to the PlayStation.

English arrived not with the fan translation patch of 1999 but with the official collection of 2019. It took 24 years.

In 2020 a full 3D remake, TRIALS of MANA, came out, and worldwide shipments and download sales reached 1 million in February 2021.

The video below is the opening of the Super Famicom version.

Let me write it down: 1995

September 30, 1995. Only once the year is written does today's article feel finished.

A game released on this day 31 years ago is still being rebuilt in 3D and played. That coincidence makes me a little happy.

Who did you pick as your hero? And, if you don't mind, which two did you take along?