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| ===References to other ''Mana'' games=== | | ===References to other ''Mana'' games=== |
| Being a crossover installment, ''Echoes of Mana'' features many references & easter eggs to previous games in the ''Mana'' franchise. | | Being a crossover installment, ''Echoes of Mana'' features many references & easter eggs to previous games in the ''Mana'' franchise. |
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| ====General====
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| * ''[[Legend of Mana]]'' – The concept of harvesting fruits may be a nod to the similar activity practiced in ''Legend of Mana'', where the main character plucked produce from Treant's branches after planting various seeds in the orchard.
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| * ''[[Adventures of Mana]]'' – The Ebon Knight bears lots of physical similarities with the Dark Lord, who also inspired Stroud from ''Dawn of Mana''.
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| ====Opening==== | | ====Opening==== |
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| * ''[[Children of Mana]]'' – The elemental [[Undine]] is summoned in both openings by a spellcaster. | | * ''[[Children of Mana]]'' – The elemental [[Undine]] is summoned in both openings by a spellcaster. |
| * ''[[Children of Mana]]'' – Both protagonists, in this instance Ferrik & Quilto respectively, hold the Mana Sword toward the sky, unleashing a burst of light. | | * ''[[Children of Mana]]'' – Both protagonists, in this instance Ferrik & Quilto respectively, hold the Mana Sword toward the sky, unleashing a burst of light. |
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| ====Character selection====
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| * ''[[Legend of Mana]]'' – Players have the option of selecting a male or female protagonist at the start of the game. The ''Echoes of Mana'' character selection screen is strikingly similar to the ''Legend of Mana'' one, down to the two large character murals, ornate decor, round shapes surrounding said murals, and spotlight over the selected character.
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| ====Prologue====
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| * ''[[Trials of Mana]]'' – The beginning cutscene and setting closely mirrors Hawkeye's opening gambit when he's been jailed for unwillingly killing his best friend ''[[Eagle]]''. However, the young thief is imprisoned by a Nevarl agent in this iteration, while in the original he's detained with Isabella & Flamekhan facing him. Also, the soundtrack playing is different.
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| * ''[[Dawn of Mana]] – ''The expression "Child of Man" is used by the Mana goddess & Baashear is similar to Treant's one in ''Dawn of Mana'', calling [[Faye]] ''Child of Spirit'' and "Child of Hope".
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| * ''[[Children of Mana]]'' – Gaia even calls the main character but Wanderer "Child of Man" and Treant "Child of Illusia". This seems to be a common saying in the franchise since the protagonist in ''Echoes of Mana'' has the option to call Baashear "Child of Ram" upon first meeting.
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| ====Chapter 1====
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| * ''[[Friends of Mana]]'' – Pinzton's layout looks very similar to the main town in ''Friends of Mana'', especially with the central Mana statue in the main plaza. The same concept was lated reused in ''Rise of Mana''.
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| * ''General'' – Duffle references the fact Lady Moti is from a clan of merchants, as they can be identified by the 'weird dance' they do all the time.
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| * ''[[Adventures of Mana]]'' – There is also a call back made by Duffle to the Gemma Knights who protected the Mana Swordsman right after Baashear is being saved by the knitwits who kidnapped him.
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| ====Chaper 2====
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| This whole chapter is based on [[Potos Village]] and the areas surrounding it.
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| * Right from the start, Popoi mentions the Cannon Man missing his shot after landing on the protagonist in the middle of Potos outskirts.
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| * Popoi uses the same terms they used in ''Secret of Mana HD'' to refer to their partner Randi & Primm, which are 'Bro' and 'Sis'. They even call them & the harvester 'lackeys'. The protagonist even has the option of calling them 'Boss' in one dialogue option.
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| * While reuniting with Primm, Popoi references the time when Randi got banished from Potos Village when he pulled out the Mana Sword.
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| * [[Elliott]] & [[Timothy]], Randi's acquaintances in the beginning of ''Secret of Mana'', return in Potos Village and greet the party in an unfriendly manner.
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| * The ghost of Serin also makes an appearance just after the adventurers' visit to the village, guiding them to the waterfalls were Randie lies.
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| * An earthquake is felt just before a Mantis Ant shows up, both Popoi and Randi calls it out in both game. Both creatures make a hole out of the ground, although in the case of ''Secret of Mana'', Randi & Elliott fall into it while the monster emerges from it in ''Echoes of Mana''.
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| * The rusted Mana Sword is seen wedged in a rock in the middle of a stream in both games. Randi is instructed to pull it out by Serin's ghost almost exactly like in ''Secret of Mana''.
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| * The background soundtracks reused from ''Secret of Mana HD'' in this chapter are: ''[[Color Of The Summer Sky]]'', ''[[Danger]]'', ''[[Into The Thick of It]]'', ''[[Together Always]]''.
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| ====Chapter 3====
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| * ''[[Secret of Mana]]'' – [[Nicco]]'s design is a nod to [[Neko]], as both of them are travelling salescat.
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| * ''[[Legend of Mana]]'' – While Neko was infamous for overcharging items & services to players, Nicco's personality seems more aligned with [[Niccolo (Legend of Mana)|Niccolo]], who would not hesitate to outright swindle and con people into buying his merchandise.
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| * ''[[Trials of Mana (remake)|Trials of Mana HD]]'' – Blainchet swam accross Lake Ryama to get into the ruins. This can be a stuble nod to Kevin who also swam to get across a large body of water. Both are also wolf people.
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| ====Chapter 4====
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| This chapter's settings are [[Heavenway]], [[Gusthall]] and [[Celestal Peak]] from ''[[Trials of Mana]]''.
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| * Flammie, the Winged Defender from the Wind Kingdom of Laurent is a key character in this chapter.
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| * Wind statues make a comeback inside Gusthall, as well as their switch from the enhanced remake. There is even a scout quest segment requiring the player to rotate the statues, making their ways to the exit.
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| * The Amazonian Guard & Elliot are mentioned by Riesz.
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| * Hawkeye tries to kiss Riesz just like he did in an optional cutscene during Laurent's invasion by Nevarl in [[Chapter II (Trials of Mana)|Chapter II]].
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| * He also mentions the light spirit Lumina he met in Cascade Cavern right before a [[Fullmetal Hugger]] pops out in front of the party.
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| * [[Faerie (character)|Faerie]] also makes a cameo at the end of the chapter, explaining to the protagonist they have been rejected by the Sanctuary of this echo.
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| * Hawkeye assumes Flammie's gender to be male, angering the winged creature. Riesz correctly identifies her as female. This mirrors the same event in ''Trials of Mana'' when the party meets with the Winged Defender for the first time before flying to the Sanctuary. Riesz even nicknames her 'Flammie' just like Faerie did in the original.
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| * Riesz explains she must leave the party behind as the got information that her little brother was taken by a 'Man with red eyes'. Those exact words are uttered by a [[Trader]] in [[Beiser's Night Market]] should they interact with him with Riesz in the party.
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| * Flammie's sprite and background are similar looking to the one present in the original ''Trials of Mana'' when the party is fighting [[Dangaard]], the [[Benevodon]] of wind in the sky.
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| * The background soundtracks reused from ''Trials of Mana HD'' in this chapter are: ''[[Can You Fly Sister?]]'', ''[[Damn Damn Drum]]'', ''[[Different Road]]'', ''[[Intolerance]]'', ''[[Nuclear Fusion]]'', ''[[Raven]]''.
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| ====Chapter 5====
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| * ''[[Trials of Mana]]'' – [[Faeriewood]] is very similar to [[Lampbloom Flower]], using the same bell-shaped flower in the background and having the same soundtrack ''[[Don't Hunt The Fairy]]'' playing. It even has a scouting quest segment where the Harvester must make their way out of a maze functioning similarly to the one found in ''Trials of Mana''.
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| * The faeries of Centralis reference the fact you need to be part of the [[Mana Clan]] to wield the Mana Sword, just like in most ''Mana'' games.
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| * Another faerie who looks just like the eponymous character from ''Trials of Mana'' claims one must be chosen by a faerie to have the fabled blade.
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| * Finally, Popoi shows up claiming they did not have to choose Randi as he already found it.
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| * Another faerie concurs that the Mana Sword might be the same as [[Excalibur]], just like in ''Adventures of Mana''.
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| ====Chapter 6====
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| * ''[[Adventures of Mana]]'' – The story Dema tries to follow is loosely based on the one Sumo becoming a Gemma Knight.
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| * ''[[Legend of Mana]]'' – The segment right after the Dollhouse is heavily based on the second half of ''[[The Lost Princess]]'' sidequest in ''Legend of Mana''. The protagonist teams up with Elazul to find Pearl who is behind a rock guarded by a [[Du'Inke]]. The background music, ''[[Earth Painting]]'' & ''[[Pain the Universe]]'' for the boss, is the same in both settings. The story segment even references the quest name.
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| * ''[[Dawn of Mana]]'' – The third setting in this chapter is based off the first Chapter of ''Dawn of Mana'' in which Keldric & Ritzia explore the Great Tree's labyrinth. Stone balls are used in both games to push forward & create paths. At the end of the segment, Ritzia is revealed to have touched the roots of the Great Tree, just like in the original installment. The background music, ''[[Dark Shrine]]'', is the same in both games. One segment, ''A Boy and a Maiden'' references the title of ''Dawn of Mana'''s chapter 1 ''A Spirit an a Maiden''.
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| * ''[[Dawn of Mana]]'' – ''[[Bedight Orbit]]'' plays during the last boss of the chapter, being a [[Gorgon Eye]].
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| ====Chapter 7====
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| This chapter is based off the last dungeon of ''[[Adventures of Mana]]''.
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| * Julius first meets with the party in his [[Mysterious Traveler]] disguise, just like he did with Sumo in the Marsh Cellar.
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| * The Mysterious Traveler references the Mana Tree creating the water around the waterfall.
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| * The background soundtrack ''[[The Duchy of Glaive]]'' for the waterfall area and ''[[The Mana Shrine]]'' for the Mana temple is the same in both games.
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| * While tagging along with Sumo inside the Mana Temple, they notice a strange apparition of the Mana Goddess coming from the young knight. Looking at their troubled faces, he then asks the duo if he has been inflicted with a [[Darkness (status)|dark]] attack. He even have some [[Eye drop|eye drops]] to cure the aliment.
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| * ''[[Battle Theme 1]]'' & ''[[Battle Theme 2]]'' play during the fight with the [[Dragon]] and [[Julius]] respectively.
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| * Julius references the fact that Sumo bested him in ''Adventures of Mana'' and he is now here to succeed in this echo.
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| * Like in the original installment, Sumo's rusty sword transforms into Excalibur.
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| ====Chapter 8====
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| * ''[[Legend of Mana]]'' – The monstrous beast the Ebon Knight transforms into is reminiscent of the centaur form [[Larc]] takes in the Underworld.
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| ==Foreshadowing==
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| There are hints that the initial Mana goddess of the first season is not what she appears to be.
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| * At the very beginning of chapter 4, Baashear tells the Mana Goddess he's working really hard to fulfill his task. She replies: "Yes, I know very well that you are." This hints at her ability to spy into every echo the Harvester has been investigating so far.
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| * At the end of the second battle with the Ebon Knight, the one taking place atop Flammie in the sky (Chapter 4), the black knight declares the Harvester shall not get the Mana Sword. He then add: "I know you're out there, listening... I...will..stop you..." before flying off.
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| * The Ebon Knight turns out to be right, since the moment the Harvester finds the true Mana Sword, they can hear her congratulating them and pleading them to hurry back to the Sanctuary.
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| * At the very beginning of Chapter 6, the Harvester finds themselve in a blue void, with the Mana Goddess's voice echoing, saying she will 'get it all back. [Her] world... [her] sister... No matter what it takes...
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| * The hairdo the two dolls Dema & Nona are playing with have bears a strong resemblance to those of the male & female main characters. This might be a slight hint that the harvesters are being manipulated.
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| * Child Dema seems to be adamant about following the story the twins are making up and seems to be patronizing her sister Nona. He actions in the future seem to reflect this controlling attitude.
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| * After this cutscene, the little girl Dema speaks with the Havester inside the dollhouse right after her twin sister bolts, telling them this feels like not the first time she's asked them for help.
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| * During the ''Dawn of Mana'' segments, the heroes can hear an otherworldy voice saying phrases such as "Why did you leave me?", "Why you, and not me?" and "Give it back! It's MY destiny, not yours...". This foreshadows adult Nona becomming the next Mana Goddess instead of her sister, as seen in a flashback in season 2, chapter 6.
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| * When the protagonist reaches Nona at the end of the chapter, she tells them about the ritual taking place inside the Mana clan when a Mana Tree dies and how her sister Dema was chosen to be the next one. Nona feels like her sister is overprotecting her and carries all the burden.
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| * During chapter 7, Sumo & Baashear meet with Julius disguised as Sumo and decide to tag along. During their search for the Mana Tree, both adventurers see a visions of the Mana Goddess coming through Julius. Near the end of the chapter after being unmasked and defeated by the party, Julius asks the Harvester why they are siding with Sumo as they share the same ambitions. Baashear retorts they a nothing alike, but the evil sorcerer replies this fact isn't true if they work for the Mana Goddess.
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| * At the beginning of chapter 8, Mousseline appears before a distressed protagonist, tellin them she will help them should they abandon their mission to find the Mana Sword. The hero refuses, which prompts the faerie to warn him not to come crying to her when all this blow up to their face.
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| * The Ebon Knight mentions the name of Dema after being defeated by the Harvester at the end of chapter 8, revealing they are connected. He also told the hero he is the wielder of the Mana Sword and not them. This harkens back to child Nona telling Diospyros he's just like the hero of the twin's story, destined to be a great swordsman.
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| * Flesh-piercing ritual by the Mana Sword is foreshadowed by a faerie back in chapter 5.
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| The protagonist originally being gifted half of the same soul as their twin & slowly becoming their whole person is hinted at times.
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| * At the end of chapter 6 of season 1, the protagonist reunites with the young girl Nona, who tells them even though her and her sister Dema may be two halves of the same heart, they are still different. She then pleas the Harvester never to forgive that fact for them too. The next things they see after being warped is their clone inside the Sanctuary of Mana.
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| * Right after waking from their vision from chapter 6, the Harvester asks their doppelganger who they are. The twin replies they are them, which puzzles the protagonist even more.
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| ==Gallery== | | ==Gallery== |
