Nex Entertainment developed Children of Mana, an action role-playing game that Square Enix published for the Nintendo DS in 2006. The title serves as the first entry in the World of Mana series and acts as a spiritual successor to the beloved Secret of Mana franchise. The game drops players into the world of Illusia, where four young heroes each carry a personal story tied to a disaster that shook their village years ago. Players choose from one of four characters, each with different strengths and combat styles, and battle through randomly generated dungeons teeming with enemies. The core gameplay centers on real-time combat using a variety of weapons and magical tools called Fleurets, with the touch screen adding an extra layer of interaction during fights. What sets Children of Mana apart is its tight focus on dungeon crawling, alongside the classic Mana art style that takes full advantage of the dual-screen format. The colorful sprite artwork, familiar fantasy setting, and memorable ring-menu system give the game an immediate charm that long-time fans of the series will recognize right away.
Updated: Jun 22, 2026
Screenshots
64 MB · NDS ROMs
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Specifications
| Platform | NDS ROMs |
|---|---|
| Genre | Action |
| File Size | 64 MB |
| Release Year | 2006 |
| Developer | Nex Entertainment |
| Updated | Jun 22, 2026 |
Overview
Nex Entertainment developed Children of Mana, an action role-playing game that Square Enix published for the Nintendo DS in 2006. The title serves as the first entry in the World of Mana series and acts as a spiritual successor to the beloved Secret of Mana franchise. The game drops players into the world of Illusia, where four young heroes each carry a personal story tied to a disaster that shook their village years ago. Players choose from one of four characters, each with different strengths and combat styles, and battle through randomly generated dungeons teeming with enemies. The core gameplay centers on real-time combat using a variety of weapons and magical tools called Fleurets, with the touch screen adding an extra layer of interaction during fights. What sets Children of Mana apart is its tight focus on dungeon crawling, alongside the classic Mana art style that takes full advantage of the dual-screen format. The colorful sprite artwork, familiar fantasy setting, and memorable ring-menu system give the game an immediate charm that long-time fans of the series will recognize right away.
Children of Mana offers both a single-player story mode and a cooperative multiplayer mode that supports up to four players through the Nintendo DS wireless connection. In the story, players work through dungeon floors crawling with enemies and powerful bosses, collecting gems and materials to upgrade their equipment along the way. The game gives players four main weapon types: a sword for close-range attacks, a flail for wide sweeps, a bow for ranged combat, and a hammer for crushing blows. Any character can equip all four weapons, giving players the freedom to shift between playstyles as they see fit. The Fleuret system lets players summon elemental spirits mid-battle, adding a magical dimension to every fight. Dungeon layouts shift with each run, which keeps exploration feeling fresh across multiple sessions. A gem crafting system lets players combine collected materials to create stat-boosting accessories that improve their character over time. While Children of Mana leans more toward action than deep storytelling, it delivers a satisfying dungeon crawl that captures the spirit of the Mana series in a compact, portable format.