THE LEGEND OF MANA "EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT ABILITIES" VERSION 1.0 7/21/99 By: Bodi Anderson pietoro@email.com DISCLAIMER: This FAQ is meant for personal use only and can only be reproduced electronically. This FAQ can be altered as long as the disclaimer remains unchanged. This FAQ is owned and made by Bodi Anderson. Please don't steal or reproduce any ideas or content from this FAQ or I will track you down like the sick creature you are! Please distribute the FAQ only in its original form to your friends and lovers of the seiken densetsu series. This FAQ cannot be sold for profitable purposes, any person or organization attempting to do so will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law! Legend of Mana and most of the character and place names in this FAQ are copyrighted property of SQUARE Japan and Sony. I, Bodi Anderson, have no professional relationship with any of the aforementioned companies, and I am simply a fan of their great games. This FAQ is dedicated to all of those who waste their time translating Japanese games. Enjoy!! END OF DISCLAIMER INTRODUCTION: The following is an in-depth FAQ covering all the abilities in LoM. I was planning to do this sooner or later and then I read another LoM FAQ in which the author decided that all other LoM FAQs that were posted were "Not useful enough". Well, this ticked me off a little. Having written a few FAQs myself I know what goes into writing one, i.e. lots of personal time, sweat, hard work, call it what you will. For this reason I think it's quite rude to call a FAQ not useful enough. Well, okay maybe I'm taking it the wrong way or I'm just being anal, but still that was darn uncivil. In any case please enjoy this FAQ and freely pass it on to your pals and lovers of the Seiken Densetsu series. As with my last FAQ this is dedicated to everyone who writes FAQs on the net, including those who find little use in other people's FAQS. Enjoy, and LONG LIVE THE MANA! THE BASICS: In LoM you gain new Waza (special attacks) by using abilities combined with attacks. You can employ up to 2 abilities at a time. As you gain experience in battle new abilities and waza will unfold, for this reason change abilities often. Depending on what weapon you're using different abilities will be accessible so change your hero's weapon from time to time as well. You start with a choice of 8 abilities, which can be accessed and selected under the "SKILL" section on the menu screen. Simply select and ability to assign to either the Square or X button. New abilities can be learned by using currently equipped frequently in combat. For example if you use "jump" and "squat" enough you can learn the "High Jump" ability. Similarly if you equip "back dash" and "jump" you can learn "back spin", an ability that lets you attack opponents from behind. Whenever you learn a new ability a text screen will appear after a battle with an exclaimation point at the end. This means you learned a new ability. (The same thing appears when you learn a new waza as well). THE ABILITY LIST: The following is a list of all the abilities in the game I know of. This list should be complete (unless my copy of whatever Japanese game mag. I got this from is incorrect). In any case this includes Japanese text for those of you who can read it on your computer I also included the romaji in case you can read a little Japanese but your computer can't. All follow this model... #. Japanese text/ Romaji/ translation Prerequisites (what abilities you need to Effects: (What the ability does) equip in order to get this ability) 1. ジャンプ/ jiyanpu/ Jump: Prerequisites: starting ability Effects: You can jump and attack simultaneously 2. ガード/ Gaado/ Guard Prerequisites: starting ability Effects: Defends from enemy attacks. 3. ダッシュ/ Dasshyu/ Dash Prerequisites: starting ability Effects: As the name implies... 4. バックダッシュ/ Bakku Dasshyu/ Back Dash Prerequisites: starting ability Effects: As the name implies... 5. しゃがむ/ Shyagamu/ Squat Prerequisites: starting ability Effects: Your HP recover rate goes up but defense becomes zero! Very useful! 6. プッシュ/ Pusshyu/ Push Prerequisites: starting ability Effects: As the name implies... 7. アビール/ Abiiru/ Sun Bathing Prerequisites: starting ability Effects: Not quite sure but it translates as "Declaration of a Special Attack". Maybe use this before attacking with waza? 8. 回転/ kaiten/ Spin Prerequisites: starting ability Effects: Spins you around. Watch out you might become dizzy! 9. バク転/ Baku Ten/ Back spin Prerequisites: Back Dash, Jump Effects: Press Triangle (Power Attack) for cool turn around attack. 10. イリュージヨン/ Iryuujiyon/ Illusion Prerequisites: Dash, Back Dash Effects: In effect teleports you across the screen leaving doppelganger Images of your character across the screen. 11. ガードダッシュ/ Gaado Dasshyu /Guard Dash Prerequisites: Guard, Dash Effects: As the name implies. You can also power attack while doing! 12. ハイジャンプ/ Hai Jyanpu/ High Jump Prerequisites: Squat, Jump Effects: Much like jump, but higher (duh). 13. ムーンサルト/ Muunsarult/ Moon Leap Prerequisites: High Jump, Front Spin Effects: Shoots character up in the air in a crescent leap. Use your Power attack! 14. 二段ジャンプ/ Nidan Jyanpu/ Two step Jump Prerequisites: Jump, High Jump Effects: Like High jump, but press the assigned jump button again mid-leap In order to gain more height and arc. 15. バク宙/ baku chyuu/ Back flip Prerequisites: Back Spin, High Jump Effects: Press Triangle mid flip for a cool spin slash! 16. 挑発/ chyuu hatsu/ Provoke Prerequisites: Back Dash, Sun Bathing Effects: Enemies should direct their attack at you (and not your weak pals). 17. グラップル/ gurappru/ Grapple Prerequisites: Push, Guard Effects: Grasps an opponent. Press attack buttons while their in your clutches. 18. カウンター/ kauntaa/ Counter Prerequisites: Guard Effects: If attacked you'll counter with a quick attack while button is held down. 19. サマーソルト/ Samaasoruto/ Somersault Prerequisites: Back Spin, Back Flip Effects: Hmmm. Think about it... 20. ジョルト/ Jyoruto/ Jolt Prerequisites: Counter Effects: A step up form counter but you'll counter with a power attack. 21. スライディング/ suraideingu/ Sliding Prerequisites: Dash, Squat Effects: Like in Saga Frontier you'll trip up your foes. 22. 背面取り/ haimen tori/ Back Jab Prerequisites: Grapple, Spin Effects: Use when trying to escape, and over the shoulder blow to stun your enemy. 23. ハンマースルー/ hanmaasuruu/ Hammer Through Prerequisites: Back Jab, Dash Effects: Not sure exactly, but I believe this vaults you across the screen. 24. タックル/ Takkru/ Tackle Prerequisites: Push, Dash Effects: While executing press either attack button to tackle a nearby opponent. Requires good timing! 25. うかし/ ukashi/ Toss(?) Prerequisites: Squat, Hammer Through Effects: I'm not sure but if you use while doing a command attack like "Command Jump" or "Upper" hurls opponents across the screen. 26. 前転/ mae ten/ Front Spin Prerequisites: Effects: Almost exactly like Back Spin cept' in da front y'all! Well, that's all the abilities there should be in the game. If you can add anything or notice any problems with any thing above please e-mail me. Also be sure to check out my LoM starter FAQ, as well as all the other FAQs by swell folks nice enough to write 'em (And swell GAMEFAQs nice enough to pot em). This FAQ was written in about an hour while listening to the Velvet Underground's "White light/ White Heat" album and "Misora" by Kanenobu Sachiko. Oh yeah, if anyone wants to make a flowchart or easier quick reference to skill acquisition and send it to me I'll add it on to the end and give you credit for being co-author of the FAQ. I don't have time to do such a thing but think it'd be very cool.