Seiken Densetsu 3 is an action role-playing game by Square, released for the Super Famicom in Japan on 30 September 1995. It was directed by Hiromichi Tanaka, with series creator Koichi Ishii and composer Hiroki Kikuta. Players choose three of six heroes (Duran, Angela, Kevin, Charlotte, Hawkeye and Riesz), and their pairings form three different storylines.
A North American release was cancelled. The reasons cited include bugs that could not be fixed in time and, according to producer Masaru Oyamada, no free cartridge space for a localization. For years English-speaking players knew the game through a fan translation led by Neill Corlett.
The game was first officially released in English as Trials of Mana in Collection of Mana for Switch on 11 June 2019, after Japan had received the Seiken Densetsu Collection in 2017. Square Enix chose the title partly because it contains "tri", pointing to the game's three intertwined story pairs. The 2020 Trials of Mana for Windows, Switch and PS4 is a separate 3D remake.1
Names and releases
| Region | Title on the box | Platform | Date | Publisher | Src |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NA | Collection of ManaFirst official release outside Japan | Switch | Jun 11, 2019 | Square Enix | 1 |
| JP | 聖剣伝説3Demo distributed via Satellaview broadcast, limited release | SNES | Jul 1, 1995 | Square | 1 |
| JP | 聖剣伝説3Seiken Densetsu 3 | SNES | Sep 30, 1995 | Square | 1 |
| JP | 聖剣伝説コレクションSeiken Densetsu Collection, emulated by M2; Japanese only | Switch | Jun 1, 2017 | Square Enix | 2 |
| EU | Collection of ManaDigital release; physical card 2019-08-27 | Switch | Jun 11, 2019 | Square Enix | 3 |
Also known as: 聖剣伝説3 JP2Seiken Densetsu 3 JP1Seiken Densetsu Surī JP2
Box art by region
JP 聖剣伝説3
Box art © its publishers, shown to identify each release. Scans: libretro-thumbnails.
Version differences
-
TextSwitch (Collection of Mana, West)
The Western Collection of Mana contains the first official English translation, produced over about a year; the Switch's larger storage removed the space problem that had blocked a localization in 1995.1
-
TitleSwitch (Collection of Mana, West)
Square Enix chose the English title Trials of Mana partly because it contains "tri", a nod to the game's three intertwined story pairs.1
-
TextSwitch (Collection of Mana, West)
In the official English script, Charlotte's childish Japanese speech is rendered with an Elmer Fudd-style lisp.4
Translations
-
English Fan
Neill Corlett1999SNES · Japanese versionReleased
Neill Corlett led an unofficial English patch; the English Wikipedia article dates it to 1999 in one section and 2000 in another.1
-
English Official
Square Enix2019Switch · Japanese versionReleased · complete
Square Enix released the first official English translation as part of Collection of Mana.1
-
German Official
Square Enix2019Switch · Collection of ManaReleased · complete
Collection of Mana includes a German text option.3
-
Spanish Official
Square Enix2019Switch · Collection of ManaReleased · complete
In Collection of Mana, Trials of Mana supports English, French, German and Spanish.3
-
French Official
Square Enix2019Switch · Collection of ManaReleased · complete
Collection of Mana includes a French text option.3
Where to play legally today
-
Nintendo eShop Purchase
Best version
Collection of Mana on Switch (2019) is the only official way to play the original game in a language other than Japanese. The 2020 Trials of Mana for PC, Switch and PS4 (and Xbox Series from 2024) is a full 3D remake and a separate game.1
In lists
Sources
- 1en.wikipedia.org
- 2ja.wikipedia.org
- 3nintendo.com
- 4tcrf.net
- 5nintendo.com
- 6ja.wikipedia.org
- 7ja.wikipedia.org
Checked: 2026-10-13Text reviewed: 2026-10-13
Spotted a mistake? Write to atlas@old-games.net.