Secret of Evermore is an action role-playing game developed and published by Square for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. It was released in North America on October 1, 1995, and in Europe and Australia in February 1996. A Japanese release was planned to follow the North American release by a few months[2] but was ultimately cancelled.
The story of Secret of Evermore follows a boy and his pet dog as they are inadvertently transported to the fantasy world of Evermore. The player guides both the boy and his shapeshifting dog through Evermore, a world composed of separate realms, each resembling a different period of real-world history: ”Prehistoria” (prehistory), ”Antiqua” (classical antiquity), ”Gothica” (the Middle Ages), and ”Omnitopia” (an imaginative future world). The gameplay shares many similarities with Secret of Mana, such as real-time battles, a ring-shaped menu system, and the ability to switch control between the two characters. Despite similar game mechanics and a similar title, it is not an entry in the Mana series.[2][3]
Secret of Evermore is unique in that it is the only game developed by Square designers in North America. The game received positive reviews upon its release for its graphics and gameplay but was criticized for not being up to the expectations many reviewers had based upon the developer’s previous Japanese role-playing games. The game’s North American development, Mana-like game mechanics, and ambient music have since helped it to develop a cult following.
