Secret of Mana (1993)
RPG

Publisher	SquareSoft
Developer	Square Co. Ltd.
Series	Secret of Mana

Once upon a time, the power of Mana was used by all people and helped their civilization grow. But as evil forces took control of Mana Fortress, there was no way out but a war which destroyed the Mana-based civilization but eventually brought peace to people. The events of the past became but legends to the new generation of humans. But history repeats itself... One day, a young village boy finds a rusty sword stuck at the bottom of a river. He doesn't know this sword is the famous Mana sword, the one that won so many battles before. By drawing the sword out of the river bottom, the boy unwillingly summons hordes of monsters, and is expelled from his village. A mysterious knight Jema is the only man who helps him and gives him instructions for the future. First, he must repair the sword, and then, with its help, take control of Mana seeds which can be found in eight great castles.

"Secret of Mana" is an action RPG, featuring real-time hack-and-slash type of a combat. Like in Quest for Glory games, you have a stamina gauge. The more stamina you have, the more powerful your strike is. You upgrade your weapons and abilities and meet many different types of monsters, while roaming around the country and performing your quests.