The world of Mana is back and I'm admitedly excited. While past forays into this cute and colorful world first popularized in the Super NES game Secret of Mana have not been so stellar, I'm hoping that the latest adventure, Dawn of Mana, can live up to the greatness of the franchise - and so far it's proving to be pretty entertaining.

For those that haven't heard, Dawn of Mana is a prequel to the entire Mana series of games, and tells the origin stories of the fabled Mana Tree and the Sword of Mana. The story begins on an isolated isle called Illusia that floats in the center of the world, where the Great Tree resides. This tree, the source of all creation and life, has stood in the center of this isle since the time of creation, and though it has since died and turned to stone, controls the fate of the world. This is where the story begins, but how it ends is up to the player and the colorful cast of characters he meets on this epic journey.

The latest "Mana" adventure takes place in a fully 3D world full of vibrant and brightly colored environments and characters. Navigating this world does take some getting used because the camera isn't fixed. The world is populated with all kinds of cute and cuddly creatures. Some of these, like the Rabbites and Moogles, will be familiar to old school fans of the series, but there's plenty of new monsters to keep you interested like giant snakes, goblins, and giant bison-like monsters. Beyond these and many other creatures the world is populated with all kinds of objects that can be manipulated or destroyed. Most of these objects are placed for use as weapons in conjunction with the grappling hook, which we'll get to in a minute.

The game consists of platformer style play and action, with some light role-playing elements weaved into the mix. The bulk of your adventures will be spent fighting the myriad of monsters that will stand in your way on the ground and in the air. Controlling the action is pretty straightforward, and with the help of some unique devices and good old fashioned swordplay, you'll have all the tools you need to beat even the most tenacious of foes.

The L1 shoulder button is used to block with your sword, the L2 button targets enemies, the R1 shoulder button activates magic and the R2 button is used for targeting objects. X is used to jump , and hitting it a second time while in the air will give you a slight boost; Square is used for attacking with your sword; Triangle is used to fire off your grapple - holding it down will give you a first-person targeting perspective that you can aim manually; while the slingshot works in much the same way - you can fire it with the Circle button or hold it down for a first-person perspective.

Magic is selected using the d-pad up or down to cycle through it and then activated by hitting the R2 button. This type of magic includes healing spells and various protection buffs that are handy for staying alive. Elemental ammo for the slingshot is selected by using the d-pad left or right and activated using the circle button. You can also get a first person targeting perspective with this by holding down the triangle button.