When Square Enix announced The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales last year, immediate comparisons were made to Nintendo’s Legend of Zelda series. Even I thought the same, especially since I love the Zelda games. From the top-down perspective to dungeons filled with puzzles, it was pretty clear that the dev team was inspired by Link’s ongoing adventures across Hyrule. Except, that isn’t actually the case, apparently.
In an interview with JPGames, The Adventures of Elliot producer Naofumi Matsushita revealed that the team was aiming for something akin to Final Fantasy Adventure on the Game Boy, otherwise known as Sword of Mana. “As I mentioned earlier, the gameplay feel we were aiming for was inspired by the Mana series, particularly the Game Boy version of FINAL FANTASY ADVENTURE,” Matsushita told the outlet, “so I hope players will be able to experience the unique kind of enjoyment that has grown out of that foundation.”
Image source: RPGamer
He’s not upset by the comparisons to Zelda, though. “I think players are free to share whatever impressions they have, including saying that the game reminds them of other titles,” Matsushita added. “From our perspective, we don’t view those comments as either positive or negative. We’re simply grateful to receive all feedback with an open and neutral mindset.”
Now, there’s likely some indirect influence from Zelda considering it was a foundational game back in the ’80s. The Mana series wouldn’t exist without it, and most Japanese games draw some kind of inspiration from Mario and Zelda anyway. Still, The Adventures of Elliot isn’t aiming to be an exact replica of Nintendo’s old formula, even if it does a pretty good job of emulating it.
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The Adventures of Elliot: The Millennium Tales slots in a June 2026 release
Banner Final Fantasy Adventure image source: Play Critically
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
