It's a shame, because there's likely something deep within that's worth paying attention to, but it is surrounded so completely by problems that it simply cannot be worth the effort. If there's anything of interest in Mana Khemia it was lost in the transition, and the ability to game on the go isn't worth the hassle of this sloppy port. There are literally no gamers who should play this game, regardless of their love of RPGs, the PSP, or even the original Mana Khemia. It's insulting, and shouldn't be accepted.
There are a lot of Atelier games out there, and Gust keeps adding to the lineup with new installments in the main series and spin-offs to keep track of. It is a lot to deal with. Also, the major installments tend to come out in trilogies, which share storylines and sometimes gameplay mechanics. One line might not be as interesting for specific players, but another could be a perfect fit.
Arland best. Couldn't finish Mysterious. Dusk is good. The ones before those are good but I prefer the 3d games
Pretty good article. The Atelier series is a very weird one. As each game have it's own ideas and can play vastly differently than another title even in the same trilogy.
But to get to know the franchise or at least what was the fundation of it. I would argue that the Arland is the best one, even though I prefer other sub-series even more.
411mania talks about this week's game releases. Highlights include Dissidia: Final Fantasy, Mana Khemia 2: Fall of Alchemy, Metroid Prime Trilogy, Cursed Mountain, and Harvest Moon: Magical Melody.
Mana Khemia is a relatively solid game. Despite its numerous clichés and poor choices in graphic design, the game presents a fun and relatively addictive battle system and alchemy system. Backed with solid audio, Mana Khemia balances its cons with its pros. However, these remarks apply only for the PS2 version from 2008. 2009's Mana Khemia: Student Alliance deserves little praise.
The port's errors transform an average game into an abomination barely worth touching. Atelier fans that have not yet checked out this spinoff series or readers interested in the combat and alchemy should avoid Student Alliance and hunt down the PS2 version.