Children of Mana is a 2006 action role-playing game for the Nintendo DS handheld console. It was developed by Square Enix and Nex Entertainment, and published by Square Enix and Nintendo. It is the sixth game of the Mana series and the first entry in the World of Mana subseries. Set in a high fantasy universe, Children of Mana follows one of four young heroes as they combat an invasion of monsters and learn about the cataclysmic event that killed their families. Both the main plot and side-quests require the player to fight through dungeons and defeat boss monsters before returning to the central Mana Village. Like many of its predecessors, the game features a local cooperative multiplayer component. Children of Mana was designed by series creator Koichi Ishii, directed by Yoshiki Ito, and produced by Takashi Orikata and Katsuji Aoyama. The game was a moderate commercial success: it sold 100,000 copies in its first week of release, and over 280,000 copies in Japan by the end of 2006. While critics praised the graphics and music as beautiful and unique, they found the combat simplistic and repetitive, and the story insubstantial.

Read more: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children_of_Mana

_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1161:

A Song dynasty fleet defeated Jin dynasty ships in a naval engagement on the Yangtze river during the Jin–Song Wars. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Caishi

1805:

The Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, the longest and highest aqueduct in Great Britain, opened. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontcysyllte_Aqueduct

1922:

Howard Carter and Lord Carnarvon became the first people to enter the tomb of Pharaoh Tutankhamun in over 3,000 years. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KV62

1942:

The film Casablanca (poster pictured), starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, premiered at the Hollywood Theatre in New York City to coincide with the Allied invasion of North Africa and the capture of Casablanca. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Casablanca_(film)

2011:

NASA launched the Mars Science Laboratory mission from Cape Canaveral, with the Curiosity rover aboard. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Science_Laboratory

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

dzud: A summer drought followed by a severe winter, generally causing serious loss of livestock. https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/dzud

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

Population has steadily increased, notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege and the battle-field; and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.   --Abraham Lincoln https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln