Fire Emblem has been a popular franchise in Japan for many years, but just lately it’s been receiving the attention it deserves in the West. Fire Emblem released for the GameBoy Advance in November of 2003 marking the long-standing franchise’s debut in North America. Now the sequel, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones is available to follow up on its predecessor’s success. Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones doesn’t bring a whole lot of new things to the table, but it does have plenty of things worth discussing that should have handheld gamers excited.


Facts and Features:

• Second Fire Emblem for the GBA
  
• All new story, world, and characters
  
• Save anywhere feature
  
• Branching story paths
  
• Supports multiplayer link
  
• Available now
  

Presentation
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones, is presented in almost the exact same fashion as its predecessor. The story is told through conversational cutscenes with nicely hand-drawn animations. The menu system is clean, straightforward, and easy to navigate through. There isn’t any direct ties in regards to storyline between The Sacred Stones and the previous Fire Emblem, but the gameplay formula is nearly identical save a few minor tweaks. The story, as mentioned earlier, is told through cutscenes between (and sometimes during) missions that do a wonderful job of drawing you into the evolving story. At times the narrative can be pretty long-winded and wordy, but it’s compelling enough that it shouldn’t bore anyone but those who absolutely hate reading in games. Players will be captivated by Eirika and Ephraim’s encounters and adventures as they try to restore peace to a troubled land with the help of the good people they come into contact with. Because the story is completely unrelated to the Fire Emblem released in 2003, the game feels less like a sequel and more of a separate adventure in a familiar setting; much like the Final Fantasy series.



Eirika is one of the new characters in the Fire Emblem franchise.

Gameplay
If you have played the first Fire Emblem, then you already know how The Sacred Stones plays. The graphics, controls, and combat are all the same as in the original; it’s only the world, story, and characters that have changed. For those who are unfamiliar with the Fire Emblem series, you have been missing out on some of the most rock-solid gameplay to be found on the GBA.

Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones is a turn-based strategy RPG that plays out in similar fashion to Advance Wars, except that your characters level up and evolve over time. Each type of character has different strengths and weaknesses in regards to mobility, strength, skill, defense, speed, luck, and more. Should you lose a character in battle, they are forever lost and they can’t be resurrected or revived in any way. It sounds intimidating to think that a small mistake can cause an impact that is irreversible throughout the rest of the game, but it actually adds to the intensity of each moment. I found myself holding my breath as one of my favorite characters was down to his last bar of health while being attacked late in the game. I figured he was a goner, but somehow he managed to dodge the attack and defeat the enemy in a two-strike counterattack. On my next turn I turned tail and made a hasty escape to heal up. It’s moments like this that will make the overall Fire Emblem experience a memorable one, especially for newcomers to the series.


A view of the battlefield in Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones.