Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones for Game Boy Adv Reviews by Gamers

More than a year ago, Nintendo of America made the long-awaited plunge by unleashed Fire Emblem in the US. This Game Boy Advance title -- among several in a series that has enjoyed a long and fruitful life in Japan -- finally introduced the series' unique mix of fantasy RPG elements and turn-based strategy game design to Western gamers. And it was good. Very good. Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones isn't a sequel more than it is simply a revisit to the franchise's game design in an entirely new setting and storyline. This GBA title doesn't have the novelty of "the first of its kind" working for it; instead, it simply relies on memorable characters and skillful storytelling for its "new" experience.

The Sacred Stones, like every title in the Fire Emblem line, takes place in an entirely different universe with entirely different characters than the games before it. This one follows Eirika and Ephraim, princess and prince to the throne of Renais, on a quest to recover the five sacred stones that, in theory, will bring peace to the land. Along the way these two will meet up with additional characters with unique attributes and skills that will aid them in their adventure, and when you see what types of hazards await them you'll be glad they're jumping on board to lend a hand.

The gameplay itself is similar to past tactical turn-based strategy games on the Game Boy Advance. When the original Fire Emblem hit shelves more than a year and a half ago, the game that could be best compared was Advance Wars. No surprise here, since these two game series' share the same development studio. Though the two games share similarities, the two games are completely different designs with enough changes in their production to justify both games' existences. Advance Wars puts more emphasis on resource management and squad construction, whereas Fire Emblem's focus is in its story and characters, with a bit more attention paid to exploration and discovery.

The storytelling in Fire Emblem is absolutely top-notch, if just a little wordy for comfort. Those who are simply looking for an instant action experience should simply step away from The Sacred Stones, since players will have to wade through pages and pages of dialogue that spell out the situations at hand and what's to come for our heroes. The skillful-but-extensive writing definitely adds to the game's unique element of characters who permanently leave the game if they die in battle; the attachment to specific members of your party are made stronger by their personalities spelled out in the script, so when one of your party happens to meet the business end of a sword for the last time, it's a little heartbreaking to leave him or her behind. And this leaves the player with the option: start over a mission that can take up to an hour or more to complete, or move forward without that character.

The entire gameplay itself sticks with the foundation established in the original Fire Emblem, with only a few newer elements thrown in. Added to the game is a world map feature that more represents the chapter progression of the storyline, and players can (and will have to) revisit areas in order to stock up and equip items before the next battle. Character promotions also come into play, giving players the opportunity to change a specific unit's class that will enhance their abilities. Many of the missions also put a bit more focus on neutral units that must be befriended in order to control them.

Overall, though, the game hasn't changed and hasn't been enhanced as a videogame sequel might be expected to. Which is likely the reason why the title dismisses any sort of numbering structure, instead going with a subtitle to separate itself from the original game. The Sacred Stones retains the same graphic, sound, and gameplay engines that drove the original game, which were already impressive the first time around. There's certainly nothing wrong with experiencing them again, but if you've already been taken aback with the original title, there's nothing here that you haven't seen before.

At the very least, the standalone nature of the Fire Emblem series means that the game doesn't discriminate between newbies and veterans. The game simply assumes you're a fresh recruit in the world of Fire Emblem and integrates the tutorial within the storytelling. Players already familiar with the game design can bump up the difficulty in order to remove the hints from the early chapters, but every player has to experience the "pains" of learning the ropes.

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