by Scott Parrino - March 31, 2006

What do you get when you combine the strategy of Advance Wars with the RPG element and storyline much like a Final Fantasy game? You get probably one of the best combo’s for a game on the GBA that is almost a crime to put down.

Strategy Within Your Hands

Fire Emblem is a turn-based strategy/RPG title that is a genuine challenge and insanely fun to play. The player assumes the role of a traveling tactician that is found by a lone woman named Lyn. The first ten missions since meeting Lyn play out like a tutorial that weaves into the plot of the game, never feeling disjointed. The basics are taught to the player, from the use of the rock-paper-scissors of combat to terrain usage and types of units. Combat is simple as well as deep. Upon selecting your unit and moving into range, you are given a menu to select your weapon to use. Generally it is a good idea to use a weapon that would beat the opposing unit’s weapon, as well as a weapon that is high in damage and chance to hit. From there players are treated to the two units facing each other. The attacker goes first, dealing damage, missing, or even causing no damage. The defender will then make their attack and the skirmish is over. Depending on the circumstance of your unit, they can either attack again or perform a critical attack.

Unlike most strategy games, you cannot build units to supplement your army. All the units in your army are individual characters with unique personalities and stories themselves. This helps bring the player closer to his units, so as to not send them into battle carelessly. If and when your units are "killed" (if you lose your main character, such as Lyn, then it is game over), then they are out of game for the rest of the duration of the campaign. While not totally killed off since they are needed for the plot, their absence in battle can make the difference.
Fire Emblem however increases the challenge to playing battles. After every turn your game is saved; you cannot go back a few turns and attempt a different approach. This feature forces the player to create a plan and stick to it, even if it involves losing a unit or two. Obviously there would be those who stray away from a game that uses this save feature but I believe that it helps in promoting that some games can’t hold the hand for the player through every step.

As with every RPG, units level up as they fight. With every fight they get stronger, luckier, etc. And as with most RPGs, the weapons can wear out and break, which is why it is important to stock up at armories and vendors. Imagine my disdain when my archer’s only bow broke while supporting my soldiers. Fire Emblem also adds the town/house exploration aspect to it, which can help players get insightful hints, new character/units and even powerful weapons. With all of these features combined, you can see why it is almost impossible to put this title down.

The AI that you’ll face up against gets harder and more unique as you advance. Some may employ more cavalry or use feints. Some can be ridiculously stupid and leave their units exposed. However, a majority of the time, you will be impressed with the intelligence of the AI. Generally they’ll attack your healers if they are exposed or overwhelm a weaker character with distance attacks. Fire Emblem isn’t meant to be a walk in the park, but you can feel confident once you turn off your GBA that you have faced a real challenge.

Incredible Visuals

The artwork and in-game graphics for Fire Emblem are just drop-dead gorgeous and right-on for the style of gameplay. All characters are done in colorful and artistic anime form with varying looks from excitement to sadness. Anime with Fire Emblem is a perfect combination and will be sure to impress even those who aren’t fond of anime.

The in-game graphics are sure to call up memories of Advance Wars, with units moving about a colorful map with mountains, trees, rivers and castles. While the individual units look simple on the in-game screen, the battle screen is different altogether. As I mentioned before, the units are well detailed and colorful. The animations are smooth and sometimes flamboyant, matching the style of anime-style animation and the severity of their attacks.
 

Music to Your Ears

Generally I find it difficult to enjoy the sounds of a game from a GBA. They aren’t as grand as most games are and the detail of certain sound effects can be disappointing. Fire Emblem on the other hand, proves that just because it is on the GBA, doesn’t mean it can’t sound like a masterpiece.

Fire Emblem has what I believe to be one of the richest and best musical scores for any GBA game. With almost 100 separate songs (you can unlock them to play at your leisure throughout the game) to hear throughout the game, every song feels unique and placed perfectly within the storyline and game action itself. My personal favorite (because I know everyone wants to know) is Strike, which is usually played when you enter a battle. The fast-paced, upbeat song definitely gets you into the mood for slaying the enemy.

Not wanting to leave the rest of the sound in Fire Emblem the sound effects from moving, attacking, landing hits, misses, taking hits is just plain wonderful. The sound is vibrant and detailed, never sounding tinny or bland. In fact, I recommend that if want to get the best experience of the sound, hook up your GBA to a pair of quality headphones.

So-So Multiplayer

Sadly, there is a downside to Fire Emblem. While a multiplayer aspect does exist, it is not done in the way of Advance Wars; rather it is more of a chess-style gameplay. You face off against five units from a team you create from your current campaign from up to four players and pit against each other in an arena. There is no real strategy here other than using your best in hopes of out-lasting your opponent(s). It would have really made the multiplayer game a lot better if you were able to confront each other in certain maps, where real strategy could be applied.

A Deep Storyline

One of the highest points of Fire Emblem is definitely its storyline. The more you play the more you get a sense of reading a book with adventure and twists and turns. You’ll meet interesting characters, take side-quests (when able) and of course, engage in some frantic battles. Every mission has a meaning and doesn’t feel out of place nor cheaply constructed.

Along with the storyline, you develop a bond with your units. You get to know more about them as you play, with some making you laugh and some even tugging at your heartstrings. This connection to your troops plays a huge part in your gameplay, especially when one of your units is in danger.

Like Fine Wine

Fire Emblem may be nearly three years old at this time, but I can see why it is still almost offered at full price at some stores; it’s a popular and challenging game! You have strategy, RPG and a deep storyline all rolled into one cart and is a must for fans of these genres. I recommend picking up Fire Emblem before taking on any subsequent Fire Emblem titles on the basis of playing the first in the series of greats.