Fire Emblem

"An interesting twist for the Strategy RPG genre..."

Fire Emblem, for Gameboy Advance, is the first of its series that I have actually ever played, also seeing as how the other games of its series were never released outside of Japan, unfortunately. Therefore, the following review will simply convey the rational and best impressions that I have grasped from this game, and not be based on comparisons between this game and others of its series, even though I will definitely compare this game (in simple pure fun and gameplay factors) to other games of its similar genre.

Storyline: 7.5

Perhaps, a game of this sort might have merited a higher grade, if it was released like 5 years ago on the Playstation or on the SNES, back then. However, honestly, I don't see anything really innovative storywise, which could be due to the fact that I have played so many RPG's, practically all the Final Fantasy games, Breath of Fire, Chrono Trigger, and all the likes, which most veterans will remember. This game's story was quite fluid and interesting, but it is nothing on-par with other games such as the current RPG's which you can find on more advanced consoles, or some of the great classics, such as Final Fantasy 7. Though, one also has to consider that the appeal and look of the game add immensely to the perception that he can have of how good the storyline is. Basically, this game seems a bit of Breath of Fire, (Spoiler: skip to End Spoiler if you don't want to hear about the following) where you're messing with the Dragons and how you have to become stronger and stronger so that you can eventually face them (End Spoiler). It has this very traditional-like tale where you're first trying to save your own land, and then you're trying to save the world, meeting with characters who want to do the same, and I wasn't even surprised (Spoiler) when Eliwood kills the Dragon and finds out that she is actually Ninian, a very affectionate woman to him (End Spoiler). Even though it was quite of a plot-twist, somebody had to die sooner or later on in the game, for the story to get even more interesting. I don't think this game has proposed anything which is that much new to the onslaught of RPG's and their storyline that we have been faced with. The storyline is very much subjectable, but I think that RPG experts will agree with me on this one, while more newbies will find that this game has a very enjoyable storyline.

Graphics: 9

For the capabilities of the GBA, I must say that the graphics are quite good, all of the game's details are quite recognizable and very clearly displayed. The game's battle animations were the part that I enjoyed most probably for the first part of the game, because they were quite interesting to watch, and well made, although you will definitely want to turn them off later on in the game simply because they take up too much time. However, I had the temptation of giving a lower rating simply because most of the game's style and graphics has been borrowed from the Advance Wars series, which I suppose most are familiar with. The main battle menus and maps are virtually identical. But, a point that I found interesting were the little “cut-scenes” which you find between every chapter, where you see the characters talking, sometimes even faced to you, or rather the tactician, and add to the look of the game. Every now and then you are also treated to some little art/graphical inserts, which express better what's happening in that scene, which are also well made. I would have given this game a perfect grade, if the battle maps didn't look pretty much identical to the Advance Wars series, and there was a bit of expression in the characters' faces when they were in the cut-scenes, because you get tired of looking at the same depressed face over and over throughout the game.

Sound/Audio: Not Rating

I will merely go and say that the music and sounds effects in the game are quite amusing, but really, I never pay much attention to this area of the game, especially considering that it's of a GBA. By this, I am simply saying that the musical quality of this game pales in comparison to any of the better RPG's that can be found on other consoles, even though that is not a very agreeable comparison. If compared to other GBA titles, I would probably say that this game deserves a high grade, but otherwise I won't go on trying to rate an area which I did not pay particular attention to.

Gameplay: 9.5

This is definitely the area of the game which succeeded in making me want to spend over a dozen hours trying to beat it. This game is very enjoyable, because it requires a great deal of time while making that time fruitful to having fun. While I have mentioned the storyline part, which isn't so excellent, other aspects of this game lie within the pre-battle plans and, most importantly, the battle. First, I will address the former part; before every battle that takes place in the game, hence practically for a great deal of the chapters in this game, you will have to decide which units to take from your army, how and what to equip them with, and you can also take the time to manage your inventories and change classes. While the class-changing system is nowhere near as complicated as Final Fantasy Tactics, it proves to be a very enjoyable and simple part of the game, since you can witness some very noticeable changes within a character after a class change. For example: if you have a Knight, and decide to use an item, which can then promote him to a General, he will not only change animation, and appearance on the battle map, but he will also obtain better stats, and most possibly the additional use of another weapon, so like, a Knight can only use Lances, while a General can use both Lances and Axes as weapons, making him twice as valuable. Then you will also have to try and keep your units well equipped, since this is an essential part of the game, since if your unit does not have the right equipment, he could be slaughtered. I was very interested in seeing that unlike any other RPG possibly that I have played, you do not equip any type of armor on a character, on the other hand, a character can carry up to 5 objects, either weapon or useable item. Hence, you will, most of the time, want to have your units carry almost a full inventory, so that they will always be ready at any inconvenience. Luckily, since trading between characters can get quite messy, later on in the game, you will have the option of putting objects in a safe, or rather giving them to a merchant who will store the objects for you, and taking them whenever you please, before battle. However, there is also a limit to the amount of objects, although it shouldn't be a problem for most part of the game.
Now comes the fun, and probably main, aspect of the game: the battle. In this aspect of the game, you will deploy the units that you, and/or the computer, have chosen. The missions for each game aren't exactly the same, there are basically 3 types of missions: Defeating all enemies, which is pretty self-explanatory, Seizing the throne and Defending. In Seizing the throne, you are basically trying to reach a point of the map, the throne, which is guarded by a big boss unit, and after getting rid of that pesky unit, you simply move onto that point, and after seizing it, you will win the battle. In Defending, you have to guard a point or person for a certain amount of turns, until the turns are finished. I have just mentioned that infact this game uses a turn-based strategy type game, very similar to that found in Advance Wars, but with a very different approach and mechanics. You will have to be careful in using the best units against the weaker ones, for example: Units with Lances are strong versus units with Swords, and there are other many types of this example in the game. Doing so will most of the time ensure victory.
I have to say that the first time you play this game, will probably prove not too difficult, except for one or few missions near the end of the game, but overall, I didn't find this game to be too challenging, although another main aspect of the game which made it more challenging was the auto-save feature and the characters. Basically, after every command is made, the game saves that point, so if you decide to turn it off and turn it back on, you will continue from that same point where it saved last, or otherwise you can just start the whole chapter again. However, the real bummer is that if ANY of your units gets killed, then he or she will be dead forever, or for the rest of the game, and you will never be able to reuse him or her again. This gives a sense of attachment to the characters, since you start attributing to them a certain valor and value, and you really try to win battles without losing any of your characters, which does add a little bit of a challenge. This option could be debated upon, but it was probably a good idea, because it gives you a more sense of depth for the characters, and gives it a different playing style from Advance Wars, where you could just send out hordes of units and not worry about losing them.

Lasting Appeal: 7.5

Honestly, I have never been much of a finish a game, and then play it over again, and I don't think I will play Fire Emblem again after finishing it. There probably is quite a lot to it, since you can try to obtain all the characters that you haven't been able to obtain, and trying to gain the best stats possible for them, and also trying to get the best equipment and such others. However, there simply isn't enough interest by my part, so some hardcore fans might try this, but I don't think I would.
Adding to this is the fact that there is no significant multiplayer mode, since basically, all you can do is just select a batch of pre-made units, and battle them against someone else. It would have been better if you could use the units which you were using in your original storyline, perhaps even select one of the maps that were made, and such other options definitely would have added to this area.

Overall: 9

I think this game deserves to be played by all RPG fans, looking for an interesting game, especially those fond of RPG games which require tactics and strategy. Don't expect a game similar to Final Fantasy Tactics or Ogre Tactics, but this game still has a very nice interface, and is very enjoyable.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 07/13/04