Fire Emblem™: The Sacred Stones
Format: Game Boy® Advance
Launch Date: 05/23/05
ESRB: E (Everyone):Fantasy Violence
Game Type: Fantasy Role-Playing/Strategy
Accessories: Game Boy® Advance Game Link® Cable
Players: 1-4
Game Information
Developed by Intelligent Systems
KEY INFORMATION
For generations, the nations of Magvel have lived in perfect peace. Now, defying all reason, the Grado Empire has invaded neighboring Renais. Twin heirs to the throne of Renais, Eirika and Ephraim fight to free their kingdom and uncover the secret behind their former ally's treachery.
- Execute your attack! Plan your strategy to take advantage of your strengths and exploit your enemy's weaknesses. Guide your soldiers carefully, because if they fall in battle, they're gone forever!
- Field dozens of soldiers on the field, from the familiar pegasus knights and cavaliers to brand-new units like the mage knights, who wield both weapons and wizardry in battle.
- Discover new ways to improve your army! Take on all-new monster battles and the Tower of Valni, with floor after floor of challenging fights, to gain the experience your soldiers need to master their skills.
- As your soldiers increase in skill, you'll be able to choose between multiple classes to customize your army and master your perfect strategy! Will your cavalier become a paladin, or will he sacrifice speed for power and become a great knight? The choice is yours!
Game Storyline: Centuries ago, the entire continent of Magvel was besieged by monsters. In their most desperate moment, five great heroes received the Sacred Stones, powerful artifacts whose light drove the darkness away. These heroes founded the nations that, to this day, house the Sacred Stones. Now, after centuries of peace, one of those nations, the Grado Empire, has invaded its age-old ally, the kingdom of Renais. The royal twins of Renais flee their homeland and fight to discover the Grado emperor's motives. All the while, an ancient evil lurks in the shadows, waiting for its moment to strike.
Characters: Princess Eirika and Prince Ephraim of Renais. Prince Lyon of the Grado Empire. Vigarde, emperor of Grado. Dozens of side characters join your party as well, each of whom has an intricate personal story and set of motivations.
How to progress through the game: The game takes place in a series of strategic battles. You must navigate your pieces across the battle map, engaging and eliminating enemy units. Each map has a different objective. Once you beat the map, you return to an overview of the whole continent, and you can choose the path you follow to your next battle. Special events open up branches in the storyline, allowing the player to choose between following Ephraim's quest or Eirika's quest, each of which has its own unique events.
Special powers/weapons/moves/features: As with the previous Fire EmblemTM, there are tons of unique character classes in the game: Each character has a unique set of skills, shaping the way in which you play the game. You can decide which characters to use, giving you more control over your strategic approach. This game includes brand-new character classes and introduces a new way of changing your character classes, opening up new strategic possibilities: Players can choose how to develop their characters and what types of units to focus on. New units include the axe-wielding great knight, the summoner, who can call monsters into battle, and the mage knight, who can use both weapons and magic, and many more. Additionally, for the first time, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones features some traditional fantasy monsters, from skeletons to zombies, from gargoyles to gorgons - these monsters generate new challenges for experienced players.
Taking a cue from traditional role-playing games, this installment of Fire Emblem gives players the opportunity to gain experience and build their units' levels endlessly by fighting in new monster battles. As a result, the game not only gives new players the opportunity to practice and improve, but also gives advanced players the chance to develop their characters to suit their playing styles. This feature gives players of this Fire Emblem much more flexibility in developing their units.
Finally, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones contains a new "Guide" that contains a glossary of terms and explanation of game commands and features. Players can review this information at any time.