Fire Emblem Updated Import Hands-On

Up until now, the only Fire Emblem game we've seen stateside has been one of the GBA titles, which was a truly great game. That drought will soon be over when Fire Emblem comes to our GameCubes later this year. Since our initial impressions, we locked ourselves up with the import and wrapped ourselves in tactical conflict for several chapters. Cosmetic differences aside, this game treads the same path as its handheld cousin as far as gameplay and character interaction go, which isn't a bad thing at all.

The graphics are the first thing that you'll notice in this version of Fire Emblem. Unlike its predecessors, this game features 3D character models and battlefield environments. You see most of the 3D models during the shift to an up-close perspective when in battle, and their detail is alright, though some of them animate a little oddly. (Note to Intelligent Systems: Horses aren't double-jointed!) You're also going to see some animated cutscenes this time around that will help punctuate the narrative a bit. These cutscenes are a bit sparse, however, since most of the storytelling is still done via text and character portraits. The cutscenes feature a hand-drawn look that gives the sequences a lot of depth and a really neat appearance, like a manga set in motion without becoming an outright cartoon. The many character portraits make up the bulk of what you'll see, though, and they're highly reminiscent of those found in the GBA version.

Basic gameplay remains essentially unchanged. Battlefields are set up on a grid, and you have an isometric view of the action that you can rotate both to the side as well as above, so you can always get a clear idea of what's happening. You'll meet a wide variety of characters to join you in the fray, like knights and mages, priests and swordsmen, archers, winged units, and more. Each unit has its own move range and attack range, as well as its own set of strengths and weaknesses that you'll need to balance when sending your group off into the midst of battle.

Your units get experience by clashing with foes, and while some types of units start off insanely strong, tempting you to bulldoze through all your rivals, it's greatly to your advantage to let your weaker members get in some hits to gain strength. But you'll have to be cautious too, because just like the other Fire Emblem games, if you lose a party member, he is gone for the rest of the game, mourned by his comrades and brothers in arms. You definitely don't want to see that happen. We were very careful to tend to our friends, letting only one die so we could verify his absence later. What a horrible thing to do to a companion!

The game does help you out in the leveling department a bit, though. As you head back to headquarters to relax and sort out your items, you're allowed to spend accumulated points to purchase experience for your characters. This is a great way to help level up your weak magic users so that everyone is roughly in the same place, and it's done without having to directly expose those characters to the perils of stabbing and more magical means of demise.

While you're at HQ, you can also swap weapons, purchase skills, and talk to your various party members. There's lots and lots of dialogue in the game, and from what we've seen, there should be a meaty storyline with lots of character interaction and a good dose of drama. If you're thinking of importing this version, you'd better be fluent in Japanese, or willing to hit the start button often. However, you can easily skip any of the chatter and go straight to the thick of battle, if you'd like.

The musical score seems to hold up well, with lots of rich fanfare as you go into battle and orchestral mood pieces to back everything up. It deserves mention that we did not hear the classic Fire Emblem theme in our travels, though it still may be lurking around somewhere. Characters would join our cause set against new snatches of music, and that suited us just fine, as the music is still quite good.

So while the look has changed somewhat and there are a few new mechanics, our first console Fire Emblem experience has left us optimistic about the release of this game, which is due out on the GameCube this winter. Keep your eyes on this gamespace for continuing coverage.