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> Results: Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones
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I don't like strategy games in the least, not on any platform. Even hybrids like SpellForce for the PC or Final Fantasy Tactics Advance for the Game Boy Advance I have not liked. So it was with some trepidation that I started playing Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones. Fortunately, the game assuaged any fears I had and I was left a total fan of the game.
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones is a turn-based strategy game that tells the story of a young brother and sisterﾗa prince and princessﾗwho are born at the end of an era of peace, presumably brought about by actions from the original Fire Emblem. As it often does, evil finds a way back into the world, and works to gain total domination through the destruction of the five Sacred Stones. You need to gather troops and allies to battle the evil forces and random monsters that dot the countryside in order to thwart the evil plans. It's not groundbreaking, but it is told in a nicely unfolding way through interactions on both sides of the war, so you see the forces at play as the game progresses. The story is told through conversations, many of which happen automatically. Some are user-activated through ﾑsupport conversations', which require specific units to be in proximity and to select ﾑtalk'. A support conversation can convert neutral units or even some enemies to allies. It can also increase the effectiveness of the units when working together.  The combat system plays out in turns, with the player taking a turn moving and attacking, supplying and healing followed by the computer's actions. Experience is gained through attacking, defending, healing and killing. If a unit loses all hit points, they are dead and gone forever. That's a difference from many strategy games since the death of a unit is more than just a lost resource, it's more like losing a party member in a role-playing game like Baldur's Gate. This is because each character is introduced with a background and purpose and has interaction with the main character, as well as at least one other character. As a result, you develop strategies around leveling up new characters and increasing their skills so they become effective in combat. Becoming effective also involves focusing on skill development and class specialization. You develop weapons skills through use of a weapon and gain ranks through continued use. As your characters level up it is possible to change to a higher class, which opens new skills and proficiencies. The game does a very good job of making all of the many available skill types useful in a variety of situations. Replayability comes from choosing either Eirika or Ephraim to play the game. At a certain point, you choose the path you will take. By choosing one or the other, you get a different set of battles and heroes, although many of the items on both paths will obviously converge. It is a very well done mechanism that makes an already enjoyable experience last longer. There is also a Team Arena mode which allows for battles between two to four players. This is done using a typical link cable and works very well. I had a multiplayer battle with a veteran of these games, who had a good laugh as he wiped out my entire team. A final thing I want to highlight is the tutorial system. I cannot recall a system that works so well. Instead of a canned and boring tutorial area such as Neverwinter Nights, Sacred Stones works with you through the first five chapters, providing less and less assistance with each chapter. By the time you are on your own, you are completely immersed in the game and know what to do. I was very pleasantly surprised to find out how much I liked this game. The resource collection, allocation and micromanagement have hampered my past experiences with strategy games. Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones is more of a strategy role-playing game, blending an excellent story and interesting characters with a deep and enjoyable combat system. I highly recommend that Game Boy Advance owners give this one a try. 
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones combines depth of storytelling with depth of action, yet does so in an entertaining and accessible fashion. There is considerable reading involved, but nothing that was a challenge for either my 7 or 8 year old (both strong readers). If your child is up for the reading challenge and doesn't mind the somewhat slow pacing inherent to a strategy game, they will enjoy this game.
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