Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones | Game Review

Fans of the Gameboy Advance will recognise Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones. It first appeared on the handheld console around a decade ago, and now it's getting a new lease of life on the Wii U through the Virtual Console.

Sacred Stones is set in a fictional continent of Magvel, which has six nations coexisting peacefully. Until, that is, Grado decides to invade Renais, before spreading its incursion to other lands. It's a puzzling turnaround for the main characters, Eirika and Eiphraim of Renais, but one that becomes clearer as you progress through the levels.

As an RPG, the game relies – as you’d expect – on tactics rather than brute force to defeat your enemies. Getting the hang of the weapons triangle – the relationships between swords, axes and lances – can mean the difference between victory and defeat. Lances, for example, are stronger than swords, swords work well against axes, and so on. You can pick up hints by visiting homes scattered throughout the game’s worlds, while your battle injuries can be healed by securing and standing on gates. Keeping your allies’ casualty count low is key.

Visually, the new version of Sacred Stones hasn't changed much from the GBA era. But there's something charming about the graphics, even if they aren't quite what you would be used to in the current high definition, 3D era.