Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones

UOL Jogos ( )

Órfãos de "Final Fantasy Tactics" e "Shining Force" terão uma boa oportunidade de conhecer as raízes desses títulos neste clássico da Nintendo. Com o modo de iniciante, bastante amigável, os novatos também terão a chance de experimentar o gênero RPG com estratégia, sem muitos traumas.

Deeko (9.5 out of 10)

In the end, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones is a fantastic srpg that does the series justice; and then some. While some of the changes may make for a slightly easier gameplay experience, the changes as a whole only serve to make the game all the more exciting and fun to play. There are a number of side missions and quests to undertake, giving players a thirty plus hour tour de force. The gameplay is simply addictive, the graphics and sound are stellar and the storyline is incredible making Fire Emblem a must buy srpg for the GameBoy Advance!

GamingEvolution (9.25 out of 10)

Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones is without a doubt one of the best games on the Game Boy Advance, and one of the best handheld games to be released in a long while. Nintendo definitely made a smart choice to bring this tough Strategy/ RPG to the US. The Fire Emblem series has now set a new standard for strategy games, and it is sure not to disappoint gamers. This game is definitely recommended, and it is a must have on the Game Boy Advance. Go get is ASAP if you want a title that will give you many hours of fun filled gameplay!

Fragland.net (90 out of 100)

Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones a.k.a. Fire Emblem 8 is the series' second appearance on the GameBoy Advance. Fire Emblem (FE7) still stands as one of the greatest games on the platform, next to equally great titles such as Advance Wars I & II, Golden Sun I & II and The Legend of Zelda: The Minish Cap, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that the expectations of the ever so loyal fanbase for this sequel were insanely high. Ridiculously high, perhaps?

Game Informer Magazine (9 out of 10)

Nintendo first-party developer Intelligent Systems is quickly becoming one of my favorite studios. The company’s GBA strategy offerings are uniformly amazing, and Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones is no exception. Everything that was great about the first GBA Fire Emblem returns – the at-times punishing difficulty, interesting maps and missions, tight strategic gameplay, and the improvements to the basic formula do nothing but enhance this sequel.

PAL Gaming Network (PALGN) (9 out of 10)

During one of the driest seasons for the Game Boy Advance, it’s great to finally see a title that is worthy for a purchase. Not only is this title many times better than the original, it offers one of the best and fulfilling experiences for the Game Boy Advance. A must for Game Boy Advance owners and strategy fans alike.

GamePro (US) (4.5 out of 5)

Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones is a great little game that instantly sucks you into a deep fantasy world of conflict and combat. The learning curve is average for an RPG game, but the rewards are well worth the study time. If you're an RPG fan with a mind for strategy this game belongs in your GBA.

GamerDad ( )

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.

GameSpy ( )

Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones is easily one of best GBA titles to ever come out for the handheld system. Its rich story, colorful characters, and excellent gameplay all add up to make this a truly satisfying experience. Anyone who is even slightly interested in the strategy genre owes it to himself to pick it up. It's definitely one of the "must have" titles for Game Boy Advance owners everywhere.

Nintendo Power (9 out of 10)

It’s easy to find flaws with a game as deep as this one. In fact, I’m surprised to have found so few. Sacred Stones brilliantly treads the line between depth and accessibility, and Intelligent Systems has gone to great lengths with the difficulty settings to please gamers of all skill levels. In addition to a finely tuned system, the developers also raised the bar on the visuals; the battle animations are stunning and plentiful. FE:SS is only the second Fire Emblem game to reach our shores, but it’s sure to capture the attention of strategy fans here just as it has in Japan.

GameSpot (8.8 out of 10)

Another epic, memorable adventure awaits in Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones, the follow-up to 2003's similarly excellent strategy RPG, Fire Emblem. The previous game was actually the seventh in a series that had long since established itself in Japan, and at last made it to these shores. That makes The Sacred Stones the eighth Fire Emblem title, though it features an original, completely self-contained story and is equally well suited to new players as well as returning fans.

64 Power / big.N / N Games (88 out of 100)

Alles in allem ist auch The Sacred Stones eine weitere Strategie-Perle auf dem GBA und gehört zweifellos in jede Sammlung!

Worth Playing (8.8 out of 10)

I have a love-hate relationship with Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones. I'm aware of its faults and I often snap off my GBA out of sheer disgust with the game, but I keep coming back just the same.

Portable Review (35 out of 40)

After 6 games in Japan, Fire Emblem on the GBA came out in the US. It was highly acclaimed for its turn based tactical combat and its RPG level up elements. Throw in the really compelling story and it made for a GBA game to remember. Now, Fire Emblem: Sacred Stones or FE8 has arrived. The question is though; does it live up to the hype? Well, for the most part, yes it does! It’ll be a fun fight to death as you lead your troops across the plains of war.

N-Zone (87 out of 100)

Mit Fire Emblem verhält es sich wie mit einem guten Märchen: Man vertieft sich in eine sagenhafte Welt und wird vollständig von ihr in den Bann gezogen. Auch die Erzählweise des neuen Teils ist unglaublich ausgereift und besticht durch alternative Dialoge, je nachdem, welchen Kämpfer ihr habt sterben lassen. Diese Tatsache motiviert, eure Feldzüge mit möglichst allen Mannen zu planen. Langfristig fesselnd!

Jeuxvideo.com (17 out of 20)

Héritier d'une série de T-RPG qui n'a plus à prouver sa valeur, Fire Emblem : The Sacred Stones n'a pour seul défaut que de vous rendre complètement accro aux jeux de rôles tactiques. Le soft reprend tous les éléments qui ont rendu culte son prédécesseur, en atténuant la difficulté extrême qui avait pu rebuter les adeptes du précédent jeu. Pour cette raison, et parce que les scénarios n'ont pas de lien entre eux, il est préférable de commencer directement par ce nouvel opus si vous voulez découvrir sereinement la série des Fire Emblem sur GBA.

Just RPG (85 out of 100)

All told, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones is a great handheld game. Though it doesn’t offer the sort of depth or complexity your typical RPG will, the game is perfect for the sort of places a handheld was made to go, entertaining without being overly taxing. Those who enjoy the series’ bare bones approach will also find plenty to like, even if the ease of the quest is a little disappointing.

GameZone (8.5 out of 10)

I've had a serious problem these past few days. Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones hit stores across the nation, and with its release came the need to review it. In a perfect world, this would be absolutely wonderful. I love the Fire Emblem series. Why wouldn't I jump at the chance to review the sequel to a game that held me hostage for more than 30 days and 30 nights?

IGN (8.5 out of 10)

More than a year ago, Nintendo of America made the long-awaited plunge by unleashed Fire Emblem in the US. This Game Boy Advance title -- among several in a series that has enjoyed a long and fruitful life in Japan -- finally introduced the series' unique mix of fantasy RPG elements and turn-based strategy game design to Western gamers. And it was good. Very good. Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones isn't a sequel more than it is simply a revisit to the franchise's game design in an entirely new setting and storyline. This GBA title doesn't have the novelty of "the first of its kind" working for it; instead, it simply relies on memorable characters and skillful storytelling for its "new" experience.

1UP (B+)

If you haven't given your GBA some lovin' these days, fire up Sacred Stones and spend some lengthy but enjoyable quality time with your portable. Sacred Stones plays like a good full-scale RPG and the replay value is up there. Building up a foundation group of character during the campaign can be done over and over again (with good patience, of course) with the numerous permutations made possible by the branching story line and the myriad cast. The successful parsing of battle, dialogue, and set-up sessions in Sacred Stones demonstrates again that the GBA might not be a Revolution, but it's something I sure would revisit time after time.

RPGFan (82 out of 100)

Put succinctly, if you're a rabid Fire Emblem fan, you'll love this game. It's more of the same style with a new plot with new characters for you to match up, and the added bonus of extra dungeons to try to complete as fast as possible. If you're a casual fan of the series you may find yourself longing for more lasting changes or wondering why you're suddenly having an easy time of things, especially since you are likely to be most prone to noticing the problems above. At the same time, it will remain more of the same stuff that you liked before. New gamers will find it a light, fun strategy RPG that makes for some fine time-wasting.

EL33TONLINE ( )

Intelligent Systems seem to have a knack for somehow imbuing a very rich and complex set of game mechanics with a soul. Advance Wars is what it is because of the idiosyncrasies of its array of characters and their interaction on top of a top notch turn based battle engine. Fire Emblem has all the features of the best strategy RPG games, variety, tactics, long term strategy in leveling characters, all of which are the basis for a story told well and wrapped in astounding quality, attention to detail, polish, and beauty.

Pocket Magazine / Pockett Videogames ( )

L’un des meilleurs jeux de stratégie nous revient sur GBA dans une version encore plus aboutie. Plus cohérent, plus complet et plus équilibré, Fire Emblem : The Sacred Stones constitue le choix du moment en matière de Tactical-RPG sur la petite console de Nintendo.

Diehard GameFan (8 out of 10)

Fire Emblem is one of those games that comes along and is fairly hard to put down. Many times I would be playing and get a sudden case of “just one more battle” syndrome. Of course, farther into the game that “one more battle” would easily last 30 minutes or so. The game is easy to play while still being fairly intricate, with a good story, and tons of character development if you take the time to delve into the support units. If you take full advantage of everything this game has to offer, it can become fairly addictive. But if you just find yourself going through each battle without slowing down a little bit to examine its intricacies, you probably won’t get as much out of it as others will.

Legendra ( )

On ne change pas une recette qui gagne, voilà comment résumer le dernier Fire Emblem sorti sur Game Boy Advance. Pourtant, la difficulté revue à la baisse le rend plus adapté aux transports, et le scénario est plus intéressant que ceux des deux précédents épisodes sur la même machine. Un jeu à posséder absolument !

Games TM (8 out of 10)

'Yes, yes,' we hear the experienced player cry, 'but what's new? What more can I expect from this instalment?' Well, the answer is: not much, really. There are a few new classes, some new enemies, a few minor tweaks and, of course, a new storyline, but the basics of the game are essentially the same. However, you can't expect a series so long-established and refined to change itself fundamentally with every new instalment. Don't be discouraged by Sacred Stones' similarity to the previous Fire Emblem game; we wouldn't change it for the world.

Game Informer Magazine (8 out of 10)

Other games could learn a lesson form one character in particular who says "what harm could a little reckless besieging cause?" Amen, brother. If only you and Animal Crossing were on the same page.

Cheat Code Central (4 out of 5)

The blend of RPG and turn based strategy is an excellent combination, at least for this game. You can replay the single-player campaign countless times and never have the exact same experience. For a change, the single-player mode is actually better than the multi-player mode. Expect weeks upon weeks of pure gaming fun.

GamerDad ( )

Anyone wanting a second helping of Fire Emblem-style RPG/Strategy hybrid gaming will find plenty in this title to keep them satisfied. With an involved storyline, and a rich combat engine, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones proves once again that Intelligent Systems lives up to their name.

Eurogamer.net (UK) (8 out of 10)

They say that true love is blind. Who "they" are can be a sub-quest for later. For now, let's consider the second bit of that sentence - and let me bash myself round the head with it sufficiently that I can write about Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones without glossing over some of its weightier flaws. Because, love it as I do, I have to admit that it's more of an acquired taste than I first thought - back when I stumbled giddy and excited out of the back-end of the first Western instalment in the strategy-RPG series last summer.

Game Critics (7.5 out of 10)

Technically sound but leaving me feeling hollow and unsatisfied, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones reminds me quite a bit of the series I mentioned earlier, Advance Wars. Both games hooked me immediately and sucked me in the first time around, and both sequels left me hungry by staying too close to the original formula and coming off like add-ons or extended missions instead of being true sequels. I guess I can't complain since quality GBA games are getting harder and harder to come by, but while first-timers should check it out, those who had their fill of Fire Emblem the first time around will find little reason to come back for seconds.

JeuxActu (15 out of 20)

Certes, la plate-forme fait que Fire Emblem : The Sacred Stones doit se contenter d’une réalisation somme toute mineure, mais une ambiance attachante et une durée de vie importante, eu égard à la possibilité de choisir entre le cheminement d’Ephraim ou de Erika. De plus, quelques thèmes sonores sympathiques achèvent de faire de ce dernier Fire Emblem un représentant grande classe du genre sur la petite Game Boy Advance qui, au milieu de Final Fantasy Tactics Advance ou des Advance Wars du même studio, ne manque décidément pas de jeux de stratégie de qualité. Au risque de voir toutes ces petites bombes s’auto-concurrencer, d’ailleurs.

Netjak (7 out of 10)

Combined with slightly above-average aesthetics and the chance to go through the game again as a different twin, The Sacred Stones is a solid and worthy diversion for the tactical fan. Its frustrations and quirks mean that it's not exactly everyone's cup of tea, though, especially if you're coming from a more contemporary tactical system like FFT or Tactics Ogre. At its default level, it makes a great introduction into the world of tactical games for players new to the genre, as well. There's no doubt it's a good game, but the amount of enjoyment you'll get is very closely related to how much you expect out of it.

Computer Bild Spiele (2.6 out of 6)

Unauffällig ist der Redefluss im Spiel, der anfangs in Geschwätzigkeit ausartet. Die nicht eben einfache Hintergrundgeschichte wird zu Beginn in langen Dialogen erzählt. Und auch später erwartet den Spieler vor und nach jeder Aufgabe eine lange „Lesestunde“. Das ist nett – und immerhin auch abschaltbar. Grafik und Ton sind durchschnittlich und die Bedienung problemlos. Vor allem aber wird der Spieler schnell selbst ein Bewohner von Magvels. Und das kann „befriedigend“ sein.