Longtime Nintendo tactical RPG franchise Fire Emblem is finally coming to mobile via Fire Emblem: Heroes, directly following the release of Super Mario Run in December. It marks the third time for Nintendo to release a title for the smartphone gaming platform after the aforementioned endless runner and Miitomo.
Fire Emblem: Heroes
As per Nintendo, Fire Emblem: Heroes will feature a new story about two kingdoms in discord, and it's layered with a familiar stylistic visual package reminiscent of anime, fused with kitsch, pixel art. The new Fire Emblem entry will bring over familiar characters culled from past games, something fans can definitely look forward to. What's more, the roster will be filled with new heroes as well, some can become allies, and others can become enemy generals who'll stand in the player's way.
Strategic Battles
Each map — an 8 x 6 grid — has been designed and streamlined to optimize the screen real estate of smartphones, something Nintendo heavily considers, as exemplified by making Super Mario Run an endless runner instead of slapping on traditional controls for the title. In Fire Emblem: Heroes, players drag units around via the touchscreen. To attack, players may place units in an area overlapping an enemy, or they may opt to move the unit adjacent to an enemy and make a decision from there. As per the usual Fire Emblem fare, players who defeat all the enemies on a given map will emerge victorious.
The game features diverse terrains — some lined with Lava and some paths blocked with brick walls. This dynamic adds a layer of depth to the game in terms of its tactical elements, and Nintendo ensures that fans of the franchise will expect the same level of battle intensity as found in previous entries.
The Weapon Triangle System
Fire Emblem: Heroes adapts the weapon triangle system. All characters come rocking unique attributes, which are either red, green, or blue. Red is strong against green, green is strong against blue, and blue is strong against red. Veteran Fire Emblem players will have no trouble recognizing this type of weapon system, having been used as the mainstay tactical logic since Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War for the SNES.
Pricing And Availability
Nintendo will adapt a free-to-play model for Fire Emblem: Heroes, with optional in-app purchases, of course. The extent of these in-app purchases — whether purchasing them is required to enjoy the full experience — is to be determined. Anyhow, Fire Emblem: Heroes launches Feb. 2 on Android and iOS.
While Fire Emblem isn't Nintendo's most popular franchise, the game has been around for quite some time. The original game, called Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Light, was released exclusively in Japan on the Famicom in 1990. The most recent Fire Emblem entry is Fire Emblem Fates Conquest/Birthright, initially released for the 3DS in 2015.
Fire Emblem: Heroes, then unnamed, was announced last April alongside a mobile version of Animal Crossing, both of which were poised as Nintendo's early smartphone releases. Until the official Fire Emblem Direct, Nintendo has kept mum about both games. Fire Emblem: Heroes succeeds Nintendo's smartphone sophomore effort Super Mario Run, whose download figures went through the roof upon release.
Will Fire Emblem: Heroes be as popular as Super Mario Run? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
Fire Emblem Heroes will be released on iOS and Android on February 2. #FEHeroes pic.twitter.com/IcNvMb8I0y
— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) January 19, 2017
