Fire Emblem Wii details

By Tom Bramwell Published 6 November, 2006

To use classic pad?

Following a low-key debut at E3 this May, the Nintendo Wii version of Fire Emblem is starting to take greater shape - with news from the Nintendo World event in Japan suggesting that it will use the Classic Controller.

That would suggest that it's going to be very consistent with the previous games in the series, which generally revolve around a small band of adventurers plotting their way through turn-based strategy missions. The set-up is similar to Advance Wars, but with persistent character death and less complicated unit relationships.

According to a report on IGN, the game not only uses the Classic Controller, but also plays out in 4:3 rather than widescreen - something that could just be down to the demo conditions. We're also told that the demo version consists of dungeon attack and castle siege levels - which sounds very Fire Emblem.

Although there's still very little else to say, expect more information to emerge ahead of the game's February 2007 release in Japan. And if you're a fan of Fire Emblem, be sure to be vocal about it - the two Game Boy Advance titles and the GameCube outing all sank without a trace over here, so Nintendo could probably do with some encouragement if it's to persist.

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About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (25) Latest comment 5 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • CitizenGeek #1 5 years ago

    First!

    Hmmm, I'm not convinced that Fire Emblem is a worthy opponent to Nippon Ichi's Makai Wars on PS3 just yet...
    Edited by 1 at 06/11/06 @ 08:16

  • Genji #2 5 years ago

    "And if you're a fan of Fire Emblem, be sure to be vocal about it - the two Game Boy Advance titles and the GameCube outing all sank without a trace over here..."

    That's, uh, because they were so popular! Yes.

    I'll buy it, no questions asked. It beats the crap out of any Nippon Ichi game.

  • KiLlerKnight #3 5 years ago

    Where the hell is the DS version??
    And where is the new Advance Wars???

    Instead we get all these kiddy shit games (look at the release list in November and you know what I mean). Look Nintendo I know you and other publishers really want kiddies and grandmas buying a DS, but think about us, your longtime hardcore fans. Arggg, whatever, before Nintendo listen to us I will be a grandpa too. Never mind. At least we get Age of Empires this month, wait... I am still not sure about that.

    And about that Makai Wars. Do we have those shit graphics again or what? Surely this time they don't have any excuse for their shit graphics. Oh no, they and the fanboys still have one: we have gameplay. Why don't these people play Pong instead and STFU with their nonsense argument.

  • JetSetWilly #4 5 years ago

    Looks like we're in for a long wait. I do hope we get it, I loved Fire Emblem: PoR on the Cube so much I played it back to back racking up 90 hours gameplay.

  • plok #5 5 years ago

    Classic Controller?! Can't I use an existing Gamecube controller instead?

    And 4:3!!! What! Come on Nintendo, widescreen is out and most likely here to stay. Support it.

  • mingster #6 5 years ago

    no way does it beat the crap out of nippon ichi...

    specially NOT Disgaea 2 which is awesome

  • Genji #7 5 years ago

    LIES

  • Blerk #8 5 years ago

    I've still not played my Cube version. :-)

  • JetSetWilly #9 5 years ago

    I was wondering whether the PS2 had any games similar to Fire Emblem. Are these Nippon Ichi/Disgaea thingys in the Fire Emblem mold?

  • Blerk #10 5 years ago

    The Nippon Ichi titles are mainly turn-based strategy RPGs, yes. Bloody excellent ones, too.

  • Genji #11 5 years ago

    In a very, very loose sense, yes. But they're mind-boggingly complicated.

    Fire Emblem is simpler, yet still very challenging. And you actually get to care about the characters. I find it much more compelling.

  • ekko #12 5 years ago

    4:3??? Oh come on Nintendo! I can forgive the lack of HD but widescreen is a must! What next? Mario Galaxy to be in black & white with mono sound?

  • MadMirko #13 5 years ago

    I thought classic controller and GC controller are the same thing for Wii games.

    4:3 is hopefully an artifact of the demo, like the article suggests.

    The Nippon Ichi games are nothing like Fire Emblem to anyone who actually likes / knows the genre. Nippon Ichi makes games for the number crunchers / munchkin type complete with all out over the top nonsensical comic fun.

    Fire Emblem usually takes itself way more seriously and focuses on stories with complex interactions between factions in a war. It has the infamous weapons-get-used-up mechanic paired with permanent-no-second-chance character death.

    I usually find Fire Emblem much more challenging than the Nippon Ichi's, and I love them both.
    Edited by 1 at 06/11/06 @ 10:04

  • Horse #14 5 years ago

    I bought both Fire Emblem GBA titles, but I don't think I'll bother with it any more. I'm just not able to complete a level with any dead characters. If they even let you save your game every three turns so that you wouldn't have to replay every 30-minute level in it's entirety to undo one mistake then I'd probably take a look, but I don't think they'll let up on that design decision any time soon.

  • Blerk #15 5 years ago

    I thought classic controller and GC controller are the same thing for Wii games.

    Not quite. They confirmed this weekend that you can only play Cube games with a Cube controller, not the classic controller - so there is at least some difference between the two.

    You can play Virtual Console games with the classic or the Cube controller though, so maybe the same holds true for non-Wand Wii titles.

  • The_Aardvark #16 5 years ago

    I'd much rather play a new handheld Fire Emblem than one that requires me to hog the TV for hours at a time.

  • Wobble #17 5 years ago

    if they haven't messed it up, then FE will probably be the game that makes me buy a wii.. so little interest in any of the other crap, I'll happily skip the first generation gimmicky crap.

  • Kostabi #18 5 years ago

    So to play the game you've got to fork over for a new controller too? Great.

  • TriodeBliss #19 5 years ago

    Perhaps they'll bundle a controller with the game, like Wii Play.

  • Nemesis #20 5 years ago

    FE is ruddy superb; it's the one title I'm really waiting for.

    Shop around and you can pick up the GBA versions and enjoy some of the best turn-based gameplay and sprite animations out there.



  • gaselite #21 5 years ago

    I dunno, without taking advantage of the remote somehow it seems kinda pointless :/ Just a bit of a dull prospect really, even though FE is traditionally very good.

  • alexg #22 5 years ago

    "the game not only uses the Classic Controller, but also plays out in 4:3 rather than widescreen."

    What the hell is up with all these underachieving Gamecube ports for the Wii.

    All the latest software announcements have been very very disappointing. Sticking so rigidly to conventions and refusing even to bother making any use of the controller?

  • blender #23 5 years ago

    looks like motion control is a FAILURE

    the wii is BROKEN

    we're DOOMED

  • coderkind #24 5 years ago

    Fire Emblem < Advance Wars

  • Shadar #25 5 years ago

    However, Fire Emblem > Batallion Wars.