Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones

 Game Boy Advance
User Score
9.0

Universal acclaim- based on 261 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 233 out of 261
  2. Mixed: 21 out of 261
  3. Negative: 7 out of 261
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  1. fuor22
    May 31, 2023
    10
    I have so much fun every time I play this game. Everything about it, from the story to the gameplay, is just amazing. I enjoyed every moment while playing this game
  2. JustAGameGuy
    May 18, 2023
    9
    Easily the best game from the GBA era of Fire Emblem, at least in my opinion. Despite having a simplistic storyline, the fun characters and map design make up for it greatly. With some of the best villains the series has to offer, I’d recommend Sacred Stones to anyone looking to enter the Fire Emblem series
  3. Yojimbo2015
    May 5, 2023
    8
    The Fire Emblem games on the Advance are all so similar they're basically interchangable, If you like one, you'll like them all.
  4. ZXSth
    Feb 27, 2023
    8
    An incredibly accessible and engaging entry among the GBA Fire Emblem games, and arguably the best of all 3. While not offering a groundbreaking story or mechanics, Sacred Stones offers plenty of new features while also toning down the difficulty in non-contrived ways (like adding opportunities to grind). Such innovations, in combination with an above-par story, a branching story andAn incredibly accessible and engaging entry among the GBA Fire Emblem games, and arguably the best of all 3. While not offering a groundbreaking story or mechanics, Sacred Stones offers plenty of new features while also toning down the difficulty in non-contrived ways (like adding opportunities to grind). Such innovations, in combination with an above-par story, a branching story and moderately compelling characters, helped this game defy my expectations for what I could get out of a Fire Emblem game on the GBA. While perhaps archaic and dated when compared to modern entries, Sacred Stones is a fantastic Fire Emblem game.… Expand
  5. Phuz
    Feb 11, 2023
    10
    I have this ported on WiiU rather than on GBA. What a fantastic game. FE done right. Story, combat. OST is amazing.

    Easy 10.

    Loved it straight away.
  6. klaaz
    Jan 25, 2023
    9
    A game that continues with respect to its previous release. Its larger mapping takes away the weight of the story. Despite not reaching the level of its previous installment is still one of the best games of the GBA and one of the best of the series as such.
  7. hector_bcn98
    Oct 31, 2022
    8
    Más de lo mismo que el anterior Fire Emblem, para lo bueno y para lo malo.
  8. elpsycongruent
    Aug 5, 2022
    9
    The was my first Fire Emblem game, back in the day, and it still holds up really well.
  9. Lifeiscurvy
    Apr 12, 2021
    10
    Absolutely love this game. Defined a good part of my childhood. The handheld versions of fire emblem have their own unique charm.
  10. Sunshadow87
    Jun 4, 2020
    9
    Una genial entrega a la saga, pero no una de las mejores. Comparándola con el juego justo anterior (al cual más se parece) pierde parte del encanto. La historia es buena, los personajes son buenos, pero no es un juego que resulte tan rejugable como el anterior. Es posible que esto sea debido al mayor tamaño de algunos mapas, que aunque hacen de estos muy disfrutables una vez, no incitanUna genial entrega a la saga, pero no una de las mejores. Comparándola con el juego justo anterior (al cual más se parece) pierde parte del encanto. La historia es buena, los personajes son buenos, pero no es un juego que resulte tan rejugable como el anterior. Es posible que esto sea debido al mayor tamaño de algunos mapas, que aunque hacen de estos muy disfrutables una vez, no incitan tanto a repetirlos especialmente cuando pueden costar dos horas completarlos (y no olvidemos que la dificultad no es moco de pavo y el permadeath).… Expand
  11. frederik1478
    Mar 5, 2020
    10
    my favorite Fire Emblem game , and has many unique features from Fire Emblem Gaiden has just done it right
  12. Red_Spectre
    Feb 4, 2020
    10
    One of my all-time favorite games. I love this game biasly. Absolute brilliance and grace in story telling as well as gameplay.
  13. SonyBroWhirrrr
    Dec 8, 2019
    10
    Best FE game. Stay mad, FE7 babies LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL
  14. Grijandor
    Nov 11, 2019
    9
    Esta saga en GBA tiene una sencillez y fluidez que ha perdido en entregas más modernas que son más vistosas pero no tienen tanto carisma, este título en concreto combina eso junto con poder seleccionar las promociones de las unidades y personalizar un poco más tu ejército, incluyó clases nuevas, dos caminos a seguir y una especie de torre de combate que hace que no se limite solo a seguirEsta saga en GBA tiene una sencillez y fluidez que ha perdido en entregas más modernas que son más vistosas pero no tienen tanto carisma, este título en concreto combina eso junto con poder seleccionar las promociones de las unidades y personalizar un poco más tu ejército, incluyó clases nuevas, dos caminos a seguir y una especie de torre de combate que hace que no se limite solo a seguir la historia y listo… Expand
  15. shootingstars99
    Aug 13, 2019
    7
    This is a great tactical RPG from when Fire Emblem was still a great tactical RPG series. With two branching stories, the level of replay-ability instantly doubles to see the events of the game from two different points of view. The customization of units has a little more depth this time around, due to being able to select one of two classes upon a class up. As with the earlier FireThis is a great tactical RPG from when Fire Emblem was still a great tactical RPG series. With two branching stories, the level of replay-ability instantly doubles to see the events of the game from two different points of view. The customization of units has a little more depth this time around, due to being able to select one of two classes upon a class up. As with the earlier Fire Emblem games, the plot is thick and rich, interesting well designed characters, and geopolitical conflict that moves the narrative forward. If you love tactical RPG games, don't pass this one up, there are a lot of extras and unlockables to achieve even long after the game has been completed!… Expand
  16. GotuUmraniya
    Oct 26, 2017
    9
    While it may not have as good of a story as fire emblem, it more than makes up for it by providing a world map where you can grind, a cast of good characters and retains the same charm as of the other fire emblem game on GBA, one of the best strategy rpg as well as one of the best in the fire emblem series.
  17. DanHazy
    Feb 29, 2016
    10
    So you will know what type of gamer is writing this review, I'll list three of my favorite games. 

    Danganronpa  Fire emblem  Atelier Totori  THE GOOD: GAMEPLAY: Fantastic gameplay, loads of fun. There are a lot of recruitable characters, I would say about thirty in game. You can recruit some in the endgame as well. Support conversations during battle delve into their    So you will know what type of gamer is writing this review, I'll list three of my favorite games. 

    Danganronpa 
    Fire emblem 
    Atelier Totori 

    THE GOOD:

    GAMEPLAY: Fantastic gameplay, loads of fun. There are a lot of recruitable characters, I would say about thirty in game. You can recruit some in the endgame as well. Support conversations during battle delve into their personalities. I'll delve more into gameplay further down in this review.

    MUSIC: Music is violins and trumpets and keyboards mostly. Nothing stands out as great as far as the games music. 
    STORY: Story is good but not great. Intriguing at certain moments but mostly a very average storyline. 

    GRAPHICS: Graphics are what you would expect from a gba game 

    GAME LENGTH: Lots of gameplay time. I spent about 65 hours in this game but that includes the bonus content such as recruiting the extra characters after completion of the game. 

    THE BAD:

    There wasn't anything bad to list about this game in my opinion.

    IN DEPTH REVIEW:

    The gameplay is strategy based. You first prepare your army such as picking the recruits you want to take into battle and equipping weapons and healing items to them. Each recruit can have five items on their person at a time. You can scan the level beforehand to see which recruits are best for the level and also see the enemy's items and also to see if there are any recruitable characters on the level. Some recruits can be missed and not recruited if you do not talk to them with a certain recruit. You can also change your recruits starting position before you begin the level. 

    To actually play the level, you must meet the requirements to beat that level. Most of the time the requirements are to kill all enemies. To do this, you move your units around a grid based level. Attacking enemy units or retreating when necessary. Enemies also come for your party so building a defensive wall is important at times. The weapons you combat with matter in this game, swords are better against axes, and lances are better against swords. Magic also has its weapon triangle guidelines. There are also archers in this game and healers. A couple of special units as well such as a dancer which can give one unit an extra turn during one of the players turns. I'll list some character classes, 

    Troubadour: a units with great movement that can heal only. 
    Knight: a unit with little movement range but great defense. 
    Archer: a unit who has an extra attack range but cannot attack back when in close combat. 
    Mage: a unit who can attack one or two spaces away with magic. 
    Cavalier: a horseback unit that can use lances and swords. 
    Thief: a unit who can open chest and steal certain items from enemy units. Can also attack but not very effectivly. 

    Units can change class after reaching level 10-20. The advanced class has many bonuses including an extra 20 level ups the recruit can obtain and sometimes the recruit who changed class can use extra weapons or magic or staves. Every recruit has two classes to choose from when they change class. Each with their unique strong points. 

    When a recruit dies on the level, you LOSE that unit PERMANENTLY. This is the Fire Emblem way. 
    There are arenas in this game on certain levels that let's you fight for money and experience. You can max a recruit or all recruits at these arenas but your unit will be forever lost if you die in the arena. You can suspend on levels and then soft reset the system to save your progress so you will not waste hours at the arena when a unit dies. Simply load the suspended data and restart your progress from that point. I spent many hours at the arenas, it was one of the things I liked most about this game that isn't in every Fire Emblem title. 

    SIDE NOTE:

    Also, this game is rare now and most copies for sale are very expensive. I lucked out and got a copy that works from Amazon.com for about 20 dollars. Most copies were in the 100 dollar range as I recall. That just shows how great this game is I suppose but I would recommend this game at the 100 dollar price tag. That how great I think this game is. You will likely play it more than once so you could put over a 100 hours into this game which equals out to a dollar an hour to play. Not to bad. Also, the other Fire Emblem titles are very expensive as well except for Fire Emblem Awakening and Fire Emblem Fates which were released rather recently.

    That wraps this review up, hope it helps.    … Expand
  18. Key_Notes88
    Dec 3, 2014
    9
    The Tower of Valni!

    If there was one beef I had with the first Fire Emblem on GBA in America, it was the leveling of my characters. The Tower of Valni addressed this in such a wonderful way. No matter which characters you took with you in the main chapters to battle, the Tower of Valni made it possible to max each character's level before continuing to a challenging chapter. Also new to    The Tower of Valni!

    If there was one beef I had with the first Fire Emblem on GBA in America, it was the leveling of my characters. The Tower of Valni addressed this in such a wonderful way. No matter which characters you took with you in the main chapters to battle, the Tower of Valni made it possible to max each character's level before continuing to a challenging chapter. Also new to the series are the skirmish battles around the world map, which weren't necessary to advance in the story, but good for leveling characted and testing out new strategies.

    -The gameplay is as addictive as ever. Nothing new added to the series here as you can still plot out your moves and see the odds of success before each battle. You can also see your enemies range of movement during each turn giving a great advantage over deployment. Characters can encourage one another on the battlefield by using the talk command between two compatible characters. However, I did not take advantage of this feature as much and it's definitely not necessary, just a useful tool at times and if you're looking for extra dialogue.

    -The Story is very memorable, although the dialogue can get to be a bit tedious at times and you may find yourself wanting to skip ahead. It won't take you on any kind of emotional roller coaster of sorts.

    -The cast of characters are plentiful. Which is necessary as character permadeath is still here, and if you lose one of your favorite characters in battle, it can be a devastating thing to experience. Sacred Stones balances this well as many times, you will get caught off-guard by enemy reinforcements, and if you've spent over 45 minutes on one chapter, getting close to the end and one of your characters die; you have a choice to press forward or start that chapter all over again. It's sometimes a hard choice to make.

    -The amount of content is incredible, not only will the Tower of Valni make you invest hours upon hours of gameplay, all the while improving your troops, but the skirmishes and the after game content is incredible, not to mention the two paths that can be chosen in the middle of the game. If you want to go back and experience the other main characters separate path, you have that option to play it all over again.

    This is a classic in the Fire Emblem series and not much can be said in the way for areas of improvement. If you're a strategy RPG fan and a fan of a good story, definitely play this game.    … Expand
  19. Schizoidmouse
    Oct 20, 2014
    10
    Fire Emblem is a tactical turn-based RPG that hasn't been replicated in any other series and is quite unique. Now this series has been made from the NES era all the way till now with its newest addition, Fire Emblem: Awakening. The evolution of game play is more noticeable from the switch to NES and SNES to the Gameboy Advance. That means that some are just glossed over while others becomeFire Emblem is a tactical turn-based RPG that hasn't been replicated in any other series and is quite unique. Now this series has been made from the NES era all the way till now with its newest addition, Fire Emblem: Awakening. The evolution of game play is more noticeable from the switch to NES and SNES to the Gameboy Advance. That means that some are just glossed over while others become more popular due to timing. Sacred Stones suffers from this same problem.

    Sacred Stones is a stand-alone game in the series and arguably the darkest of them all. The story is centered on the continent of Magvell which is ruled by several monarchies and political systems. The politics enveloping the land is just a small side-story of the entire game with its numerous sub-plots. The story develops in a depressing manner as the themes of death and loss constantly rear their ugly head each turn. This allows the player to feel ultimate triumph and at the same time melancholy as you see the destruction of lands and people around you. These mixed feelings make you ask questions while at the same time gives you some understanding of the time period. Like all the games before it, once you lose a character they will be dead for good and in this one some scenes are lost through said loss. The story changes and hinges on your ability to keep your allies alive which is an awesome feeling.

    Evolution wise it came right after the game changers and was the last on the GBA era of Fire Emblem games. While the maps in previous FE games were just for helping you place where you are in the story, in Sacred Stones it is more than that. This time you move around the map by your own volition and enter the chapter when you feel you are up to the task. This map didn't stop there; you had monster encounters, buying of weapons on map, and even challenge areas for the end game. It featured duels against other people as you choose your best units against theirs. If that wasn't enough, it added monsters unique to the game such as Centaurs, Skeletons and more.

    Now the nuances; this game has a large cast of characters that like most Fire Emblem games don't get much time to flesh out. In the past two titles, they added in support conversations for characters if you took the time to do them. I found that they perfected them in this game since each one allowed you to see sides of your unit you didn't know and allowed some sort of depth beyond the nameless face.

    It introduced crossroads in classing up units. Every unit had two choices to choose between. If you were a knight, you could either become a general or a great knight. As well as having the three units who could class up twice, this was an addition to the game that allows the player more choice than the past ones. Despite this being an interest road to go down, they ruin it later on with the overuse of this game mechanic.

    The OST has some of the more memorable songs for myself including the gentle ones like Lyon's theme and the dramatic encounters with a powerful opponent. It made it that much more satisfying as you finally finished off those who did you wrong. Graphics wise its not really different from the other GBA Fire Emblems. The only things to point out is the awesome opening and the ending boss' design.

    This game was a masterpiece and allowed Fire Emblem fanatics and new-comers a story to get enveloped into and to feel for. It adds onto the previous additions and makes further advances. Even though it was glossed over, Fire Emblem Sacred Stones certainly holds up, even to today's standards of handheld games.

    Story: 10
    Gameplay: 9.6
    Sound: 9.5
    Visuals: 9.5
    Overall: 9.6    … Expand
  20. baydejay
    May 24, 2014
    10
    My favorite game in the entire series. Fun gameplay that improves on previous entries. Memorable characters that you will find yourself restarting the game for, so as not to lose them. An opportunity to strengthen characters at the Tower of Valni which helps if you're struggling. And lastly, fantastic replayablility seeing as you can have a completely different team that you focus on inMy favorite game in the entire series. Fun gameplay that improves on previous entries. Memorable characters that you will find yourself restarting the game for, so as not to lose them. An opportunity to strengthen characters at the Tower of Valni which helps if you're struggling. And lastly, fantastic replayablility seeing as you can have a completely different team that you focus on in each play through. Its easy to pick up and play even for newcomers to the series, I would strongly recommend it… Expand
  21. MrZlayerX
    Jul 13, 2013
    7
    The only problem with this game, its the items to make the promotions, you need to think very smart and pick your favorite characters. But still fun and the choices of histories are great
  22. KimJong-Fun
    May 21, 2013
    8
    Great fun. Nice gameplay, great story and very, very addictive. Hard and infuriating when you lose a great unit, but still one of the best strategy games I have ever played.
  23. domflo
    Feb 5, 2013
    10
    After the relative success that was Fire Emblem (Rekka no Ken, to be precise), Nintendo decided to release it's successor, The Sacred Stones, in the west as well. And, let me tell you this, it was the right decision.
    The game's art style is a bit darker than before, and the story is a bit more straightforward than Rekka no Ken's story was. The cast of characters has also been reduced,    After the relative success that was Fire Emblem (Rekka no Ken, to be precise), Nintendo decided to release it's successor, The Sacred Stones, in the west as well. And, let me tell you this, it was the right decision.
    The game's art style is a bit darker than before, and the story is a bit more straightforward than Rekka no Ken's story was. The cast of characters has also been reduced, allowing for a deeper view on each character this time around. Gameplay wise, this game plays exactly like it's predecessor. The only notable differences are special class skills that some classes inhabit, and, most importantly, the world map. The world map feature allows the player to visit shops freely after clearing a certain chapter, and it also grants access to what most people would call training grounds: The Tower of Valni. It allows the player to go through it over and over, thus training your units. This can be used to make the game easier, or to level up characters post-story. Concerning difficulty, this game should be a good one for beginners, as it is a bit easier than other Fire Emblems, not only but also thanks to the Tower of Valni mentioned earlier. The replayability is, as one would expect knowing the franchise, very high. Not only can you continue playing after beating the story (to unlock certain characters, for example), but there are also two main routes to follow the story on. One has to play the game at least twice to get to enjoy all chapters, which could tick some people off, but shouldn't be a big deal, as this game is very addicting.
    To conclude, the game is one of the best in the franchise, and one of the best games for the system as well. It manages to be absolutely "Fire Emblem" while adding some spice with some small changes and attracting new players that are easily frustrated by the other installment(s). If you own a GameBoy Advance or a Nintendo DS/DS lite and are at least remotely interested in turn-based strategy, this game is a must have.    … Expand
  24. Teru_XD
    Jan 23, 2013
    10
    Amazing game. I was a bit skeptical at first, but when I finally got to play it through the 3DS Ambassador Program, I was floored. This game is addictive as hell! The replay value is definitely strong in this one.
  25. NocheShade
    Dec 30, 2012
    10
    Tenouttaten!
    Truly the best game I've played.The story is well written,the graphics are well done and the game play is superb.With 2 to 3 characters of every class and each character being individual statistic-ly and personality wise,each play through is different and fresh.Amazing
  26. SnivySomnia
    Oct 21, 2012
    9
    Pretty damn good. I still prefer most of the other games, but this is still well done. The characters don't have AS MUCH life to them, but they're still great.
  27. Teliiii
    May 27, 2012
    9
    One of the greatest RPG games I've ever played! Amazing storyline, interesting battle animations and fantastic music as well. This is a must have for RPG lovers!
  28. Playtapus
    Feb 11, 2012
    10
    The game is one of the most addicting original gameboy games I have. Everytime I go on vacation, I always pack my DS and this game. I have gone over the campaign multiple times, on different modes and various challenges and tasks for myself. The campaign is well thought-out and thrilling, and the graphics can definitely satisfy your eyes. Even in 2012 you should buy it, as it is worthThe game is one of the most addicting original gameboy games I have. Everytime I go on vacation, I always pack my DS and this game. I have gone over the campaign multiple times, on different modes and various challenges and tasks for myself. The campaign is well thought-out and thrilling, and the graphics can definitely satisfy your eyes. Even in 2012 you should buy it, as it is worth every single penny.… Expand
  29. SwoopTrust
    Nov 10, 2011
    9
    Definitely a weaker entry after the absolute masterpiece that was Fire Emblem, but manages to be good on it's own. It's a good entry on the series, but i find the Tower of Valni being more of a con than a pro, it makes the game just too easy. That's more or less what'r wrong with it, the rest is superb. more classes, more things to do. It's great.
  30. GeoffreyP
    Jan 12, 2010
    10
    I loved this game from the beginning. I love how you aren't stuck to the story line. The dragons are great and summoners are even better! It is one great strategy game!!!!
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Awards & Rankings

3
#3 Best Game Boy Advance Game of 2005
3
#3 Most Discussed Game Boy Advance Game of 2005
7
#7 Most Shared Game Boy Advance Game of 2005

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
85

Generally favorable reviews - based on 38 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 36 out of 38
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 38
  3. Negative: 0 out of 38
  1. Da Gameboyz
    88
    One of the deepest and enjoyable games I have played in sometime, let alone the fact that is on the GBA.
    Read full review
  2. GameSpot
    88
    Offers a lengthy, rewarding, thought-provoking experience that truly makes you feel as though the decisions you make, waging one exciting battle after the next, carry serious consequences.
    Read full review
  3. Worth Playing
    88
    If you can handle a strategy game that'll ruthlessly punish you for making even minor mistakes, pick this up the next chance you get.
    Read full review
See all critic reviews »