There are two things to keep in mind when you read these impressions. 1) I've been a long time fan of the Fire Emblem series and am familiar with many elements and subtle characteristics of what constitutes a Fire Emblem game, and 2) this is based on only approximately 6 hours of play.

Famitsu and other publications were not kidding when they said this Fire Emblem game was the easiest in the series. The last Fire Emblem game released, Thracia 776 for the Super Famicom platform, was pretty much the hardest simulation/RPG I had ever played. It was also brilliantly designed with several layers of complexity to it. In short, the game was perfect.

Coming from Thracia 776, the Sealed Sword feels like a major disappointment. The game is much easier (I was able to get to chapter 8 in 5 hours, whereas it took me weeks to get that far in Thracia 776). Everything has been simplified and many elements of previous series have been removed. Mounted units cannot dismount or move again after attacking. Cannot capture enemies. Can't pick up and pass in the same turn. Carry only 5 weapons/items instead of 7. And much more.

On the other hand, if you've only played (and loved) Advance Wars, you might fall in love with this game for Fire Emblem The Sealed Sword is truly designed for beginners or players new to the series. There is a tutorial that, while short, does teaches you enough basics to understand how the game works. The scenarios progress in a fashion of steadily increasing difficulty with various new elements at work. There is also a new buddy elemental system (the sole innovating feature in the game). Because the game is much easier than previous works, you'll have a much less frustrating experience, and for some, that is better than having to tear your hair out and replay a scenario 30 times over (like I did quite a few times in Thracia 776).

The multiplayer mode probably offers the most potential. Once you start a game, you can use that game's party in doing various multiplayer modes. I have not yet had a chance to test this, but I will this weekend (since I am getting a second copy of the game).

Even though The Sealed Sword has been toned down, the game is by no means a cakewalk. Especially for new players, there are many secrets that might be challenging to get, and it's always frustrating whenever a character dies (as they don't come back to life). I've also noticed that some scenarios have been taking me quite a while to beat, and if Advance Wars and Thracia 776 are any indication, beating these chapters in very few turns is one of the main challenges of the game.

If you're thinking about potentially importing the game, keep in mind that unless you can read Japanese fluently or even partially, you'll have to get over the hurdle of figuring out what the menus and commands do. And you won't understand the story. PlanetGameCube will have a Game Guide complete with translations very soon with importers in mind.

The bottomline is this: If you loved Advance Wars, and you haven't played any previous Fire Emblem games EXCEPT the first three (the first 2 Famicom titles and then Fire Emblem Monshou no Nazo), you will probably love this game rightfully so (after all that is the target audience for this game). If on the other hand you're a Fire Emblem veteran who mastered both Seisen no Kiefu and Thracia 776, and you even played TearRing Saga on the Playstation, you might be gravely disappointed at the lack of complexity and effort put into the game.

An in-depth review later on will further explain the differences between this Fire Emblem and other Fire Emblem games, in addition to comparing it to other strategy/RPG series.