One of the best Fire Emblem games just got added to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack service, finally bringing back an official way to play it after the previous go-to option disappeared along with the death of the Wii U eShop.
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones first released in 2004, and while it's the eighth installment in the tactical RPG series, it was only the second one to be released outside of Japan. It's a fan favorite to this day, with a likeable cast of characters including the two blue-haired protagonists, royal twins Eirika and Ephraim, and as one of the more forgiving Fire Emblem titles, it's one of the best games for beginners to the series. However, it's become very difficult to play via official means.
Back in 2011, The Sacred Stones was offered for free as part of the 3DS Ambassador Program, for anyone who bought a 3DS in its first few months before its price drop, but wasn't made widely available until 2014 (or 2015 outside of Japan) when it arrived on the Wii U as a Virtual Console release.
Any early 3DS owners or those who grabbed the game on Wii U before the eShop shut down at the end of March 2023 are still able to play it on their respective previous-gen consoles, of course. However, if you missed out, then unless you're willing to jump onto eBay to grab a copy (which, as you'd expect, is getting increasingly more expensive, especially when boxed), you're probably out of luck. Or at least, that was the case before today.
As a Game Boy Advance game, Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones is only available via the more expensive, expanded version of Nintendo Switch Online, which also includes Nintendo 64 and Sega Genesis games. Even so, it's a welcome alternative compared to, well, pretty much no other official ways to play.
For more games like Fire Emblem, be sure to check out our roundups of the best RPGs and best strategy games.
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