Nintendo is continuing its move to cater to mobile games with a new Android version of Fire Emblem. Called Fire Emblem Heroes, the title looks like a stripped down version of the games available on the 3DS.
Maps are limited to a 6 x 8 grid to fit most smartphone displays. Controls are fairly simple, with players dragging characters around the screen to direct movement. Which is pretty much all there is to the game. Although the rock-paper-scissors approach to class types also makes an appearance to add some tactical depth to the game.
Characters are collected using Orbs that provide random drops. These Orbs can be earned through regular gameplay, or be bought using real money. The micro-transactions also mean that Fire Emblem Heroes will be a free to play title.
Interestingly, the announcement video shows that all heroes can be levelled to a maximum of five stars. Essentially telling players that they are free to try to grind their way to the top. It’s hard to say if how long this will take, considering that the goal is to get people to buy Orbs.
Fire Emblem Heroes will be released on 2 February for Android devices; although the pre-registration starts today. No release date was provided for iOS, but Nintendo says that it will be made available soon.
