I've had a serious problem these past few days. Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones hit stores across the nation, and with its release came the need to review it. In a perfect world, this would be absolutely wonderful. I love the Fire Emblem series. Why wouldn't I jump at the chance to review the sequel to a game that held me hostage for more than 30 days and 30 nights?

I did jump at the chance! I was held hostage ... again.

The Sacred Stones utilizes the same addictive formula employed by the first Fire Emblem. The basics are like any turn-based strategy game, especially those of the RPG nature. Battlefields are divided by squares. All the characters, good and bad, are given the chance to move across the squares every turn. In addition to moving they are given one action: attack, rescue, trade, use an item, etc. Attacks are also based on squares; if the monster you wish to attack is standing on the square adjacent to your character, chances are you can attack it. Mages, bishops and other spell-casting characters can attack diagonally, or from a square or two away. Same goes for archers, and any character that can throw a javelin.

Conceptually, it sounds like the most primitive game. But once you enter the world you won't be able to leave. It has the Pokemon effect on players: the battles are easier than a hardcore strategy/RPG, yet they become addictive the instant you start to play.

Classic characters return from the previous saga, indicating that the developers wanted players to survive the first quest with every party member intact. When Fire Emblem's characters die in battle, they really die. They don't make a big scene out of it (though that might be something interesting for them to pursue in future episodes), but you do get a brief farewell speech. It usually includes a line about how the character was inferior and can no longer continue battling. After that, don't look for them in the unit selection screen. They won't be there.

For a guy like me, someone who must save every village and every villager (and protect my own weak party), it means re-starting each chapter at least once. The game automatically ends if a main character dies, saving me the trouble of having to hit the off switch.

All of Fire Emblem's best features return for the sequel, including the ability to upgrade your warriors using special items (they're different for each character class). When a character reaches level 10, a specific item may be used to turn them into a more powerful fighter. Pegasus Knights, for example, can become Wyvern Riders. These dragon-like beasts are stronger, faster, and less likely to be killed when left unprotected. Upgrades not only add strength to the character, but it also increases their energy bar and changes their appearance.

Battle actions are determined by the weapon you choose to attack with. The battle screen gives Fire Emblem the look of an RPG, but it's solely used to show exactly what happens to each of the characters. It's vital that you have at least a few strong characters that can take on multiple enemies without losing a quarter of its energy. Guard the weaker characters (like mages who can heal your injured party members and Pegasus Knights who can carry your warriors across water). More than a dozen times I failed to guard them properly. The enemy saw this opening, took it, and killed them.

Compounding this scenario is the frequency of fog. It hides enemies until you approach them – by the time they're visible, it might be too late to do anything about it.

Not all party members can climb mountains, but that doesn't stop your enemies from climbing them. Most of your characters can't swim, but guess who can?

These challenges and more create one of the most immersive Nintendo games released in the past 15 years. You won't even think of it as being a Nintendo game – it's more like a Square RPG, minus the spectacular storytelling. (The Sacred Stones tells a decent story, but it's not half as deep as the gameplay.)

New to the Fire Emblem series is the addition of side battles that can be fought repeatedly. Normally the battles are divided by maps; the maps are divided by chapters. Once passed, chapters cannot be repeated.

The side battles, however, are separate from the main quest and do not affect the story in any way. Battle monsters that randomly appear, or fight the beasts from a tower that increases in difficulty with each level. (The tower's level, not the level of your characters.)

Without playing The Sacred Stones you should be able to figure out how great and how awful these battles can be. I loved being able to increase the power of party members that would have otherwise gone unused. Or if I did use them, they'd stay in a corner somewhere, and I'd spend the entire battle fighting to keep them alive. That's no way to enjoy a strategy game.

On the other hand, leveling is one of the most repetitive things you can do in an RPG – I didn't look forward to doing it here. It wasn't horrible, but it did get tiresome after a while. There were times when, just to get a change of pace, I'd delve into the next chapter whether my party was ready or not.

On the other, other hand, leveling takes away the insane difficulty that was present in the first game. This might be good for some players, but Fire Emblem was a rarity, not just for Nintendo, but for the industry as a whole. I liked being overwhelmed. I liked having a party that was weak and unbalanced. I liked that it was different from an RPG – that's not what the series is supposed to be.

Nonetheless, I don't have to level up. No one does. We can choose to ignore these new battles (though you should fight them at least once since they are pretty tough) and go through the game as weak and helpless as we please.

Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones is not as brutal as the original, but it's just as enjoyable. It's just as addictive (to the point where I can't bear to do anything else but play it). It's what we wanted from a Fire Emblem sequel: more of everything that was great about the original. Which, in this case, happens to be everything.

Gameplay: 8.5
Turn-based strategy that'll turn your life upside down. Once Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones was released, I sold all my pillows, got rid of my blankets and pawned my bed for a bow and arrow (because you never know when the monsters are going to jump out of the screen and expect a real fight). Sleep is not an option for a game this good.

Graphics: 7.9
Attractive for a Game Boy Advance game. The battles are colorful, and although their animations are repetitive, they’re still a bit more varied than those of Pokemon or Advance Wars.

Sound: 7.5
The Sacred Stone’s soundtrack is very entertaining, but it’s also very repetitive. The music doesn’t sound that different from the original.

Difficulty: Medium
Additional side battles have been added to make the leveling up process more like an RPG. Although the main quest is a one-shot deal, the side battles can be fought repeatedly. It makes The Sacred Stone less frustrating, but also less challenging than the original.

Concept: 7.9
Fire Emblem 2.0. New story, new monsters, new levels, and more characters!

Multiplayer: 5.0
Auto-battles for two. You don’t get to strategize, line up your men, and strike. You don’t get to do anything.

Overall: 8.5
"Addictive" is a word gamers use a lot. You know it was used properly when it's used to describe a game that prevented you from, at one time or another...

...Going to the bathroom.

...Eating.

...Showering.

(Ironically, if I don't eat, I don't need to use the bathroom! Playing a Game Boy Advance game isn't active enough to work up a sweat – why waste time shower if I don't have to?)

I'm sure I just revealed too much information about my gaming habits, but come 'on, you know you're the same way. Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones will have that effect on everyone.