Classic Fire Emblem Game Hits Nintendo Switch Online

Surprise! Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones is now available in the Nintendo Switch Online game library.

Originally hitting the Game Boy Advance in 2004, this title only reached Western audiences in 2005. It’s a standalone story following Renais' twin royal heirs, Eirika and Ephraim, as they battle to reclaim their kingdom and unravel the mystery of a former ally's betrayal.

This could be many players' first chance to experience The Sacred Stones — it launched two full decades ago and was only the second Fire Emblem title to release internationally at the time, marking the series' final GBA installment.

We considered Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones a standout, scoring it 8.5/10 in our 2005 review and noting: “Think of Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones in relation to the original Fire Emblem the same way Advance Wars 2 built on the first Advance Wars. It feels less like a leap forward and more like a substantial new narrative layered onto the refined GBA Fire Emblem gameplay established in 2003.”

Nintendo Switch Online is the Switch's subscription-based service for online play and classic games. Membership lets you play online with friends while granting access to a growing catalog of classics from Nintendo consoles like the NES, SNES, Game Boy, and Nintendo 64 — with GameCube titles set to join the lineup when the Nintendo Switch 2 arrives. A seven-day free trial is also offered.

Speaking of Nintendo's next console: the Nintendo Switch 2 was originally set for a June 5, 2025 release priced at $449.99. However, its pre-order timeline was pushed back in the United States following financial market shifts triggered by new import tariffs under President Trump. Nintendo Switch 2 pre-orders are now scheduled to begin on April 24, with launch pricing holding at $449.99.

You can register your interest with Nintendo now to receive notifications about Switch 2 and accessory pre-orders via the My Nintendo Store. Purchase invitations will be emailed on a first-come, first-served basis, though priority will go to active Nintendo Switch Online members with a 12-month subscription and 50+ hours of gameplay logged by April 2, 2025.