Author: John Scalzo

I don’t think anyone could have guessed how divisive Super Mario Run would turn out to be, but Nintendo is taking their second crack at a mobile game next month with the release of Fire Emblem Heroes.

Fully unveiled during last night’s Fire Emblem Direct presentation, Fire Emblem Heroes is a free-to-play strategy RPG that’ll feature a number of “legendary heroes” from the franchise:

Fire Emblem Heroes is an original strategy RPG about two warring kingdoms in a bitter clash. As a summoner, players build their army by calling upon popular Fire Emblem heroes from worlds that span the breadth of the series. Players will wage tactical battles streamlined for on-the-go play and level up a mix of new combatants and legendary heroes. Some familiar hero characters will become allies, while others will become enemy generals.

Players can enjoy the full majesty of tactical role playing on bite-sized maps designed to fit nicely on a smartphone screen, even when playing in short bursts. Players lead their armies with easy touch-and-drag controls, including the ability to attack by simply swiping an ally hero over an enemy. If they manage to defeat every enemy on a given map, victory will be theirs. The heroes are depicted in new art hand-drawn by a variety of illustrators, and their voices have been newly recorded.

A multiplayer mode will give players the option to practice battling with friends and strangers, and future updates will add new characters and content to the game.

Speaking of characters, fans can visit the game’s official website to vote on which legendary heroes they’d like to see in Fire Emblem Heroes. The hero and heroine who receive the most votes will be featured in the game as special “Choose Your Legends” event characters.

In a reverse of Super Mario Run’s situation, Fire Emblem Heroes will be available to download exclusively on Android devices on February 2. Nintendo will announce an iOS release schedule at a later date.