In 1992, the second game in the Fire Emblem series, Fire Emblem Gaiden, launched exclusively in Japan. Now, for the first time, fans outside of Japan will get a taste of this classic game on the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia is inspired by the 1992 original, reimagined on a grander scale, where every aspect of the Fire Emblem Gaiden game’s presentation has been updated, along with the game being fully voiced.

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia will see players take control of the two separate armies of Alm and Celica as their differing quests attempt to achieve the unified goal of bringing peace to the land of Valentia. Battles in the Fire Emblem series see players take their small force of recruited soldiers against increasingly powerful armies in turn-based battles that require careful tactical planning, as mistakes or failed attacks will see units become exposed and vulnerable to enemy attack.

For players who want to extend their adventure even further, five major DLC packs are coming to the game starting on May 19, adding more maps, dungeons, characters and items.

Season Pass (May 19, $44.99, 22 pieces of content): The Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia Season Pass includes all five DLC packs as they release. By purchasing the Season Pass, fans who want to receive all DLC will save more than 30 percent compared to purchasing all 22 pieces of content on their own.

• DLC Pack #1 – Fledgling Warriors Pack (May 19, $7.99, three pieces of content): Ideal for early- to mid-game adventurers, this pack includes a new dungeon (The Astral Temple) and two new maps, great for gaining more items, money and experience points.
• DLC Pack #2 – Undaunted Heroes Pack (May 25, $9.99, three pieces of content): In addition to a new dungeon (The Inner Sanctum), this pack also includes two challenging new maps that stronger, more seasoned heroes will want to tackle.
• DLC Pack #3 – Lost Altars Pack (May 25, $14.99, 10 pieces of content): The mysterious dungeons included in this pack hold the power to upgrade characters to exclusive classes that don’t appear in the main game.
• DLC Pack #4 – Rise of the Deliverance Pack (June 1, $12.99, four pieces of content): Discover the previously untold history of Valentia in this Prologue pack. Complete with new story content and additional voice acting that details the rise of the Deliverance in Zofia, this collection of challenging maps includes new support conversations between selected heroes, as well as the ability to take command of a character players won’t be able to control in the main game.
• DLC Pack #5 ($5.99, two pieces of content): More information about this final DLC pack will be revealed in the future.

All of these packs, as well as the individual components included in each pack, can be purchased separately, giving players the flexibility to buy as many or as few as they want.

While Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia features all this great paid DLC, free downloadable content will also be released for the game after launch for a limited time, starting on May 19. The first free content is a special gift from Goddess Mila and can be obtained when playing the game.

Also launching on May 19 are the Alm and Celica amiibo figures, available only as a set at a suggested retail price of $24.99. When used in the game, these amiibo will activate their own exclusive dungeons, allowing heroes to earn items and level up their armies further by defeating bosses. By selecting Mila’s Turnwheel from the menu on the overworld map, they will also be able to take advantage of their Alm and Celica amiibo in battle. During combat, players can sacrifice a portion of Alm or Celica’s health in order to summon a computer-controlled illusory hero, which will act as a temporary ally for a single turn.

As Alm and Celica get stronger, their stats can be saved to their respective amiibo, allowing their summoned unit to grow in strength alongside them. In addition, all Fire Emblem amiibo from the Super Smash Bros. series can be used to summon an illusory hero of that character, allowing players to seek assistance from spectral visages of Marth, Ike, Roy, Robin, Lucina and the upcoming Corrin amiibo. All other currently available amiibo are also compatible, and will summon an additional monster to the battleground to assist players in battle, providing some much-needed help in case of a strategic emergency.

Fire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia will be available at a suggested retail price of $39.99.