'Fire Emblem If' Release Date News: Much Easier to Play with Weapons Durability System Removed

The Nintendo 3DS game "Fire Emblem If" will reportedly come in two brand-new modes, Casual and Phoenix, which will make it much easier to play. The game's weapons durability system has also reportedly been done away with. Now, the weapons can be used in unlimited fashion.

The details about the upcoming game were originally revealed by Kohei Maeda, director at Nintendo's Intelligent Systems, in an interview by the Japanese magazine Famitsu. The interview was then translated in a number of gaming sites.

Maeda said the game will come in two versions when it is launched. One is titled "Black Kingdom" while the other is "White Kingdom," which is the easier version where the weapon durability system has been removed.

In the previous game in the series "Fire Emblem: Awakening," weapons durability provided a big challenge to players who were forced to limit the use of the best weapons and spells in their arsenal to be able to last long in the game. The players were forced to use inferior weapons, causing them much difficulty. With the weapons durability system gone, players not need check their arsenal of bows, spears and swords just before each battle.

As for the two modes, Casual will allow dead characters to revive at the end of the game; choosing Phoenix will cause them to revive at the next turn. Once a player has made a choice of his preferred mode as the start of the game, he cannot change it until he finishes the game.

The protagonist in the game is either "Dark Princess" or "Dark Prince." Players can choose the gender of the characters along with their voice and appearance. These characters possess the power of the Dragon Pulse which they can use to trigger earthquakes or demolish mountains.

"Fire Emblem If" was announced in the Nintendo Direct event which took place last January. The game will be released in Japan on June 26. It is expected to land in the United States sometime in 2016.