October 17^th, 2005 (4:52pm) - Most videogames can be quite forgiving when it comes to matters of life and death. If a character dies at the hands of an overpowering foe or player error, no problem – just hit a button and restart. But Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, which launches today exclusively for GameCube, doesn’t let players cut corners. If someone in a player’s band of mercenaries dies, that’s it – the character is gone for good.

"Like its predecessors in the Fire Emblem series, Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance forces players to make tough choices to protect their characters, even as they become emotionally invested in their survival," said George Harrison, Nintendo of America’s senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "The combination of engaging emotions from the right side of players’ brains and planning strategy with their left has contributed to the enormous fan base and success of the series and anticipation of this latest title, which includes even richer features on the Nintendo GameCube."

This fantasy role-playing game features stunning 3-D graphics and an array of characters such as knights, monks and cavaliers that can turn the tide of battles. The game also introduces a race of half-human, half-animals known as the laguz, that take on the appearance of cats, ravens or dragons, each with special powers and abilities.

The Fire Emblem series has a huge fan base in Japan, and a cult following in the United States. This is the first Fire Emblem game for Nintendo GameCube, although U.S. fans previously have enjoyed both the original Fire Emblem and Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones on Game Boy Advance SP. Combined, those games sold more than 600,000 units. And connecting a Game Boy Advance SP with a copy of either of those games to a Nintendo GameCube playing Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance will unlock exclusive character art and challenge maps.

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance for the GameCube should be available for a suggested retail price of $49.99.