Arena: Difference between revisions

'''Arenas''', sometimes referred to as '''Coliseums''', are a recurring gameplay element in the {{FES}} series. Debuting in {{FE1}}, the arena later reappeared in {{FE4}}, {{FE4}}, {{FE6}}, {{FE7}}, {{FE8}}, as well as reappearing in the three remakes of the first game.  

While the mechanics of the arena have changed from game to game, its overall function has remained the same: at a small cost of [[gold]], one of the player's [[unit]]s may enter the arena to take part in a standard [[Attack|battle]], in hopes of netting a profit from the victory, as well as [[experience]]. Units that cannot attack, such as [[Cleric]]s or [[Bard]]s cannot take part in the arena, nor can units who do not have any [[weapon]]s to equip. Unusually, [[manakete]]s cannot enter arenas under any circumstances, though they can spawn as enemy units in ''Mystery of the Emblem''.

A battle in the arena is similar to standard fights on the map. One battle is performed within the arena, wherein the enemy unit attacks first. Should this battle be insufficient to determine a winner, another battle is performed, and the cycle continues until one combatant is defeated. Between battles, the player can flee by pressing the B button during this pause if they feel that their unit stands no hope of surviving; doing so, however, causes the player to lose whatever gold they placed as their bet, and fleeing battles is not an option in the first game.

Arenas made their debut in this game. Acting as a risky method to raising units in the game, most of its features were not carried over in later games, with the exception of ''Thracia 776''. Unusual amongst the various arenas found in later games, the arenas here allowed the player to bet various wagers before entering the fray, with higher bets resulting in higher payouts, but also more powerful enemies. Unlike later games in the series, characters who could not win in the arena could not flee.

The remake of the first game brought back most of the previous innovations, including the ability to change wagers; ''Mystery of the Emblem'', however, added the ability to flee battles if the player feels that the fight will end in the character's death.

Arenas were completely revamped for ''Genealogy of the Holy War'', due to the game's radically different design from the previous games in the series. Instead of being a designated tile on the map, the arena must be accessed from the [[Castle]]; furthermore, while units could no longer retreat from the arena, they would instead respawn outside of the Castle with only 1 hit point left.  

While usable under normal circumstances, arenas are completely inaccessible during [[Skirmish]]es that take place on the [[World Map]]; as a result, once a chapter with an arena has been completed, it can never be accessed again.

Despite being remakes of the first and third games in the series, the remakes of ''Shadow Dragon'' and ''New Mystery of the Emblem, Heroes of Light and Shadow'' feature an arena system more similar to the Game Boy Advance games than the original source material. As such, wagering is not featured, though supports in the second of the remakes can influence the outcome of matches.