On the occasion of the recent teaser on the next Fullmetal Alchemist film of flesh and blood I have put my hands on my head again. But not because they have chosen a Japanese actor to play Edward Elric (when he should be European), which does not matter to me (in the same way as Ghost in the Shell), but because he remembers his poor background in video games .
I still do not understand how a manganime with so much pull (you don’t have to be a genius to know that it is my favorite knowing that I have used Ed as an avatar for ten years and have a tattoo of one of his most iconic symbols) does not have adaptations to the video game that stand out beyond pure fan-service . And what is worse, that practically the majority have not arrived in Spain .
PS2, its most prolific stage and where it hit first
Knowing that Hiromu Arakawa’s manga premiered in Japan in 2001 and that the anime did the same in 2003, it took practically nothing for the first official video game about ‘Fullmetal Alchemist’ to come out , since at the end of December 2003 it was released in Japan called ‘Hagane no Renkinjutsushi: Tobenai Tenshi’ (known in the United States as ‘Fullmetal Alchemist and the Broken Angel’ ) for PS2, an action-RPG with Edward and Alphonse as protagonists.
Some media came to compare it with ‘Kingdom Hearts’ , both for sharing genre and for being also from Square Enix. But he was badly off in all his sections, something that reflects well his average of 56 in Metacritic. Of course, it is currently highly valued on eBay and the like, with prices that do not fall below 70 euros .
Game Boy Advance then followed with Hagane no Renkinjutsushi: Omoide no Soumeikyoku in 2004
At the end of July 2004, the Game Boy Advance was the following, by hosting in its portable circuits the so-called ‘Hagane no Renkinjutsushi: Omoide no Soumeikyoku’ , which could be translated by ‘Fullmetal Alchemist: Sonata of Memory’. A classic turn-based JRPG by Tom Create and branded Bandai.
Unfortunately it is still exclusive to Japan, although if we search the Internet, we can find various translation attempts and even complete guides in English. So we can understand what happens on the screen.
Bandai and Square Enix continued to bet on PS2
Between 2004 and 2005, PS2 continued to take advantage of the ‘Fullmetal Alchemist’ license, but not only by Square Enix, where the first action-RPG was squeezed with two sequels (‘Fullmetal Alchemist 2: Curse of the Crimson Elixir’ and ‘ Fullmetal Alchemist 3: Kami or Tsugu Shoujo ‘), but also through Bandai with a 3D fighting game ( ‘ Hagane no Renkinjutsushi: Dream Carnival ‘ ).
Unfortunately, all of them are still exclusive to Japan, with the exception of ‘Fullmetal Alchemist 2: Curse of the Crimson Elixir’ , which also set foot in North America, just like the first installment. To highlight, in any case, the aforementioned ‘FMA: Dream Carnival’, similar in development to the ‘Smash Bros.’ .
Fullmetal Alchemist: Dual Sympathy, el primer PAL
At the end of July 2005, ‘Hagane no Renkinjutsushi: Dual Sympathy’, known internationally as ‘Fullmetal Alchemist: Dual Sympathy’ , would make its debut on Nintendo DS, eventually the first FMA to arrive in Europe (in 2007).
It was a 2D action game with slight beat’em up touches. The touch screen of the DS was reserved, mainly, to use alchemy. And it was also used later to offer ten somewhat ridiculous minigames.
Wii tried their luck with decaffeinated adventures
In late 2009, the Nintendo Wii would receive two Fullmetal Alchemist video games . The two in charge of Square Enix and in the form of adventures where the visual prevailed and there was little to do (interact on the characters with a wiimote or participate in “shoot” minigames; it does not make sense).
Needless to say, both ‘Hagane no Renkinjutsushi: Akatsuki no Ouji’ and ‘Fullmetal Alchemist: Tasogare no Shoujo’ (known as ‘Fullmetal Alchemist: Daughter of the Dusk’) did not come out outside of Japan. And seen what has been seen, the better.
Bandai Namco took care of PSP and with action
If Square Enix opted for Wii in its latest adaptations to the world of video games, Bandai Namco did the same with Sony’s PSP .
They were also two games, but of action. The first was’ Hagane no Renkinjutsushi: Senaka or Takuseshimono ‘at the end of 2009 (known internationally as ‘ Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood’ and ultimately the second and last title to set foot on PAL territory) and then ‘Hagane no Renkinjutsushi: Fullmetal Alchemist – Yakusoku no Hi e ‘mid 2010.
And since then, no sign of any more Fullmetal Alchemist video games , which is a real shame. First, because none of the adaptations that have been seen have lived up to the legacy of the manganime . And second, because only two have set foot on European territory. Will the film be able to reverse this situation? I doubt it. But at least we will always have his sleeves and animes . And also get excited remembering the superb soundtrack of Michiru Oshima.
In Engadget | The mythical manga ‘Fullmetal Alchemist’ will have a live-action movie and we already have the first teaser
