Thanks to the Gaming Intelligence Agency there is new information pertaining to how this classic RPG will be improved for its GBA debut:

"New to the Game Boy Advance version is the ability to swap items between players using the link cable and the ability to save at any time, which should be helpful for quick games on a handheld system. It's not certain yet whether the game will be released in the US, so series fans should cross their fingers and hope for good news at E3."

We hear that! We don't know why Capcom wouldn't want to release this sucker in North America, though weirder things have happened.

Last updated: 03/28/2001

In the early 1990s, the Super NES was quickly earning a reputation for having the best RPGs on the planet. The system's great color variety, fantastic sound chip, and relatively slow processor made the hardware very suitable for the genre. Some companies known for other types of games were starting to test the RPG waters, and Capcom was one such company. Its first role-playing epic, Breath of Fire, didn't exactly revolutionize the genre, but it was surprisingly solid for a first effort. Square published the game in North America, perhaps to add some credibility, but the game spoke for itself. Bright and lush graphics, a fun battle system with unique abilities for each charcter, and a great story all made Breath of Fire a hit, and it wasn't long before Capcom started churning out sequels. BoF 2 hit the SNES later on, followed by two more sequels on Playstation; all of them were published by Capcom itself in Japan and North America.

Now the fabled third-party, known most recently for the Resident Evil series, is bringing its old-school RPG goodness to Game Boy Advance. Breath of Fire is being ported over in its entirety, and there will be a few minor additions to sweeten the deal. (As if playing a great RPG on the road wasn't awesome enough already!) GBA players will have access to a new item-trading feature over the link cable, new character art, and the ability to save anywhere as opposed to just at Dragon God shrines.

Breath of Fire's story revolves around a young man named Ryu, who is a member of the legendary Dragon Clan. The evil Black Dragon Clan attacks your small village, turning all your family and friends into stone statues. So, you must set out on a journey to exact vengeance upon the Black Dragon Clan and to restore your village to normal. Along the way you'll meet: Nina, a beautiful princess who can eventually turn into a giant bird; Bo, a huntsman who can shoot down game on the map screen; and Bleu, a powerful female magician, among others. Along the way, Ryu will also unlock his latent powers and learn to transform into huge, incredibly powerful dragon forms during battle.

BoF is a big game with a fast, fun battle system (AutoBattle rocks!) and a great cast of playable characters. Capcom is bringing this now-classic title to old and new fans alike, and if you consider yourself an RPG fan at all, go ahead and put this on your list.