FAIRY TAIL is an RPG game from KOEI TECMO AMERICA (who apparently likes its capital letters.). It is based on the anime of the same name. I have to admit, I haven’t watched all of the Fairy Tail anime, and I have read zero of the manga. However, when I saw there was a game being released, I wanted to check it out. I wondered two things: does this game live up to fan’s expectations, and is it a good game for newcomers?

FAIRY TAIL

For those unfamiliar with the series, Fairy Tail is the name of one of many wizard guilds of Earth-Land. The story kicks in at the end of the eleventh story arc, where the wizards of Fairy Tail have been away from the guild for several years. Players control Natsu, Lucy, and various other characters from the series as they try to restore the Fairy Tail guild back to the top.
By completing missions on the guild’s job board, you slowly begin to rebuild the guild’s popularity. Part of the process is also physically rebuilding the guild building, as it has become run down since the team was away for so long. By selecting from the missions board, players can choose between missions that will boost the popularity of the guild or help rebuild it.
FAIRY TAIL
Knowing that the game would center on wizards, I was a little worried that the battles would feel watered down or magic would feel limited. Luckily, the battle system is where the game shines. It does a great job focusing on the magical attacks of the characters while finding a balance between physical and magical attacks. Players can get quite a few magical abilities before they deplete their magic points, which feels appropriate. However, simply using magic for battles isn’t the key to winning. Some enemies are resilient and may require physical attacks to bring them down. Aside from building back the name of the guild, strengthening the friendship of your guild members is also important, allowing them to work together in battle better. In battles, there is an attack combo meter, which builds more quickly with a better friendship. Unleashing the combo attack can deal a considerable amount of damage.

FAIRY TAIL
The Japanese voice cast from the anime returns to voice the characters of the game, which is a nice little touch, adding authenticity. That said, it should be noted that the dialogue is in all Japanese with English subtitles. Graphically, the game looks great, full of the vibrant colors you would expect from the anime. I have to say the music is also a delight, as it was also taken from the series. My only complaint is that a slightly lengthy load screen is evident here and there.


While coming in at the end of the 11th story arc of the show might feel like an odd starting point, the game does a good job with a quick introduction of the characters. While it may leave some questions if you are unfamiliar with the series, it still gives enough information for newcomers to enjoy; Fairy Tail enthusiasts will certainly have no trouble knowing what is going on. Fairy Tail is certainly a solid game on the Nintendo Switch.