So ok. In my attempt to stall for content (because stalling is the best thing to do when you start your blog; fill the masses with unneeded information), I guess I shall explain why the hell I have genealogyvsthracia776 as my domain name since I did go and explain why I named the site FIRRREEEE EMMMMBLEMMM. Well, here are the potential reasons why I might have named it so:

1. Name search: Maybe I’m just a ridiculously savvy blogger that understands what it takes to find a blog and how to get hits. With a domain name like this, I can easily rank high on all the various search engines since there are people who really want to find out who would win in a fight: Genealogy of The Holy War or Thracia 776. Which is a debate that you can rage yourself; I haven’t played either of the games! So I can’t say for certain at all. I was just politically accurate with my desire to say, “Yeah, only Fire Emblem fans of the hardcore level might find this blog via search!” But then you ask, why not have a name that relates to the games released in the West? But what’s the fun in that? (Ok, I kid) Let’s just say maybe I’m hoping the most experienced FE players will know to check out this blog.
2. Love for the Jugdral Saga games: For someone who has not played any of the games, they just look awesome yet frightening at the same time. I would probably be willing to play any of the older Fire Emblem games (Gaiden, Monshou no Nazo, and Binding Blade) instead of playing any of the Jugdral games because based on videos I’ve seen, it looks massive, elegant, but hellish in difficulty. Yes as a theoretical rule all Fire Emblem games are notoriously difficult, but in the case of those games (and to an extent the other older games), time is just on their side, and not in a good way. I think they are in dire need of an update before I even touch them. I might consider also playing Thracia and Genealogy if the patch is updated, because I…I don’t like the look of those translations. I mean it looks terrible. Yeah, kudos for allowing people to play it, it is definitely a lot of hard work (especially since it’s FE), but come on now, what’s with that gibberish. But anyways, how best to express my love without actually playing it by combining the two to fight against each other. Or just combining the two, it’s not really a fight!
3. Came up with it for giggles. I mean, surely I came up with this random domain name just out of the blue. It is a possibility. A .1 something something something something chance, but there is a chance…

Ok, enough about that. I think I’ve explained why. You can decide for yourself which is the reason I came up with this blog, or maybe it’s a combination of the three. Anyways, I should probably point out that yes, you can share for yourself which game is better in the comments below and why. Just be respectful. That is all I ask.

Hmm, on the note on comments, I guess that’s gonna be my next post. Wow, my jerkish ways continue since I’m still not talking about FE…anyways, I encourage you to suggest content for me to work on for the site, it would be cool if possible. I would also like to ask if there is anything else you think I should do, is the site designed all right, etc? Granted, I’m on a WordPress blog (and I’m doing this for fun, so no to paying for a domain and dealing with the crap that comes with it) so design choices are limited, but hey, will do what I can.

This is definitely how I want you all to comment. No, I’m not kidding.

It almost seems unnecessary since this is the internet, but oh well. I guess I should explain everything about commenting that there is to know.

So ok, I can bet most of you have already commented and figured out how to actually comment right? Fine then, you may skip this spiel. Everyone else, you need to learn how to comment. It’s fairly simple thanks to WP:

• Leave your name and proper email address in the comments below. If you also run a blog/website, feel free to link to that too. I may or may not check it out
• You can go do the above or you can respond by Twitter/Facebook. So hey, if you have a Twitter, excellent, that should make things easier. Now see, you don’t have to be a silent lurker…unless you just want to be a lonely person. I don’t like lonely people =p

Now, you know how to comment…but how do you comment? This is my very simple policy — speak as how you would want to speak with your own mother. If it somehow involves a fuck or goddamnit, it better not be an entire line filled with it. Really, as long as you are respectful, you’re good. I don’t mind a cuss or two (or three…or maybe if I’m drunk I’m good for a nice few lines saying fuck); but I will be pleased if you comment appropriately and not to demean anyone. That doesn’t make for a fun blog. That doesn’t make for a fun Fire Emblem site. And that certainly doesn’t make a fun admin, who will have to moderate potentially flaming/way too vehement comments, and he would rather not do that. Just comment with a sense of respectability, and everything will go well. That is what this admin dreams of hoping, but expects in about a year or so to see someone break this rule. Otherwise, you should be good.

There you go. I’ve explained the title of the blog, the domain name, the comments…time to finally talk about…keeping track of the blog? WAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Clearly, I am the best Fire Emblem blogger, as I don’t even bother to actually talk about anything in particular about Fire Emblem. (Ok, I promise I will soon. Honest.)

So ok, my ideas for coming with posts has been refreshing. My ego has been sated. I guess it’s time to finally talk about Fire Emblem talk about how you should keep track of this blog.

…I am so original.

Being the savvy blogger that I am, I understand that RSS is not quite as easy a follow as it should be. Mostly because some just don’t use it, or somehow just don’t understand it. So I will do my best to explain exactly what RSS and how you should use it to keep track of this blog.

Wait…some of you already know how to use it? Well. Um. Hmm.

Just read my spiel anyways!

WHAT IS RSS

Definition obviously stolen from this site:

RSS (Rich Site Summary) is a format for delivering regularly changing web content. Many news-related sites, weblogs and other online publishers syndicate their content as an RSS Feed to whoever wants it.

HOW DO I USE RSS (I came up with this one):

You add blogs you like or want to keep track of to any number of readers that accept RSS.

See, it’s not that hard right? Well, except the fact that Google Reader is supposedly going out of business (ok it is but stay with me), so that kind of means it’s even harder to keep up with blogs right? No, of course not. There are other options. Here’s my option:

My Yahoo

D:

…So ignoring the lack of content, you can merely add a feed by taking this blog’s name, go to content, then you’ll see Add RSS feed. Not too hard.

Other options:

Follow by Email: Don’t want to deal with all that complicated stuff and you check your email regularly? Welp, go follow the blog by email. I mean, let’s just say that makes it easier and you don’t have to deal with all this RSS reader nonsense I’ve been spewing.

Other reader options: Um…they…they’re out there. I swear. Surely some of you smart ones have a featured reader you use that you can share to the rest of the class? Anyways, here’s a few that are listed. Oh, and you should go search your browser for RSS apps. You might find one that you like.

Bookmark it: I bet some of you just think the Bookmark feature is useless. Well, let me tell you…it’s not! Honest! So therefore, if you want to easily get access to this blog, then just bookmark this blog. If you don’t know how to bookmark on your browser (especially when it should be easy thanks to updated browsers), then there is no hope for you of ever learning how to bookmark, and you should just go back to elementary school!

Add it to your blogroll: Well, this option is just for anyone else who has a blog and actually has a blogroll. So if you have a blog, go add my blog to your blogroll. I admittedly don’t want to have my blogroll be too big, so chances are the content’s gotta hit me like a ton of bricks (I gotta be sold for breakfast, lunch, and dinner), and be early, if you want me to add your blog. I probably will just maintain that first come is first serve on that front. So please don’t have a blog that’s not good ;_;

WordPress Follow: That nice little follow button you see at the top? Well, you can go follow me that way too. Somehow you’ll see it in your reader. Honest! But you need to have a WP blog to see the follow button. Everyone else? Too bad!

WHAT ABOUT TWITTER AND FACEBOOK?

At the early stage of this blog, I…I’m not all that certain if I want to maintain one or the other. Twitter is probably instant access, but at best, I’ll just use that for posts and status updates. Facebook is something I use (not often); not sure I want to bother maintaining that, but at best, I’ll just use that for posts and status updates.

…..

Well, I guess in the end, it’s up to you if you think I should bother getting a Twitter or Facebook for this blog. I wonder what I should name the Twitter. But anyways, getting ahead of myself. Now, I’ve written and stalled for as long as possible. It’s still not time for any Fire Emblem talk. Why? Because there is one more off topic post that I want to do before there are any posts involving Fire Emblem. And that…is who I am. Who is Walters? Welp, you’ll get to figure that out…someday. For now, just go share your best FE game. If you haven’t already. If you did….well….

…Deal with it

So ok, I’ve run you all ragged enough. I’ve explained a lot of things that have nothing to do with Fire Emblem. And in a way, this is another post where nothing of Fire Emblem is expressed…in a whole article. This is more of me sharing who I am, and it just so happens to involve Fire Emblem history.

My name is Walters. This is pretty much a random name and not my real one. Don’t even bother trying to ask if I had an inspiration or whatnot. I secretly run another blog. That’s right, I now run two blogs, but this is what I would term a fun/experiment blog. Fun as in one day, I decided that I had to go express my love for Fire Emblem, and I felt that starting a blog was one of the ways to go do it rather than go join a forum. Yes, I’m again sorry Serenes Forest, you are an awesome, awesome site, but let’s just say I will probably stalk you forever. Just because. Anyways, like I said, this is for fun because I’m somewhat passionate about Fire Emblem. Ever since Marth and Roy made their debut in Super Smash Bros. Melee I was interested in the series, so once Fire Emblem 7 (just Fire Emblem over here) made it to the US, I played it. And played it. And played it. Even now though I still wish I had gotten 100% in supports (forever stuck at 88%). Anyways, I loved it, and long story short, I’ve played every Western release in the series. Each of them provides their own charm (and likability), and for no good reason, I feel compelled to pick up every game. I think that certifies me as some sort of fan. Now, I’m not one of the hardcore ones who have played every series — I’ve only played one unreleased FE game, New Mystery of The Emblem — but I’m somewhere in there. So for the most part, I’ll write what I can, and will write what I think is fun. I won’t claim to be the master of English, claim I’m such a great gamer (because I’m not, since my gaming passion died out years ago) or claim to write anything insightful — I will try to write something for everyone though. After all, I’m doing this for fun. To get readers is the second part!

Now, I did say that this is also an experiment blog right? Welp, I’m taking things I’ve learned from running my other blog, and advice from certain sites, and applying it to this blog. How’s my first experiment going you ask? Wait, how could you guys know I’ve already been running an experiment since I’ve started this blog? I’m certain I hid that well–ok, since the jig is up, the posts I’ve written previously — that includes this one — has been written far in advance. I actually created the blog on March 18, but I wanted to work on content to keep things all tidy for the next couple of months. After all, I do have a real life! And so far, it has worked out pretty decently. When I started my first blog, I didn’t know where to really go with it, and improvised until I found that sweet spot. But I of course wanted to take what I learned from that experience and make sure I knew where I was going with this blog — and make sure it serves some sort of a purpose to those who stop by. So far, it’s not too shabby since I’ve gotten people to share their best FE game and got a suggestion for fan art!

Anyways, it’s great to meet all of you. Thanks for stopping by the blog, and I hope you continue to stick around and deal with my great English writing. I mean, my posts on all things Fire Emblem.

The better question is what isn’t Fire Emblem. But we’re gonna roll with it. Today I will make my first proper Fire Emblem post, and why start anywhere else but explain just what this entire series is?

Fire Emblem is a strategy RPG franchise that was created by the mind of Shouzou Kaga and the developers at Intelligent Systems. In 1988, there once was a game called Famicom Wars — a game that happened to be a Japanese exclusive game for the Famicom. Famicom Wars, which was a tactical turned based military game, provided one of the basics for the first game of the series, Fire Emblem: Ankoku Ryuu to Hikari no Tsurugi (Shadow Dragon and The Blade of Light). The turn based strategy features — from units, to maps, to who you’re facing, to conquering the enemy’s headquarters, to having to kill all of the enemies, to phases, and to units with specialized abilities  — are exactly what you see in every Fire Emblem game. The differences? Fire Emblem plays like an RPG. You’re not going to get any no-name units — instead, you’ll get a character with a name, a backstory, their abilities, and use them in your quest to beat the game. You’ll get extended cutscenes, lots of dialogue between the characters, have your characters level up, and use weapons like swords, axes, lances, tomes, and bows. That’s also another difference, and of course, the defining trait of Fire Emblem: it’s setting.

Throughout Fire Emblem’s history the story has always been set in medieval times, meaning outdated politics and/or clothing from the lost ages make an appearance through each of the games in the series. Betrayal, lost love, deaths, pettiness, and mythical beings are all featured in one series or another. It started with the Prince of Altea, Marth, who had to flee to his own Kingdom while having to deal with the loss of his people; and is carried from then to even today’s hero, the Prince of Ylisse, Chrom, who had to overcome his own personal tragedy before liberating the world. And throughout the series, even the most minor characters have their own personal struggles they have to deal with and overcome as they help the main lord with their quest to save the world.

Since it’s debut in 1990, there has been 13 Fire Emblem games, spanning the Famicom, the Super Famicom, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo GameCube, Nintendo DS, Nintendo Wii, and Nintendo 3DS. With the Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem game, it will soon make its debut for Nintendo’s WiiU. For a franchise to have lasted this long, it obviously must have achieved a level of success. Thankfully for us Western players, it has lasted so long.

Anyways, Fire Emblem has had a long history, but more or less its history really started when Marth and Roy made their debut in Super Smash Bros. Melee. It was the first time the Fire Emblem video game series had made it worldwide, and then after a long time wait, the 7th installment in the series, Fire Emblem: Rekka No Ken, called Fire Emblem, made its debut worldwide (2003 for North America, 2004 for Europe and Australia). That is when everyone was able to understand why this series is so beloved, and why Nintendo and Intelligent Systems keeps pumping out new titles. With the release of Awakening however, it looks like Fire Emblem has achieved a level that it has not reached outside of Japan for years.

In Part 2, I will elaborate a bit on two things: why it finally reached the West and other things pertaining to Fire Emblem. For now, just share how you all got introduced to Fire Emblem, whether it was any of the GBA games, the console games, the DS games, or Awakening…or somehow those olden games!

I said there were 13 games in the Fire Emblem Series in Part I of my what is Fire Emblem post. Well, why force you to go to Wikipedia and search for each one? Without pictures? Well don’t worry, I won’t do that to you. Instead, I will provide the list for you. See how easy that is? Now, let’s get this out of the way, so all you newbies of the franchises and all you FE vets will take a grand look at the series’s history! (Credit for info is from Serenes Forest and Wikipedia.)

1. Fire Emblem: Ankoku Ryuu to Hikari no Tsurugi (Dark Dragon and The Sword of Light)

Release Date: April 20, 1990 (JP)

System: Famicom

Synopsis: Hundreds of years ago, the hero Anri defeated the Dark Dragon Medeus. Just when the citizens of Akaneia thought peace had returned to the continent, Medeus returns and continues his quest for world domination. Despite losing his homeland of Altea, Prince Marth decides to fight back and turn the tides of war. The battle eventually leads to Medeus’s kingdom.

2. Fire Emblem: Gaiden

Release Date: March 14, 1992 (JP)

System: Famicom

Synopsis: Side story to FE1; The Continent of Valencia is split into two territories. To the north is the Kingdom of Rigel, home to followers of the Dark God Doma. To the south is the Kingdom of Sofia, where the Earth Goddess Mila is worshiped. When Rigel invades Sofia, two heroes, Alm and Celica, raise an army to topple Rigel and the Dark God that is backing the conflict.

3. Fire Emblem: Monshou No Nazo (Mystery of the Emblem)

Release Date: January 21, 1994 (JP)

System: Super Famicom

Synopsis: First remake of FE1, sequel to FE1 with the inclusion of Book 2; Only two years have passed since Prince Marth defeated the Durhua Empire, and the continent of Akaneia is once again under threat. The newly formed Akaneia Empire begins an invasion of the other territories, with Altea being one of the first to fall. Marth and his allies return to the battlefield to stop their former ally Hardin, now the crazed Emperor of Akaneia.

4. Fire Emblem: Seisen No Keifu (Genealogy of The Holy War)

Release Date: May 14, 1996 (JP)

System: Super Famicom

Synopsis: The game is set in the continent of Jugdral, home of the descendants of the Twelve Crusaders. Lord Sigurd is the hero of the first generation, fighting an invasion from Verdane and helping out in the lands beyond. Sigurd’s son Seliph continues his father’s legacy in the second generation, where he leads a liberation army to defeat the Grandbell Empire.

5. Fire Emblem: Thracia 776

Release Date: September 1, 1999 (JP)

System: Super Famicom

Synopsis: Midquel to Genealogy of The Holy War, taking place between Chapters 5 and 8 of Holy War; Leaf, the exiled prince of Lenster, has been on the run from the empire ever since he was a child. When his childhood friends Nanna and Mareeta are captured by Leidrik, he decides he can hide no longer. Along with the Fiana militia, as well as troops recruited along the way, Leaf takes the battle to Manster, Tahra and eventually his homeland of Lenster.

6. Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade (Fuuin No Tsurugi)

Release Date: March 29, 2002 (JP)

System: Game Boy Advance

Synopsis: The continent of Elibe was once wrecked by a fierce war between man and dragon, known as the Scouring. Almost a thousand years later, a new war arises as the Kingdom of Bern unexpectedly invades the surrounding nations. When the invasion reaches Lycia, Roy, son of Marquess Pherae, fights back against Bern in his ailing father’s place.

7. Fire Emblem (Rekka No Ken)

Release Date: April 25, 2003 (JP), November 3, 2003 (US), July 16, 2004 (EU)

System: Game Boy Advance

Synopsis: Prequel to The Binding Blade; When the Marquess of Pherae goes missing, his son Eliwood leaves in search of him, along with his allies, Hector and Lyn. However things are made complicated when he discovers a conspiracy to overthrow Ostia as the head of the Lycian League. The trail for both his father and the conspirers leads him to the island of Valor, where he will meet his ultimate foe…

8. Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones (Seima No Kouseki)

Release Date: October 7th, 2004 (JP), May 23, 2005 (US), November 4, 2005 (EU)

System: Game Boy Advance

Synopsis: Magvel is home to six nations of diverse leadership. With the exception of Carcino, a newly established republic, each nation shares a history of 800 years since the War of the Stones and are responsible for their own Sacred Stone. The nations have enjoyed a long-lasting peace until the Grado Empire suddenly invades its neighbor, Renais. Prince Ephraim of Renais, one of two main characters of the game, leaves Renais to fight back Grado’s invasion. However, he goes missing and Grado’s forces fast approach the vicinity of Renais castle. Princess Eirika, Ephraim’s twin sister and the initial main character, flees Renais, along with her loyal knights, to seek help from their allies, Frelia.

Eventually Eirika reunites with her brother. The two discover that Grado intends to destroy the five Sacred Stones of Magvel, with both Frelia and Grado’s Sacred Stones already destroyed, and Renais’ stone presumed destroyed as well. Eirika and Innes, the prince of Frelia, leave to warn the remaining two Sacred Stone nations, Rausten and Jehanna. Meanwhile, Prince Ephraim must conquer the forces of Grado’s vast army. Eventually Grado falls to Ephraim, but the true villain behind the war remains to be fought—Grado’s imperial prince Lyon, Eirika and Ephraim’s longtime friend, who has been possessed by the Demon King of legends.

9. Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance (Souen No Kiseki)

Release Date: April 20, 2005 (JP), October 17, 2005 (US), November 4, 2005 (EU)

System: Nintendo Gamecube

Synopsis: At the continent of Tellius, a land blessed by the Goddess Ashera, two different races exist–the Beorc (humans) and the Laguz (animal-like people). Ike, the main hero of this game, is a member of his father’s mercenary group. When the Kingdom of Daein invades the peaceful nation of Crimea, Ike finds himself caught up in the conflict.

10. Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn (Akatsuki no Megami)

Release Date: February 22, 2007 (JP), November 21, 2007 (US), March 14, 2008 (EU)

System: Nintendo Wii

Synopsis: Sequel to Path of Radiance; Three years have passed since the Kingdom of Daein invaded the neighboring Kingdom of Crimea. Thanks to the efforts of a mercenary named Ike, Princess Elincia of Crimea was able to reclaim her land after defeating Daein in battle. Now the citizens of Daein are oppressed by the Begnion occupation army and the Dawn Brigade strives to save them.

11. Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon (Shin Ankoku Ryuu to Hikari no Ken)

Release Date: August 7, 2008 (JP), February 16, 2009 (US), December 5, 2008 (EU)

System: Nintendo DS

Synopsis: Second Remake of Shadow Dragon; Long ago, the continent of Akaneia was invaded by the Dolunian Empire, led by the Shadow Dragon, Medeus. Just when all hope seemed lost, the heroic Anri appeared and slew Medeus using the blade of light, Falchion. However, after a period of 100 years, Medeus has been resurrected. Now, Prince Marth of Altea must fight to save Akaneia from Medeus’s new invasion.

12. Fire Emblem: Shin Monshou no Nazo: Hikari to Kage no Eiyuu

Release Date: July 15, 2010 (JP)

System: Nintendo DS

Synopsis: Remake of Monshou No Nazo, Sequel to Shadow Dragon; It has been two years since the War of Shadows ended and peace seems to have returned to Archanea. Suddenly one day, Marth receives an imperial edict from his old friend Hardin, now Emperor of Akaneia, to quell a distant rebellion at the kingdom of Grust. Although Marth has his doubts, he has no choice but to fulfill his oath to Archanea and leaves Altea on an expedition.

13. Fire Emblem: Awakening (Kakusei)

Release Date: April 19, 2012 (JP), February 4, 2012 (US), April 19, 2013 (EU)

System: Nintendo 3DS

Synopsis: The story focuses on the trials of Chrom, the prince of the Halidom of Ylisse, and his companions during a turbulent era. When the neighboring nation of Plegia starts acting suspiciously, Chrom commands his band of soldiers–the Shepherds–to keep his country at peace. Soon, he encounters an unholy force plaguing the lands and a masked swordsman claiming to be the Hero-King of legends.

Dude, why didn’t us Westerners get your game officially ;_;

In Part II of my What is Fire Emblem series coming this week, at the end of it I wonder what would have happened had Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade (Or Sword of Seals, or Fuuin No Tsurugi, or Fire Emblem 6) been released just not long after Super Smash Bros. Melee had come out. For the purposes of keeping the series somewhat on point I didn’t touch on it too much in the post, but instead just gave a general statement about that issue. So as I talk somewhat briefly on this subject now, a few things I want to keep in mind:

• I guess I will limit my knowledge to just US, though I am aware of it getting released elsewhere, but I’m relating my experience involving Melee released over here^^
• Obviously revisionist history is revisionist history. This never happened, so oh well.

Now for some context:

• Super Smash Bros. Melee had been released in JP November 21, 2001.
• It was released in North America December 3, 2001 .
• Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade was released in JP March of 2002.
• Roy, the main Lord of FE6, basically starred in Melee as advertisement for a game that had yet to see a release at all.
• The GBA made it’s debut June of 2001.
• The first game in the series to be released in the US, Fire Emblem 7 (Rekka No Ken), came November 3, 2003.

The proposition is simple: where would the Fire Emblem franchise be had FE6 been released while the Smash Bros. phase was going on? Now, it’s not like there weren’t legitimate reasons for FE6 to not be released in the US — aside from one point I make in my Part II post, one I didn’t add is the amount of translation it would take for that game. Needless to say, it’s a lot of work, especially considering that FE6 has a lot of elements that were unfamiliar to Western gamers. Of course, NoA probably also weren’t so sure if it would sell very well, hence why they went with Advance Wars instead, maybe to test things out.

But I guess I digress. In the end, I think NoA should have struck while the iron was hot. Generally speaking when something good happens you want to try and capitalize on the good as far as you think you can. What instead was done was the good that came with Marth and Roy appearing in Super Smash Bros. Melee was diluted by the time FE7 came out. By that point, the curiosity probably waned, we moved on, and once FE7 was slated for a Western release gamers were excited, but probably not as much as they could have been had an announcement been made at E3 2002, and especially since it didn’t star neither Roy or Marth. So my thinking is had FE6 seen a release, I think Awakening would not be seen as it seems to be in some circles to be the most accessible game in the Franchise; or maybe instead of seeing as that, it might have sold even more than it did last month.

Let’s just say I found this and it looks hot. *cue laugh track*

But I guess that’s just me wondering. So I ask whoever reads this: If Fire Emblem 6 had been released after Melee, how would Fire Emblem History change?

With 13 versions of the franchise out there, let’s just say a number of rules have been developed of Fire Emblem. Your job? You need to help me come up with as many rules of Fire Emblem as is humanly possible. Will we get any contradictory rules? Maybe, but I’ll do what I can to avoid that. Overall, this can serve as a general guide for those who will play (mostly any) Fire Emblem and things they should remember when it comes to the game. So start sharing below. Oh wait. I guess I should list a few myself right? So ok, here are some rules of Fire Emblem…

1st Rule: You do not talk about Fire Emblem.

2nd Rule: You do NOT TALK about Fire Emblem.

3rd Rule: Come to a consensus on characters you want to main in the higher difficulty levels.

4th Rule: Abandon your Jeigans (Overpowered characters you get in Chapter 1) ASAP.

5th Rule: Supports do not exist in Shadow Dragon and Radiant Dawn (it does, but really, it doesn’t). Re-learn how to support for future FE Games.

6th Rule: Always fear anyone in the Archer/Myrmidon class

7th Rule: Remember, you enter an enemy character’s range, it can attack you. Watch yourself!

So in Part I, I gave a generalization of what Fire Emblem is. In Part II, the question must be asked: why didn’t any of the other games come over here?

Back in old days, let’s just say you could only do so much. What is that supposed to mean? Well, making video games had its limitations, which is obvious since technology at the time was great, but it only evolved as time went on. So back then, it was not easy to actually police the correct difficulty level — hence why you get a game like Kid Icarus and also a Mario game that was notoriously difficult. Now, no, I’m not quite the gamer I used to be, but back in the days for the early games, due to limited functionally, games were harder than they should have been. It seems all easy today, but that’s mostly a product of games advancing to a point where it’s easier and more streamlined (of course, if you want a challenge, you increase the difficulty).

Well, what does this have to do with Fire Emblem? Well, it has exactly to do with Fire Emblem. The games were difficult enough as it is, or could have been. Now, you want to spring a tactical RPG that involves strategy, foreign characters, a grid based map, and it’s turn-based? Oh, and it has a lot of text? Well, that may have been the thought process for Nintendo as Fire Emblem was pretty hard, and also may have dealt with subjects that might have been too difficult to understand. There also may have been a case of marketing: with this game being the way it is, how would you try and sell this game to people in the US? Yeah, it has been pointed out in circles that the game’s difficulty may have been a factor in why it never saw a release in the states, but I’d also argue that at time, it may have been a hard sell back in 1990-1991 for a tactical role playing strategy game.

And yes, now I turn into the most memorable feature of Fire Emblem: it’s difficulty. It’s not just Fire Emblem 1 that’s difficult; all of the series are challenging and give the franchise a reputation of being too tough to play. Later games in the series introduced increased difficulty levels, but due to the hardware limitations and the amount of enemy units placed on the field in the early games, it made strategy almost vital to ensure you can keep your units alive.

…Did I say alive? Yep, this was another thing that added to the difficulty: permadeath. Ok, it’s called permanent death, but permadeath works too and has been thrown out here and there, and it’s a feature that challenges your thinking immensely. As I explained in Part I, Fire Emblem was not that much different from the Japanese exclusive Famicom Wars, but one of the the main differences is that you actually got a character, not some nobody or nameless character. Well, if your strategy is not solid, or if your luck is bad, you will lose your character, and you will not be able to bring him or her back. Earlier games in the series did have a weapon that allowed you to revive a character, but that was soon removed in later games. So an already difficult game, and then tasked with trying to keep your characters alive? This would not make strange bedfellows for Nintendo. This is why Fire Emblem games had been exclusive only to Japan.

This thinking started to change thanks to Super Smash Bros Melee. What it did was pique curiosity — it certainly did for me — for two characters and a franchise that was unknown in the West. For me, I was used to stuff like Mario, Zelda, Pokemon, etc (no Metroid though — that interest happened because of Melee for me as well); suddenly, two characters I had never seen anywhere in an English game? Well, thanks to their inclusion (and them not being crappy characters, though I don’t hear good things about Roy), people were interested in seeing what Fire Emblem was all about, and with the release of Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade in Japan on the GBA, a chance was possible to see it released in the West. But once again, it was again too difficult, even with the stripped down version of the game compared to the massive lengths and myths of the last three FE games, and a tutorial included. In the end, we did end up getting that game’s prequel…but I do wonder personally, was potential timing of Fire Emblem mixed? Would it have achieved success faster had NoA released it following the Super Smash Bros. wave? We’ll never know of course, but I’ll always wonder about that.

So now I guess I’ll have the last and final Part left to cover. But I’ve already said what Fire Emblem is…*sigh* well, I guess I have to say what “Fire Emblem” is, and what they have meant to each game.

So I bet you thought I would merely be content with just working on parts huh? Well, no, I decided to go work on something else. Mainly, it involves the 13th edition of Fire Emblem…that 13th Edition is Fire Emblem: Awakening.

After being one of the people who pre-ordered it at Gamestop only for Nintendo to slap everyone in the face and say they ran out of copies, I ended up getting the game eventually. Let’s just say I played the crap out of it. Some FE Western vets who have played every game since FE7 will probably take offense to calling this game the best of the series released so far. The reason I say it is the best is merely because of what it is able to do now that prior games of the series could not do. Let’s go get this started:

Accessibilty

In the end, it is 2013. Nowadays we have more than just hardcore gamers playing games. While prior Fire Emblem games forced you to go hope your units don’t die (except the unreleased worldwide New Mystery of Emblem), Awakening gives you the choice of going classic or going casual. With casual gameplay, you can be as flexible as you need to be since your units won’t die. This of course sends a FE fan into a tizzy (and that includes me), but the flexibility just allows more people to play the games. More people playing FE games = more people maybe curious about FE history. More people maybe curious about FE’s history = more FE love that it has needed since it’s debut in 2003. And in thinking about it that way, it’s a win-win for everybody!

Content

Let’s just say with the addition of DLC, spotpass, it has cured the ails of what previous FE games failed to do. For reasons unbeknownst to me, the GBA line of games had a multi-player arena feature which involved pairing up your strongest teams and pitting them against other Fire Emblem users. Please admit in the comments section that you played this feature alone. I seriously don’t want to be the only one to admit I played that feature alone. Anyways, if you thought that was another good step, then came Shadow Dragon and the ability to play other people online on maps with your units. I never actually bothered with this feature to be honest (so call me out if I’m doing this a disservice!). Awakening however, puts it all together, giving us a steady stream of content that can theoretically keep you busy for at least 2 years…and with the support and marriage function system, the main storyline, and paralogues to play, no other game in the series can say it can provide as much content as Awakening can, and that’s because it’s on system that allows it

Voice Acting

I’ll call it an underrated feature, but voice acting is a major key in this series. When I played the demo, I admit to getting pretty annoyed with it, but when I got the game itself, I didn’t turn it off because I was curious about how everyone else sounded. And alas, I still haven’t turned it off. It really gives the game something fresh rather than just text on the screen and just voice acting in cut scenes. It definitely makes one wonder how a fully voiced RPG would work out, as I hear that hasn’t been done just yet…or at least for this series it hasn’t. Guess that makes one wonder right?

So did I just declare Fire Emblem: Awakening the best Western release in the series? In one sense yes, and in another sense, no. I never did talk about the story, characters, gameplay, etc compared to the other games in the series. And yes, I did promise one day (but I want to save that for now) that I’ll tell you how I rank the series I’ve played (the list will include New Mystery). But in another sense, it’s accessibility compared to previous FE games I think makes it the series to beat right now.

…Don’t worry, you can say I contradicted myself in the comments. I…I won’t cry.

So apparently Iwata Asks was not enough. Instead, we ended up getting a brand new interview for Fire Emblem Awakening, and I actually couldn’t be happier. I won’t go through every question, but I will comment on some that I found pretty interesting.

8-4: This one’s super random, but, we noticed you often refer to Awakening as the 14th game in the series. But many fans consider it the 13th game. Which is it?

Yokota: Ah, that. (laughs) Well, there was a version of Fire Emblem released for Nintendo’s Super NES Satellaview service in Japan in 1997. If you include that, then Awakening is the 14th Fire Emblem game.

Satellaview: A satellite modem peripheral and network service that debuted in Japan for the Super NES in 1995. The service was discontinued in 2000.

BS Fire Emblem: Akaneia Senki: A set of four short Fire Emblem games broadcast on the Satellaview service in Japan beginning in 1997.

Well. Who knew they considered the Satellaview games as part of the main franchise. Crap. Well, this somewhat changes things. Well, maybe not all that much. But I might actually consider giving that an actual thought. I might not. What do you guys think? Personal opinion: I say yes because the Akaneia Senki games do take place in a Fire Emblem world and not outside of its realm (Ex, Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem is an example of a side story to the main franchise), and I did play one of the chapters. So…yeah. But what do you guys think of that?

On Casual Mode (parts of it)

Higuchi: Tricky indeed. (laughs) I was on the side that said we shouldn’t include Casual mode to the end.

Yokota: Even after Awakening?

Higuchi: Well…I still think about it. It’s that nuance… If someone dies, you can’t just go and resurrect them like in other games. You need to think more carefully about the value of the lives you’re controlling in the game. It connects with the difficulty level, too — it makes you work your way through the game very carefully, which I think makes each victory all the more exhilarating. It’s one of the charms of Fire Emblem, which is probably why adding Casual mode generated a fair amount of controversy [within the team]…

Yokota: Oh, yeah. (laughs)

Higuchi: But while permadeath is a part of the series, it’s also something that I think kept a lot of people from trying the game. That’s not good for us, if people don’t even pick it up to see what kind of other things we’ve put into the game. And in the end we did get a lot of feedback from people who tried [Awakening] because of Casual mode, so in that respect I’m glad it’s there. But I still play in Classic mode myself.

Obviously, Classic/Casual has been a major debate or something that has at least turned off FE veterans, but in the end, Casual resonates with the newer generation of players since FE difficulty is pretty hard. And in reading the interview, holy crap the difficulty for the older generation games must have been crazy! Also, reset is your friend. Even when you don’t get the right stat increases!!!

8-4: Speaking of the early design ideas, in that Iwata Asks on Awakening, you mention some pretty crazy concepts you had. Like setting the game on planet Mars? Or in a modern-day setting?

Higuchi: Well, there were definitely a lot of proposals. (laughs)

Yokota: I think [that Mars idea] was near the end of the proposal process.

O.o So…again…Fire Emblem X Mars…uh….I…I…I think I might like a game like that–*stabbed*

8-4: Who exactly comes up with that story outline? And is that set in stone, or is there room for it to evolve as the game comes together?

Yokota: Mr. Maeda thought of the main story this time and wrote the outline for the main story.

Maeda: And things changed along the way, yes. (laughs) One thing common to all Fire Emblem games is that gameplay gets first priority — if something will improve gameplay, we don’t hesitate to rearrange other elements like who enters your party when, how each map is arranged, and that sort of thing. This stage of development is basically one long, extensive trial-and-error process.

No wonder I seem to like this game so much. My philosophy on FE is simple:

1. Characters
2. Gameplay
3. Sound
4. Story
5. Graphics

It seems they created a game specifically for my tastes…or maybe created a franchise based on that philosophy. But the reason why I don’t value story as much is because I can’t kill a game for being addicting in any other way. I mean, how else would I have enjoyed Radiant Dawn so much?

Otherwise, I thought it was a pretty interesting interview. Do you guys have any comments on what the developers of the game shared? Wait, you haven’t read the interview? Well go read it then come back!!!

You should probably assume I’ll be covering Awakening a lot. Just throwing it out there!

Ugh. Nightmares will come soon

Shingeki No Kyoujin’s first episode was awesome. No like, ****ing awesome. Hope some of you are actually watching this anime. It looks like it can be the real deal.

Any other anime (EDIT: Any Spring 2013 anime) you guys are checking out that you think I should? (Also, hey, talking about stuff not related to Fire Emblem! Won’t do it often (unless something cool happens in whatever I watch), but 10% of the time I’ll talk random nonsense.)

EDIT: Also, you all need to listen to this:

Come ye and come all…forget all the other Fire Emblem games, I want my blog hits, and thus, I will continue to milk the hottest series in the franchise until I can’t milk it anymore!

…Wow that sounded inappropriate. Let me just get started on what you need to know about Awakening before I make some reference to Queen’s Blade. And no, you don’t want to search Queen’s Blade. Honest to go–

…Now I regret mentioning that too.

Pair Up

The obvious new feature that has not been installed in prior Fire Emblem games is the ability to pair up. Pairing up does three main things:

1. Increase your characters stats
2. Increase your characters’s love points (or support points)
3. Increase the chances of attacking twice in battle

Now, everything I described you can also do by having them placed side by side without pairing up, but take advantage of your pair up. You might as well pair up Chrom with Maribelle, but if you’re not sure you want to get them married in the end, you can keep Sumia or Sully close. You’ll not only get a few of their stats, but you’ll also get an increase in their love points as well. It’s called mixing and matching. Now…on the subject of supports…

Supports

As I mentioned briefly in my let’s talk about Awakening post, supports have evolved since probably the last true support rewards feature in Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones. There was support in Path of Radiance, but with the sequel existing, it’s not like you could see character specific endings like the games in the GBA line (though you still get increased stat bonuses though), and for Radiant Dawn, you do get an epilogue if you do supports with certain characters, but it’s not that lengthy for some, some are vague, and yeah, you get your rewards in battle, but the actual support conversations were lame. Because there wasn’t really any support conversations.

Fire Emblem Awakening however, not only brings back the GBA support style system, but it adds the marriage system to the game. This is not a new feature in Fire Emblem; this was seen in the Japan only Fire Emblem: Seisen No Keifu, or Genealogy of the Holy War. That game had two playthroughs: the first generation and the second generation. In the first generation, you can have certain characters marry, they’ll have children, and you get to play as the children in the second generation. Their parents skills, which is a special ability that activates at random or when certain conditions have been met, would be passed down to them, meaning you could have a really strong character to play as. That’s how it also works in Awakening, and generally speaking if you trained your parents right and they got certain skills, their children will be stronger than them. Also, as I mentioned in the talk Awakening post, you can do unlimited supporting in this game, as long as the characters are able to. I point that out as a way to use strategy, since you can still gain bonuses, even if your character does not get married.

Lunatic is not a difficulty level; it is a masochism level

Fire Emblem games are notoriously difficult. For starters, only certain classes will be really strong without a doubt, while others will fall prey to the RNG and get really crappy stats. You combine that feature with the desire to keep all of your characters alive despite the game not forcing you to do so, it only adds to the difficulty. Starting with Fire Emblem 6 (Binding Blade) though, difficulty levels were added and this feature has been in every Fire Emblem game since. Unfortunately, this has produced quite possibly the most torturous difficulty level in gaming history: Maniac/Lunatic mode. Maniac was introduced in Fire Emblem 9 and 10, higher levels of difficulty were introduced in Shadow Dragon and New Mystery of The Emblem (That includes Lunatic Reverse, oh boy), and Awakening has four levels of difficulty: Normal, Hard, Lunatic, and Lunatic+, which, in order to get, you have to beat Lunatic. Needless to say, these are not difficulty levels — these are Masochism levels. How high is your M rating? You get to find out since these modes will beat it into your head. Kind of like actual war, you need more than just strategy to actually beat those modes. It involves hitting the reset button a lot though.

Attacking Enemy Reinforcements

We outsiders of Japan had it easy for the most part when it comes to FE. I say this because in Japan, Fire Emblem games had another feature that ups the difficulty: enemy reinforcements…that move once they appear on the field on their turn. In other words, if you weren’t careful with where you placed your unit in your phase, an enemy sniper could pop out of that fort or screen and kill it. This feature was not included in the Western GBA games, and was apparently seen on Hard in Radiant Dawn. But if you play Awakening’s Hard mode, this feature returns, and if you’re careless, you can get yourself all caught up in it. So pay attention!

Luck, Luck, Luck!

Finally, always keep an eye out on your character’s luck, and increase it whenever you can. The higher your luck in games, the higher your character’s gonna stick around. Also, think of this game as luck based for the most part — obviously, your skills and your strategy matter, but as you start approaching the higher difficulty levels, you may come up with the superior strategy, but you may just have some plain Jane bad luck. Don’t get discouraged by it, honest!

Obviously, a lot of coverage will go to the mainline games in the series. But…for a long standing franchise such as Fire Emblem, there’s just a bunch of stuff outside of its realm that I think I should go cover. And this shall appropriately be named, “The Side Stories to Fire Emblem.” What are those side stories? Well, I guess I shall share a few…

Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem: Quite frankly, this is the biggest side story of them all/quite possibly the biggest leap in the franchise. Yes, it almost sounds like hyperbole, but this series has been around since 1990, and of course has only been around the West since 2003. Surely the fact that it’s crossing over is a good thing. Though whether it had to be with Shin Megami Tensei is up for debate. Anyways, this is the current side story at the moment, since there will be a bunch of commentary/information pertaining to this series in the months ahead, so I’ll probably write one thing about this crossover sometime soon, then leave it to rest until new information comes out.

Super Smash Bros. Melee: The first video game side story when it comes to the Fire Emblem series. This is obviously the game that introduced to us Worldwide people Marth and Roy, and we know what happened after that. I never got to properly fanboy this moment, so I shall, and I will also try and bring up any cool stuff and tidbits about Melee.

Super Smash Bros. Brawl: Also a game I shall try and add some stuff since it not only involves Ike and Marth, but it provides a bit more information of the FE series (and stickers! Come on, you can’t go wrong with stickers!). Down the road I will list the next version of Super Smash Bros, but I will wait for it to have an official name and all that jazz.

Fire Emblem OVA: Wait, Fire Emblem had an anime? Would it shock you that this was how Fire Emblem first made it’s way to the West? Well, I haven’t watched the anime yet. But I will eventually. And I will write about it. Or if I don’t watch it, I’ll point out some crazy things. That’s unlikely.

BS Fire Emblem: Akaneia Senki: What in the world are these games? Well, as far as I know, these are ridiculously difficult levels that have absolutely nothing to do with the story/was probably x10′s better back in the Satellaview days. Oh, those Satellaview days

Random Fire Emblem Trivia: Surely there’s some trivia out there about the series you may or may not know about? Well, I’ll go do my best to point them out. I bet they’ve made their way sneakily into some of Intelligent Systems games…

Other Stuff: Artbooks, Figures, etc…if I can somehow find it, I’ll work with it. Or maybe trick someone else to work on it D:

So that’s all for now. There will of course be new Side Stories to Fire Emblem, but I’m content with what I got. Unless there are suggestions. I welcome suggestions!

See…what had happened…

What had happened…

…What had happened was…Ashley happened. Because responding to the comment would not suffice, I played along…and also, more blog hits because it’s Fire Emblem: Awakening!

…I am such a sucker.

Validar is the best character in the game.

Well I can’t debate this. I mean, he somehow manages to be a walking spoiler throughout all of Awakening, and even turns out to be the only boss you end up facing THREE times. I mean, in the history of Fire Emblem, this has never happened. Validar, by default, is the best character in Fire Emblem.

There is no shame in playing on Casual mode –but you’ll be shunned anyway.

ENGLISH MOTHER****** DO YOU SPEAK IT!?!?

Yeah, too bad you newbies to Fire Emblem. You can play Casual mode all you like, but let’s face it, veteran Fire Emblem fans will dismiss your efforts anyways. Grow a pair and play on Classic. SOON.

Everybody loves you.

This is true. I mean, everyone talks to you in the game. EVERYONE. You can marry almost whoever, have supports with everyone, and thus create a character who is the ultimate pimp in Fire Emblem lore. Thankfully you can only marry one character, or else we might just see the first Fire Emblem game with the M rating attached to it. Don’t worry, Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem will be the first Fire Emblem game with an M rating attached to it.

This game wants you to marry it.

It’s hella addictive because it manages to get right everything except the story. The story is weak. No really, it is. But everything else is so good, you probably want to spend each and every night with it…(I did for at least two weeks)

Pay double the price of the game for DLC.

It’s a great deal when you think about it. I mean, for one DLC you pay $3, but if you get the pack, you get 3 maps for $6.50!…At some point, the math will say you lost money. Honest.

…With that, I think that’s all you need to know about Fire Emblem: Awakening. Now go enjoy the game (OR JUMP OUT YOUR WINDOW).

The last installment of What Is Fire Emblem is literally going to just be me talking about…Fire Emblem. Not the game, but the actual Fire Emblem, and what they’ve have meant (or didn’t mean) in each game. After all, why call a game something if the title is not gonna be important? Well…

Fire Emblem: Ankoku Ryū to Hikari no Tsurugi

Importance: Minor, Really

Role in the story: Princess Nyna of Akaneia entrusted the Fire Emblem, or the Shield of Seals, to be used in his battle against Medeus. Other than that, it’s importance to the story is that it’s a national treasure, only entrusted to a certain few…hence why Marth was the only one to hold on to it. It wasn’t much use after that.

Fire Emblem: Gaiden

Importance: None

Role in the story: Gaiden was the side story to the first game. What did that mean? That meant the Fire Emblem was nonexistent. And thus, this is the first game in the series where the title didn’t line up with expectations. So expected.

Fire Emblem: Monshou No Nazo

Importance: Slim, Really (Book 1); Major Importance in Book 2

Role in the story: Monshou No Nazo had two entries in the series: Book 1, which was the first remake of the Famicom game, and Book 2, which was the brand new entry and the direct sequel to FE1. Again, the importance of the Shield of Seals was not terribly important in Book 1; however, The Shield of Seals served a major importance in Book 2. For starters, you receive the shield early in the game where it takes up space. That doesn’t make me happy Ok, in all seriousness, you then learn that the Shield of Seals is needed to seal the Earth Dragons, who would have risen up and pretty much caused widespread destruction. But it was not just the Shield that was needed; you needed 5 orbs to activate its power: the Geosphere, the Lightsphere, the Darksphere, the Starsphere, and the Lifesphere. You fail to get all 5, you achieve the bad ending. What is that bad ending? Well I don’t know, I’ve never experienced it. Whatever the case, you fail to get all the orbs, that means you won’t be able to get the true ending. Once you have all five orbs, not only do you get a dragon limiting power, but you also get a major stat boost for Marth since he’s holding it.

Fire Emblem: Genealogy of The Holy War

Importance: None, Really

Role in the story: Geneology of The Holy War is a massive game, full of political intrigue and some pretty long and difficult maps. None of it involves the Fire Emblem. Well, ok, it is the crest of the house of Velthomer. And it is briefly touched upon in the Epilogue. But that is it. It doesn’t serve to be anything important like the prior games. Yet another title that proves it is Fire Emblem in name only.

Fire Emblem: Thracia 776

Importance: None

Role in the story: This was the…midquel? Yes, I still always wonder if that’s an actual word. Anyways, this took place between Chapter 5 and 8 of Genealogy of The Holy War, and was only concerned with Leif’s tale. What about the Fire Emblem? Erp, shutout completely, really. This is precisely why the Jugdral games weren’t mentioned in the Shin Megami Tensei X Fire Emblem trailer!

Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade

Importance: Moderate, at best

Role in the story: The Fire Emblem in The Binding Blade is the imperial seal of Bern, a powerful military nation. During the Scouring, the hero Hartmut used the Fire Emblem to gain access to the Sword of Seals, and subsequently used it to seal the Demon Dragon Idenn. For Binding Blade, Zephiel, the main antagonist of FE6, used it to unseal Idenn. He then promptly gotten it stolen by his half-sister, Guinevere, who then runs into Roy’s army. In the end, Roy eventually uses the seal to be able to use The Sword of Seals and once again stop Idenn from her reign of terror.

Fire Emblem: Rekka No Ken

Importance: Meh, at best

Role in the story: Compared to some of the others, the seal mostly was needed to know the location of the Shrine of Seals. At the time it was used to prove Zephiel (in his youth and when he was kind) was able to be the legitimate heir to the throne, but his father was a petty dude and ordered members of the Black Fang to steal it. Otherwise, it didn’t have an overarching impact on the story.

Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones

Importance:  Between Major and Moderate

Role in the story: This time, the Fire Emblem is more or less known as The Sacred Stones. They were once used by the Five Heroes, the founders of Magvel, to seal the spirit of the Demon King Fomortiis. Then centuries later, they were soon divided into two parts by Lyon after he used it to revive his father. Unfortunately for Lyon, his efforts ended up getting him possessed by the Demon King. That’s when all the Sacred Stones that each country had — Grado, Frelia, Jehanna, and Rausten — were on destroy alert. For everyone’s sake, it was good Renais’s stone did not break since that would have meant Fomortiis would no longer be able to be sealed, and who knows what horror would take place.

Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance

Importance: More moderate than Major, really

Role in the story: The Fire Emblem in Path of Radiance more or less drives the actions rather than be something completely dire, but nonetheless, it was fairly key to this story. Prior to the start of Path of Radiance, The Fire Emblem, now referred to Lehran’s Medallion, was once in the hands of Mad King Ashnard, who wanted to awaken the supposed Dark God, Yune, and have her judge humanity. But in order to awaken it, he kidnapped the heron princess Lillia so she could sing the Galdr of Release. Unfortunately, she was in no condition to sing it, and eventually dies. She does however pass the words of the Galdr of Release and gives the medallion to Elena, who happens to be Greil’s wife. Both Elena and Greil flee Daein, and were on the run for a number of years.

One day though, Greil touched the medallion. The power of it turned out to be immense, as he soon turned mad. He regained his sanity, but not without killing a number of people, and that includes running a sword through his wife. This event led Greil to slash the tendons in his sword hand so he could never be able to wield a sword again, to hire Volke, a skilled assassin, to kill him if he ever loses his mind again, and to give the medallion to Mist, who was able to hold it without any problems. He then formed the Greil Mercenaries. As stated, it didn’t exactly factor in storywise in PoR, but the events that occurred (Greil losing to the Black Knight, for one) was due to the medallion.

Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn

Importance: More Major than Moderate

Role in the story: Lehran’s Medallion was more fleshed out in Radiant Dawn though. We learn of the promise made between Ashera and Lehran. Ashera is convinced Yune is the reason perfection and peace has not been achieved in the world, and intends to destroy her. Lehran convinces her not to. Ashera is finally convinced, but sets up a rule that she cannot be awakened by war in a 1000 year span, or else she would destroy the world. Well, let’s just say thanks to the events of Path of Radiance, this almost comes to fruition — basically everyone is at war with each other, and it’s getting to the point where the medallion would have been awakened by war and that meant Ashera would have destroyed the world. But instead, she is awakened by the Galdr of Release, which saves destroying the world. Temporary, since just about everyone except for anyone that has anything to do with the plot is not turned into stone.

Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon

Importance: Slim, Really

Role in the story: The second remake of FE1. There’s no change in the story here: Marth gets it stuck with him, he has to use it to fight Medeus, and there you go.

Fire Emblem: Shin Monshou no Nazo: Hikari to Kage no Eiyuu

Importance: Major

Role in the story: Just about the same as Monshou No Nazo Book 2; you fail to get the gemstones, you can’t activate the Shield of Seals, you cannot achieve the good ending. So yeah, it’s pretty important!

Fire Emblem: Awakening

Importance: Mostly Major

Role in the story: It takes on a similar vein to FE1 and FE3. Now called The Pedestal of Flames, this was the national treasure of Ylisse, and one of the treasures needed to awaken the Fell Dragon Grima. Grima was originally defeated by the first exalt 1,000 years ago, and subsequently sealed away. The varying degrees of importance stem from how it has affected the Future and the Present; in the future, Chrom dies, and that world is thrown into chaos; in the Present, the importance of the Fire Emblem ends up killing an important member of Ylisse, and soon enough, the shield and the jewels associated with it (Argent, Vert, Sables, Gules, Azure) is needed to awaken the true power of Chrom’s Falchion and also to awaken the divine dragon, Naga.

And that’s a wrap for What is Fire Emblem. Here’s the link to Part 1, and the link to Part 2.

Chibi Sigurd for Walters blog.

The Fire Emblem series used to be stuck in the Land of the Rising Sun. There seemed to be no hope that Fire Emblem would ever sniff the rest of the world, until two Lord characters from their two respective games made their debut on the popular Super Smash Bros. Melee for the Nintendo Gamecube. With their debut to Western audiences and the public curious about what this franchise is all about, Nintendo chose not to release Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade anywhere else but Japan. Instead, for E3 2003, that is when they announced that Fire Emblem, titled Fire Emblem: Rekka No Ken in Japan, would finally make a release on the Game Boy Advance.

Fire Emblem told a story revolved around a character that goes by the Tactician — who is that Tactician? Well that is you. In a similar fashion to the unreleased worldwide Fire Emblem: Shin Monshou No Nazo: Hikari to Kage no Eiyuu for Nintendo DS, and Fire Emblem: Awakening for the 3DS, you became a part of the Fire Emblem world, as you get to pick a name, your birthday, and affinity, then guide a number of units throughout the course of Fire Emblem. Unlike those two games though, you didn’t actually fight, but you are a part of following the three main Lord characters and their stories — Lyn, Eliwood, and Hector.

Lyn, who you might have heard of if you’ve played Super Smash Bros. Brawl, served as the tutorial mode for Fire Emblem newbies, as you learned how to move along the grid based map, the weapons triangle, magic, long range attacks, etc. While you end up doing that, you guide Lyn through various trials, as what once was a goal for her to get revenge on the bandits that killed her tribe turns into a story that reveals she is the granddaughter of the Marquess of Caelin, and she needs to hurry to Caelin before Lundgren, the younger brother of the Marquess, takes the throne by force. This is composed of 10 chapters, along with one gaiden, or side quest, chapter.

Once you beat the tutorial, you get to play the main quest, and that involves Eliwood, the son of the Marquess of Pherae. Set a year after the events of Lyn’s story, Eliwood ventures off to find his father, who has mysteriously disappeared without word of his whereabouts. The search for his father eventually leads to a plot conspired by Nergal, who happens to be the major antagonist in this game, who wants to bring forth the dragons that once ravaged the continent, and harness their quintessence (basically life force) and use it to become a god in his world. In this arc alone, old friends return (including Lyn), tragedy will take place, betrayals will be commonplace, but resolve and determination also shine in Eliwood’s story.

Once you then beat Eliwood’s story, you then unlock Hector’s main quest. Hector is Eliwood’s friend, and the brother of the Marquess of Ostia. The story goal is still the same for the most part, but this follows Hector’s journey as he will have to go through a trial as well, one that ends up testing his resolve and willingness to keep fighting for his friends. This mode is harder than Eliwood’s main story, as it features limitations in money, more enemy units, new chapters and side quests, and also fleshes out plot points not touched on in Eliwood’s (and Lyn’s) main quests.

Fire Emblem for the Game Boy Advance rated out well by critics at the time, and even despite it’s age, it’s still actually a good playthrough today. One of the reasons why is of course the battle system. It has evolved since then, but you got to pick units, have them fight battles, and move them across a map. You can’t just always go into each battle charging head first — you had to actually use strategy to achieve your objectives, or else you risk losing a character in battle. Sometimes it will be simple fare. Other times you may have to play defense against a large amount of enemies for a set amount of turns. You will even run into a map that limits the movement of your units. In short, there was a number of different conditions for each map, and you had to come up with a sound strategy to ensure you’ll beat the chapter.

So, have any questions about Fire Emblem GBA? Have any thoughts about Fire Emblem GBA you would like to share? Feel free to do so in the comments below! Also, since some of you voted for more Fire Emblem 7 discussion, feel free to touch upon anything you think I should work on. I make no guarantees, but I’ll consider it.