Fire Emblem
Fire Emblem (Japanese: ファイアーエムブレム) is a popular strategy role-playing game franchise, developed by Intelligent Systems, and published by Nintendo. It is from the developers of Advance Wars, from the Nintendo Wars series. It was created by Shouzou Kaga, the developer of Tear Ring Saga. The Fire Emblem franchise graced the Famicom, Super Famicom, and Gameboy Advance. It was confined to Japan until the seventh installment, which was released on the Gameboy Advance during the 128-bit era (2001-2006). Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken (Blazing Sword), for Gameboy Advance, is the first Fire Emblem game to be released in the United States. It was released in the United States under the name of "Fire Emblem." Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 is the last game on the Super Famicom. The Fire Emblem series was scored by Yuka Tsujiyoko, the composer for Paper Mario who also scored part of Tetris Attack. Shouzou Kaga resigned from Intelligent Systems after Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 and started his own business, Tirnanog. Death is permanent in a Fire Emblem game if the game progress is saved. Some characters get revived automatically, for example, in Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken, if one character dies in Lyndis's story, they get automatically revived in Eliwood's or Hector's story, but lose valuable level-ups. Fire Emblem rivals Final Fantasy as to soundtracks. Fire Emblem features many character classes.
The name of Fire Emblem comes from the synopsis of the series first installment that the Fire Emblem was an emblem which was combined with Marth's sword, Falchion (used in Super Smash Bros. Melee), and that only Marth, the wielder of the Emblem, was allowed to wield the Falchion. Marth stars as the betrayed prince in Fire Emblem. He also stars in Super Smash Brothers Melee, on Nintendo Gamecube.
This is the first Fire Emblem game. It takes place in Akaneia. It stars Marth, a character who starred in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Marth is the first in the Lord class. He is the prince of Aritia. He was sent to exile from that kingdom. His mentor is Jeigan. Jeigan was sworn to guide and protect Marth all through the game. He is an old but powerful knight. Dohga, a heavy-armored knight, is a member of Jeigan's squad. Gordon is an archer for the Aritian army, and Ryan is his brother. Abel is one of Aritia's top soldiers. There is also a Pegasus Knight known as Sheeda.
This is a side story to the original Fire Emblem. It is the last Fire Emblem game on the Famicom. It stars Alm and Celica. Alm and Celica knew each other since they were children. They each run a separate army. Alm's party is usually larger and stronger than Celica's party. Several characters, including Paola, from the original Fire Emblem made a comeback in Fire Emblem Gaiden.
Fire Emblem: Monshou no Nazo is Fire Emblem's first Super Famicom (SNES) installment. The events of the original Fire Emblem game have been reinvented into this game. Monshou no Nazo mainly has the direct sequel to the original game, and also stars Marth. Most of the characters from the original Fire Emblem game returned in Monshou no Nazo. Monshou no Nazo held the no. 1 position on the Famitsu chart for one year.
Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu is the most imported Fire Emblem game. It has been very popular through emulation in the United States, especially since the release of Super Smash Brothers Melee, which has no reference to Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu. Many who played Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu studied Japanese. Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu takes place in the continent of Jugdral (pronounced YOOG-druhl), located about southeast from Akaneia. The country at the center of Jugdral is called Grandbell. The other countries are the Kingdom of Isaac, the Kingdom of Silesia, the Lords Dominion of Agustria, Manster District, the Kingdom of Thracia, and the Kingdom of Verdane. The first half of the game stars Sigurd (also known as Siglud, according to Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu: TREASURE), the prince of Chalphy (pronounced SHAL-fee), son of Byron (also known as Vylon in TREASURE), a descendant of Baldo. His Chalphian squad includes Arden (a heavy-armored knight), Noish (a social knight), and Alec (a social knight). He has a younger sister named Ethlin and a brother-in-law and close friend Cuan, prince of Lenster. Sigurd and his forces meet their destiny at end of the fifth chapter. At the beginning of chapter two, Sigurd marries Diadora, who first appeared in chapter one. In chapter five, their destiny is delivered by Alvis and the Thracian army. The second half of the game stars Selis (also known as Celice according to TREASURE), son of Sigurd, and his forces, who are either children of the characters in the first half or substitute characters that replace them. Fin, a knight of Lenster, is the only character in the game who fights in both halves of the game. He also starred in Fire Emblem: Thracia 776. Seisen no Keifu has great graphics and sound for a Super NES game. Chapter one opens with the appearance of Eltshan, the king of Nodion. Gunpei Yokoi was the producer of this game. Seisen no Keifu has the largest soundtrack of any Fire Emblem game, composed of 114 tracks. It has been considered Tsujiyoko's largest work.
Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu starts off with a prologue beginning with the army of the Kingdom of Grandbell attacking the Kingdom of Isaac nearby and the army of Verdane invading Grandbell, having only a handful of remaining soldiers, who are Sigurd, Noish, Alec, and Arden to fight off the Verdanian invasion. The first enemy message is when Edin, the daughter of Lord Ring, of Jungby Castle gets captured by Gandolf of Marpha Castle of Verdane and gets taken to Verdane. Sigurd had no choice but to take up arms in order to rescue Edin. At the end of the prologue, Sigurd seizes Evans Castle and made it his army's home base in Chapters 1 and 2.
Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 is the last game ever released for the Super Famicom. Therefore, it is the Super Famicom/SNES finale. It is the midquel to Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu. It happens between chapters five and six of Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu. It stars Leaf, the son of Cuan and Ethlin; his guardian Fin who took him into hiding in chapter five of Seisen no Keifu, and a host of many other characters, including characters from Seisen no Keifu. Leaf retaliates against the Thracian army because of what they did to his parents. Thracia 776 introduces night combat, which is only portions of the map are show and the others blacked out. A torch is needed to light the way in night combat. This also introduced the Rescue feature known to players of the US edition of Fire Emblem on GBA, although in this game, you can capture enemies. Some characters from Seisen no Keifu, including Fin, have been carried over to Thracia 776. The graphics of Thracia 776 are slightly better than those of Seisen no Keifu. It is the most realistic Fire Emblem game as of now.
Fire Emblem: Fuuin no Tsurugi stars Roy, who previously appeared in Super Smash Bros. Melee. It takes place on the continent of Ereb (or Elibe if you prefer.) Roy led a revolt shortly after his father fell ill. He is from Pherae.
Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken is the first Fire Emblem game to be released in the United States. It was developed with a North American release in mind. It is the prequel to Fire Emblem: Fuuin no Tsurugi. The first part stars Lyndis, the first female character to be in the Lord class. That may make her a lady. The later part stars Eliwood (Roy's father). The alternate later part stars Hector, the first member of the Lord class to wield an axe. The game has an in game tutorial and a version of a song from the original Fire Emblem game.
Fire Emblem: Souen no Kiseki is the recently announced new game in the series for the Nintendo Gamecube, the first one for a console since the release of Fire Emblem: Thracia 776 for the Super Famicom, having skipped the Nintendo 64. Little information is known about this game, only that it is also the first to be featured in 3D, and that it also takes place in a land called Telius, with a new cast as well. It will obviously have cel-shaded 3D graphics, as in Dragon Quest VIII, Dark Cloud 2, and Legend of Zelda: Wind Waker, in order to retain the classic Fire Emblem feel and avoid subjection to moral panic.
There are however scans of the game that can be found here, here and here.
Two Fire Emblem characters, Marth and Roy, are secret characters in Super Smash Bros. Melee. Marth starred in Fire Emblem: Ankoku no Ryuu to Hikari no Tsurugi (Dragon of Darkness and Sword of Light), and Fire Emblem: Monshou no Nazo (Mystery of the Emblem). Roy starred in Fire Emblem: Fuuin no Tsurugi (Sealed Sword). Super Smash Bros. Melee virtually lacks reference to Fire Emblem Gaiden, Seisen no Keifu, and Thracia 776
Fan translations of the first five Fire Emblem games are underway, being translated from Japanese to English. North America has been showing interest in the Fire Emblem series since the invention of game emulation, or since the release of Super Smash Bros. Melee. If any of the Fire Emblem games before Rekka no Ken get remade for Nintendo GameCube or later Nintendo console, they will probably get the opportunity to come to North America.
Fire Emblem: Ankoku no Ryuu to Hikari no Tsurugi (Dragon of Darkness and Sword of Light), Famicom (1990)
Fire Emblem Gaiden (Biography), Famicom (1991)
Fire Emblem: Monshou no Nazo (Mystery of the Emblem), Super Famicom (1993)
Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu (Genealogy of Holy War), Super Famicom (1996)
Fire Emblem: Thracia 776, Super Famicom (1999, 2000)
Fire Emblem: Fuuin no Tsurugi (Sealed Sword), Gameboy Advance (2002)
Fire Emblem: Rekka no Ken, Gameboy Advance (2003)
Fire Emblem: Souen no Kiseki (Trail of the Blue Flame?), Gamecube (2004?)
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