Fire Emblembegan like so many of Nintendo’s franchises on the NES. It was in 1990 that the series began but only in Japan for over a decade. The West would not get a taste until the Game Boy Advance in 2003.
There have been some ups and downs in terms of releases after that but since the 3DS era, every game has received an official English translation and port. The latest entry in the series was on the Switch in 2023 viaFire Emblem Engage. When will the next game come out and what platform will it be on? Who knows, but for now let’s see the consoles this series has touched.
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and the Blade of Lightwas the first game in the series on the NES which started in 1990. It was already mentioned that the first game the West got wasn’t until 2003, but the first time they got to play this title in its original form was on the Switch in 2020.
8SNES – Fire Emblem: Mystery Of The Emblem
Metacritic Score: N/A
None of the three games in the series from the SNES era were ever released on the West officially. They have, however, been translated by fans and they includeFire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem,Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War, andFire Emblem: Thracia 776.
They are all fun and challenging tactical RPGs but if one had to choose,Mystery of the Emblemwould be the one. It’s the first SNES game in the series and it is a direct sequel to the original which follows Marth as the main hero. Players may want to check it out online after consumingFire Emblem: Shadow Dragonand the Blade of Lighton the Switch.
Fire Emblem: The Blazing Bladewas the aforementioned first game the West ever got in 2003. It was just changed to justFire Emblemto avoid confusion. It’s not the first Game Boy Advance title though as that wasFire Emblem: The Binding Blade, which had Roy as the star.
Fans got to know Roy throughSuper Smash Bros. Melee, so it’s weird that his game never appeared over here officially but fans can enjoy it through fan translations.The Blazing Bladeinstead follows Lyn through a typical campaign across a war-torn continent.
Once the GameCube era started, it was slim pickings for RPGs. The one entry in this series,Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance, didn’t even come out until late into the console’s life cycle in 2005. It is one of the best RPGs on the console though, so for Fire Emblem fans, it was worth the wait.
There’s nothing significantly new in this game as it follows a typical hero, Ike, who has a giant sword. In that way, Ike is a bit different as one of the beefiest protagonists in the series.
5DS (Fire Emblem: New Mystery Of The Emblem)
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragonwas a remake on the DS of the original game.Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblemthen was a remake ofFire Emblem: Mystery of the Emblem, but that one did not come over here. Shadow Dragon is a good remake and a better way to experience the original than on the Switch’s digital library.
However,New Mystery of the Emblemis better and is worth tracking down online because a majority of it is translated. It features one of the biggest change-ups in the franchise, a casual difficulty, which would not get showcased in the West until 2013.
The Wii was not much better for RPGs as compared to the GameCube. Fans didn’t have to wait that long into the life cycle to getFire Emblem: Radiant Dawnthough as it was a 2007 release.
Fans could also enjoyFire Emblem: Path Of Radianceon the Wii thanks to the backwards compatibility. Like that game,Radiant Dawndidn’t feature any significant changes for the series but was still a solid tactical RPG on a system that, again, seldom got an RPG of any sort.
Fire Emblem Awakeningwas the game that changed everything for the West in 2013. Casual Mode and the ability to turn off permadeath made things a lot more accessible for a different audience. The hardcore players could still have their challenge too so it was a game made for everyone.
It can be thanked for theFire EmblemRenaissance that changed it from a B-tier series to a AAA one within Nintendo’s hierarchy. The other 3DS games were good too including all threeFire Emblem Fatesgames andFire Emblem Echoes: Shadows of Valentia.
Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FEis technically aFire Emblemgame although it is more of aShin Megami Tenseiproduct than anything else as it is a crossover. The main teens are training in Japan to be idols who eventually stumble into a secret zone filled with ancient warriors of the past.
These warriors are like Persona from that titular series who can befriend the main party and change them in battle in aSailor Moon-like fashion. It’s bizarre, wild, and worth a look on either the Wii U or the port on Switch. The only downside is that it is not a tactical RPG.
The Switch has a lot of popular games in the franchise including the aforementioned port ofTokyo Mirage Sessions #FE. However,Fire Emblem: Three Housesoutranks them all in terms of content. It’s kind of like Harry Potter wherein players begin in a magical school and can choose to side with one of three houses.
Whomever players choose will affect the outcome of the story from party members to the actual main plot. It’s a long game for one playthrough let alone three if players want to see everything. It wouldn’t be surprising to find out some players are still engaged in it.
