In the week that Fire Emblem: Awakening is set to be finally released in the UK, a full year after originally coming out in Japan, I figure I would blog about Fire Emblem. After all, it is one of my favourite Nintendo series, sitting up there right alongside Mario, Zelda, Kirby, and Metroid.
I first discovered Fire Emblem completely by chance. I had recently got a platinum Game Boy Advance, and the wonderful Golden Sun to go with it. Still, I craved more games, and I was browsing my local Game store. I can't remember for certain why the box caught my eye; maybe it was the red-haired character on the box, maybe it was the fact that I have always loved swords and sorcery. Still, I picked it up and asked my mum if I could have it.
I took Fire Emblem home with me that day, and joined the adventures of Lyn as she fought to prevent her uncle Lundgren from usurping the Caelin throne. Instantly I was hooked on the Fire Emblem series.
One thing Fire Emblem does really well is characterisation. The units you command aren't just nameless soldiers. They all have names and personalities; Florina the pegasus knight who fears men, Sain the womaniser, each character was unique in their own way.
Which made it painful to see them cut down by an enemy. Once they were defeated, they were dead. Gone forever (or only seriously wounded if they had some importance to the plot, with the exception of the three Lords. That would net you a game over.) Intelligent Systems are definitely one of my favourite developers, but they are so cruel. They will make you get attached to the characters, and then one careless mistake on your part can result in that character being gone forever.
Anyway, back to the red-haired hero I mentioned. He appears in Lyn's story to rescue a dancer named Ninian and convince the other nations to stay out of Caelin's dispute. It isn't until a year after Lyn's story that Eliwood becomes the main character, embarking on a quest to find his missing father.
The stories in the Fire Emblem games are pure class. I won't go into too much detail to avoid spoiling the games for those who haven't played them (shame on you!), but they are definitely worth experiencing. I'll just say that there was more than enough swords and sorcery.
Fire Emblem will always have a fond place in my heart, and I reckon I'll be celebrating Fire Emblem: Awakening's release this week and beyond. I have a copy preordered from Game, which means I should also receive the limited edition artbook. I really am a sucker when it comes to those kinds of things.
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