Fire Emblem

### Platform

Family Computer,Super Famicom,Game Boy Advance,GameCube,Wii,Nintendo DS,Nintendo, 3DS,Wii U,Android,iOS,Nintendo Switch

### Genre

Tactical role-playing

***Fire Emblem*** is a fantasy tactical role-playing game franchise developed by Intelligent Systems and published by Nintendo. First produced and published for the Family Computer in 1990, the series currently consists of sixteen core games and four spinoffs. Gameplay revolves around the tactical movement of characters across grid-based environments, while incorporating a story and characters similar to traditional role-playing video games.

A notable aspect of gameplay is the permanent death of characters in battle, removing them from the rest of the game when they are defeated. In newer titles, from *Fire Emblem: New Mystery of the Emblem* onwards, players get to choose between Classic mode, in which characters permanently die, or Casual mode, in which fallen characters are revived for the next battle. The series title refers to the "Fire Emblem", a recurring element in the series that is usually portrayed as a royal weapon or shield representing the power of war and dragons. The development of the first game began as a dōjin project by Shouzou Kaga and three other developers. Its success prompted the development of further titles in the series. Kaga headed the development of each entry until the release of *Thracia 776,* when he left Intelligent Systems and founded his game studio to develop *Tear Ring Saga*.

No games in the series were released outside of Japan until two characters, Marth and Roy, were included as playable characters in the 2001 fighting game *Super Smash Bros. Melee*. Their popularity, as well as the international success of the turn-based *Advance Wars*, eventually convinced Nintendo to release the next game, *The Blazing Blade*, in Western regions under the title *Fire Emblem* in 2003. Many games in the series have sold well, despite a decline during the 2000s which resulted in the series' near-cancellation. Individual entries have generally been praised, the series as a whole has been lauded for its gameplay, and it is frequently cited as the seminal series in the tactical role-playing genre, codifying various gameplay elements that would come to define the genre. Characters from multiple games have also been included in crossovers with other franchises.

## Gameplay

*Fire Emblem*'s developers have described it as an "RPG simulation", combining tactical simulation gameplay with the plot and character development of a role-playing game, creating a sense of connection with characters not present in previous tactical games. Battles in the *Fire Emblem* series play out on a grid-based map, with the player controlling a set number of characters across maps tied to both the game's story and optional side stories. Each character has a specific character class, giving them set abilities and affecting how far they can move across the field. Some character classes have innate skills unique to them, and each character has their own stats. Depending on the series entry, a character's class can be changed or upgraded, sometimes with the requirement of special items. During a battle, each character gains experience points by performing actions, such as attacking an enemy, healing an ally, or slaying a foe (which typically offers the most experience points). When a certain level is reached, the character levels up, and new skill points are awarded randomly to a character's attributes, such as the character's health, agility or strength. The more a character is used in battle, the more experience that character gains.