Fire Emblem, a giant in the tactical-roleplaying game genre, recently celebrated its 30th anniversary this year. The festivities included releasing Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light as a port to the Nintendo Switch. The game was previously unavailable in North America.
Over the course of 30 years, the Fire Emblem series has produced several turn-based combat games. These releases have come out on consoles ranging from the Nintendo Entertainment System to the Nintendo Switch. Most Fire Emblem games have stood the test of time, but some titles are better than others according to Metacritic.
10 Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon Is A Remake Of Shadow Dragon & The Blade Of Light (Score: 81)
Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon was released in 2009 for the Nintendo DS and is a remake of Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & The Blade Of Light. The game was the eleventh released in the Fire Emblem franchise.
Players take on the role of Marth as he battles across Archanea. The graphics weren't the best for the DS but it was still a quality game. Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon also offered a multiplayer mode for battles.
9 Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones Is The Easiest Game (Score: 85)
Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones was released for the Game Boy Advance in 2005. It was the eighth game released in the and the last Fire Emblem title to be released for the Game Boy Advance. Eirika and Ephraim are the royal brother/sister protagonists for this installment. Sacred Stones is set in Magvel and the siblings are attempting to stop a war that was started by the Grado Empire. Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones is also available to play on Nintendo 3DS and Wii U.
8 Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance Features Permanent Character Death (Score:85)
Fire Emblem: Path of Radiance was released for the Nintendo GameCube in 2005. PoR was the ninth game in the franchise and is particularly difficult to find a copy of, costing about $300. This installment is the first Fire Emblem game to feature voice acting. Players follow the story of Ike, the main protagonist, on the continent of Tellius. Between great map design and memorable characters, Path of Radiance is a GameCube classic.
7 Side With The Hoshido Family In Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright (Score: 86)
Fire Emblem Fates was released internationally in 2016 for the Nintendo 3DS. It was the first time players were offered the choice to pick between games for a different storyline. Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright and Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest were released together. A DLC called Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation was made available later on.
In the Birthright, players are sided with the Kingdom of Hoshido. They take on the role of Corrin, the main protagonist. A new feature was added in this game that allowed players to create a base for their military that they could decorate. Fates also removed weapon durability from gameplay.
6 Side With The Nohr Family In Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest (Score: 87)
Fire Emblem Fates: Conquest was the other game to be released alongside Fire Emblem Fates: Birthright. This time, players side with the Nohr family instead of the Hoshidos. Each game features a classic mode and a casual mode.
The classic mode has the permanent death feature for fallen units in battle. The casual mode prevents that and when a character dies in the battle, they are just revived for the next one. With tighter map design and a higher difficulty curve, Conquest is better regarded by franchise fans.
5 Side With No One In Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation (Score: 88)
Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation is the purchasable DLC for Birthright and Conquest. Revelation offers players a third possible path for the storyline. In this version, players support neither the Hoshido family nor the Nohr family.
The DLC combines the gameplay of each game and the character roster. The DLC is not a short playthrough, and is comparable in length to a normal Fire Emblem game. Fans of the series will have to purchase either Birthright or Conquest to be able to play Revelation.
4 Fire Emblem Fates: Special Edition Is A Boxed Set (Score: 88)
If players just can't decide which Fates to pick, a special edition was released for $80 back in 2016 that sold out almost immediately. It's no wonder why the special edition sold out so quickly as it featured Birthright, Conquest, and Revelation on one cartridge. The special edition also came with an artbook and a Fire Emblem pouch for the Nintendo 3DS XL. The special edition costs a pretty penny nowadays and the prices range from $300 up to $750 on resell sites.
3 Fire Emblem: Blazing Blade Is An Amazing Prequel (Score: 88)
Fire Emblem, formally known by its full title Fire Emblem: Blazing Blade, was released for the Game Boy Advance in 2003. Blazing Blade is a prequel set twenty years before the 2002 game, Fire Emblem: The Binding Blade. Players can also play Blazing Blade on the Wii U.
Blazing Blade's story alternates between three perspectives: Lyn, Eliwood, and Hector. Eliwood and Hector are actually characters in The Binding Blade, and the father of that game's two leads. Blazing Blade is widely regarded as one of the best game in the series among fans.
2 Fire Emblem: Three Houses Outsold The Previous Installments (Score: 89)
Fire Emblem: Three Houses released for the Nintendo Switch in July 2019, selling almost 3 million copies and becoming the best-selling game in the franchise. Players take on the role the main protagonist Byleth on the continent of Fódlan. Byleth is a teacher at the Garreg Mach Monastery and has to choose between three houses: Golden Deer, Blue Lions, and Black Eagles, each with their own respective leaders.
Three Houses has endless replayability based on the route options and the units recruited. Players can also get married to a variety of characters in this game.
1 Fire Emblem: Awakening Is Set 2,000 Years After Original (Score: 92)
Fire Emblem: Awakening was released internationally in 2013 for the Nintendo 3DS and was the first entry released for the handheld. Awakening is set 2,000 years after the events of Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & The Blade of Light and was originally intended as the final Fire Emblem game. Awakening received amazing reviews and had such success worldwide, that the franchise exploded stronger than ever. Fire Emblem: Awakening is regarded as one of the best games on the 3DS and one of the best SRPGs ever.