Newcomer to the series, questions on remakes and game order

[Carl Little]

I have wanted to play Fire Emblem for awhile now. The main reason I haven't started playing Fire Emblem is because I always feel the need to start a series from the first game. My questions are is FE Shadow Dragon (DS) a good remake that plays similarly to the original NES version or has it been updated to be more modern? I want to make sure FE Shadow Dragon (DS) is as close to the NES version as possible. I don't own an NES and would prefer if I didn't have to emulate it. I am also wondering what order I should play the games in? I want to play them chronologically, but I've noticed there are a few remakes, so I'm wondering which games I shouldn't play and if i should opt for the remakes or the originals?

[Byte2222]

I think most people would recommend against playing the games in chronological order. Some of the older titles have not aged gracefully (especially the first one) and the series has become more accessible over time.

To answer your question: Shadow Dragon is an excellent substitute for the first game but, as it was not a very pragmatic remake, it is still quite weak compared to the other international games. Loathe as I an to admit it, it may be best for you to start with Awakening, as it is the most accessible game of the series (so far). It is... less than representative of the rest of the series, however, so I think you should also consider which other games you might be able to get your hands on. If you want to play the older games (the first 6), an emulator is essential, as the games were never translated into English and need to have a translation patch applied (to say nothing of the rarity of old game cartridges).

As for what order to play them in, just play the one that appeals to you most (and be careful of asking for advice here, as we can be... opinionated). The only remakes are Shadow Dragon and Heroes of Light and Shadow, which are remakes of the first and third games, respectively (Heroes of Light and Shadow was never released internationally (it's sometimes called New Mystery of the Emblem) and you'll need to emulate it)

[Sentacotus]

Shadow Dragon isn't a bad game and while it could be better it is the best option to play the game without emulating it or playing it on the NES. I know playing in chronological order is a big thing for you but when it comes to Fire Emblem most of the games are set in their own worlds and time periods to where playing the previous ones are not an issue. Instead I think in your case it depends more on the availability of the hardware and games themselves. That being said I'll recommend which titles I recommend for each system.

SNES: FE4 Geneology of the Holy War. I personally haven't ever played this and you will probably have to emulate a translated version of it which shouldn't be hard to do since many people on here have done it. Just google to find what you're looking for.

GBA: FE8 Sacred Stones. One of the easier Fire Emblems but still retains classic elements of perma death and all. Shops are way easier to get to since they are on the world map. Sure there is a bit of grinding if you so choose to use it but alot less than a game like Awakening.

GCN/Wii: FE9 Path of Radiance. Very hard to find and very pricey online (consider emulating if you just want to play it otherwise its at least 100USD without shipping) although IMO one of the best Fire Emblem games. Linear story permadeath and kickass support conversations. The difficulty curve isn't bad at all either and its overall very easy to get into and play. FE10 Radiant Dawn is the direct sequel and is awesome as well but far more difficult especially in the begining.

Then of course there is Awakening on the 3DS which is by far the most accessible Fire Emblem out there with casual mode which turns off permadeath and ample opportunities to grind if that is your thing. You also have the option not to and to play through the main story chapters and nothing else which is entirely possible even on Lunatic +.

Hope that helps.

Edited July 16, 2015 by LordTaco42

[Carl Little]

I don't think I'd be that bothered by how poorly it has aged, as I'm usually able to look past that when it comes to older games.

Would you be able to elaborate on why the Shadow Dragon remake was done poorly? The general impression I've got from others about Shadow Dragon is other than being the first Fire Emblem there is nothing special about it. The reason I care about playing them in chronological order has nothing to do with following the story, as I already know most of the FE games are unrelated to one another, but I want to start with Shadow Dragon and go in order to see the evolution of the series. I'd prefer not to start with Awakening because of how divided peoples' opinions are on it.

[Byte2222]

The first Fire Emblem game was made by people who didn't know how to make a turn-based strategy RPG, which is fair enough, as turn-based strategy RPGs didn't exist back then! It had some pretty major flaws - to name a few, the mission/map design was bland, the characters had little or no characterisation, not all units were able to grow and be useful and healers couldn't gain experience (not without being put in danger, at least). Shadow Dragon addresses some of these flaws - weapons, items, classes and experience were brought up-to-date - but some elements, such as story, characterisation, cast structure and map design were not.

This leaves a game that is not obviously broken but lacks some of the features that make the rest of the series good. Fire Emblem has always had strong characterisation (the famous 'support conversations') and has challenged the player to assemble a team and make best use of each unit's strengths. These strengths don't come across in Shadow Dragon at all.

I know what you mean about seeing how the series evolved but, take it from me, it is just as interesting to trace the history backwards to see how things evolved ('oh, so that's why knights promote to generals!'). Once you have some more experience (do not play it until you have some experience with the series), Fire Emblem Gaiden (the second game) is fascinating and I think you'd have fun playing it (but do not play it until you have 2 or 3 newer titles under your belt).

Don't be put off Awakening. The game had its flaws (most prominently the story) but it is still a very good game. It always gives you a wide range of options so you can rise to the varied challenges it gives you and, as has been said before, it is the most enjoyable Fire Emblem game for a beginner by a huge margin. The more dedicated fans were upset by some of the more radical changes in the game, such as the ability to pair up units, but they were much more upset by the type of new fans the game attracted. As a more accessible game, it attracted players who were less keen on challenge and more interested in... shall we say 'secondary features'. I'm trying to stay neutral here but I hope you get the picture and I hope that you never avoid playing a game because it has abrasive fans. Fire Emblem: Awakening is an excellent starting point and a literally perfect place if you want to start your own journey through the series.

Edited July 16, 2015 by Byte2222

[Sentacotus]

The reason I care about playing them in chronological order has nothing to do with following the story, as I already know most of the FE games are unrelated to one another, but I want to start with Shadow Dragon and go in order to see the evolution of the series. I'd prefer not to start with Awakening because of how divided peoples' opinions are on it.

Fair enough. Shadow Dragon is pretty much the only remake of the 1st game aside from FE3 for the SNES which is the first game along with a direct sequel to that story. There is also New Mystery of the Emblem which was a Japan only remake of FE3 for the DS and unless you have a Japanese DS you can't play it because of Nintendo's stupid region locking policies.

I have Shadow Dragon and if all you are looking for is to see where the series came from and see Marth its fine.

[EricaofRenais]

Shadow Dragon is OK, but it is a bit harder to play then some of the others. My first FE game was Sacred Stones and I have loved the series ever since. Like the people above have said you don't have to start FE from the beginning to enjoy and understand it. In terms of being able to buy the games Shadow Dragon is pretty cheap and easy to get a copy of, if you have a Wii U you can get Blazing Sword (the first FE game released outside of Japan and titled Fire Emblem in its western release) and Sacred Stones on the eshop, Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn are both hard to find and don't expect to pay less then $60 for a used copy of either one, Awakening is great for starting because you have many levels of difficulty and you can select if you want to play classic or casual. Any other titles you need either a hack or to be able to read Japanese to play. The only FE in English where you should play them in order are 9 and 10, every other game that was released outside of Japan are not connected at all to one another.

[Star and Moon]

Shadow Dragon is actually very faithful to the original game, and is pretty good overall. It's a decent place to start the series, too.

However don't worry about starting with the first game. Most games are totally unconnected to eachother. For instance Fire Emblem: The Sacred Stones, and Fire Emblem: Fates have no relation to any other FE games. Others are through smaller connections, for instance Awakening is set roughly 2000 years after Shadow Dragon. There are a few direct sequels, like Mystery of the Emblem is a sequel to the original game, what Shadow Dragon is a remake of. Unfortunately both the original and remake of Mystery of the Emblem are Japan only.

[Darrman]

Personally, I'd recommend starting with FE7, as it is just full to the brim with tutorials teaching you the basics. Afterwards, it follows the traditional formula: permadeath, no grinding (arenas excepted), no reclassing, stuff like that. FE11 is like FE1, except it has extra gaidens (sidequests) if you're doing terrible. There's a handful of extra flavour conversations, but no support convos. Reclassing didn't exist in FE1 either. Fair warning: everything before 7 requires emulators.

If you want to play them in order... 11 is 1 but better. 2 is nothing like other FEs, skip it until later. 3 is remade by 12, but I never played 12 and am in the middle of 3. 3 also has a "remake" of FE1 in addition to its own game. 4 is the land of huge maps. It's intimidating and has several different mechanics to modern FE. Pick up some more experience first, Awakening's marriage system is derived from this game. 5 requires you to think, as my experience so far shows. It introduces the gaiden chapters. 6 is the sequel to 7. Well, 7's the prequel. It's harder then most western instalments, IMO, and introduces support conversations. 8 is easy, and so is 9, as most seem to say. (I'm at 9's midpoint.) Don't own 10, never emu'd 12. Awakening removes the 5-support limit, has Pair Up instead of Rescue, has the Second Seals and infinite levelling, and just is a bit different.

Hope that wall of text helped!

Edited July 18, 2015 by Darrman

[Carl Little]

Thanks for your help! I'm probably going to start with Shadow Dragon (ds) because it is the only FE I currently own and I'm not at home, so I can't emulate anything anyway. After reading your posts I've decided I probably won't play the games in order and pick whichever one interests me the most. I'll probably decide after I finish Shadow Dragon, but if any of you want to give any more recommendations I'd gladly listen.

[Fly or Die]

Shadow Dragon is a great choice. It introduces the base mechanics of the game, and going from newer title -> Shadow Dragon may leave you dissapointed. The game has it's problems, but it's still a solid choice.

After that, I'd recommend Sacred Stones or Awakening. Awakening is the most popular game in the series right now, and it should be fun. Sacred Stones is another good game, and it's relatively easy compared to the other GBA titles.

If you're still into Fire Emblem after that, I would move to the other GBA games, and then to the NES/SNES games if you want. But that's my suggestion.

[saifors]

I'd recommend The Sacred Stones (FE8) for a first-time player, it's the only one in it's continuity, accessible and allows for some screw-ups and Easy Mode gives you a good tutorial that explains things without being boring.

Shadow Dragon also has a good tutorial, but it's more difficult.

[sithys]

If I woke up and discovered that I had never played any fire emblem games, but I still somehow knew what one to start with, I would start with FE7 for sure. It had all the features from previous games which had withstood the test of time. Some of the design decisions made in FE7 made the game difficult in exciting (and sometimes very frustrating) ways, especially in the levels with "other" units that you need to recruit or save. So if you can get through FE7 without quitting the series, then you should be prepared for the crucible that is Radiant Dawn.

Some of the design decisions were questionable though, be sure to read up on how to recruit Canas because he is the only dark magic user in the game and he can only be recruited in a side quest that only activates under certain conditions. I didn't even know Canas existed until I bought the players guide (this was back in the early 2000s) and I was very confused at all the vendors selling dark magic spells that nobody could use.

They did a lot of things right in Awakening, I will admit. I wish all the previous games had the distinct purple and red overlays for enemy ranges. The level aesthetic design in Awakening is also extremely polished. Personally, I would save that game for last as a dessert. It plays way differently compared to other games in the series, and going from Awakening to FE7 would be a pretty steep difficulty shock.

[NoNameAtAll]

Fair enough. Shadow Dragon is pretty much the only remake of the 1st game aside from FE3 for the SNES which is the first game along with a direct sequel to that story. There is also New Mystery of the Emblem which was a Japan only remake of FE3 for the DS and unless you have a Japanese DS you can't play it because of Nintendo's stupid region locking policies.

I have Shadow Dragon and if all you are looking for is to see where the series came from and see Marth its fine.

Actually, FE12 can be played on DS and DS Lite systems. It's the DSi and 3DS where the region locking kicks in I believe.

[TheAssassinMercenary]

GCN/Wii: FE9 Path of Radiance. Very hard to find and very pricey online (consider emulating if you just want to play it otherwise its at least 100USD without shipping) although IMO one of the best Fire Emblem games. Linear story permadeath and kickass support conversations. The difficulty curve isn't bad at all either and its overall very easy to get into and play. FE10 Radiant Dawn is the direct sequel and is awesome as well but far more difficult especially in the begining.

With Nintendo adding popular Wii games to the Wii U eshop, hopefully it's only a matter of time before Radiant Dawn is added (They just added Xenoblade Chronicles for Naga's sake!). When GameCube games are finally added (I assume they will be), I think Path of Radiance will be one of the first, given it's popularity (though maybe not before Mario Sunshine, Luigi's Mansion, or Double Dash). In June, the DS version of Shadow Dragon was added to the Wii U eshop in Europe, but like Blazing Sword and Sacred Stones, it should come to the U.S. in a few months. Hope that helped anyone looking to play those games.

[Sentacotus]

With Nintendo adding popular Wii games to the Wii U eshop, hopefully it's only a matter of time before Radiant Dawn is added (They just added Xenoblade Chronicles for Naga's sake!). When GameCube games are finally added (I assume they will be), I think Path of Radiance will be one of the first, given it's popularity (though maybe not before Mario Sunshine, Luigi's Mansion, or Double Dash). In June, the DS version of Shadow Dragon was added to the Wii U eshop in Europe, but like Blazing Sword and Sacred Stones, it should come to the U.S. in a few months. Hope that helped anyone looking to play those games.

I should hope so. Since Xenoblade is probably the most rare or among the most rare of physical titles on the Wii that should mean that RD gets on. I mean it costs little to Nintendo to put it up and they make more from it on the eshop that way. As far as GCN titles I'm waiting for the day they do that. It only makes sense no special controller options required and its the only console that hasn't been emulated on Nintendo platforms (bar the orinal Wii).