Your Top/Bottom Fire Emblem games

[zahlman]

To be fair, all the sexualized artwork crap everyone complains about is barely apparent in the actual game.

Not to mention. I'm not exactly an expert on the series but

I'm really not seeing how Cordelia is that much of a stand-out compared to these other ladies from games 6-12 inclusive. Omg she has garters in her ZR area, whatever. Practically every pegasus knight ever (and quite a few other female characters) [Edit: since at least the GBA era, I got bored of searching back] has had either ZR or full-length stockings and either form-fitting clothes or an emphasis-on-breast-plate in official art (except maybe Tana, who seems to be in some kind of corset or something instead).

Edit: Crap, Linde's artwork is gigantic, can that be resized in BBCode somehow or do I have to do it manually?

Edited February 17, 2013 by zahlman

[Yoshikage Kira]

I like the sexualized crap. Get at me.

Besides, the artwork for Panne and Olivia is more sexual than Cordelia's. Hers is pretty normal for the series.

Edited February 17, 2013 by Kaz the Demon King

[NinjaMonkey]

Let's destroy established character traits [such as Zihark not fighting Laguz etc]

Which is funny, because I've often given Zihark a Laguzslayer in FE9 and made him slaughter countless Laguz, all with no complaint from him.

[Rehab]

I like the fe9 [map] animations and dislike the fe10 animations.

More vibrant color maybe? Maybe I think the flair of the fe10 animations looks worse with 3D models than it does with sprites, or than it does with Awakening's stylized graphics? I am legit not sure what my brain prefers in them.

To be honest, I don't think fe4 is a great game, though I personally do love its imperfections. I do think it's a marvelous, beautiful, outright life-affirming experiment of a game, though, and it remains my favorite in the series even though repeat playthroughs aren't as engaging for me as they are with the other games. I mean, compared to games that get released today, look at how ambitious the series was back then. Look at it

I don't generally like getting in other people's faces about their preferences, but I think some of you guys are taking an arbitrarily dismissive stance on what [some of] you call self-inserts, as in seeming to oppose the very idea of having a central character you can create for yourself and give some kind of unique agency in a fire emblem game. Unfortunately, I have to admit I don't know to what degree the player-made characters in 12 and 13 can actually have a direct hand in shaping the story, but even if they don't have [that much of] any, you don't have to play them as a self-insert if the idea bores you. Give them some other background, make them do some things you'd never do, or make them do things you'd do for reasons different from your own. It's surprising how engaging it can be, if you try your best to make them personify something you find interesting.

Oh yeah, other non/favorites.

I like shipping, and games where I can ship as part of the gameplay, therefore I have a hard time saying I "dislike" any of the GBA games. I have come to terms with this

I like PoR the most as an "objectively good game" experience I think, it's probably how I'd introduce somebody to the series if I could.

I never beat fe6 and I feel less bad about not beating it than about not beating fe5 so I guess that's my "worst," at least as far as games in the series I've actually played go

Edited February 17, 2013 by Rehab

[Shin]

Best:

1. FE4: I enjoy the larger maps and the characters. It's always good to go through it with different kids. Plus, it's the one I hack the most, no bias.

2. FE5: Rather challenging, there are times where it's better to run away. The skill and fatigue system's pretty good too.

3. FE6: Whilst a little rough, it's enjoyable. Most characters can be used and some of the supports are rather amusing.

Worst:

1. FE12: The inclusion of MU and Katarina didn't really appeal to me, I think both of them are chumps. On harder difficulties, most of the cast is unusable. Plus, I have a soft spot for FE3. Still, it's not that I hate this game.

2. FE1: Think FE3/11 but very basic and clunky. Good for the time, but it' can get a little annoying at times.

3. FE11: For a modern game, it doesn't really add much more from the GBA games. It's not bad by any means but it doesn't add enough to FE3.

[Florete]

Which is funny, because I've often given Zihark a Laguzslayer in FE9 and made him slaughter countless Laguz, all with no complaint from him.

Indeed. He also can defect in 3-6 if he confronts Mordecai or Lethe, and he won't attack any of your Laguz in 3-7 and 3-E (Oh, and he can defect in those maps, too).

No characters were "destroyed" in FE10 except maybe Astrid. They just didn't get any more focus.

Edited February 17, 2013 by Red Fox of Fire

[Darros]

Top

1. FE4: Amazing cast ((IMO)), interesting holy blood system, and the ability to deploy everyone makes this one of my favorite games of all time.

2. FE11: I actually love reclass. It made the game so much more replayable.

3. FE8: Uh sure. I like this game, it's short and pretty easy, a fun game to play when I'm really bored.

Bottom

1. FE7: I don't like this game. I find it incredibly bland, with only a few characters I can actually say "I like this guy". I feel like the characters were just boring, and none of the chapters were really fun or anything.

2. FE10 Part 1: I guess I can't say I dislike FE10 as a whole, but Part 1 just grinded my gears. I really don't like this part because it's quite difficult, and your team is composed or either really terrible units or characters I don't like. I have like.. Jill and Nolan there that I actually use. The fact that most of your units from this part can't be used effectively long term is also SUPER LAME.

3. FE6: I don't actually dislike this game but I found it kind of really annoying at the end with some chapters.

[cyron]

I dont reallt dislike any fe games but i would say worst to best

fe1- good for its time but very old and clunky

fe11- bland didnt add anything other than the reclass system

fe3- better than fe1 and more interesting than 11

fe7- not bad but it doesent really get my attention its not fun to play the vanilla any more(though making dumb changes and playing that way is rather fun

fe2- its rather interesting an unique

fe6- fun because i havent played it many times so it still feels fresh (also stupid mods)

fe12- far better then 11 very fun

fe8- nostalgia (and stupid mods)

fe5- difficult lots of interesting unique mechanics

fe4- gen 1 can be a bit boring but i love gen 2

fe13- so much fun i love it

[Anacybele]

Well, I haven't played any Japan-only FE games, so my list is gonna be a little small.

Best

1. Radiant Dawn

Yup, RD is still my favorite! Awakening is VERY close behind though. Anyway, I love almost everything about this game and it's my favorite game of all time. I love the story, the returning characters (screw the Dawn Brigade, Greil Mercenaries ftw!), Ike's new muscley design, the music, and just about everything else. And that the game is long! The one thing I hated? The ending, for the most part (didn't like what they did with some character endings and I didn't like the lack of many paired endings). But the rest of the game is awesome enough for me to keep playing. Also, Ike is awesome. <3

2. Awakening

I had predicted Awakening would place very high on my list and it has! It could still surpass RD for me, I just need to complete it. But I love the story and gameplay and most of the characters and everything. Oh, and Frederick, I love him! He's the awesomest in this game. <3 The pair up feature is awesome and I actually am able to get a bunch of supports and pairings this time. It's not so hard like it is in the GBA games.

3. Path of Radiance

This game was my introduction to the series. And it made me love Ike as much as I do (well, almost. RD made me love him even more, haha)! I enjoyed just about everything in this game too. I didn't like the story quite as much as RD or Awakening, and the gameplay isn't quite as great either, but I still loved it! It made me get into the FE series, so yeah. ^^

Worst

1. Shadow Dragon

Yeah, I hardly played any of this, and it wasn't bad, but I got turned off because I didn't like being forced to sacrifice a unit. I haven't touched it since and I haven't had any interest in continuing it.

2. The Blazing Sword

I didn't hate this game or anything either, but I don't like it nearly as much as most of the other FE games I've played. Lyn's story rather bored me, Eliwood's story was better, but still didn't grab me as much as those in TSS, PoR, RD, or Awakening. Supports are way too hard to get and not as many characters are memorable, imo. I like the sprite graphics though. Oh, and I love Sain! He's so awesome. <3

And that's all. I've played Sacred Stones too, but it would be number 4 on the best list and I think three's enough for now. xP

Edited February 23, 2013 by Anacybele

[CT075]

best

-radiant dawn: My first FE game and definitely my favorite just due to a lot of things about it

-thracia: go go leaf

-path of radiance: great game

worst:

-sword of seals (or whatever the fuck FE6 is called): boring game

-shadow dragon: see above

-mystery of the emblem: i liked fe12 but fe3 just felt really clunky to me

[Sublime Manic]

Bests:

1) FE4: Sigurd's story ALONE would get this game in my tops list. That I like plenty of other things about it just seals the deal for me. I find the maps, marriage system, and two generation storyline all give this game an epic and grandiose tone that I absolutely love. Lots of characters I love also. Definitely my favorite entry in the series.

2) FE13: I might be overly enthused about it just because it's so new, but I've really been having fun with this game. It definitely doesn't hurt that it reminds me of the Jugdral games to the extend that it does.

3) FE10: I REALLY love the gameplay in this one. SO much more enjoyable than FE9 for me. There are some awful plot moments but I'm willing to forgive them just from how enjoyable I find playing the game to be. Tight competition from FE7 and 5 for this slot, but I find Radiant Dawn draws me back to play it again and again the most of the three.

Worsts:

1) FE8: It's not that it's particularly bad, but I find it lacking. How is it the last Fire Emblem entry for the GBA has the smallest cast of the three, anyway? Disappointingly short and I'm not attached to any of the cast the way I am to people from virtually every other game in the series, also.

2) FE6: I just find this one bland. A whole lot of bland, but at least there are some fun moments, and some chapters I really enjoy playing. At least it has my favorite desert chapter in the series.

3) FE11: I used to dislike this game much more. I did a competitive draft of it with some friends of mine and wound up enjoying it so much. Even so, why they didn't implement a variety of gameplay ideas that were put out after FE1/3 is beyond me. And I don't mind sacrificing units for gaiden chapters, but it's such an odd requirement for them that I'd prefer not be in place. It makes the worst list, but it's the least disliked/most liked of my worsts.

[Randa]

Tops

Runner up: awakening

Honestly this game did a lot of things well and lacking in the plot a bit but still very good. Does a good job bringing back and fixing some old features. The biggest issue that prevents from toeing the best is the fact that there is next to no character development even for chrom or MU. The wife means next to nothing despite being queen. Some characters which looked to have large parts never got them. The whole Virion thing was extremely stupid didn't need for him to be a noble don't think chrom ever met him. Issues with the plot are the only problems I have with it.Almost does the impossible and beat out blazing sword. Just doesn't. Might change depending on DLC and how my lunatic run goes.

Best: blazing sword.

Villains I actually feel sorry for. Yes. Very well done mechanics for the time a lot of choices for different play. I personally enjoyed the plot. I still do. The biggest fault with it is that getting 19XX is one of the dumbest requirements ever.

Bottom

Runner up: sacred stones

Plots a bit shallow the game is very easy, small cast (my just seem that way to me). Just felt very rushed and unfinished might be because of PoR which ranks in at three.

Worst: shadow dragon

It sucked. Just because the first time you used the plot ,it was good doesn't mean you can use it again. Brought nothing new. While reclassify is nice it is poorly done in this game in comparison to awakening. They just took the original and remade as a stop gap until awakening was done and it shows.

Edited February 25, 2013 by Randa

[Refa]

Worst

1. Shadow Dragon

Yeah, I hardly played any of this, and it wasn't bad, but I got turned off because I didn't like being forced to sacrifice a unit. I haven't touched it since and I haven't had any interest in continuing it.

FYI, you don't have to sacrifice a unit in any of the hard modes. Even if HM's usually aren't your thing, H1 is on the low ends of hard modes (like, way easier than Eliwood Hard Mode, I'd say), so you could always play through on that.

I mean you do miss out on the prologue, but well...you can't have your cake and eat it too.

Edited February 26, 2013 by Refa

[Liz]

1.) Awakening: My absolute favorite. I love the gameplay and the characters (honestly, I don't think there is any character I actually dislike in this game, and I couldn't decide who to use on my first playthrough haha). The extended support conversation system really helped give the characters a real personality, i feel. seriously, the game was a collection of all the greatest ideas in the series implemented in one game, and I loved it. I have really not had as much fun playing a fire emblem game as much as i had with this one.

2.) Radiant Dawn: as far as plot goes, I feel that Radiant Dawn is arguably the best (really it's between this game and Gen 1 of Genealogy). i loved the different viewpoints it juggles, gives the conflict a larger scope besides the whole good guys versus bad guys. granted, the plotline of part 4 is rather weak, but overall it works with the themes set up with the Tellius games so I don't mind it much. also, has some of the better gameplay options in the series, and is a lot of fun to replay. If only the different sections had been elaborated on a bit more, in particular parts 1 and 2, and reduced part 4 significantly, and i would be set for this game having the best plotline.

3.) Thracia 776: I don't know why I enjoyed this game so much, but I did. Perhaps it was due to the smaller scale in the conflict, the higher difficulty, the storyline, the gameplay, i don't know. but I enjoyed this game much more than I thought i would. I have always felt that if the games were adapted to movies, this game would be the unusually gritty one that would break the fanbase into a love it or hate it factions. For some reason when I was seeing Les Miserables, I kept thinking of this game. :/ maybe the movie should be a musical too. Cate Blanchett as Eyvel?

4.) Path of Radiance: We like Ike! haha! my introduction to the series, so it obviously has tons of nostalgia added to it. it's a good storyline, a nice break of all the lords and kings that the series usually prefers. i don't really know how to explain it, i guess the plot here felt the most organic of the series, i suppose. makes it seem more real. this also applies to Radiant Dawn, but to a lesser extent due to the limited development that each section receives.

5.) Genealogy of the Holy War: I like this game as the moment where the series grew it beard. i loved the plotline in Generation 1, surprisingly dark for the series and has yet to be matched. the pairing system was also an excellent addition, and the second generation was a nice touch. If only the second generation wasn't quite so boring. :/ however, i don't really like the huge maps, it makes anything not mounted rather useless when they're struggling to catch up. this game was an introduction to the skill system, which personally was one of the best additions to the series.

6.) Sacred Stones: I like the characters and the plotline in this game, if only this game were slightly longer :( the map and the tower/ruins were nice additions, also.

7.) Blazing Sword: The game was great, although for some reason I always felt constrained in this game. I'm not entirely sure why. I enjoyed the characters, and the overall game, it's just that nothing really ever stuck out as memorable to me.

8.) Sword of Seals: I started playing it a few years back, and i have yet to finish it. I just felt bored with the game.

9.) Shadow Dragon: Marth is in this game, who is possibly my least favorite lord ever. The storyline is hampered by being nearly identical to the original FE1 when videogame systems couldn't handle much of anything yet. reclassing was a nice touch i suppose, but it didn't really do much to save the game. the game feels too vanilla for me.

I haven't played the rest, so I woulnd't know where to place them

[I don't play for turns]

I love Awakening, even though I haven't fully beaten it. Pairing up, the class-system, children, the plot.... It's just an outstanding game. Honorable mention goes to Radiant Dawn. It was my first game and was number one until Awakening, and Ike is still my number 1 favorite character. Shadow Dragon is bad. It has little to no plot development whatsoever, the stat-averages are too old-fashioned for my liking,and the reclassing system was a good idea gone bad. More than that it just left a bad taste in my mouth. The other three games I've played get no dishonorable mentions, I liked them all.

[Eldigan]

Best

1. Genealogy of the Holy War - This game has it all. Realistic storyline that felt like how a FE game should be - set in ancient times, with characters that aren't overly cheesy and dramatic. The large maps made it feel much more grandiose and epic, as if the fights were actual wars. The characters are amazing, and the split of Gen 1/Gen 2 was masterfully done. The dialogue was also extremely well-written, from the support convos to pre-battle scrips. I also really liked the gameplay, especially the inclusion of holy blood/holy weapons, each character having their own money/weapons, and home castles to prepare in (as opposed to some merchant miraculously following along the battlefield without ever dying). All in all, one of my favorite video games of all time alongside Metal Gear Solid 3.

2. Blazing Sword - Good story, and having Hector mode was a good move by the developers for the purpose of replaying the game from a different angle. I really like the gameplay of the GBA games, and I think this one is the most balanced with the best storyline.

3. Radiant Dawn - Really complex gameplay compared to the older games, decent storyline, and good replay value. Animations are also really good, and I really liked some of the themes present in the game (racism, good vs. evil, etc.). Story was a bit convoluted at times but I didn't think it was a big issue.

Worst

1. Awakening - I liked this game at first when I picked it up, but now that I've had more time to reflect on it I realize that it doesn't do the FE series any justice. It's not very similar at all to any of the past games, and the artwork makes it look more like a manga than a game (giant heads, nonexistent feet, weird faces). The storyline was also rather shallow, with too much emphasis on the personal battles of one or two characters (Chrom and the Avatar). I also didn't like the gameplay at all, chiefly that there were enormous stat caps and no max level since units could keep reclassing back to level 1 ad infinitum. It was enjoyable to play, and not a bad game by any means, but the worst of the FE series.

2. Shadow Dragon - I just didn't like the gameplay and graphics of the DS games. The fact that it was a remake didn't really bother me, and again, this is not a bad game by a long stretch, but as far as FE games go it's my second-to-least favorite.

3. Heroes of Light and Shadow - Same as above. It was a little better than FE11, but falls short for the same reasons.

Honorable Mentions of Sorts

Sword of Seals - The gameplay just felt off, and some of the maps were too big for a game with this many chapters. I liked the continuation after defeating Zephiel, but the prerequisite was a bit arbitrary and I didn't know about it my first playthrough.

Thracia 776 - Considering FE4 is possibly my favorite game of all time, this would be a natural game to play. Unfortunately, I never got it to work properly with the translation, so I've never actually played it yet. I'm going to try again when I have the time, and from what I hear, I expect good things.

[Knight]

Somebody brought this up again, a necropost.

Before this is locked, I do have one comment.

I seem to have placed Awakening as #1 and Blazing Sword #3, now I'd probably place Awakening at like 6 or 7, Blazing Sword is 1 and Genealogy is constantly switching places with the two Tellius games. It's quite astonishing to see how my own opinions fluxuate so much.