Fire Emblem (Game Boy Advance)
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| Fire Emblem | |
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| Developer(s) | Intelligent Systems Co., Ltd. |
| Publisher(s) |  Nintendo Co., Ltd. Nintendo of America Nintendo of Europe |
| Series | Fire Emblem |
| Release date(s) | April 25, 2003 November 3, 2003 July 16, 2004 |
| Genre(s) | Tactical RPG |
| Mode(s) | Single player |
| Rating(s) | ESRB: Everyone OFLC (AU): G8+ |
| Platform(s) | Game Boy Advance |
| Media | 128-megabit Cartridge |
Fire Emblem (ファイアーエムブレム 烈火の剣 Faiā Emuburemu: Rekka no Ken?, Fire Emblem: Sword of Fire) is a Japanese tactical role-playing game for the Game Boy Advance, developed by Intelligent Systems Co., Ltd. and published by Nintendo Co., Ltd.. The game was released on April 25, 2003 in Japan, November 3, 2003 in North America and July 16, 2004 in Europe. It is the seventh game of the Fire Emblem series, the second game in the series to be released for the Game Boy Advance and the first to be released in both North America and Europe. It is the prequel to Fire Emblem: Fūin no Tsurugi, and takes place five years before Roy is born and twenty years before the events of Fire Emblem: Fūin no Tsurugi.
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[edit] Gameplay
Fire Emblem, like all the other games in the series, is a turn-based strategy RPG in which players move characters around a grid, much like a chessboard, in order to complete a certain predefined objective like capturing an enemy base or surviving a certain amount of turns. The single-player campaign is divided into chapters which generally begin with story elements presented through the use of scenes animated with cut-outs of the main characters, then followed by a battle with an enemy. More cutscenes and a chance to save follow the conclusion of the battle.
The battle system operates under principles that most of the Fire Emblem games follow, in that a sword has the advantage over an ax, an ax has the advantage over a lance, and a lance has the advantage over the sword (known as the "weapon triangle"). The bow in the game isn't a part of any weapon triangle, but is specially effective against flying units. Similarly, the magic system is also structured through a triangle, the Trinity of Magic, in that dark magic possess an advantage over anima magic, anima over light magic and light magic over dark magic.
As with all Fire Emblem games, if a unit falls in battle, he or she can never be used again. However, an exception is made for characters in Lyn's tale, who will be reborn in Eliwood's tale even if they are defeated during Lyn's tale.
While Fire Emblem recycles most of its gameplay mechanics from Fire Emblem: Fuuin no Tsurugi, it introduces some notable changes.
- Perhaps the most significant difference is the introduction of a tutorial mode, never before seen in the series. The single-player campaign is divided into Lyn's tale and Eliwood's tale, the former of which serves as a (mandatory) tutorial designed to ease new players into the game, especially since most of North America had never played a Fire Emblem game before this one. The tutorial disappears in Lyn's Hard Mode, unlocked after completing Lyn's tale once.
- Aside from capturing bases and defeating bosses, Fire Emblem introduces new mission objectives like surviving a certain number of turns, destroying all enemies, and traveling to a predefined space on the map.
- Weather effects like rain and snow, which hinder unit movement, have been added.
In addition to the single-player campaign, Fire Emblem features a link arena in which up to 4 players can link up, and do battle with teams of characters from the single-player save file.
[edit] Plot
[edit] Introduction
The game opens with text describing ancient historical events in the world of Fire Emblem. Over a thousand years before the events of the game take place, man and dragon coexisted in the world. However, this peace was broken when man began fighting against the dragons in a bitter war known as the Scouring. Upon their defeat, the dragons vanished from the world and man began to flourish as the sole dominant species.
[edit] Lyn's Tale (Prologue - 10)
The game's narrative starts in the plains of Sacae. The player character, a tactician (default name Mark), is found by a girl named Lyndis (more commonly known as Lyn). After a short series of events, Mark and Lyn meet the Cavaliers Kent and Sain, who reveal that Lyn is heir to the throne of Caelin. However, Lyn's existence is an obstacle to Lundgren, the brother of Lyn's grandfather Hausen, who desires to succeed his brother as the marquess, and he continually attempts to kill Lyndis.
Before setting out for Caelin, Lyn, Kent and Sain visit a temple in order to pray before the Mani Katti, a sacred blade. After defeating attacking bandits and rescuing the priest, Lyn discovers that she is the chosen wielder of the Mani Katti. Lyn travels from Sacae to Caelin, meeting new allies and enemies along the way. Among these are the bard Nils and his sister, the dancer Ninian, who are being pursued by a shadowy organization known as the Black Fang. Lyn eventually arrives at Lundgren's stronghold, defeats him, and reunites with her grandfather.
After the conclusion of this story, the player will proceed to Eliwood’s Tale.
[edit] Eliwood's Tale (11 - Final)
[edit] To the Dragon's Gate (11 - 19)
One year later, Lyn's friend Eliwood is leaving Pherae to go in search of his missing father, Marquess Elbert of Pherae. As he and his escorts prepare to leave the area, bandits attack a local village. Mark, the tactician, is at the village, and Eliwood acquires the aid of Mark and other characters to take down the bandits. Eliwood then heads to Santaruz, where he meets his friend Hector, brother of Marquess Ostia. Marquess Santaruz’s dying words direct the group to Laus, where it is revealed that Marquess Laus is working with the Black Fang, a group of assassins, and intends to take over Elibe and the rest of the world. With him is a mysterious man named Ephidel. Marquess Laus sends his son Erik to kill Eliwood and Hector. After the capture of Castle Laus, Erik confesses that one year ago, Ephidel came to Laus and persuaded Marquess Darin of Laus to rebel against Ostia. Elbert, although he distrusted Ephidel, also supported this plan; Eliwood does not believe that his father could have done so.
A couple of days later, Eliwood is informed that Castle Caelin has fallen to an attack from the remains of Laus's army. Eliwood meets up with Lyn and her allies, and they recapture the castle and rescue Marquess Caelin. The group then meets the Ostian spy Leila, who is working undercover in the Black Fang. She informs them that the Black Fang, responsible for all that has happened, is controlled by Nergal, a mysterious man who wants to start a war in Lycia for unknown reasons. In addition, Ephidel is a "Morph", a humanoid creature created through magic that serves Nergal. Elbert is being held captive at Valor Island, also known as the “Dread Isle.”
Eliwood and his troops set sail to the island with the help of the pirate captain Fargus. Along the way, they find Ninian in a small boat. She unfortunately has amnesia, and her brother Nils is not with her, which Lyn finds highly suspicious. Eliwood and company reach the island, but along the way, the group runs into a corpse, belonging to Leila. Jaffar, one of the Black Fang’s Four Fangs, killed her when Ephidel discovered that she was a spy. After Eliwood finds the Dragon's Gate, Ephidel captures Ninian, and Eliwood’s group assaults the temple to rescue her. After the battle, Eliwood finds his seriously injured father near the back of the temple. Nergal and Ephidel appear with the captured Ninian. Nergal feeds Elbert’s soul into Ninian, forcing her to summon a Dragon, but as it emerges from the portal, Nils comes in and brings Ninian to her senses. She immediately closes the portal, destroying both Ephidel and the dragon. Nergal attempts to take Ninian and Nils, but when Elbert wounds him, he flees to recover. Elbert then dies in his son's arms.
[edit] To the Shrine of Seals (20 - 28)
Eliwood and company head back to the mainland to inform Marquess Uther, Hector's older brother and Marquess of Ostia, of what has been happening. Uther is troubled by the news, and suggests Eliwood go to the Nabata Desert to meet a "living legend." This person turns out to be Archsage Athos, one of the veterans of the Scouring, whose lifespan has been lengthened because of his deep connection to magic. Eliwood assists a mysterious Sage in the desert named Pent, who turns out to be the Mage General of Etruria. Athos tells them to find the Shrine of Seals in Bern if they want to stand a chance against Nergal.
After Athos teleports Eliwood's troops back to Pherae, they travel Bern disguised as travelers. When they reach Bern, they hear of Prince Zephiel's coming-of-age ceremony, during which Pent and his wife Louise plan to ask Hellene, the Queen of Bern, about the location of the Shrine of Seals. While waiting, they gather more information on the Black Fang, whose headquarters are in Bern. During their search, they are attacked by one of the sons of Brendan Reed, the leader of the Black Fang.[1] After subduing him, Eliwood persuades him that they are not his enemy, at which point the brother decides to track Sonia, Reed's wife and the woman Nergal is using to control the Black Fang. However, Nergal's morph Limstella kills him. The other Reed brother, showing up later and finding his brother dead, blames Eliwood and friends.
Queen Hellene agrees to provide Eliwood with the location of the Shrine of Seals if he recovers the missing Fire Emblem, necessary for Zephiel's ceremony. Lyn manages to trace the Black Fang to their mountain fortress, where they hear that Jaffar was to carry out a contract to kill Zephiel. Eliwood returns to the Bern Manse and saves Prince Zephiel from a Black Fang assassination, meeting Jaffar and Nino, Sonia’s daughter, along the way. A grateful Hellene then gives them a map to the Shrine of Seals. The group stops by at the Black Fang's secondary base, the Water Temple, where Sonia kills Brendan and Limstella absorbs his quintessence for Nergal. Nino confronts Sonia about her parentage, and Sonia reveals that Nino is indeed not really her child, but the daughter of a clan of magic users that she and Nergal killed. Eliwood's troops defeat Sonia. Limstella shows up, but does not absorb Sonia's quintessence because she does not have any, as she was a morph.
Eliwood makes it to the Shrine of Seals, where he defeats the remaining Reed brother. Athos teleports in and takes the group into the Shrine to talk to the other remaining legend, the cautious magic user Brammimond. After a conversation with Athos, Brammimond is persuaded to open the seals on the legendary weapons used to slay the dragons. Outside the Shrine, a fully healed Nergal shows up and tries to take Ninian and Nils. To defend her brother and gain time, Ninian goes with him in exchange for Nils' safety. Eliwood goes to the tomb of Roland and collects the sword Durandal from its resting place. As he leaves, an Ice Dragon attacks him, and Durandal, seemingly activated on its own, slays the Dragon, which is revealed to be Ninian. Nergal returns to gloat, telling Eliwood that Ninian lost most of her memory when she became a Dragon, and that the only thing remaining was her love towards Eliwood. Ninian uses her last quintessence to change back to her human form and dies in Eliwood’s arms. Enraged, Athos attempts to kill Nergal with the spell Forblaze, but fails.
[edit] Conclusion (29 - Epilogue)
Back in Ostia, as Eliwood and friends recuperate, Athos tells them about Nergal's past. He and Nergal, once friends, came across the legendary city of Arcadia, where humans and dragons lived in peace. Nergal spent his time there learning the secrets of acquiring quintessence, which slowly distorted his soul. Athos and the residents of Arcadia teamed up to defeat Nergal, but he managed to escape and fled to Bern, taking control of the Black Fang while he was there. Hector also learns that his brother has died.
Nergal, back at the Dragon's Gate, uses Ninian's quintessence to open the portal, but he does not have enough. Eliwood arrives at the Dread Isle and defeats Limstella. Nergal then channels quintessence from the most powerful human leaders and creates morph versions of them, sending them out to destroy Eliwood’s group, but unfortunately for him all the morphs fall. Then Nergal himself appears but is also defeated. With his dying breath, he summons three Fire Dragons. Athos fails to stop them, but Brammimond shows up and uses his remaining power to resurrect Ninian, who kills two and severely wounds the third. Eliwood and friends fight the last Dragon and manage to slay it. After the battle, Archsage Athos collapses from exhaustion, and on his deathbed, predicts that 'And Evil Star will rise... over Bern... but once again, Lycia will bring hope to cleanse the darkness', predicting the events of Fire Emblem: Fuuin No Tsurugi.
One year later, Eliwood is crowned Marquess of Pherae in his father's place, and soon Hector is crowned as Marquess of Ostia.
Fifteen years later, Eliwood and Hector meet each other in Ostia Castle, where Eliwood introduces his son Roy and Hector introduces his daughter Lilina. While the children play, Eliwood and Hector talk about some events in Bern related to Archsage Athos' predictions. In the final scene of the game, Zephiel, King of Bern, is talking with an "Enigmatic man" (revealed in Fire Emblem: Fuuin no Tsurugi as Yahn), telling him that the Dark Dragon is awake.
- ^ Eliwood's group will be confronted by either Lloyd or Linus Reed, depending on the Lord characters' levels.
[edit] Hector's Tale
Hector's tale is unlocked after the player completes Eliwood's tale once. It is almost the same as Eliwood's, but with a few changes.
- Hector, instead of Eliwood, is the main character. Several story elements and cut scenes are changed to reflect the change in the point of view. The characters Uther (Hector's older brother and Marquess of Ostia), Matthew (a spy for Ostia) and Oswin (a Knight/General and Hector's bodyguard) play larger roles as well.
- Two chapters are added and several chapters are changed to reflect the different point of view. In all chapters, there are different troops and troop placement, and the level of difficulty is higher.
- Additional details concerning Nergal, Ninian, and Nils' past are revealed if certain requirements are met.
- Two characters not found in Eliwood's mode can be recruited: Farina, the third of the Pegasus Knight sisters, and Karla, the Princess of Swords, sister to the Swordmaster Karel.
[edit] Main Characters
[edit] Lyndis
Lyndis (better known as Lyn) is the first character the player meets when starting the single-player quest. A young woman born and raised on the Sacean plains, she embarks on a journey with the player which leads her to discovering that she is the granddaughter of the Marquess Caelin, and heir to an embattled throne which her uncle usurps in the absence of a clear successor. For the first 11 chapters (including the prologue), Lyn is the main character and the only Lord which the player controls, though Eliwood and Hector both make brief cameos. Later on in the game she joins Eliwood and Hector in the main quest and becomes an important character, with some romance implied between her and the other Lords.
Lyn's primary weapon is the sword, though through class-change she receives the ability to use bows as well. Her stats place an emphasis on speed and skill over defense and strength, similar to the Myrmidon/Swordmaster class.
Lyn is notable for being the first female Lord character in the Fire Emblem series.
[edit] Eliwood
Eliwood is the son of Marquess Pherae, and a pacifist who believes in fighting only when necessary. He is a close friend to fellow noble Hector. He is the main protagonist of the story; most of the plot events circle around his quest to find his father, the battles with the Black Fang afterwards, and the protection of Nils and Ninian, a pair of siblings with a unique history. Ninian is often presented as a romantic interest for Eliwood.
Eliwood's primary weapon is the sword, though through class-change he receives the ability to fight with a lance as well. In the final chapter, he receives the sacred sword Durandal, which only he can wield. His stats place emphasis on good balance, with typically no category being a critical weakness, and he is the most magically resistant of all three lords.
[edit] Hector
Unlike his friend Eliwood, Hector is sometimes brash and seems always ready for conflict. He would rather settle matters on the battle field than off. However, as the story progresses the player learns he has a softer and more compassionate side as well. Hector rarely wavers in his support for Eliwood, and through his influence in his home country of Ostia, proves to be a great help to the group. Lyn is presented as a romantic interest for Hector, especially in the added cutscenes in Hector's tale.
Hector's primary weapon is the axe, though through class-change he receives the ability to wield a sword as well. He is also the recipient of the sacred axe Armads in the final chapter. Hector excels in strength and defense and is well balanced in most other stats. Surprisingly for a heavily armored axe-wielder, his speed is decent (especially after promotion), much like his protector knight Oswin who manages to do well in speed for a general.
[edit] Reception
The popularity of Marth and Roy in Super Smash Bros. Melee partly influenced Nintendo to localize Fire Emblem games to North America and Europe. This is the first Fire Emblem game released outside of Japan, and it was designed with localization to North America in mind. Since its release in North America and Europe, each new installment of the Fire Emblem series has been seen an international release in western markets.
Fire Emblem has received praise from many critics for it's epic story and unusually deep character development and gameplay. The game has received many high ratings including an 8.9/10 from GameSpot (making it one of the top 20 rated GBA games on the site) and it has received the coveted Editor's Choice Award from both IGN and GameSpy. Fire Emblem averages a solid 88.4% rating on Game Rankings and is currently the 17th highest rated GBA game of all time. In 2007, it was named 16th best Game Boy Advance game of all time in IGN's feature reflecting on the Game Boy Advance's long lifespan.[2]
[edit] Trivia
- At a total of 128 Megabits (16 Megabytes), the game's memory size is twice as large as that of the previous Fire Emblem game, Fire Emblem: Fūin no Tsurugi.
- When Hector talks with Eliwood in their support conversations he explains a dream to him of a "long-past memory." In the dream, Hector mentions a big blue-haired man who is carrying a blue-haired little girl on his shoulders. Eliwood suggests that the big man with blue mustache is Hector and that the girl is perhaps Hector's daughter. Then Hector explains that the girl walks away with a red-haired boy; immediately, Hector notices that the boy is a Pheraen, possibly Eliwood's son, and is not really pleased about the future vision because he doesn’t accept that his "possible" daughter could get married to Eliwood's son. Ironically, this "vision of the future" is the "best ending" of Fire Emblem: Fūin no Tsurugi, which is the marriage of Eliwood's son Roy & Hector's daughter Lilina.
- The arena battle theme was originally the player battle theme of Fire Emblem: Thracia 776.
- The emulated audio archive of the game contains an unused rendition of a song from Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu, as "Silesia Royal Palace."
[edit] External links
- Official Japanese Site
- Official U.S. Site
- Fire Emblem Stat Compilaton
- Fire Emblem World
- chitomv10's Random Number Generator FAQ (hosted on IGN)
- (Note: contains some misinformation--more up to date notes on the RNG here)
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Dark Dragon and Sword of Light • Gaiden • Mystery of the Emblem • Genealogy of the Holy War • Thracia 776 • Sword of Seals • Fire Emblem • Sacred Stones • Path of Radiance • The Goddess of Dawn |
