Fire Emblem Features
"To some extent, all of the characters in the game reflect the theme"
Nintendo's 2023 started off with a bang. Fire Emblem Engage launched in January and brought the series back to its combat-focused roots, forgoing the relationship-sim elements that had worked so well in its predecessor, Three Houses, for a game where the action came thick and...
Countdown 3DS eShop Spotlight - Fire Emblem Fates
#1 - No fate but what we...quickly download off the eShop
For the month before the 3DS and Wii U eShops close for new purchases on 27th March, each day we're going to highlight a specific eShop game for one of those consoles and give a short pitch as to why we think it deserves your love and attention — before it's too late. The chance to add...
Talking Point Who Did You Marry In Fire Emblem: Awakening?
Fire of love
For better or for worse, Fire Emblem today is a different beast to what it was a decade ago. Fire Emblem Engage brought back the weapons triangle, a combat-first focus, and the wonderful Engage mechanic, but at what cost? The social aspect (one of the biggest selling points in previous games) takes a tumble in the most recent entry. The...
Poll What Review Score Would You Give Fire Emblem Engage?
Engaged or disengaged?
We're sure a lot of you lovely readers have been engaging with a certain strategy RPG over the weekend. Yep, we're talking about Fire Emblem Engage, which launched on Switch last Friday. Okay, so this is a huge 40-50 hour game and we're not expecting you all to have blasted through the entire thing over the past few days, but...
Soapbox Fire Emblem Engage's Nintendo NYC Launch Felt Pretty Unengaging
The red carpet stayed rolled up
It was Fire Emblem Engage launch day and Nintendo Life had boots on the ground in New York City to document the launch of Intelligent Systems’ latest entry in the series, at Nintendo NYC in Rockefeller Center. Nintendo fans in New York City are spoiled. We have Nintendo’s flagship retail shop, replete with Marios...
Feature Fire Emblem Narratives, Ranked – Which Fire Emblem Has The Best Story?
More Dark Dragon Demon Gods than you can shake a Falchion at
Since Fire Emblem: The Blazing Blade — or just Fire Emblem as it was known in the West — made its way to the West on the Game Boy Advance thanks to the popularity of Marth and Roy in Super Smash Bros. Melee, the series has filled a cutthroat, tactical RPG void on almost every Nintendo...
Hands On Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes Is Shaping Up To Be A Belter
Choose House Hack 'n' Slash
It's been five whole years already since Nintendo's Fire Emblem and Koei Tecmo's Warriors series first collided, resulting in the rather magnificent Fire Emblem Warriors, a game we called "one of the best Musou outings yet" that "combines enjoyable combat with re
Talking Point Can It Really Be 10 Years Since Fire Emblem: Awakening Saved The Series?
From niche series to Nintendo staple
10 years ago today, Fire Emblem: Awakening was released on the 3DS in Japan. At the time the series had a core and devoted audience, but it had struggled to make a meaningful sales breakthrough outside of Japan. There was no doubting the development and storytelling talent of developer Intelligent Systems,...
Soapbox In Praise Of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Two Years On
Support systems have never meant more
This past week marked the second anniversary of Fire Emblem: Three Houses, the latest entry in Intelligent Systems’ popular tactics series. Ten years ago, you would’ve been forgiven for believing that the Fire Emblem series was going the way of the dinosaur, and yet Three Houses now sits at somewhere around...
Feature Remembering The Shadow Dragon - A History Of Fire Emblem's Original Adventure
Don't let any of your characters die as you read this
You’ve likely seen the news that Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon And The Blade Of Light is finally being localised in the west. Originally a Japan-only title, this NES game kicked off Nintendo’s prolific JRPG series and to celebrate Fire Emblem’s 30th Anniversary, it’s being re-released on...
Feature Game Of The Decade Staff Picks - Fire Emblem: Awakening
Gavin's personal pick for GOTD
Following on from our reader-voted Top 50 Games of the Decade, Nintendo Life staff members will be picking their personal favourite Nintendo games between the years 2010-2019. Today, Gavin looks back nearly seven years and tries to remember the name of his kid... Picking one's favourite game from a decade’s worth...
Feature Fire Emblem Heroes' Directors On Making Nintendo's Most Successful Mobile Game Yet
"We are actively listening to player feedback and opinions"
It's hard to believe it, but Fire Emblem Heroes is now more than two years old. In that time, the smartphone-based tactical RPG has become Nintendo's most successful mobile venture, dramatically outperforming stablemates such as Animal Crossing: Pocket Camp, Super Mario Run and
Preview Fire Emblem Warriors Could Be The Best Musou Game Yet
A perfect tactical mix
Despite its incredible popularity in Japan, Koei Tecmo's Warriors (or, if you prefer, Musou) series has never really captured western hearts and minds in quite the same way. To the outside observer, the series appears to be little more than mindless button-bashing, with no tactical nuance or depth. As fans of the franchise...
Feature Talking Trade With Bonnie Gordon, Voice of Fire Emblem: Echoes' Silque
On being Silque and singing Mother Mila's praises
Modern Fire Emblem games have been a real cornerstone of the 3DS’ library, with Awakening, Fates, and Echoes each excellent examples of the series’ endless tactical RPG appeal. They’ve become fan favourites not only because of their satisfyingly strategic gameplay, but also because of the...
Feature We Quiz the Fire Emblem Warriors Developers On Characters, Game Design and More
"If people enjoy the game it would be great to make a sequel"
Way back in January during the big reveal of the Switch, Nintendo lifted the veil on Fire Emblem Warriors, the latest collaboration between the big N's internal teams and Koei Tecmo. After plenty had fun with Hyrule Warriors on Wii U and then Hyrule Warriors Legends on 3DS,...
Talking Point What We Hope to See in the Fire Emblem Nintendo Direct
Switch and mobile to the fore
If early year intentions can be taken as an indication of Nintendo's eagerness to have a big year, then so far things bode well. Despite the various positives and negatives around the Nintendo Switch and its launch offerings, Nintendo did at least go wholeheartedly into presenting it. The live event from Tokyo was...
Talking Point The Scale of the Mobile Industry Makes it an Important Market for Nintendo
Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem are only the beginning
As the Summer months drift towards their conclusion (in the Northern Hemisphere, at least) we head into Fall / Autumn, and what that brings is a period of great intrigue in the world of Nintendo. On the one hand the company will eventually need to spill the beans on its NX system and - in one...
Feature Miitomo's Initial Success Doesn't Mask Lessons to be Learned for Future Nintendo Apps
Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem have the scope to do better
Miitomo was always, it seemed, a divisive first app to come from the Nintendo / DeNA partnership. For some the idea of Nintendo being directly involved in smart device downloads is a form of blasphemy, while others were surprised at the choice of brand and approach. With Mii characters at...
Pushing for new ideas doesn't always pay off
It's not so long ago I mentioned poor old Code Name: S.T.E.A.M. as a game that had been left with little hope of commercial success; it somewhat flopped, in case you'd forgotten . It struggled to make a dent in the West and failed badly in Japan, not even making the top 20 when it launched in the country...
Guide Which Version Of Fire Emblem Fates Should You Buy?
Claim your birthright or start a conquest? You decide
Fire Emblem Fates is out in Europe today, but picking up a copy isn't as simple a purchasing decision as it was with the previous outing, Fire Emblem: Awakening. While that only had one version, Fates is divided into two retail packages with a third chapter coming on June 9th. Choosing which...
Guide What's New And Different In Fire Emblem Fates?
The game finally hits Europe this week, but what's all the fuss about?
After what seems like an eternity, European players will finally get the chance to play Fire Emblem Fates this week. Intelligent Systems' latest turn-based tactical triumph launched in North America back in February, and we awarded it a glowing 9 out of 10 in our review. However,...
Talking Point Animal Crossing and Fire Emblem Could Provide Nintendo's Mobile Breakthrough With Fans
Targeting Nintendo gamers of various types
Following Nintendo's financial reports and Tatsumi Kimishima's President's Presentation this week, a relatively clear picture has emerged of what will be the core areas of focus for Nintendo for the rest of 2016. Mobile and the 3DS (and perhaps amiibo) are likely to be at the forefront in terms of major...
Matters Of Import Fire Emblem (Sort Of) Exists On The Sony PlayStation
A look at Shouzou Kaga's forgotten classic
For various reasons we now live in an era where developers breaking away from their parent companies to make similar-but-different pseudo-sequels to dormant, dead, or defiled game series is now a relatively commonplace occurrence, with Koji Igarashi's Castlevania successor Bloodstained being the latest to...
Matters of Import Prepare To Die In Fire Emblem: Thracia 776
This Super Famicom swansong takes no prisoners
Fire Emblem is a strange series; much loved and well known, yet still a relative outsider when compared to the likes of Kirby or even Star Fox. Released first as a Nintendo Power exclusive deluxe pack in 1999 and then again in more standard SNES packaging in 2000, Thracia 776 has the d
Feature 12 Days of Christmas - Fire Emblem's Awakening
Long-running strategy RPG dodges permadeath with one of the year's best
There were greater commercial and critical successes than Fire Emblem: Awakening's in this Year of Luigi, but none could be as sweet. The underdog series finally saw the acclaim that it deserved from a mass audience for a banner year, one in which the stakes couldn't have been...
Feature Fire Emblem's Western Adventure
From humble Japanese strategy RPG to important Western franchise
The long arduous wait for Fire Emblem: Awakening is almost over. North Americans will be getting hold of it on 4th February while Europeans, whose patience must be more enduring, will have it in April. Naturally, Japan has had the title for over a year now. Fire Emblem is a tactical...
