Topic: Fire Emblem - Wii U or 3DS

Quick question, should I get Fire Emblem: Radiant Dawn for my Wii U or get Fire Emblem: Awakening for my 3DS XL?

I'm fairly new to the series and I could see myself playing the game on a couch or on the go. I've watched reviews of both and they both have the exact same control and mechanics.

Any recommendations?

It should also be noted that I have an opportunity to pick up Radiant Dawn for $50 used.

I would recommend Awakening. Radiant Dawn is kinda a sequel and I just found Awakening to be an easier experience to get into (not that the gameplay was easier). I feel like you should be able to find Radiant Dawn for less than $50 (but I could be wrong)

EDIT: I guess I was wrong, from the sound of it Radiant Dawn for $50 is a good price. That is how much I paid for a new copy at launch

Radiant Dawn is harder(on normal mode, at least), looks better and has a better story(in my opinion)
Awakening has some really cool new features(pairing units, being able to move around the world map and face paralogues, streetpass teams or random encounters) and you can take screenshots with Miiverse(plus, robin/avatar make the game a little more immersive as you are part of the story)
it really depends if you want a straightforward SRPG with no backtracking(not even if you want to) and a nice challenge or one with more replay value but a not so interesting story(still amazing, though) and a little more freedom
oh awakening is also easier on newcomers with the entirely optional casual mode that discards the infamous permadeath from the game and lets you save anytime(except enemy's turn)

I logged on just to tell you this: that price for Radiant Dawn is a steal.

Even though I like Radiant Dawn better, I highly recommend playing Path of Radiance on the Cube before playing it. PoR is my first and favorite FE game to date, and I've played every one that has graced these shores. Awakening has been hard for me to get into, but is probably a better entry point for the series.

Radiant Dawn is out of print and can run very expensive. It's going for $130 new, $70 used on Amazon US now.

That said, Radiant Dawn is by far the most difficult and least accessible Fire Emblem game. I love it, but it's probably the worst starting point to the series for new players that you could possibly pick. It's also a direct sequel to a Gamecube game that is even more rare and expensive.

Definitely go with Awakening. It's the most newby-friendly FE game you can get.

Also, I wouldn't say they have the same mechanics. Fire Emblem games like to play around and try new things each game, taking out what didn't work, etc. Awakening is essentially everything that worked well in previous games rolled into one, plus a couple new goodies like Pair Up and skill inheritance. The only thing I really miss is the Shove command from Path of Radiance/Radiant Dawn.

Dang though, I really want to tell you to pick up Radiant Dawn for that price, but I don't want to talk you into buying something if you later find that the Fire Emblem games aren't for you!

I haven't played Radiant Dawn, but Awakening is very beginner friendly and can offer quite a challenge on Lunatic Plus. I've spent somewhere in the ballpark of 300+ hours on it.

Yeah, local gaming store has it with no manual. I checked my phone while there was was surprised what it's going for lol.

Thanks for the input people. Here's hoping they release a Fire Emblem game for the Wii U. (1080p + Gamepad)

I'd say awakening is the most newbie friendly, partially because it removes any sort of magic triangle and weapon weight., two features I liked.