Topic: Fire Emblem!

I am a 3DS ambassador and I've been playing Sacred Stones recently and its really fun stuff. I am wondering which Fire Emblem game I should play next? I've heard a few different things but I'm wanting to know what would be the best next to Sacred Stones for a newcomer to the series?

Also, please feel free to discuss the series in general!

Same here.

I'd say Try Shadow Dragon on DS.

They're all good, but Shadow Dragon and Radiant Dawn are probably the weaker entries.

I just bought a new copy of FE7 off amazon. I'm very excited because I have ne'er played it before What makes the FE7 such the hot commodity that it is? (besides the fact that it's Fire Emblem)

The fact that it's the first Fire Emblem in the states.

That's what I had thought about FE7

Sacred Stones is an aberration, and the 3DS game looks just as bad.

And Fire Emblem game that allows you to grind up levels is not a true Fire Emblem game. Instead, it becomes a very generic SRPG

i found this at facebook http://www.facebook.com/NoaFireEmblemKakusei for bringing this to europe and north america

I recently just got into the series myself after owning Fire Emblem 7 for almost a year and never really getting around to playing it as the backlog of games I needed to finish was (and still is ) very large. However after having heard nothing but praise from a friend who is a die-hard Fire Emblem fan, I decided to finally give the series a go. And after beating the Lyn portion of the game, I must say that I am very impressed with the game and the format. I've never played a turn based strategy game before, I had always played real time strategy (and by always I mean the few I bothered to play over the past few years), and I think that this is far superior. With real-time strategy games it seems the main skill is in how fast you can send your troops to get massacred over and over till you win, while Fire Emblem, and turn based strategy in general is actually far more about the strategy element. Plus the fact that characters actually die if defeated in battle, while frustrating, makes it all the more interesting of a game. It makes you really feel for the characters. Right now I'm playing through Eliwood's campaign and loving it, and I'm planning on going through Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn once I finish up with the first since those were the two I've been able to find so far. I hope to find The Sacred Stones and a boxed copy of Shadow Dragon soon as well!

The only Fire Emblem games I'd recommend are Path of Radiance and Radiant Dawn.
The handheld games are missing that special flashy extra love. Only the home console games have the outstanding music, the gorgeous backgrounds and the epic cutscenes. And the best balancing (of RPG elements and characters) in the whole series.

...And the best characters and story and level designs, but that's probably a personal thing (there are many fans who'd say the same about the handheld games).

On handheld I have The Sacred Stones and Shadow Dragon, but they aren't in the same league. You get to find new elements in them that you won't find in the home console games (like world map travelling, visiting areas repeatedly, new races to play and new enemies to fight). And maybe you'll like them more. I unfortunately didn't, because they were all useless additions to me, save for some of the races and enemies.
I like the straightforward, linear approach of the home console games much more. On that matter one thing I really disliked about The Sacred Stones was that you had to grind and repeat levels to make progress. It's something you wouldn't find in PoR and RD. These games have a perfect balance, and an intriguing storyline that isn't interrupted by hours of dumb grinding. They have spoiled me forever.